The Renaissance Singers is a specialist chamber choir that has brought the best in Renaissance vocal music to audiences in Britain for over 80 years.
Founded in London in 1944, the choir was a pioneer in the 20th century early music revival. Under its current Musical Director David Allinson, the choir maintains a busy schedule of performances, workshops and recordings.
Performing Renaissance music that others do not, and aiming to engage wider audiences, the choir strives for the highest musical standards in all it does. Its programmes offer unique paths of discovery for singers and audiences alike.
“Not only was the performance outstanding, but the choice of music, much of it being heard for the first time in the UK, was a brilliant choice by their inspirational musical director and conductor David Allinson… they are currently at the top of their game, with excellent and well-drilled singers.”
Andrew Benson-Wilson
C O N C E R T
Un niño nos es naçido
An Iberian Christmas
Saturday 13 December 2025, 7.30pm
Holy Sepulchre (St Sepulchre-without-Newgate)
Holborn Viaduct, London. EC1A 2DQ
Conducted by David Allinson
Few nations celebrate Christmas with the intensity of the Spanish.
Our December programme aims to dispel the cynicism of modern Christmastide with a mixture of superb motets, mass music and villancicos drawn from the Spanish golden age.
R E C O R D I N G
CD Release
9 January
On Continuo Connect, our Musical Director David Allinson and Producer Stephen Rice discuss Vivanco's overlooked genius, the mysteries surronding his Requiem, and how e made the first recording of this 'lost' music from the Spanish Golden Age.
The CD will be released on 9 January on Toccata Classics
Our Musical Director David Allinson reveals more about Vivanco’s life, his setting of the Requiem, and the originality of his style. In the background the choir is rehearsing Bernardino de Ribera’s Dimitte me ergo and Vivanco’s Versa est in luctum.
U P C O M I N G E V E N T S
Saturday 14 February, 7.30pm
St. Mary's Bourne Street
Guest conductor: Toby Ward
Portuguese discoveries
A programme of Portuguese polyphony, including works by the unjustly-neglected Francisco Garro (d.1623), who served as master of the Lisbon Cappella Real for 32 years.
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Saturday 28 March, 7.30pm
St. George's, Bloomsbury
Conductor: David Allinson
A Spanish Requiem reborn: Vivanco and contemporaries
Join us to celebrate the release of our recording of Vivanco’s Missa pro defunctis, which comes out in January 2026 on the Toccata Classics label. Thanks to the generous support of our donors and friends, in July 2025 the choir made the world premiere recording of the Requiem, using Jorge Martín’s authoritative new edition. For this concert we reprise and extend that programme of beautiful penitential and funeral music.
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Saturday 20 June, (time to be confirmed)
All Saints Church, Boughton Aluph, nr. Ashford, Kent. TN25 4EU
Conductor: David Allinson, with Vincent Franklin as William Byrd
Master Byrd by Brean Hammond
A dramatic and moving celebration of the life of one of England’s greatest composers. The Renaissance Singers performed this play at Ingatestone Hall in 2023 to great acclaim. Now we proudly bring the play – an engrossing monologue interspersed with live music by Byrd and his contemporaries – to the prestigious Stour Music Festival.
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Saturday 4 July, 7.30pm
St. Stephen's Rochester Row
Conductor: David Allinson
Summer concert
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J O I N U S
We are currently recruiting tenors.
If you're an excellent sight-reader and are confident singing in smaller groups, unaccompanied, we'd love you to hear from you.
J O I N O U R M A I L I N G L I S T
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