David Hill: When did you become involved in music? Who were your early mentors?

Tori Longdon: I have been singing for as long as I can remember, but one particularly pivotal moment came when I was about 13 and I was tapped on the shoulder by a workshop leader who visited our school. He told me that I should try out for the National Youth Choir, a choir which neither I nor my family had ever heard of. Nevertheless, I was encouraged to give it a shot, and my subsequent involvement with that organisation, both as a singer and later as a conductor, went on to shape my life forever.

As I grew older I was lucky enough to sing under several of the world’s best conductors, including Daniel Barenboim and Gustavo Dudamel, and observe many more conductors at work in rehearsal and performance. This continual process of watching and learning from others eventually encouraged me to take up the baton, but it hasn’t stopped there. Observing other conductors’ work is a vital part of my ongoing musical life, and I believe it should be a non-negotiable part of every conductor’s work, helping us to grow and develop as leaders.

DH: When did you decide you wanted to be a conductor? Where did you train and who have been your influences?

TL: At Durham University I was given the chance to direct the chapel choir at St Mary’s College for two years. Working intensively with a group for an extended period of time opened my eyes to the obsession which was to become a vocation – leading and coaching choirs. I went on to study at the Royal Academy of Music under Patrick Russill. Those years were incredibly formative, both from a technical and emotional perspective. As Paddy retires from his post at the Academy this summer, I want to take a moment to thank him publicly for changing not only my life, but the lives of hundreds of choral conducting students around the world. The Academy also gave me the chance to work with Sian Edwards, Paul Brough, Roland Börger and of course, you David during your time with the BBC Singers. These varied sources of influence shaped me as a young conductor.

In recent years I’ve also drawn inspiration from the incredible roster of conductors who I’ve interviewed as part of the SingPlus online lecture series, including Marin Alsop and Sofi Jeannin, and celebrated composers such as Sir Karl Jenkins, Christopher Tin, Jessica Curry and Cecilia McDowall. They all have such deep knowledge of the choral music world, and tremendous wisdom to share.

DH: Tell us about your work during and post-Covid with online singers.

TL: During the Covid-19 pandemic, I co-founded the Stay At Home Choir with Swingles baritone Jamie Wright, creating a global community of nearly 30,000 singers, who meet on Zoom to learn from some of the world’s best choral artists including The King’s Singers, VOCES8, The Sixteen, The Swingles and Soweto Gospel Choir. The choir was recognised with an RPS Inspiration Award in 2020 for its innovative and inspiring work.

With thousands of singers still active worldwide we continue to educate and engage singers with new, exciting projects.

DH: Similarly, tell us about your new post with the London Philharmonic Choir

TL: My recent appointment as associate chorus director of the London Philharmonic Choir is an exciting new chapter for me. It’s a privilege to work alongside Neville Creed for his final season with the choir, and to prepare choruses for Edward Gardner and Vladimir Jurowski.

Next season I’m looking forward to several large works, including Mahler’s Eighth Symphony, Rachmaninov’s The Bells, John Adams’ On The Transmigration Of Souls, Schoenberg’s Survivor From Warsaw and Shostakovich’s Babi Yar.

DH: What are your thoughts regarding the state of our choral scene in the UK?

TL: The UK’s choral scene is hugely varied, with a rich tradition of choral singing stretching back hundreds of years and continually evolving.

I am very proud of the growing emphasis on community involvement and educational outreach in the UK for both adults and young singers. This is crucial for nurturing the next generation of choral singers and audiences. However, it is impossible to ignore the challenges the sector faces, particularly with regards to funding and accessibility. Much of my work aims to tackle the challenge of improving access to choral singing without compromising on quality, but there is a lot of work still to be done.

DH: Who are your favourite choral composers and why?

TL: It’s almost impossible to choose considering the richness of the choral canon throughout history, and with so much good music being written every day by contemporary composers. One composer who I think is tragically overlooked is Alec Roth, whose vibrant companion to the Bach Magnificat A Time To Dance should be on every choral conductor’s radar. In a completely different vein, I’ve recently discovered the fascinating world of music written by nuns and other women of the late Renaissance, whose work is only just being uncovered. If you’ve not yet come across Caterina Assandra or Maddalena Casulana, I would encourage you to take a listen.

DH: Which composers would you find it difficult to live without?

TL: It would be difficult to live without the works of Bach and Haydn, but I’d also like to mention how much my day-to-day job is enriched by the new music I come across, and composers I work with to commission new repertoire. My recent collaboration with composer Lillie Harris to create a new work for choir and saxophone, setting an Anglo-Saxon text from the Exeter Book Riddles was one of the highlights of my year.

DH: Tell us about your future plans

TL: I am very much looking forward to the next four years with the London Philharmonic Choir. The variety of their repertoire is staggering, and when joined with their forward thinking and inclusive ethos, they have the power to have a tremendous positive impact on the UK choral scene. Alongside this position I’ll be continuing my freelance work leading workshops around the world, returning to Australia for festivals in Adelaide and Sydney in 2025, along with planned trips to Germany, Sweden and Italy.

The Stay At Home Choir continues to provide choral singing opportunities online to thousands of singers, and we will be celebrating our fifth anniversary in 2025 by releasing a Christmas album, and bringing our members together for a
gala concert at Cadogan Hall. Overall, I feel incredibly fortunate to have many years of music making ahead of me, and hope to leave a legacy of joy and music behind me.

For more information on my work and upcoming projects, you can find me on Instagram by searching @torilongdon or visiting my website torilongdon.com

DH: Thank you for such an interesting exploration into your career, Tori. We look forward to seeing where you go next.

David Hill is musical director of the Bach Choir and Leeds Philharmonic Society, principal conductor of Yale Schola Cantorum, and associate guest conductor of Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra

This article originally appeared in the Autumn 2024 issue of Choir & Organ. Never miss an issue – subscribe today