Photo by Richard Leeming/CC-BY-SA
We are a large, London-based choir that performs a wide range of classic and contemporary choral works in beautiful venues in central London and occasionally elsewhere. The choir regularly performs with the Brandenburg Sinfonia. This photo was taken at our June 2025 performance of Bernstein's Chichester Psalms and Will Todd's m=pv, accompanied by harp and percussion, a world premiere of this particular instrumentation for the Todd piece.
Medici Choir was established in 1951 to perform during the Festival of Britain, when it was known as the United Hospitals Festival Choir: most of the choir members at the time had some connection with hospitals in central London, leading later to the “Medici” name. Here is a photo from its inaugural concert in the Royal Albert Hall on 29 May 1951:
Today the choir is a friendly and diverse group whose members come from many different professions and walks of life. Our music director, David Gostick, leads us with enthusiasm, vast musical knowledge and great good humour.
The choir’s Musical Director for 52 years until his death in 2018 was John Baird: composer, teacher, organist and choirmaster who spent much of his career at Westminster School, including periods as Director of Music and Composer-in-Residence. John originally joined the choir as a bass while studying at the Royal College of Music, then took over as the choir’s accompanist a few years later and became our conductor in 1966. He and his wife Penny, who was our accompanist for many years and who also taught music at Westminster School, devoted enormous amounts of their time and expertise towards making Medici Choir the successful and friendly choir that it is today. John and Penny are greatly missed. The choir has recently funded a small number of bursary scholars in John's memory.
As well as three regular London concerts a year, the choir sings at private events and occasionally abroad.
