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
Fires of Faith
Music of the English Reformation
with a pre-concert talk by Dr Kerry McCarthy
Conducted by David Allinson
Saturday 18 October 2025, 7.30pm
Pre-concert talk begins at 6.15pm
St Mary's Bourne Street, London, W1D 3QD
Our programme is inspired by a fleeting, audacious moment of musical sabotage. In May 1538, during a service in St George’s Chapel Windsor, one of the professional singers, Robert Testwood, took it upon himself to amend the text of the votive antiphon he was singing: Lauda vivi Alpha et O by Robert Fayrfax. During an exposed section of the music he pointedly reversed the meaning of the Latin text, to deny that the Virgin Mary was redeemer and saviour (‘redemptrix et saluatrix’).
This premeditated act of artistic vandalism exposes for us the doctrinal, political and social tensions which shaped the sacred music that survives from this time, and which had very real consequences for all involved ...
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O P E N W O R K S H O P
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.
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F E A T U R E D R E C O R D I N G
Celebrating Gibbons 400
A Marriage of Voices and Viols
An open workshop led by Alison Kinder
Monday 27 October 7 - 9:30pm
St Stephen's, Rochester Row, London SW1P 1LE
In this 400th anniversary year of the death of Orlando Gibbons, come and explore the glorious sound-world of music for voices and viols.
The verse anthem was already established by composers such as William Byrd, one of Gibbons's senior contemporaries at the Chapel Royal and possibly one of his early teachers, but Gibbons developed the genre into something really spectacular.
This open workshop is for singers and viol players alike.