This simple, but wonderfully emotive piece, was our free gift to those on our mailing list at the beginning of 2021, and we are delighted to have a recording now of 'Prayer of St Teresa of Avila' by the Masterworks Chorale on their recent tour to East A...

A recording of our performance of Bring Him Home at our recent concert in Staple Hill Methodist Church

Hi everybody - I just thought it was worth letting you know that Charles MacDougall (solo tenor, previous member of VOCES8) and I have recorded a very lighthearted single of a recent Christmas Carol of mine - and we hope you enjoy it! You can listen to i...

One of the all-time favourite pieces in the Accessible Choral Library for smaller choirs is David Barton's 'My Lord what a morning' for SAB which is now winging its way to a choir who picked up a sample copy at the recent National Association of Choirs co...

  As if you needed another reason to sing for joy, recent research has confirmed that singing improves positive feelings and social connections, reducing stress and making people feel more relaxed and happy. Perhaps this is why singers often ap...

[A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog from the Front of the Choir] In my recent post How to sing – the definitive guide, I pointed out that lots of people Google “How to sing” instead of just getting on a...

M'ANAM is one of the most exciting new vocal ensembles to emerge in recent years, growing naturally from the ground-breaking choral group ANÚNA. Formed in 2017, the members come from the island of Ireland and beyond, encompassing a huge range of musical e...  moreM'ANAM is one of the most exciting new vocal ensembles to emerge in recent years, growing naturally from the ground-breaking choral group ANÚNA. Formed in 2017, the members come from the island of Ireland and beyond, encompassing a huge range of musical experiences. The musical connection of the group to Ireland is deep and spans all the traditions present here. The songs and texts date back as far as the Viking raids on Ireland in the 9th century, through to music created by the men themselves under the direction of their Artistic Director Michael McGlynn. This year the group release their debut album, "M'ANAM" in the Autumn, and are featured artists on the opening track "Clarity" of the latest album by acclaimed Japanese jazz-rock ensemble Mouse on the Keys whose 3rd album "tres" was released this May to universal acclaim. Their first digital single "Bandó Ribineann" is released this June.  less

Polyphony was formed by Stephen Layton in 1986 for a concert in King’s College Chapel, Cambridge. Since then the choir has performed and recorded regularly to great critical acclaim throughout the world. recent reviews declare Polyphony ‘one of the best s...  morePolyphony was formed by Stephen Layton in 1986 for a concert in King’s College Chapel, Cambridge. Since then the choir has performed and recorded regularly to great critical acclaim throughout the world. recent reviews declare Polyphony ‘one of the best small choirs now before the public’ (Telegraph) and ‘possibly the best small professional chorus in the world’ (Encore Magazine, USA). In a new poll by Gramophone Magazine they were named as one of the world’s leading choirs ‘Stephen Layton's choir have become renowned for both their sound and versatility – whether in early music, or contemporary works such as those of Eric Whitacre, they embody the remarkable tradition of British choral excellence at its finest.’ For more than a decade Polyphony has given annual sell-out performances of Bach’s St John Passion and Handel’s Messiah at St John’s Smith Square. These have become notable events in London’s music calendar and have been broadcast by BBC Radio 3 and the EBU. According to the Evening Standard ‘no one ...    less

Throwbacks from our recent Christmas season which brought a smile to everyone... FELIZ NAVIDAD !!!

[A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog from the Front of the Choir] When I started my most recent community choir The OK Chorale back in 2011 I decided it wasn’t going to be a performing choir.     Brig...