“Classical, pop, jazz, film scores – you can do it all“ says new patron Debbie Wiseman

Wiseman, who was awarded an OBE for her services to music in 2018, joins fellow film composers Hans Zimmer and Ennio Morricone as a patron. She has worked with the north London choir on several projects, including the music for the British comedy horror film Lesbian Vampire Killers in 2009.

“Whenever I have needed a choir, I would think of Crouch End Festival Chorus as my first choice,”

Wiseman said. 

“They can do everything from sing the classical repertoire to singing backing tracks for pop songs, jazz, and film scores. With the work I have done, they have had to create odd, weird sounds. It is not just straightforward singing. It’s important for a choir to be versatile and to enjoy the experience -- breaking through boundaries and doing something new and fresh.”

The Chorus, based in north London, has patrons from many parts of the music world, including pop music performers Sir Ray Davies and Noel Gallagher, classical singers Sir Bryn Terfel and Alison Pearce, conductor Sir Mark Elder, producer and writer Meirion Bowen and the choir’s joint-founder John Gregson.   

Wiseman was also on the judging panel which selected a work by Ian Lawson as the winner of the choir’s “From the heart” commissioning competition in June 2019.

Lawson’s “From the heart – may it return to the heart” will be premiered by the choir before Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis at 19.30 on 5 October 2019 at Queen Elizabeth Hall, London.

"We are delighted to have one of the UK's most successful female composers join us a patron. We have worked with her in the past, we really appreciated her role as a competition judge recently and we look forward to working with her again in the future."

Crouch End Festival Chorus chairman Hugh Bowden said.