South London Choir
Established in 2006, the South London Choir is a non-auditioning community choir with over 100 members, led by the multi-talented singer songwriter and musical director, MJ Paranzino.
Every year, the members organise a programme of community outreach concerts for the blind and disabled, hospice residents, prison inmates, sick children and the elderly, and last year the choir raised £6000 for charity.
The choir appear regularly at the Royal Festival Hall, 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. We also perform at weddings and other traditional celebrations, including a spirited Christmas carol service throughout December.
For the past three years the South London Choir have taken part in the Brighton Festival Fringe with the Brighton City Singers, MJ’s choir based in Brighton. For the Fringe 2009, MJ produced, arranged AND directed a choral concert of entirely new music titled ‘Sex & Drugs & Rock’n’Roll…Oh Yeah!’ to a full house and enthusiastic audience.
The show featured two new songs composed and arranged by MJ, with lyrics by Ginny Dougary. To get an insight into the creative process of songwriting, read Ginny's article for The Times (16/5).
To watch MJ in action with the Brighton City Singers, and hear her views on the benefits of singing, go to the BBC News website.
The choir was very busy last Autumn - in September we sang for the homeless at Anchor House and at a member's wedding (congratulations Laura), 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, and in November, the choir participated in a British-American Remembrance Day concert - Hands Across the Sea for Humanity at the stunning Central Hall in Westminster. Finally, in December, the choir again helped to fundraise over £650 through carol singing for Royal London Society for the Blind.
