The Philharmonia Chorus is very pleased to announce the appointment of Timothy End as Accompanist to the Chorus. Since the formation of the Chorus in 1957 there have only been three accompanists: Viola Tunnard, Martin Penny, and Stephen Rose. Timothy now becomes the fourth.

Timothy End graduated with a first class honours degree in music from King's College, London in 2006 before entering the Royal Academy of Music, gaining the DipRAM award for an outstanding recital. He held the Shinn Fellowship at RAM for 2008-09 studying under Julius Drake and Patsy Toh.

A multiple first-prize winner, Timothy was awarded both the Pianist Prize and Jean Meikle Duo Prize with the baritone Jonathan McGovern at the Wigmore Hall Song Competition in September 2011. Further prizes include the Acccompanists' Prize at the Maureen Lehane Vocal Awards, the Parnell Award for an Accompanist at the ROSL Annual Music Competition, the Gerald Moore Award and the MBF Accompanist Prize at the Kathleen Ferrier Competition. Timothy was chosen to be a Samling Scholar in May 2011, culminating in concerts in Newcastle and at the Sage, Gateshead. He performed alongside Malcolm Martineau and Sir Thomas Allen at a Samling Showcase at the Wigmore Hall last December.

Recent engagements have taken him to Washington D.C., New York, Cologne, Graz and Budapest. In November he performed at the inaugural Placido Domingo Festival in Seville in a Broadway programme with the American sopranos Angel Blue and Micaela Oeste. This was repeated in Paris at UNESCO for Placido Domingo. Earlier this year Timothy performed at a ROSL Gala held at St James's Palace, in front of Princess Alexandra.

Timothy started working with the Philharmonia Chorus in 2012.

The Philharmonia Chorus celebrated Christmas at the Royal Albert Hall on Wednesday 19 December with the Philharmonia Orchestra and the Choir of King's College, Cambridge under the baton of Stephen Cleobury. The Chorus performed Part One of Bach's Christmas Oratorio, some choruses from Handel's Messiah, Elgar's The Snow, and of course some festive carols. The Chorus was proud to have taken part in this concert with the Choir of King's College, Cambridge, whose Christmas Eve broadcasts from the Chapel of King's College associate them with Christmas all over the world.

Then do come to an open rehearsal on Wednesday 23 October at Gandhi Hall, Indian YMCA, 41 Fitzroy Square, London, W1T 6AQ, on the corner of Fitzroy Street and Grafton Way - nearest tubes are Warren Street and Great Portland Street. The rehearsal is from 6.30 to 9pm, but we suggest that you turn up at 6.15pm to collect your music and say hello.

The rehearsal will be taken by our dynamic German Chorus Master, Stefan Bevier, and we will be rehearsing Poulenc's Gloria and Handel's Coronation Anthem Zadok the Priest.

You are welcome to come to the whole rehearsal, or just part of it - there will be a break at 8pm. We would love to see you in the Grafton Arms afterwards for a drink and a chat to Chorus members.

If this appeals, or if you have any questions, do contact our Personnel Manager Rosslyn Panatti. Or just turn up! We look forward very much to welcoming you.

The Philharmonia Chorus is delighted to announce that the distinguished conductor Jeffrey Tate CBE has agreed to become the President of the Chorus.

This appointment follows a highly successful performance of Elgar's 'The Dream of Gerontius' in Hamburg's Laeiszhalle with the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Jeffrey Tate on 16 September.

Jeffrey Tate succeeds the first President of the Philharmonia Chorus, Sir Charles Mackerras, who served with distinction as President for 6 years until his death in 2010.

Jeffrey Tate was himself a member of the Philharmonia Chorus in the mid-1960s when a medical student in London. Of his new appointment he says: 'I feel honoured to be invited to be the President of such a fine chorus'.

On Sunday 16 September the Philharmonia Chorus gave a performance of Elgar's masterpiece The Dream of Gerontius in the beautiful Laeiszhalle in Hamburg - see a rehearsal there above. The Chorus joined Brendan Gunnell, Alice Coote, Kristinn Sigmundsson, and the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra under the direction of conductor Jeffrey Tate. The concert opened the 2012-13 season of the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra.

The Philharmonia Chorus took part in two performances of Mahler's Second Symphony with the Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen, at The Anvil, Basingstoke on Friday June 22, and at the Royal Festival Hall on Thursday 28 June. The concert was relayed live on BBC Radio 3, and is available on the BBC iPlayer until 5 July.