[A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   Back in 2012 the Guardian started a project called Six Songs of Me that asks which Songs matter most to each of us on a personal level (the pro...

[A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   Choir leaders often ask me where I source my Songs. I’ve written about this in previous posts: Finding Songs for your choir and Easy Songs for ...

the stage Lights fall, the crowd goes quiet, and four harmonious voices rise up and fill the air. the melodies unfurl into something both familiar and fresh. What comes next may be a classic song by Joni Mitchell or Louis Prima. It may be an old bebop st...  morethe stage Lights fall, the crowd goes quiet, and four harmonious voices rise up and fill the air. the melodies unfurl into something both familiar and fresh. What comes next may be a classic song by Joni Mitchell or Louis Prima. It may be an old bebop standard or cheeky arrangement of a 1980s hit. But these are arrangements like you’ve never heard them before—containing all the richness of a full band, but performed using just four voices. This is Cadence, Canada’s premiere vocal group. Based in Toronto, this a cappella ensemble has been wowing audiences across the country and around the world for nearly 15 years. Whether performing at sold-out jazz clubs and concert halls, at music festivals, for educational outreach, or for corporate functions, the members of Cadence bring an infectious energy and uncanny verve to every song they sing. the group’s four critically acclaimed studio albums, Cool Yule (2011), Speak Easy (2010), Twenty for One (2005), and Frost Free (2000) have won or been nominated for nume...    less

City Songs event at the inaugural City of Derry International Choral Festival. the second performance of the newly commissioned "City Songs" by Latvian composer Eriks Esenvalds, Australian poet Emma Jones and narrator Imogen Heap. the work was comm...  moreCity Songs event at the inaugural City of Derry International Choral Festival. the second performance of the newly commissioned "City Songs" by Latvian composer Eriks Esenvalds, Australian poet Emma Jones and narrator Imogen Heap. the work was commissioned by the Voices Now Festival and first performed in the Roundhouse, London, June 2013. the second performance took place on Friday 25th October 2013 in St. Columb's Hall, Derry as part of the inaugural choral festival. This second performance featured the Holst Singers and Roundhouse Choir from London, Codetta, Encore Contemporary Choir, Colmcille Ladies and the Music Promise Junior Choir from Derry and the Orchestra of Ireland, conducted by Stephen Layton.  less

Beautiful setting of Songs by Eric Whitacre

Nevenka is a Los Angeles-based women's folk chorus performing Songs from Eastern Europe. Nevenka's repertoire includes Songs from Bulgaria, Macedonia, Croatia, Albania, Russia, Greece, and Georgia, as well as Ladino Sephardic and Rom (Gypsy) Songs. ...  moreNevenka is a Los Angeles-based women's folk chorus performing Songs from Eastern Europe. Nevenka's repertoire includes Songs from Bulgaria, Macedonia, Croatia, Albania, Russia, Greece, and Georgia, as well as Ladino Sephardic and Rom (Gypsy) Songs. the group was formed in 1976 by women who shared a common interest in the complex harmonies and compelling rhythms typical in Balkan music. Very much in the Eastern European tradition, Nevenka includes women of all ages making music together. Visit: http://nevenka.org/ for more information.  less

Recorded at our Summer Lights concert, live at the Cornerhouse theatre, Surbiton. http://www.northkingstonchoir.org.uk

  Northern Lights: An Evening with Noctis   Noctis are delighted to welcome internationally acclaimed pianist, Maria Garcia, for their Summer concert exploring the works of several prominent figures in the contemporary choral music scene, inc...

Antonin Dvorak / Otmar Macha: Songs My Mother Taught Me (from Gipsy Songs) - live recording October 7, 2012 - Holy Spirit Cathedral, Hradec Kralove the Czech Boys Choir, Jakub Martinec - artistic director & conductor Cancioneta Praha, Lukas Jindrich ...  moreAntonin Dvorak / Otmar Macha: Songs My Mother Taught Me (from Gipsy Songs) - live recording October 7, 2012 - Holy Spirit Cathedral, Hradec Kralove the Czech Boys Choir, Jakub Martinec - artistic director & conductor Cancioneta Praha, Lukas Jindrich - artistic director Martin Fisl - pianist  

[the views expressed in this blog are from my personal experiences from 25 years of leading non-auditioned community choirs in the UK, as well as adult singing workshops. My focus is on teaching by ear using a repertoire of Songs from traditions across th...