Victoria Park Singers community choir, which celebrated its 10th anniversary earlier this year, has appointed Charles MacDougall as its new Musical Director. The choir, which meets on Wednesdays at Lauriston Primary School in Hackney, has taken part in an array of performances since forming, including a BBC Proms, the Royal Variety Show, the Olivier Awards, and at the Barbican with the LSO.
Charles MacDougall, known equally for his singing and his transformative work with choirs and singers, takes on the role of Musical Director of Victoria Park Singers from September 2023.
A former member of internationally-acclaimed vocal ensemble VOCES8, Charles now sings for a number of other ensembles, including Gabrieli Consort and Players, London Voices (appearing on numerous film soundtracks) and London Early Opera (including as a soloist on their releases Handel at Vauxhall, Vol.1 & 2, Signum Classics), as well as undertaking solo engagements internationally. *
Victoria Park Singers is a non-auditioned community choir, who sing a range of material from classical to pop, folk, jazz and gospel.
Founded by Hannah Brine in 2013, who has since moved north, the choir is excited to welcome Charles from September onwards. They interviewed a number of high calibre conductors for the role.
Hannah says “We loved Charles’ energy, musicality and wealth of knowledge and experience. Having started this choir it was so important to me that whoever is leading the group is dynamic and passionate, and I’m so pleased we found Charles.”
Charles explains:
“I am delighted to be the new Musical Director of this well established and highly regarded community choir. I’ve known the area since I was a child because we had great family friends who lived on Southborough Road, and we would stay with them there, just across from Lauriston Primary. We would even go to Hackney Reformed Church; I remember they had such great singing there where the whole congregation would sing in four part harmony. As a very musical child, being surrounded by that was just magic! Years later, around 2008 when I first started running choral workshops in schools, Lauriston Primary was one that I would visit regularly! So it’s really strange that my life has brought me back to this little corner of London. I’m so excited for this next chapter, working with this wonderful choir. “
Victoria Park Singers new term begins on September 20th and new members are very welcome. There are no auditions.