We are so proud to announce that our Musical Director, David Lardi, was recognised with a very special award at the 2026 Barnet Civic Awards ceremony on April 28th. He received a Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his incredible commitment to amateur music making in the borough for over 50 years.
David joined the choir in 1978, five years after its founding, and in 2023-24 he shepherded us through a successful 50th anniversary season. He has led the choir through a variety of musical projects and challenges over the years, including tours to Germany and the Czech Republic, performances at the Voices Now festival at the Roundhouse in Camden, St James’s Piccadilly and various community projects, but most of the time in 5 concerts a year based at Trinity Church in Nether Street, North Finchley.
While leading the choir, he also held Music Director posts with North London Symphony Orchestra (1975 – 2015), who perform at St James, Muswell Hill, and with Finchley Symphony Orchestra (FSO), from 1976. While he retired as FSO’s Music Director in 2016, he has continued to conduct joint concerts with FCC and FSO and on 13 December 2025 conducted his 35th annual “Glory of Christmas” concert, attended by the Worshipful the Mayor of the London Borough of Barnet, who presented David with his award at Tuesday’s ceremony.
Working with both the choir and his orchestras alongside his day job as a professor at Trinity College of Music, David supported new and local composers, encouraging FCC to take part in Making Music’s Adopt-a-Composer scheme (twice), and to commission new works from North London composers Jonathan Rathbone and Paul Patterson.
David has always relished the enthusiasm that amateurs bring to music-making, and has raised the stature of FCC from a church choir to a capable chamber choir able to tackle a broad and challenging repertoire.
As well as working with the choir to deliver high quality, entertaining concerts, David often introduces pieces with short talks providing a deeper insight into the music, greatly appreciated by our audiences; it is obvious how much he enjoys sharing his extensive knowledge with others.
Additionally, David supports the Sondheim Society as a trustee and auditions and judges singers for musical productions.
For more information about the awards, please visit: https://www.barnet.gov.uk/news/barnet-volunteers-honoured-annual-civic-awards-ceremony.
David was nominated for this award by Finchley Chamber Choir and also by Finchley Symphony Orchestra. Many thanks to our archivist, Michael Dickinson, and former chair, Celia Bangham, for their help in compiling the choir’s nomination.
