“The Mill Hill Music Club was founded in 1955 by Mr Wilfred Ransom who at that time was deputy manager of Barclays Bank in Swiss Cottage. He had interviewed a concert pianist who couldn’t quite manage to clear his overdraft and Wilfred, being a member of Toc H, staged a recital, the pianist paid off his overdraft and the Mill Hill Music Club was founded and has become one of the most prestigious music clubs in London, if not in the country.
The following years were exciting. Musicians such as the Amadeus Quartet who were in their early days in their career gave many concerts. The then young Vladimir Ashkenazi gave his first U.K. recital when he came to London. Arthur Rubenstein told his agent always to book him for “Hill Mill”. Kiri Te Kanawa stepped in at short notice to replace another singer who was unwell, and Alfred Brendel, Radu Lupu, Jacqueline du Pre, Isaac Stern, Pinchas Zuckerman Moieseiwitch have been among the many distinguished names who have performed.
In recent years we have been privileged to hear some of the world’s finest soloists, ensembles and a host of very talented newcomers to the music world. To name a few, the Israel Piano Trio, ConTempo String Quartet, Chilingirian Quartet, Mitsuko Uchida, Tacacs String Quartet, Artur Pizarro, Idil Biret, Emma Johnson, Yevgeny Subdin, Jerusalem Quartet and the Aviv Quartet.
The Club is always looking for new members and helpers and if you would like to offer your services we will be delighted to hear from you.”
“The Mill Hill Musical Theatre Company was founded as the Mill Hill Amateur Operatic Society by Richard Graves in 1954. Over the past 60 years we have put on a wide range of theatrical productions – you can see a list here. We have always met and performed in Mill Hill, north-west London, but welcome members and audiences from all over London and the Home Counties.
Each year we perform two shows. Our main autumn show is a fully-staged musical or operetta, held over four nights and open to the public. Our spring ‘Patrons’ Party’ is put on exclusively for the valued patrons of our Company, and is usually a musical or revue.”
“Welcome to Southgate Opera, one of the premier amateur opera companies in London. Founded in 1964 the company performs an ever changing programme of productions featuring opera, operetta and musical comedy.
Our productions are fully staged and costumed, feature a full chorus and are accompanied by an orchestra.
Run by volunteers, Southgate Opera is a registered charity and is dedicated to making opera accessible and enjoyable for everyone.
We welcome new members, whether you wish to perform, help behind the scenes, backstage, with costumes or props.
Come along to watch one of our rehearsals and meet the company.”
“Finchley Choral Society (FCS) is a thriving, North London, community choir, which was founded over a hundred years ago to give local people the opportunity to study, practise and perform choral singing. Today we are proud to be recognised as one of the area’s leading choral societies. Under the acclaimed leadership of our Music Director, Grace Rossiter, assisted by our outstanding accompanist Richard Harvey, FCS performs a large part of the choral repertoire including both great classical works and more modern pieces, some specially commissioned for the choir.”
Proms at St Judes Music and Literary Festival.
“The Youth Music Centre was established in Bigwood House, Hampstead Garden Suburb in 1967 and since that time has become one of the foremost Saturday morning music schools in London.
The essential aim of YMC is to welcome all children from the age of two to eighteen years into our community and to help them achieve their highest musical potential within a creative and happy environment where they can come together to enjoy making music.
YMC provides classes in musicianship skills for the very youngest children before they embark on instrumental lessons at the age of five or six. After a year of group lessons on the violin, viola, cello, double bass or recorder children are ready to have their first orchestral experience. We also provide theory classes up to grade 8 and voice/aural classes. We are proud to say that we have many children who stay with us for their entire music education.”
“Hampstead Garden Opera (HGO) brings live opera, fully staged with orchestra, at reasonable prices to the people of north London and offers performance opportunity and training to young singers. We have been recognised by critics as one of the finest of small opera companies. We have won, and on other occasions been nominated for, the Offie for best opera production – an award for the best production outside the West End.”
“Finchley Chamber Choir, recently described by Making Music as ‘one of London’s finest amateur classical choirs’, was formed in 1973 and maintains close links with its sister organisation, Finchley Symphony Orchestra, both groups giving regular seasons at Trinity Church, North Finchley, including some joint concerts.”
“A community wind band based in Barnet, north London, the first incarnation of Barnet Band was formed in 1889. This makes us one of Barnet’s oldest musical organisations. During the summer, we play at fetes, community events, and bandstands, while Christmas sees us participating at Barnet’s Christmas Fair in The Spires shopping centre. We also give concerts for local charities, and over the years have been privileged to help many worthy causes.
Barnet Band is a not-for-profit organisation run by its members. As a community wind band, we accept new members without audition and we don’t ask for grades. We aim for rehearsals to be fun and sociable occasions. There’s always a teabreak.
If that sounds what you’re looking for, please come along and try us out. You will find us very friendly and be made extremely welcome.
We are currently seeking clarinets and brass players. So if you play clarinet, tuba, trombone, French horn, euphonium or trumpet, fancy playing in a friendly community band and can spare Wednesday evenings to rehearse, why not come along and give us a try?”
Enfield Mixed Choir is a mixed voice community choir based in East Barnet.
“Christ Church Community Choir was created in January 2013, by and for people of all ages in Barnet who simply love to sing and enjoy sharing their singing experience with others.
The choir meets on alternate Monday evenings 7.30-9.00pm during school term time at Christ Church, St Albans Road, where we rehearse and sing various styles of songs including Musical, popular, Gospel and more!”
“Barnet Choral Society was founded in 1940 and is currently around 100 strong. We provide an opportunity to learn and enjoy choral music in a relaxed but purposeful atmosphere (with occasional social events to spice things up a bit).
We’re a non-auditioned choir and welcome singers of all ages and abilities, with a mix of material which we hope will suit everybody. Our repertoire has ranged from old to new; from sacred works to opera choruses and folk songs; from light-hearted to serious and from straightforward to difficult.
We give four concerts a year using professional soloists and orchestras where appropriate. We normally perform in Barnet but occasionally elsewhere – St Albans Cathedral, for example. From time to time we organise short tours abroad – we’ve been to Barcelona, Prague, Verona and Cyprus.”
Musical Director: Richard Brain
President: Jonathan Rathbone
Accompanist: Colin Spinks
“The Alyth Choral Society, based at the North Western Reform Synagogue, occupies a unique place in local music making.
This mixed choir concentrates on varied works based on Old Testament, secular and Jewish themes.
Many performances are with orchestra.
The choir is open to all with a love of singing.”
“The Hertfordshire Showband based in Potters Bar Hertfordshire, is one of the UK’s most successful marching bands. The 60 strong band is administered by the Hertfordshire Band Academy and caters for young people and adults.
Members have the opportunity to perform in competitions, concerts and events both locally and abroad. Over the past few years the band has competed in the World Music Contest, World Showband Contest and the European Marching and Showband Championships, winning no less than 6 gold and 3 silver medals.
The showband has also performed at Windsor Castle, The Royal Tournament, NFL at new Wembley Stadium, Saracens at new Wembley stadium, Birmingham Tattoo, Disneyland Paris, The Lord Mayor’s Show in London, and in many other prestigious events and parades.”