Hackney Singers

Founded in 1973 the Hackney Singers are a 150-strong community choir drawing members from Hackney, surrounding boroughs and across London.

The “Hackney Choral Society” was formed as an evening class in singing in 1973 as part of the Hackney Institute Adult Education programme. For some years it attracted mainly female voices and was renamed “The Hackney Singers” in 1979. The choir became independent in 1982 and grew under the leadership of Lilian Wilson and later Bill Lloyd to become a mixed-voice choir of over 100, registering as a charity in 1986. Mark Shanahan became our Musical Director in 1998 and Hackney Singers now has nearly 200 members.
We present at least two concerts a year, working with professional orchestras and soloists, and particularly the Forest Philharmonic.