Fulham & Hammersmith Choral Society Holding Come and Sing Day

---

Singers invited to a performance of Haydn's The Creation

The choir rehearsing. Picture: James Gifford-Mead photography

January 19, 2026

The Fulham & Hammersmith Choral Society (FHCS) is opening its doors to singers next month for a special Come & Sing Day dedicated to one of the great masterpieces of the choral repertoire: Haydn’s The Creation.

The event takes place on Saturday 7 February at St Mary’s Church, Putney, offering participants the chance to rehearse and perform the oratorio in a single day under the baton of conductor Robert Patterson.

The day begins with registration at 10.30am, followed by morning and afternoon rehearsals accompanied by pianist Gavin Roberts. After a tea break, singers will give a free public performance at 4.30pm, joined by soprano soloist Eli Rolfe Johnson. Tickets to take part cost £20, with scores available to hire for £2.

The event supports Glassdoor, the homelessness charity, and FHCS encourages singers to invite friends and family to the informal performance—no dress code required.

Founded more than 60 years ago, the choir aims for a warm, inclusive ethos and its commitment to making high-quality choral music accessible to singers of all backgrounds and levels of experience.

FHCS performs a wide repertoire, from Baroque favourites to contemporary works, and regularly collaborates with professional soloists and orchestras. Recent seasons have included performances of Mozart’s Requiem, Rutter’s Gloria, and Vaughan Williams’ Dona Nobis Pacem. Alongside its formal concerts, the choir runs community-focused events such as Come & Sing days like this one, which offer newcomers a welcoming introduction to choral singing.

The choir rehearses weekly in Hammersmith and attracts members from across West and South-West London.

Haydn’s The Creation remains one of the most joyful and uplifting works in the choral canon. Premiered in 1798 to enormous acclaim, it blends vivid orchestral writing, radiant choral movements and expressive solo passages to depict the biblical story of creation. Its celebratory choruses make it an ideal choice for a one-day workshop, offering both challenge and exhilaration for singers.

Event details

Date: Saturday 7 February
Venue: St Mary’s Church, Putney, SW15 1SN

Schedule:

• 10:30–11:00 Registration
• 11:00–13:00 Rehearsal
• 13:00–14:00 Lunch (bring your own or explore Putney’s cafés)
• 14:00–15:45 Rehearsal
• 15:45–16:30 Tea & coffee break
• 16:30–17:30 Free performance
  

Like Reading Articles Like This? Help Us Produce More This site remains committed to providing local community news and public interest journalism. Articles such as the one above are integral to what we do. We aim to feature as much as possible on local societies, charities based in the area, fundraising efforts by residents, community-based initiatives and even helping people find missing pets. We’ve always done that and won’t be changing, in fact we’d like to do more. However, the readership that these stories generates is often below that needed to cover the cost of producing them. Our financial resources are limited and the local media environment is intensely competitive so there is a constraint on what we can do. We are therefore asking our readers to consider offering financial support to these efforts. Any money given will help support community and public interest news and the expansion of our coverage in this area. A suggested monthly payment is £8 but we would be grateful for any amount for instance if you think this site offers the equivalent value of a subscription to a daily printed newspaper you may wish to consider £20 per month. If neither of these amounts is suitable for you then contact info@neighbournet.com and we can set up an alternative. All payments are made through a secure web site. One-off donations are also appreciated. Choose The Amount You Wish To Contribute. If you do support us in this way we’d be interested to hear what kind of articles you would like to see more of on the site – send your suggestions to the editor. For businesses we offer the chance to be a corporate sponsor of community content on the site. For £30 plus VAT per month you will be the designated sponsor of at least two articles a month with your logo appearing if supplied. If there is a specific community group or initiative you’d like to support we can make sure your sponsorship is featured on related content for a one off payment of £50 plus VAT. All payments are made through a secure web site.