Choirs using the site
Many different kinds of choirs use these rehearsal files. A few have provided information about themselves.
If you want to be added to this list, click on HELP>CONTACT ME above to send me all the information you want me to add.
AMERICA
Florida: Miami
Trinity Cathedral in Miami has two choirs:
The Cathedral Choir- contact Heather Osowiecki
The Anglican Chorale of the Southeast Florida conducted by Christopher Harrell: (YouTube channel link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC45tFL1TZkRmGCoMH6wm33A?app=desktop): The Chorale exists to sing the beautiful service of Choral Evensong, and to renew and nurture this heritage throughout Southeast Florida. It is made up of about 25 volunteer singers from around the Diocese. In addition to singing two Evensong services a month, it sings traditional Advent and Christmas Lessons and Carols services, a Lenten concert, and several special Diocesan services a year.
“We highly recommend the John Fletcher Rehearsal Files site to our singers… We find it very helpful in preparing for rehearsals… It has allowed us to grow as a choir, giving us an opportunity to practise an increasingly challenging repertoire.”
Massachusetts: Cambridge
The Adult Choir is the primary parish choir at Christ Church, and auditions are open to singers of all ages. The Adult Choir leads the singing and other liturgical aspects of the 10:15 a.m. Eucharist each Sunday, plus special services such as Ash Wednesday, the Christmas Eve Midnight Eucharist, and the standing-room-only Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols. Music at Sunday services typically includes two anthems, plus leadership in a psalm, hymns, and service music. Rehearsals take place on Wednesday evenings at 7:15–9:15 p.m. The finest repertoire is drawn from the last five hundred years of choral composition around the world. Singers are required to have some reading ability to audition. The choir currently has 35 volunteer members and meets from September through early June.
The Evensong Choir was founded by Stuart Forster in 2000, and consists of 45 singers with strong sight-reading ability. Choral Evensong is sung at 4:00 p.m. on the first Sunday of the month, October through May (except January), and the choir also participates in occasional services, such as Holy Week and the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols. There are two 7:15–9:15 p.m. rehearsals per month on Tuesday evenings. In each Evensong service, music articulates the stages of the Rite 1 Office of Evening Prayer, a time-honored service not offered as regularly by any other church in the Greater Boston area. Repertoire is drawn from the last five centuries of choral composition, focusing largely on six- to eight-part music of the cathedral tradition. This professional-standard volunteer choir tours every few years, and enjoyed its first international tour in 2011, which included singing services in six of the great English cathedrals; in 2015, we sang in Paris and London, including Evensong at St. Paul’s Cathedral and Westminster Abbey. Our first CD, Vesper Light, was recorded live on tours to some of America’s treasured ecclesiastical establishments.
The Youth Choir is for children in grades 3 through 8. Choristers learn to read music and practice proper technique to lead to healthy vocal development. The Youth Choir helps to lead the 10:15 a.m. Eucharist, singing hymns, service music, and an anthem each Sunday. These anthems include some trebles-only repertoire, and an intergenerational experience is integrated by joining the Adult Choir in selections from a vast collection of SATB music. Rehearsals take place on Wednesday afternoons at 5:00–6:45 p.m., and include instruction in liturgy, Scripture, music theory, and choral repertoire. Parties, outings, and fun make constant appearances in our September-through-early June calendar! Community outreach is also an important part of the program: in recent years, thousands of dollars have been raised for the St. Agnes Children’s Home in Gokwe, Zimbabwe; Stand Up for Kids; and Heifer International.
Stuart Forster has been Director of Music and Organist at Christ Church, the Episcopal Church in Harvard Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts, since 1999. His performances as soloist, accompanist, and conductor have been broadcast around the world, and he has recorded numerous CDs, including solo performances on the JAV and Pro Organo labels. His book, Hymn Playing: A Modern Colloquium, draws on interviews with leading church musicians to document expert techniques of hymn leadership and accompaniment with the organ. Dr Forster has written orchestral transcriptions for the organ, liturgical music for congregations (including more than 100 hymn arrangements), organ music, and choral anthems. His landmark organ transcription of Dvořák’s Ninth Symphony, “From the New World,” has been recorded, published by Éditions Chantraine, and is frequently performed. Forster’s work has also been published by Paraclete Press, MorningStar Music Publishers, and St. James Music Press.
Dr Forster holds qualifications from Trinity College of Music (London), the University of Sydney, the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, Yale University, and the Graduate Theological Foundation, where his doctorate focused on the congregation’s experience of flow and music within liturgy. A dedicated organist and choir trainer, Dr Forster’s passion for leading congregational singing has guided his vocation both in the church and as a teacher. Details of his compositions, performances, recordings, and book may be found at www.StuartAForster.com.
New York: Ithaca
The Chancel Choir of St John’s Episcopal Church. Director or Music/Organist Karen Hindenlang
AUSTRALIA
Canberra
Waitara NSW
Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Ecumenical Choir: Since 2009 the Choir has been presenting in Hornsby Cathedral each year approaching Christmas, an ecumenical performance of Handel’s Messiah for the whole community, any proceeds of which go to the homeless.
Over that time the choir has raised over $31,000 towards the provision of facilities for the welfare of homeless people in our community. Last year and again this year any funds will be given to the Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Women’s Shelter.
More details can be found on a modest website. We come together for 5 rehearsals and one performance per year.
CANADA
Ontario: Hamilton
Christ Church Cathedral Choir
Ontario: Newmarket – Aurora
Tapestry Chamber Choir: sharing choral excellence in their community. Directed by Tony Browning.
Ontario: Orillia
Orillia Vocal Ensemble and Chamber Choir
Ontario: Ottowa
The Anglican Chorale of Ottawa: ACO is an unusual Canadian Church choir in that we have no church building to call our own, and we have actually sung more services in the UK than in Canada. There are about 30 members of the choir, ranging in age from 18 to 80. Since 1994, We have been travelling to the UK every other year as visiting choir at various cathedrals (Canterbury, Ely, Winchester, Durham, Wells, Gloucester, Lincoln, Edinburgh, Dublin, Belfast, and this summer will visit Worcester).
St Matthew’s Anglican Church, in addition, has a very active music program with two choirs (Men and Boys and Women and Girls). Choral Eucharist is sung every sunday and Evensong is sung twice a month. The choirs combine for some services and concerts.
The Melos Choir & Chamber Orchestra: Our baroque choir and orchestra in Kingston, Ontario. Canada (not far from Ottawa) uses your site regularly. We’re currently rehearsing Bach’s Singet Dem Herrn , and finding the sibelius files immensely helpful. We’ve been around since 1984 and have about a 30 voice community choir.
GERMANY
Frankfurt am Main
Anglican/Episcopal Church of Christ the King: we are a choir regularly providing music for the only Anglican church in Frankfurt am Main. As our members live scattered around the city and outlying towns, rehearsal time is valuable – with the result that we recommend singers to check out your website so that they come prepared to rehearsals. Thanks for doing all this work – it’s a great help. Anglican church music is rather a rarity in Germany.
NORWAY
Fredrikstad
Risikoret: a mixed choir from Fredrikstad, Norway. The choir sings mostly a cappella. The repertoire is varied – from lullabies to Queen! The choir does not sing songs with religious content. The choir has often themed concerts. This year’s concert features the theme film music. Number of members: 44.
UNITED KINGDOM
England: Berkshire
Church choir of St Peter and St Andrew, Old Windsor. We are a small but keen church choir, looking to increase our membership in all parts, but in the male sections especially. We have recently been lucky enough to find a new organist, who is only 16 but an exceptional musician. We also have a new choirmaster who is hoping to enlarge the choir’s repertoire and this is where your site is most helpful for all levels of chorister.
Reading Bach Choir: A musically ambitious choir of around 50, conducted by Matthew Hamilton. Repertoire from historically informed performances of renaissance and baroque up to contemporary works by living composers. Highlights include: Monteverdi Selva morale e spirituale and Vespro della beata vergine (with the English Cornett and Sackbut Ensemble); Bach St. John and St. Matthew passions; Britten Sacred And Profane; Schoenberg Friede auf Erden; Sandstrom Es ist genug and Komm, Jesu, Komm; Gabriel Jackson Ave gloriosa mater (commission). We have a small group performing lighter music who use John Fletcher’s rehearsal tracks for In The Mood and other jollity.
England: Birmingham
Vivat: we are an enthusiastic choir with approximately 40 members and always ready to welcome newcomers. The choir is made up of police officers and staff, both serving and retired, partner agencies such as the NHS and City Council, their families and friends. We are honoured to have the opportunity to give back to our communities through the gift of music. The choir is in its 4th year and growing in ability all the time. We have an exciting year ahead with many engagements already planned and our very first overseas concert in Boulogne, France this May.
England: Derbyshire
Cantabile: a mixed-voice chamber choir based at the South Derbyshire Music Centre in Newhall, singing sacred and contemporary works including a cappella pieces – Choral Director: Philip King.
Chameleon: a small mixed-voice choir based in Ashbourne, Derbyshire, singing mainly contemporary works including musical theatre and a capella pieces – Choral Director: Sue Tansey.
The Derventio Choir has about 35 friendly members and meets every Tuesday evening from 7.45 until 9.30 at St Edmunds Church Hall in Allestree, Derby. The choice of music is eclectic ranging through music from the shows, traditional folk songs, spirituals and sacred music. We usually perform three concerts in the summer and three at Christmas. New member are always welcome and will not have to audition, practice CDs are provided for each voice part.
England: Essex
Saffron Walden Choral Society: Under their new Music Director Quintin Beer, SWCS offers enthusiastic singers of all ages the opportunity to join a friendly, hard-working and accomplished choir. We perform a challenging and diverse repertoire ranging from Renaissance and Baroque favourites to compositions from exciting contemporary composers such as Jonathan Dove.
The choir started in 1883, with its main concerts in St Mary’s Church in Saffron Walden. Since 2013 our principal concert venue has been Saffron Hall: recent highlights have included Verdi’s Requiem (2013), Orff’s Carmina Burana (2014), Vaughan Williams’ A Sea Symphony (2015) Handel’s Messiah (2016), a Christmas Concert with the BBC Concert Orchestra (2016), Britten’s War Requiem (2017), Brahms’ Requiem (2018 & 2021) and Walton’s Belshazzar’s Feast with the LPO under Marin Alsop (2019).
Close links with the local community and schools are maintained through the choir’s annual Spirit of Christmas concerts at St. Mary’s Church. As well as singing with a large choir of combined schools, SWCS performs the winning entries in its Carol Composing Competition, which provides an amazing opportunity for young composers in the area and which has been running for over twenty years. SWCS is also regularly invited to perform at the Thaxted Festival. In 2016 they returned with the Mozart Requiem and the première of The Ceaseless Round of Circling Planets, composed for the choir by previous MD Janet Wheeler.
Quintin Beer is a choral director and prize-winning conductor, and in addition to his role as Music Director of Saffron Walden Choral Society is Director of Music at St Peter’s College Oxford and at St Cuthbert’s Church, Earl’s Court. He was appointed Associate Conductor of Ex Cathedra in September 2021 and is Choral Director at the Junior Department of the Royal Academy of Music. A music graduate of St John’s College Cambridge, Quintin sang in the world-famous College Choir as a Choral Scholar and remains active as a Baritone, often singing as a deputy in the choirs of St Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster Cathedral, St George’s Chapel Windsor and other London churches and cathedrals.
England: Hampshire
Orpheus Singers: We are one of the leading chamber choirs on the Isle of Wight. With around 35 singers the choir gives on average four concerts a year, plus a number of additional performances such as carol services. The choir’s conductor is Philip Fryer and the musical director is Toni Rogers. Our repertoire is broad and classical – both major pieces and smaller, more intimate music, from a capella to full orchestral accompaniment. Membership is by audition, and rehearsals are held in Newport on Tuesday evenings. We require a high standard of choral performance and good sight-reading ability. If you are interested in joining the choir, please contact the director through our website.
Wherwell Singers: we are a friendly community choir performing two concerts a year in local churches. Full details of repertoire are on our website.
England: Herefordshire
Leominster Choral Society: a friendly SATB choir of around 80 voices based in Leominster. new members always welcome – looking for some more sopranos in Feb 2014!
England: Hertfordshire
Amici Cantate is a Bishop’s Stortford-based choir made up of parents and friends of students in the renowned Cantate youth choir. It was formed in 2005 by Cantate Founder Director Michael Kibblewhite at the request of many music-loving parents who wanted to come together for occasional rehearsals and sing together in the Cantate spirit. It has grown in size to over 70 voices: entry is open to all, and rehearsals take place in Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire, on Saturday mornings in an atmosphere of friendliness and fun.
Their Music Director is John Tripp and their accompanists are Charlie Penn, Toby Heath and Tom Mann. The choir is well known for its broad, eclectic repertoire, spanning several centuries and from all parts of the world.
They have toured Spain, singing in the Cathedral in Santiago de Compostella, Italy, including an appearance in St. Mark’s Venice and a joint concert with the Coro Santa Maria Maddelena in Desanzano, and Belgium, singing in Brussels, Blankenburge and at the Last Post Ceremony at the Menin Gate. In November 2010 Amici Cantate performed at the St. Andrew’s Festival in Scotland and in 2011 they took part in the Lake Garda International Music Festival and the Thaxted Festival. Amici Cantate normally performs 3-4 concerts a year, often on behalf of local charities, and aims to undertake one foreign tour a year.
Hitchen Thespians: Founded in 1902 Hitchin Thespians is one of the oldest amateur operatic societies in Hertfordshire. Typically we present three choral concerts and two stage shows per year thus giving our members the opportunity to perform all kinds of music from “Bach to Boublil”. Add to this our “Young Thespians” section who perform both a stage show and a concert per year and you will see that we are a very busy and vibrant society.
For more information and details of our current programme visit our website.
England: Kent
Paddock Wood Choral Society: We are a friendly group of 65 singers and under the baton of our Music Director, Adrian Pitts, our reputation continues to grow as we explore music oustide the standard range. We have a broad repertoire covering unaccompanied short polyphonic pieces to large-scale works requiring considerable orchestral forces which encompasses music from the Mediaeval period right up to the 21st century. We have three of our own concerts a year – March with full orchestra, June of a lighter nature and Christmas. In addition we like to be involved in a charity concert once a year.
Penshurst Choral Society: We were formed in 1963 by the Rector and Doctor of the village who considered that regular singing might help to empty the Doctor’s surgery and encourage members to sing in church!
From originally having a few members and rehearsing in Penshurst Church, the Society has grown to about 75 members and now meets at Holmewood House School, in Langton Green. Concert venues vary between several local churches including our home base at Penshurst Church, Langton Green, King Charles the Martyr in Tunbridge Wells, Holmewood House Jubilee Hall and St Paul’s Rusthall.
Conducted by Anthony Zerpa-Falcon and accompanied by Jong Gyung Park, the Society performs a wide range of music, including items from the standard choral repertoire, with occasionally more modern and demanding works. Concerts, usually two each year, also regularly feature an orchestral item with occasionally a concerto. The Choral Society also performs an annual Carols by Candlelight and enjoys singing at the local Christmas Farmers Market at Penshurst Place!
Thanet Festival Choir: we are a mixed choral group of around 130 amateur singers, based in the Isle of Thanet (Margate area) Kent. We give at least three concerts each year – usually more. We tend to stick to traditional Choral Music but do perform the occasional lighter concert, and of course carols at Christmas. Please visit our website for further information.
Tonbridge Philharmonic Society: Formed in 1946, the Society is a vibrant part of musical life in the West Kent area. Comprising of a friendly mixed voice choir and orchestra, the Society works hard to provide exceptional performances, under the professional baton of illustrious Music Director Matthew Willis who works with both amateur and professional musicians across the UK and Europe. We perform up to five concerts each season, two are orchestral, plus a Charity Carol concert, in venues that include the stunning Tonbridge School Chapel and St Stephen’s Church, Tonbridge.
England: Lancashire
Preston Orpheus Choir was founded in 1929 by Arthur Fountain with the aim of bringing choral music to the people of Preston. The Choir performs a wide variety of choral pieces, from larger works such as Handel’s Messiah to smaller, lighter pieces such as The Rhythm of Life.
Some highlights for the Choir have involved representing Great Britain in the 1983 International Choir Festival in Montreux, three European tours and establishing an annual Christmas Festival in the Guild Hall which brings together several art forms from around the Preston area.
The Choir has been lead under the batonship of four different conductors over its lifetime. The first was our founder – Arthur Fountain who was succeeded by Harry Dodd. The Choir’s next conductor was Harry Duckworth who lead the choir for 33 years.
In January 2012, Maestro Roselise Gentile took control of the baton and due to her re-location, Paul Usher acted as the Choir’s Music Director until the appointment of Elspeth Slorach as Music Director in September 2015. Elspeth left the Orpheus in summer of 2018 to pursue a career in freelance conducting & was succeeded as Musical Director by Abi Kitching.
The Choir rehearses on Tuesday evenings from September through to the following May. Over the season, the Choir performs an autumn concert consisting of smaller works, the annual Christmas Festival and a spring concert featuring a larger work.
England: Leicestershire
Leicester Bach Choir has been described as one of Leicester’s best-loved institutions and has performed choral concerts in Leicester for more than 90 years. Today the Choir has around 55 singers and performs a wide range of both sacred and secular work from the Renaissance to the contemporary. A registered charity, funded mainly by members’ subscriptions and ticket sales, the Choir usually gives three concerts each year on Saturdays in November, before Easter, and in June at St James the Greater, London Road.
We hold singing workshops for members with experienced and respected vocal trainers from time to time, enjoyable sessions which help us to know one another better and develop our technique and musicianship. Most recently this was done with Christine Cairns from the Birmingham Conservatoire. We also have relationships with European choirs, which result in exchange visits and choir trips such as a visit to Bach’s birthplace in Eisenach, Germany.
Sing with us
We’d be delighted to tell you more about joining the choir. You need reasonable musical ability and be able to attend weekly Wednesday evening rehearsals. Entrance is by audition, although as a prospective singer, you’re welcome to join rehearsals for a couple of weeks before auditioning. Our current singing membership is approximately 55 and welcomes new singers for all parts.
Visit our website at http://www.leicesterbachchoir.org.uk/
England: Lincolnshire
The Elizabethan Singers: The Elizabethan Singers is a mixed-voice choir of about 30 singers based in Alford. We are a friendly group which aims to have fun making music but also to achieve high standards of performance. In our first year we have built a varied repertoire of music from Elizabethan madrigals to Victorian songs and a broad range of 20th century works. A speciality is works from stage musicals including those by George Gershwin, Cole Porter and Leonard Bernstein.
The choir is now reaching its optimum size, though we do have a number of vacancies, especially for tenors and basses. If you love singing, have a good ear and, ideally, some understanding of musical notation, please message us on our Facebook page for further details.
Grantham Choral Society: We are an enthusiastic mixed-voice choir with over sixty members of all ages, which has been performing since 1963.
Louth Choral Society: With a membership approaching 100, drawn from a wide area including Lincoln, Boston and Grimsby, Louth Choral Society presents four concerts a year with music from 16th – 21st century, from Brahms to Bernstein, Handel to Patrick Hawes. We are a friendly, welcoming mixed choir of all ages and experience that aims to achieve the highest standard of performance whist enjoying all the fun of music making. New members are always welcome; for further details please see our website, Facebook page and Twitter feed.
England: London
Lloyd’s Choir: We are a group of around 60 mixed voices drawn mainly from the Lloyd’s of London and the wider insurance market where many of the members work, but also from across The City’s financial community and beyond. Our repertoire is wide ranging, from early polyphony to contemporary styles and recent orchestral concert highlights include performances of the Haydn Nelson Mass and the great requiems of Brahms and Mozart. We are equally at home performing a cappella and regularly provide a choir for services at our home church of St Katharine Cree in Leadenhall Street. Rehearsals are on Monday lunchtimes at St Katharine’s under the direction of Jacques Cohen.
Sacred Heart Teddington Choir: The Sacred Heart Church choir in Teddington, London, loves to sing classical and sacred music to accompany the services.
England: Merseyside: Birkenhead
Birkenhead Choral Society: We are a long established group of singers who enjoy performing a wide variety of choral music, in both religious and secular settings. Singers over 18 are welcome. Members come not only from Birkenhead, but also from the wider surrounds of Wirral, Merseyside & Cheshire. Rehearsals: Monday evenings (Sept – June) 7.45pm at St Saviour’s Parish Centre, Bidston Road, Oxton.
England: Midlands
The Humberstone Choral Society: a community choral society on the outskirts of Leicester. Directed by Motje Wolf.
Kingfisher Chorale: a chamber choir based in Leicestershire, England, of around 25 singers, it performs a wide repertoire both sacred and secular, from medieval to new commissions. The choir’s eclectic programming enables it to provide different styles of concerts to suit any venue or promotional requirements. Directed by Giles Turner.
Leicester Church Music Consort: specialises in singing church music in context, particularly Evensong. They are not connected with one particular church; rather they roam around Britain providing a choir for some of the greatest church buildings in Britain. Directed by Paul Morley.
Newtown Linford Choral Society: a community village choir in north-west Leicestershire, England; I (JohnF) am their accompanist. Directed by Sue Ford.
The Willow Singers: a friendly ladies’ choir that meet at Blaby Methodist Church on a Wednesday evening form 7-9pm. We sing a wide variety of music from madrigals to musicals under the direction of Will Welsford. There is no audition and no need to read music. JohnF provides us with the rehearsal files that help us.
England: Norfolk
Thetford Singers: a community choir of about forty committed and enthusiastic singers drawn from a wide area of Norfolk and Suffolk which has been entertaining audiences in our local area for over 40 years.
We perform a very wide range of choral music, from well-loved classical composers and early church music through to more modern composers and light music, including show tunes and jazz.
Auditions are not required to join Thetford Singers but we do expect commitment to regular rehearsals to give confident concert performances. We are a friendly group and make a point of having a tea break during rehearsals to get to know each other and catch up. New singers are always welcome – rehearsals are on Wednesday evenings.
England: Northamptonshire
Consensio: [email: simon.claranet.angel@gmail.com]: an a cappella chamber choir of currently 14 members.We are based in Brackley Northamptonshire our members also come from neighbouring towns such as Banbury. We have been in existence approximately 2 years. We enjoy performing early music such as Pergolesi, Giordani, Tallis, Byrd etc. We also sing more contemporay works by Rachmaninoff, JS Bach, Bruckner, Reger, Sullivan, Stainer, Sir John Tavener and more. We are are led by Stuart Hubble. We have achieved an enviable high reputation for the quality of our sound. Currently we are looking for a good standard of tenors to come along and join us. Our next concert will be taking part in the Banbury Variety Show on the 25th January. We are regular performers at Stowe School near Buckingham.
Towcester Choral Society: a mixed voice choir with a membership of around seventy enthusiastic singers performing a wide variety of music in Towcester and South Northamptonshire since 1900, which has recently included Handel’s Messiah with orchestra and soloists, and Karl Jenkins’ Stella Natalis. In addition TCS members regularly join singers from other choirs to perform in such prestigious venues as the Royal Albert Hall and Birmingham Symphony Hall.
We welcome singers of all levels of experience, from those who have only sung in the shower to experienced voices. It is not necessary to read music, and those members who joined us with no technical knowledge have picked it up over time and blossomed as accomplished singers. Our Musical Director Helen Swift, who takes us from strength to strength, believes everyone can sing given the opportunity and the right guidance.
We rehearse in Towcester on Tuesday evenings from 7.30pm to 9.30pm and our season runs from early September until July. We have three main concerts a year: Spring (around Easter time); Summer (late June) and Christmas (mid December).
Valley Voice: We are a community choir based in Cottingham, Northamptonshire located close to the border with Leicestershire and Rutland. Our members are drawn from Cottingham, Middleton, Great Easton, Medbourne, Geddington, Welford and Gretton but we welcome anyone prepared to travel to our rehearsals at Cottingham CofE Primary School, Berryfield Road, Cottingham, LE16 8XB on Tuesdays during school term times at 7:30-9:00 pm.
We were established in 2010. Our Musical Director is Debbie Smith and our accompanist is Mike Dando.
We do not audition and there is no requirement to read music although it helps. For those unable to read music we maintain a group membership of John Fletcher’s Rehearsal Files.
Our repertoire includes Rock, Pop, Folk, Show tunes, and some classical works.
We aim to be friendly, and welcoming with the chance to laugh together as well as singing together.
We can be contacted at valleyvoicechoir@gmail.com
England: Northumberland
Bailiffgate Singers: We are based in Alnwick, Northumberland, sing most genres of music, and produce around eight concerts year.
England: Oxfordshire
Eynsham Choral Society: We are based in Eynsham, midway between Oxford and Witney, England, sing classical choral repertoire of all kinds. We give two concerts each year, usually at Christmas and Easter, in St Leonard’s Church, Eynsham. We have about 80 members, drawn from Eynsham and surrounding villages, as well as from Oxford and Witney. We rehearse from 7.30-9.30pm on Tuesdays from September to the spring, in Eynsham Community Primary School. New members are very welcome.
Summertown Choral Society: A friendly, well-established choir based in North Oxford, England, with around 130 members drawn from the city and surrounding areas. The choir traditionally holds two concerts each season, in January/February and May/June. We rehearse in the church of St Michael and All Angels on Lonsdale Road in Summertown from 8.00-9.30 on Thursday evenings, from September to June, with short breaks for Christmas and Easter. New members are welcome.
Thame Choral Society: Singing should be fun! That’s the principle of director Helen Swift and Thame Choral Society, a group of 35 to 45 mixed-voice singers who perform a wide range of choral music from renaissance and baroque to the present day. Formed in 1960, it is Thame’s longest-running choral group. The non-audition choir is welcoming and friendly and invites anyone wishing to find out more to come to one of our Wednesday evening rehearsals in nearby Haddenham, Buckinghamshire.
We give two formal concerts each year, in December and May, usually at St Mary’s Parish Church in Thame, Oxfordshire, our main concert venue. We also hold an informal concert in early Summer, in an outdoor setting if weather permits, and host occasional open workshops. For more information about the Society, see our web site where you’ll find details of our current actiities, maps and directions to our rehearsal and concert venues, a list of our repertoire and much more.
Trinity College Chapel Choir: The chapel choir of Trinity College is one of the finest non-auditioning choirs in Oxford. Comprised of some 30 members mainly drawn from Trinity College, the Choir’s regular commitment is to sing weekly Evensong in the beautiful chapel of Trinity College.
England: Somerset
LUCIS: a mixed-voice choir of around 70+ members which was founded in 2014. The group is comprised of two former choirs, Organum and Corsham Choral Society, who forged a reputation for the high standard of choral singing in a number of their joint ventures, in particular their performances of Carmina Burana in 2013 at the Wiltshire Music Centre and The Armed Man at Bath Abbey in 2014. In January 2016 Lucis joined with DCINY to sing The Armed Man in Carnegie Hall, New York. Our choir is directed by Francis Faux, and we welcome new members of all ages in all parts, particularly tenors. There are no formal auditions – all that is required is a passion for choral music. Rehearsals are held in St Luke’s Church, Bath on Tuesday evenings at 7.30pm.
England: Surrey
Ashtead Choral Society: We are an amateur mixed-voice choir of about 120 friendly singers in Ashtead, Surrey, and have been going strong for over 60 years. Each year we perform two major concerts in the local area, as well as a carol concert and a more informal summer concert. The occasional overseas tour takes us further afield! Our repertoire is wide: we sing the major established works (most recently Dvořák’s Stabat Mater and Brahms’ Requiem). More contemporary works have included David Fanshawe’s African Sanctus and local composers Will Todd’s jazzy Mass in Blue. To commemorate the start of WW1 we peformed Britten’s War Requiem with a children’s choir from local schools.
Bookham Choral Society: We are a friendly choir with about 60 members rehearsing on Tuesday evenings. As well as two concerts a year and Christmas carol concerts, we take part in the Leith Hill Musical Festival in Dorking. New members always welcome. No auditions
Carshalton Choral Society: We are an amateur mixed-voice choir with about 100 active members. We stage four concerts per year in the local area. Our repertoire is typically classical and traditional. Recent concerts, for example, have featured Bach’s Mass in B Minor and Mendelssohn’s Elijah. We rehearse on Monday evenings. If you enjoy singing or would like to take it up as a new hobby we would love to welcome you to the choir, and you don’t need to pass an audition to join us. Although the ability to read music is desirable, it is not necessary, as we have a wide range of rehearsing resources at our disposal. For further information and membership details visit our website: www.carshaltonchoral.org.uk and click ‘join us’
Epsom Choral Society: Sir Humphrey Milford founded Epsom Choral Society in 1922 in order to give his son experience as a conductor in the Leith Hill Musical Festival held annually in Dorking. Our conductor, Robin Kimber, was appointed in 1991. Under his professional guidance we gain tremendous enjoyment in our singing as we strive to meet his exacting standards. In addition to participating in the Festival we give four concerts every year in Epsom and have enjoyed many summer tours to sing in the splendid churches and cathedrals of Western Europe. We are a friendly welcoming group and enjoy many social activities. For more information please visit our website: www.epsomchoral.org.uk.
England: Sussex
The Copthorne Consort: an enthusiastic West Sussex-based group of amateur choral singers, under the direction of Sophia Vaughan, a professional conductor. We meet every Tuesday at 7.30 pm – 9.30pm at the Copthorne Church Hub. Our accompanist is Liam Bauress, a very well-known composer of Liturgical Music. We would welcome those interested in a wide-ranging classical and modern repertoire. We do some great warmups, followed by some serious pieces and some fun pieces. Rehearsals always finish with a social gathering with tea, coffee and biscuits. If you love to sing and would like to join us, we would love to hear from you.
England: Worcestershire
Hanley Voices: we are a friendly community choir based at Hanley Castle High School, Worcestershire
England: Yorkshire
Hepton Singers: We are based in Hebdon Bridge, West Yorkshire. Under the direction of Richard Bunzi, we perform varied programmes of mainly a capella music from 16th century to the present day. The choir has a strong local following, performing regularly in Heptonstall Parish Church as well as other venues across the north of England. The choir also tours nationally and internationally, usually through exchanges with similar ensembles
St Austin’s Choir, Wakefield: An adult choir from Wakefield UK based in the church of the same name. Most of our repertoire is Renaissance and reformation sacred music.
Wakefield Festival Chorus: A mixed choir of about 50 voices, directed by Paul Dewhurst. We perform four concerts a year, mainly classical. New members welcome, no auditions.
Northern Ireland: Lisburn
Lisburn Harmony Ladies Choir, a 70-strong community choir from Lisburn, Northern Ireland. We pride ourselves on our wide and varied repertoire and ultimately on the fun we have singing together.
Republic of Ireland: Carlow
Carlow Choral Society: directed by Blanaid Murphy
Scotland: Dunbartonshire
Kelvin Choir: based in Bearsden, East Dunbartonshire. An ever growing community choir to the north of Glasgow, welcoming all comers. Our repertoire is mainly classical with the occasional ‘song from the shows’ thrown in.
Scotland: Edinburgh
Cadenza: a mixed-voice choir based in Edinburgh, founded in 1992, and now with approximately 55 members. Over the years the choir has grown in reputation, with sell-out concerts and 4* reviews at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. We have also been invited to perform at prominent events, including Raymond Gubbay’s ‘Carols by Candlelight’ concerts in the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall and Edinburgh’s Usher Hall, and special Radio 4 Morning Services (Christmas Eve and the Queen’s Jubilee), with other broadcasts on BBC Radio 3 and Scotland, and Classic FM as well. Our most recent CD – “Bright Star – Cadenza at Christmas” was very warmly received by critics, audiences, composers and choral directors alike. Our repertoire is primarily classical, but covers all periods and most styles, from major choral works with orchestra to shorter part-songs. We give on average 6 concerts a year, including Christmas and the annual Fringe concert, and at least 3 concerts for charity. The latter are a very important part of our annual programme, which have over the years raised many thousands of pounds for a wide variety of good causes both in the UK and overseas – we have long since lost count of the total, but are particularly proud of one Edinburgh concert for which the final tally was £11,000 (£4,000 on the night)! Jenny Sumerling, our Musical Director since 2000, keeps us on our toes all the time. We are also fortunate to have had Ben Parry (currently Director of the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain) as our Patron since 2003. Ben composed the title track of ‘Bright Star’ especially for Cadenza. Membership is by auditions. Rehearsal are on Wednesday evenings in central Edinburgh.
The Chapter House Singers: based at the Episcopal cathedral in Edinburgh. They sing the services five or six times a year when the cathedral choir is on holiday; they also promote two concerts a year. Repertoire is mainly sacred.