Something irresistible happens whenever the London Symphony Chorus (LSC) hits full stride. The symphonic choir’s vibrant sound and intense commitment flow from the passion and collective experience of its singers. Although amateurs in the sense that they are not paid for their work, they regularly reach and often surpass professional standards in performances of landmarks from the symphonic choral repertory. The choir grew out of the surging demand for new stereo recordings in the early 1960s, which left the London Symphony Orchestra in need of its own chorus. In 1966, the orchestra invited John Alldis, a professor at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, to form the LSO Chorus. The London Symphony Chorus separated from its parent orchestra in 1976 but continues to perform with it at London’s Barbican Centre and on high-profile tours. The LSC’s international reputation was set during the late 1980s and 1990s with a series of recordings conducted by its charismatic director Richard Hickox and was boosted by the patronage of Diana, Princess of Wales (1988-96). It has been enhanced since 2012 by the work of choir director Simon Halsey and has enjoyed acclaimed collaborations with Simon Rattle and the London Symphony Orchestra. The LSC gave the Russian premiere of Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius in Moscow under Evgeny Svetlanov (1983), performed and recorded Leonard Bernstein’s Candide under the composer’s direction (1989), and displayed its elan in live recordings under Colin Davis of Berlioz’s Les Troyens, Britten’s Peter Grimes, and Verdi’s Falstaff.