Radio 3 feature about the Renaissance Singers' collaboration with Stef Conner as part of the Adopt a Composer scheme, broadcast on Friday 17th January 2014.

Radio 3 Adopt a Composer Feature

The encore to the Renaissance Singers' concert "O What Evil is War", recorded live from St George's Church, Bloomsbury, London, UK. Singers stood in a circle enclosing the audience. Guest director: Gawain Glenton.

In Concert: Da Pacem Domine - Melchior Franck (c.1579 - 1639)

Selected works from our "A Tudor Christmas" programme performed at St George's, Bloomsbury on 20th December 2014

Byrd - Beata Viscera

Tallis - O Nata Lux

The opening section of Reges Tharsis, by John Sheppard (c.1515-1558), from our concert "A Tudor Christmas" on 20th December 2014 at St George's, Bloomsbury.

Sheppard - Reges Tharsis (excerpt)

The first Agnus Dei movement from Josquin's Missa Hercules Dux Ferrariae

Josquin des Prez: Agnus Dei I (from Missa Hercules Dux Ferrariae)

The Kyrie from Josquin's Missa Pange Lingua, live in concert at the Magna Carta concert in Clare Suffolk, performed by the Renaissance Singers on 16th May 2015.

Josquin - Missa Pange Lingua: Kyrie

A recording of John Sheppard's Christmas motet Verbum caro performed during the Renaissance Singers' Christmas Concert 'A Tudor Christmas' at St George's, Bloomsbury, on Saturday 20th December 2014.

John Sheppard: Verbum Caro

The final section of the Gloria from John Taverner's masterpiece, his Missa Gloria tibi Trinitas. This will be performed in concert on Saturday 29th October 2016 in London. See www.renaisssancesingers.com for more details.

In rehearsal: Cum Sancto Spiritu from Missa Gloria Tibi Trinitas (Taverner)

The Renaissance Singers, live in rehearsal for our 2016 Christmas concert "Shepherds, what have you seen?". This track is the second part of Verdelot's motet, "Beata es Virgo Maria". The concert will take place at St George's, Bloomsbury at 7.30pm on Saturday 17th December. Info and tickets from www.renaissancesingers.com/concerts

In rehearsal: Ave Maria (from Beata es Virgo Maria)- Verdelot

Live recording of the Renaissance Singers' performance of Versa est in luctum by Alonso Lobo at St Sepulchre-without-Newgate, London, on Saturday 18th March 2017.

Versa est in luctum - Alonso Lobo

Recorded during our Summer 2011 'Oltremontani' tour of Northern Italy
(poor sound quality)

O salutaris hostia - Adrian Willaert

Choir at work learning the repertoire for 'Saints and Sinners' concert. Recorded on 18th June 2012 at St. Sepulchre-without-Newgate

In Rehearsal: O Virtus Sapientiae (Hildegard of Bingen)

An extract from Edmund Hooper's "Behold it is Christ", as featured on the Renaissance Singers' recent album release "Vigilate"

Edmund Hooper: Behold it is Christ (extract)

An extract from Cardoso's "Sitivit anima mea", as featured on the Renaissance Singers' recent album release "Vigilate"

Frei Manuel Cardoso: Sitivit anima mea (extract)

An extract from the Agnus Dei from Josquin's mass setting "Hercules Dux Ferrariae", as featured on the Renaissance Singers' recent album release "Vigilate"

Josquin des Prez: Missa Hercules Dux Ferrariae - Agnus Dei (extract)

The Renaissance Singers is London’s leading amateur chamber choir specialising in European sacred music of the 15th-17th centuries.

The Renaissance Singers was founded in 1944 by Michael Howard as the performing arm of the Renaissance Society, and led the revival of interest in Renaissance sacred polyphony-the beginnings of the "early music movement". Their first concert was on 3rd June 1944 in St Marylebone Parish Church. The Singers made many recordings and broadcast regularly-the first broadcast being on Christmas Day 1945. They often sang from hand-written and -copied parts produced by scholars such as Bruno Turner-now one of the choir's vice-presidents.

In 1992, after a gap of some ten years, the Singers were re-formed by Michael Procter as a chamber choir specialising in this repertoire. In recent years their activities have included performances at festivals in Warwick, Bath and Southwark and tours in France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic. These engagements, and their annual programme of concerts and workshops in central London and Oxford have earned the Renaissance Singers the reputation of being one of the best specialist amateur choirs in the country. Edward Wickham took the reins in 1995, and was followed by JanJoost van Elburg in 2005. David Allinson was appointed as the choir’s new Musical Director in 2009.

We perform music by well-known great composers of the period including Josquin, Tallis, Byrd, Lassus, Palestrina and Victoria as well as giving rare airings to gems by lesser-known musicians. 

We have a varied annual programme giving around five concerts a year, mainly in London, and undertake occasional overseas tours and exchange projects with foreign choirs. 
The choir also hosts three workshops a year, open to all, where we explore Renaissance repertoire under expert direction.

Renaissance Singers

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