Previous 5 from 500s…

Wonderful days of singing since 2023…

Cathedrals of Sound – with early Baroque through to Bruckner

October 2026

Programme

Anton Bruckner – Ecce sacerdos magnus
Monteverdi – Ave maris stella
Heinrich Schütz – Die Himmel erzählen die Ehre Gottes
Victoria – Ave Maria
Giovanni Gabrieli – Jubilate Deo

We were wonderfully augmented for the day by a trombone quartet, a string quintet, and a recorder group. Not forgetting Madge on the organ and soloists from amongst the choir. All of this deserved a sizable audience, and we had that too!

A few videos from the day…

Heinrich Schütz – Die Himmel erzählen die Ehre Gottes

“This was maybe my favourite day so far. The atmosphere amongst the lower voices was so lovely and supportive.”

“I personally loved the programme and the challenge. Singing with instrumentalists was gorgeous.”

” I fully trust you to keep coming up with amazing pieces, most of which haven’t yet cropped up in the repertoire of the choir I sing with.”

“Thanks as always for providing us with the opportunity to make beautiful music together”

“It was an amazing day thanks. To have those instrumentalists really added another dimension. “

“it was worth coming for the trombones and I loved singing the Bruckner with them”

“as always thanks to you for your inspiring conducting and for making the day so enjoyable”

“the music was so beautiful… I had a few teary moments as a result, but that’s how it gets you!”

“Thank YOU for a wonderful day. It was great to finally make one of your events and I’m so glad I did, it was a delight to be there”

“I really enjoy new stuff, so that was a big draw for me especially in such a relaxed atmosphere”

“Many thanks for a splendid day yesterday”

“There were clearly a lot of people who really “did their homework” and I was really impressed!”

“The instrumentalists were FABULOUS, all of them. This really made the Monteverdi so special and it was such a treat to listen to the trombone quartet. Just brilliant!”

‘Light Beyond the Veil’ for 5 from 500’s 3rd birthday

27 June 2026

The music we sang on this day was a spiritual journey from the depths to ecstasy. In chronological order the pieces were:

John Taverner’s O Wilhelme, Pastor bone one of his most immediately attractive motets

Peter Philips’ Ascendit Deus is a tremendous outburst of joy concluding with Alleluias bubbling with vitality

Antonio Lotti’s Crucifixus is simply wonderful – revel in its dissonances….

Anton Bruckner’s Christus Factus es – one of his great motets. Marvellously structured with such a skilful juxtaposition of homophonic simplicity and drama, with powerful polyphony

James MacMillan’s O Radiant Dawn – the title says it all! Ecstatic music by one of our great living composers!

Truly ‘Light, beyond the Veil’

YouTube playlist

Photo: James MacMillan

Laments, Angelic Greetings and Spiritual Transformations

February 2026

Five pieces by Josquin, Lassus, Carissimi, Rachmaninov and Sarah McDonald.

A great success in our new venue at Wesley Hall! It was warm, spacious, everything in one room, and a stage for the audience!

“I was buzzing all week. I learned so much, both by learning in advance, and on the day.”

“I was stunned by the quality of the first run through on the opening number”

“I’ve never sung in a choir which was note perfect from the get go and included the dynamics without any input! “

“The music was stunningly emotional and delightful. The moving around and mixing up exercises were great too and very interesting.”

“I absolutely loved every minute of it.”

“I loved the pace and the breaks and the snacks and the venue and the friendliness and the humour and the outcome of all our hard work”

” I loved being able to ‘sing in the round’ and for the audience to enjoy this too.”

“it’s a privilege for me to join with so many lovely people singing such awesome choral work”

“the best one yet!”

“the standard we attained was fantastic”

“had one of the best musical days of my life and can’t wait for the next one”

“The music was exquisite”

” everything about the day was tremendous”

“The music was exquisite”

“Wonderful choice of pieces, I hadn’t come across them before, but they will stay with me”

“a really special and very moving and enjoyable day. Thank you!”

“sense of being listened to by an appreciative crowdlet, as well as by each other “

“a fantastic sound to be in amongst, and so well organised and orchestrated”

“I did find the day very emotional but count that as a good thing. Music is so powerful, and singing is such an emotional act; impossible not to be affected by the music and to be able to express some of that emotion. “

“My favourite part was the scrambled singing, particularly the walking around singing bit. “

“Hard to find a fault with anything”

“I made new friends too “

“I’ll definitely be signing up for the next Choral Day”

“It was a special day and I’m looking forward to the next one! “

“It was an excellent day… Some of it was very emotional, particularly the Bogoroditse”

“I don’t know how you keep coming up with such delicious pieces, but am so very glad you do.”

“Music is so powerful, and singing is such an emotional act; impossible not to be affected by the music and to be able to express some of that emotion.”

“I do prioritise your [days] as I know I’m getting a quality experience.”

Spem in alium

Spem in Alium +

October 2025

We tackled the famous 40-part motet by Thomas Tallis, plus:
Agnus Dei from Imogen Holst’s Mass in A minor
Ave Verum Corpus by William Byrd
Abendlied by Josef Rheinberger
Locus Iste by Anton Bruckner
What a programme!

Imogen & Gustav

June 2025

Imogen Holst: Agnus Dei
Gustav Holst: Nunc Dimittis
Palestrina: Nigra Sum
Gesualdo: Ave Dulcissima Maria
William Byrd: Sing Joyfully
900 year old tree in Somerset, England~5

Tree of Life

February 2025

We went back, roughly another 400 years earlier, to the wonderful O Frondens Virga by Hildegard von Bingen with a modern and very beautiful arrangement by Chris Foss of Cantus in the USA. Plus more wonderful music from Lassus, Palestrina, Grieg and Lindberg.

Image: 900 year old oak tree, Alfoxton Park, Somerset

Mercy

October 2024

We adopted a theme of “mercy”. ‘Have Mercy upon us’ is the meaning of the Tallis piece, and was an important part of the theme of most of the music.
Beautiful pieces from Lobo, Casals, Pärt and Monteverdi. Ranging from the 16th to the 21st Century we had composers from 5 European countries.
Thomas Tallis, posthumous portrait
Morten Lauridsen

O Quam Gloriosum & O Magnum Mysterium

June 2024

O Quam Gloriosum by Victoria and O Magnum Mysterium by Lauridsen along with lovely pieces by Tallis, Bennet, Purcell & Pearsall.
Image: Morten Lauridsen

Wonderful music spanning 500 years

February 2024

From Taverner to Gjeilo and other great music from in between those two marvellous composers: Byrd, Rheinberger & Franck.
Image: Ola Gjeilo
Ola Gjeilo
An undated etching of Byrd by Gerard Vandergucht (after Nicola Francesco Haym)

William Byrd 400

September 2023

Five wonderful pieces composed by one of this country’s finest, who died 400 years ago this year: Though Amaryllis Dance in Green, Ave Verum Corpus, Justorum Animae, Lullaby My Sweet Little Baby

From Taverner to Tavener

June 2023

Our first event, our earliest piece was from the Renaissance John Taverner, we followed with gorgeous pieces by Guerrero, Mozart, Bruckner, the 20th Century John Tavener, and finally a living composer Asander.
Image: John Tavener
An undated etching of Byrd by Gerard Vandergucht (after Nicola Francesco Haym)