The South London Choir
Established in 2006, the South London Choir is a non-auditioning community choir with over 130 members, led by the multi-talented singer/songwriter and musical director, MJ Paranzino.
Over the past four years, the members have organised a programme of community outreach concerts, raising over £7500 for various charities, in the belief that singing is a joyous and mutually uplifting experience.
The South London Choir has performed at the Royal Festival Hall, the Southbank Ballroom and Central Hall Westminster, and if that wasn't all, the choir sang the vocal track for the documentary 'Wild Ocean', an IMAX documentary on whales, written and produced by the dance group STOMP, with worldwide distrubution, as well as appearning on BBC's The One Show.
The members also perform at weddings and other traditional celebrations.
2009
For the past four years, the South London Choir has taken part in the Brighton Festival Fringe alongside the Brighton City Singers, MJ’s choir based in Brighton. In May 2009, MJ and the choirs produced 'Sex & Drugs & Rock'n Roll- Oh Yeah' a concert of entirely new choral works, offering the opportunity for composers, singers and musicians to create original choral music and have it performed in public.
The show featured two new songs composed and arranged by MJ - to get an insight into the creative process of songwriting, read The Times article on MJ (16/5/09).
Brighton Festival Fringe May 23rd 2009
The choir was very busy during Autumn 2009 - in September we sang for the homeless at Anchor House and at a member's wedding, plus a fantastic rip-roaring performance at the Southbank on the last sunny Sunday of 2009.
In October, the members organised and performed a fundraising concert for the Brighton and Hove Samaritans, making over £600 for the charity.
In November, the South London Choir participated in a British-American Remembrance Day concert - Hands Across the Sea for Humanity at the stunning Central Hall Westminster in a 300 strong chorale.
Finally, in December, we helped to fundraise over £650 through carol singing for Royal London Society for the Blind.
2010
Celebrate Community
As part of the Wandsworth Arts Festival seven local choirs, including The South London Choir, made Tooting come alive to the sound of song for the Shimmy Sing! Led by MJ, groups of singers delighted residents and shoppers by serenading them from various locations in the high street before all joining together for a lively choral performance. The highlight was ‘Celebrate Community’, a song composed especially by MJ for this event, commissioned by Wandsworth Arts. The choir also performed ‘Celebrate Community’ at The Shimmy! - a day of free and spectacular outdoor arts.
Walls of Sound at Brighton Festival Fringe
On May 1st 2010, as part of the Brighton Fringe, The South London Choir and The Brighton City Singers were joined by MJ’s new group, The West London Choir, in a 200 strong chorale of new music titled ‘Walls of Sound’, arranged and directed by MJ herself. The concert was one of our best performances, held at the beautiful St Bartholomew’s Church in Brighton, to a full house and enthusiastic audience.
