David Temple MBE

David Temple MBE - Music Director

David Temple MBE
Under the direction of David Temple, Crouch End Festival Chorus
is now one of the world’s leading symphonic choirs
"Temple's conducting was nigh perfect, whether conducting
the orchestra or guiding the choir through the many tricky
sections of the work."

John Rhodes Seen and Heard International
The Dream of Gerontius, May 2025
"David Temple must take much of
the credit: his passionate belief in The Kingdom
translated into an outstanding interpretation which
made an utterly compelling case for considering it to
be Elgar’s supreme choral work."
Nigel Simeone, The Elgar Society Journal
The Kingdom, RFH, Jan 2026
"But this was definitely a case of the whole being
more than the sum of its parts, and praise for that
must go to David Temple and his faultless direction
of the forces before him."
Seen and Heard International
The Kingdom, RFH, Jan 2026
"Put simply, it was the finest performance of
The Kingdom that I have ever heard, or can ever
hope to hear.

In David Temple there was, for once, a conductor
who actually took notice of the directions Elgar has
given in his score, and the result was a revelation."

Martin Bird The Elgar Society Journal
February 2010
"Temple really has the measure of this high octane music,
his approach confident yet persuasive, refined yet incisive.
The chorus convey perfectly the textual inflections...
This new recording is surely the new benchmark"

Gramophone Magazine
Mendelssohn Siblings album
February 2024
"Temple's experience in this field gave great weight
and authority to this performance of Mahler's
demanding score"

Alex Russell musicweb-international
Mahler Symphony No. 8, January 2003
"Temple gets them to sing with passion
and guts, but never at the expense of a
very fine sound and the kind of flawless
intonation that is hard to achieve with an
ensemble of this size"

Bernard Hughes The Arts Desk
Elgar The Kingdom, May 2025
David Temple’s versatility, professionalism,
and ability to blend classical choral
techniques with popular genres
are qualities appreciated by both the
classical establishment and pop/rock
artists who repeatedly collaborate
with him

Artistic highlights with Crouch End Festival Chorus

Under David’s direction, Crouch End Festival Chorus has become one of the world’s foremost symphonic choirs.

His bold artistic choices have led to unforgettable performances, including Mahler’s monumental Eighth Symphony at a sold-out Royal Festival Hall and John Adams’ Harmonium at the Barbican with the composer in attendance.

David has prepared the choir for major collaborations with conductors including Valery Gergiev, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Semyon Bychkov, and Edward Gardner, affirming the Chorus’s status on the UK and international stage.

Crouch End Festival Chorus

David’s highlights with Crouch End Festival Chorus include Mahler’s Eighth Symphony to a sell-out Royal Festival Hall and John Adams' Harmonium at the Barbican in the presence of the composer.

His non-classical recording work includes music for the BBC’s Doctor Who and Good Omens at Air Studios and soundtracks for several films including Rocketman, A Cure for Wellness and Loving Vincent at Abbey Road.

At the 2008 Electric Proms at the Roundhouse in London, David and the choir performed with Oasis. Subsequently he directed the choir on Noel Gallagher’s first solo album as well as conducting the choir on UK & Ireland tours in 2012, 2015 and 2016.

David has also prepared the choir for concerts with Ennio Morricone, Andrea Bocelli, Hans Zimmer, Sir Karl Jenkins, James Newton Howard and MUSE.

David’s work as chorus master includes Berlioz’s Grande Messe des Morts with the BBCSO under François-Xavier Roth and most recently Verdi’s Requiem with the BBCNOW and Ryan Bancroft at the BBC Proms in 2024.

Hertfordshire Chorus

David has been Music Director of Hertfordshire Chorus since 2000.

His recording of Will Todd’s Ode to a Nightingale and James McCarthy’s Codebreaker with the chorus and the BBC Concert Orchestra was released on Signum Records, receiving excellent reviews. His latest recording with Hertfordshire Chorus is Karl Jenkins' The Armed Man.

David’s most notable commission with Hertfordshire Chorus is Will Todd’s Mass in Blue, which has received well over 600 performances all over the world. His most recent commission is Shruthi Rajasekar’s Sarojini which premiered in October 2022.

His recording of Bach's St John Passion (in English) with Crouch End Festival Chorus for Chandos Records has been received with glowing reviews. Most recent recordings on Chandos Records are a collection of choral works by the siblings Fanny and Felix Mendelssohn released in February 2024.

Also on Chandos Records, David prepared the chorus for the recordings of Parry's Judith, and Prometheus Unbound which was shortlisted for the Gramophone awards.

For Signum Records, David most recently recorded Parry's De Profundis and God is our hope and strength alongside Elgar's From the Bavarian Highlands and The Snow.

He recorded Elgar's The Kingdom with Crouch End Festival Chorus, released in May 2025. The recording received very high acclaim, including a Gramophone "Editor's Choice" accolade in June 2025, five-star reviews from Choir & Organ and the Mail on Sunday and reached number 8 in the official UK Specialist Classical Chart.

In 2023, David recorded The Armed Man by Sir Karl Jenkins, leading Hertfordshire Chorus in the first recording of the work’s reduced ensemble version. In the same year, David recorded Nova! Nova! with Hertfordshire Chorus, featuring 23 of Louis Halsey’s tasteful new arrangements of Christmas carols from across Europe.

He also recorded Britten's St Nicolas & A Ceremony of Carols, which was released in November 2020 and received strong reviews, including from Presto Music and classical media.

In 2017, David recorded a Signum two-CD set with Hertfordshire Chorus and the BBC Concert Orchestra, featuring James McCarthy’s Codebreaker and Will Todd’s Ode to a Nightingale.

Collaborations

David’s vision has seen the Chorus step far beyond the classical realm. He has worked closely with Ray Davies of The Kinks, performing at Glastonbury’s Pyramid Stage and touring internationally with the Kinks Choral Collection.

The choir’s versatility has led to partnerships with Oasis, Noel Gallagher, Ennio Morricone, Andrea Bocelli, Hans Zimmer, Take That, MUSE and more, creating extraordinary moments at leading festivals and concerts.

David has collaborated closely for many years with Ray Davies of The Kinks for recordings and performances. In 2010 David appeared with Ray and the choir on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury, and toured the USA and Denmark to promote The Kinks Choral Collection.

At the 2008 Electric Proms at the Roundhouse in London, David and the choir performed with Oasis. Subsequently he directed the choir on Noel Gallagher’s first solo album as well as conducting the choir on UK & Ireland tours in 2012, 2015 and 2016.