Crouch End Festival Chorus at 40 play Alexandra Palace

The Crouch End Festival Chorus started with a handwritten poster asking for singers to rehearse in a Methodist Church hall.

'Music provided, no auditions, although you should have a good voice' read the poster penned by tenors David Temple and John Gregson, who founded the choir in 1984 to sing Verdi's Requiem for the Crouch End Arts Festival.

Temple, who remains its music director - while Gregson is a patron - says: "It was hard to imagine then that it would become one of the best and busiest symphonic choirs in the world.

David Temple co-founded the choir and remains its musical director (Image: CEFC)

"Those intervening years are filled with glorious memories of concerts, festivals and recordings - all way beyond our wildest dreams back then. The choir is busier and better than ever, always in demand from promoters including film, TV and recording companies far and wide."

Since that first concert at at Hornsey Town Hall the 150-strong choir has gone on to play The Barbican, Royal Festival Hall, Royal Albert Hall, and even Glastonbury's Pyramid stage with Ray Davies.

It has sung on more than 100 recordings with the likes of Hans Zimmer, Ennio Morricone and Noel Gallagher, backed stars including Oasis at The Roundhouse in 2008, and sung on screen soundtracks including The Crown, Dr Who and Rocketman.

The choir has played the BBC Proms multiple times as well as featuring on more than 100 recordings (Image: Davina Ross-Anderson)

In 1997 they even hit Top Ten in the US Billboard Charts with their Cinema Choral Classics CD.

"Many of our singers were not born when the choir started," adds Temple.

"Including a fair few who were born this millennium.

"But we have one singer, Felicity Ford - who is now Chair of Trustees and has been with us since the very first rehearsal on 22 June 1984."

The 40th Anniversary concert will be at CEFC's adopted home of Alexandra Palace Theatre - performing Mendelssohn's Elijah.

"It has remained in the top 10 choral works since the first performance in 1846 and is a work with a story, full of drama, pathos and passion," says Temple.

"The Chorus is truly in its element with this operatic work, which demonstrates the choir's ability to play many different roles, sometimes fierce, sometimes angelic and occasionally murderous!

"I cannot think of anything more thrilling to conduct."

Soloists for the October 26th concert include Ana Beard Fernández, Marta Fontanal-Simmons, Nicholas Mulroy and James Platt as Elijah. Raphael Laming from Finchley Children's Music Group sings the part of a boy "sent to the top of the mountain to see if there are any clouds which might break the three year drought."

Temple adds: "We wouldn't have achieved any of this without the support of our audiences down the years."