Goldsmith's Choral Union

GCU was founded in 1932 in South London by Frederick Haggis at Goldsmiths, University of London. At the outbreak of World War II the college was evacuated, but while other choirs disbanded, GCU continued to rehearse and perform in central London. Frederick Haggis inaugurated the Goldsmiths Choral Union in 1932 as an Adult Evening Class when he was Lecturer in Music at Goldsmiths, University of London. In 1933, he also founded the Goldsmiths Symphony Orchestra, which, until the war, always accompanied the choir’s concerts. The membership was then, as now, drawn from the general public: teachers, civil servants, businessmen, housewives, secretaries – but, strangely enough, students at Goldsmiths had to get special permission from their tutors to join the choir, in case singing should interfere with their studies! In December 1940, Incendiary bombs set off a fire that gutted much of the New Cross Main Building. Goldsmiths was evacuated, but GCU went on rehearsing and performing, with Mr Haggis forming groups in North, South, East and West London, bringing them together in Central London for concerts. Since then, GCU has built up an enviable reputation, first under the baton of Mr Haggis and later under that of its present Music Director Brian Wright. Uniquely in 80 years, GCU has had only two Music Directors.