On Saturday 12 June on BBC Radio 3's Record Review, Jeremy Summerly examined all the available recordings of Carl Orff's Carmina Burana, and selected the Chorus's 1979 EMI recording with Arleen Auger, John van Kesteren, Jonathan Summers and the Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by Riccardo Muti as the best. The Chorus Master was Norbert Balatsch.

Soprano Alexandria Wreggelsworth took part in a streamed performance of opera scenes live from the stage of La Fenice, Venice, at 18.00 on Wednesday 26 May. Alexandria is a member of the Philharmonia Chorus Student Scheme, and has taken part in many performances with the Chorus over the past five years.

Alexandria sang Mimi and Tatyana in scenes from La Bohème and Eugene Onegin respectively. The whole performance is available on You Tube.

The Philharmonia Chorus was very proud to take part in the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra's 75th Anniversary Concert on Tuesday 21 September at the Royal Albert Hall. The Chorus joined bass-baritone Sir Bryn Terfel in a performance of Walton's Belshazzar's Feast, which was conducted by the orchestra's Music Director, Vasily Petrenko. In the first half of the concert, Sheku Kanneh-Mason played Elgar's Cello Concerto. The concert was relayed live on BBC Radio 3.

The Philharmonia Chorus has enjoyed a long and close association with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, having taken part in over 40 performances with them over the last 20 years alone. Our first concert together was on 28 September 1971, in a performance of Mahler's Second Symphony conducted by Rudolf Kempe that marked the opening of their Silver Jubilee season, so this performance of Belshazzar's Feast marked our 50th anniversary of music making with this wonderful orchestra, almost to the day.

Under the current national circumstances, it is no surprise that the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra has announced that the planned performances of Mahler's Second and Third Symphonies with the Philharmonia Chorus at the Royal Albert Hall in March and April will not go ahead. We are delighted that the performances have been re-scheduled, and that the details will be announced shortly

On Thursday 20 February the Philharmonia Chorus took part in a performance of Mahler's Second Symphony at the Royal Festival Hall, London. The Chorus joined soprano Camilla Tilling, mezzo-soprano Jennifer Johnston and the Philharmonia Orchestra with its Principal Guest conductor Jakub Hrůša.

The concert was recorded by BBC Radio 3, and was broadcast on Monday 9 March.

We are greatly saddened to hear of the death at 92 of Norbert Balatsch. While chorus master at both the Vienna State Opera and the Bayreuth Festival, he was appointed to the Chorus in 1975. Over the next five years he prepared the Chorus for over 50 concerts and recordings with some of the most outstanding conductors of the time. During this period the Chorus appeared in concerts and performances of staged opera at the Roman Théâtre Antique in Orange, and the 1979 recording of Mozart's Requiem conducted by Guilini won the 1981 Grammy award for best choral performance. The Chorus flourished under him, and we are both grateful and fortunate to have benefited from his leadership.