Parliament Choir

The Parliament Choir, also known as the UK Parliament Choir and the Choir of the UK Parliament, was founded in December 2000 by composer Simon Over with the support of Geoffrey Filkin, Baron Filkin. Over had run a choral society at Westminster Abbey whose members included serving parliamentarians in the House of Commons and the House of Lords. These parliamentarians were often unable to attend rehearsals because of voting commitments and the late hours of parliamentary business. Over then set up a choir in the Palace of Westminster, the Parliament Choir, which enabled parliamentarians to attend votes at short notice with the sounding of the division bell during rehearsals, returning to rehearse shortly after the vote had concluded. The choir performed for the first time in December 2000. == Organisation ==

directing the Parliament Choir during a performance in 2009 The Parliament Choir was initially organised as an all-party parliamentary group within Parliament. As such, the choir could only rehearse when Parliament was in session. Since its early years, it has been sponsored by BT Group, which gives it around £60,000 or £65,000 to maintain the choir every year. The choir's internal relationship with Parliament was changed in 2017, after it had to cancel a concert when it was unexpectedly dissolved as part of the dissolution of Parliament for the snap 2017 general election. It is managed by a board of trustees which is led by a chair and also includes three vice-chairs and a treasurer. Mike German, Baron German is the chair of the choir. Hugh Merrill, Bernard Jenkin and Mary Macleod are the vice-chairs. Judith Jolly, Baroness Jolly is the treasurer. Other trustees include Oliver Heald, Sue Hayman, Baroness Hayman of Ullock and Michael Prisk. The choir also has a music team which includes Simon Over as music director and Nicholas O'Neill as choirmaster and composer in residence. Southbank Sinfonia serves as the choir's resident orchestra; the orchestra was also founded by Simon Over in 2002. == Membership ==

Since its founding, the choir has upheld a policy of keeping its membership open to anyone who has a parliamentary pass or works in the Palace of Westminster; membership is open to all parliamentary staff including police and security personnel, caterers and transcribers for Hansard, as well as to journalists with access to the press gallery and parliamentarians from both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, including senior government ministers. Members of Parliament (MPs) have also invited their constituents to join the choir. • Helen Jackson • Jeremy Lefroy • David Lidington • Mary Macleod • David Madel • Fiona Mactaggart • Mark Prisk • Caroline Spelman • Alan Beith • Robert Jackson • Sarah Teather • Ed Miliband • Nick Clegg • John Bercow Others The following notable individuals have also been members of the Parliament Choir but have never served as MPs or Lords. • David Leakey • Alan Moses == References ==