SCO Chorus
The Scottish Chamber Orchestra Chorus (SCOC), under the direction of Gregory Batsleer since 2009, has built a reputation as one of Scotland’s most vibrant and versatile choirs. Widely regarded as one of the finest orchestral choruses in the UK, it celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2021.
Members enjoy the unique opportunity to perform with one of the world’s leading chamber orchestras, working with international conductors including Maxim Emelyanychev, Harry Christophers, Richard Egarr, Andrew Manze and Sir James MacMillan.
The Chorus appears regularly with the Orchestra in Scotland’s major cities. Recent concerts have covered a wide range of music including MacMillan Seven Last Words from the Cross, Stravinsky Mass, Handel Messiah and Theodora, Haydn Creation and Seasons, Brahms Ein deutsches Requiem, a rare performance of Vaughan Williams Flos Campi and the premiere of The Years by Anna Clyne, SCO Associate Composer 2019-2022. The 2023-24 Season features the world premiere of Composed in August by Sir James MacMillan.
The SCO Chorus also appears on its own in a cappella repertoire, both digital and live. Notable performances include a dramatisation of Parry’s Songs of Farewell in 2017, devised by stage director Jack Furness and Chorus Director Gregory Batsleer, Tallis’ Spem in Alium in 2020, and concerts as part of the SCO’s 2022 Summer Tour including the premiere of Anna Clyne’s The Heart of Night. The Chorus' annual Christmas concerts at Greyfriars Kirk have quickly established themselves as a Season highlight. The 23/24 programme includes the world premiere of The Night Watch, commissioned by the Chorus from SCO Associate Composer, Jay Capperauld.
The Chorus made a critically acclaimed BBC Proms debut with Handel’s Jephtha in 2019 and returned to the Royal Albert Hall in July 2023 with Mendelssohn’s Elijah. Summer 2023 also saw the Chorus at the Edinburgh International Festival in a semi-staged performance of Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte conducted by Maxim Emelyanychev.