Russell Scott proudly presents
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“One of the most awe-inspiring choral festivals of the world”
Inspiring Workshops.
Inspiring Workshop Leaders.
Inspiring Choirs.
Non-Competitive, Enriching & Fun…
The UK Choir Festival is Open to All
Highlights from Manchester 2024 - The 25th Festival Event!

ENJOY EARLY BIRD DISCOUNTS

Enjoy EXTRA discount off all tickets until Friday 12th April 2024

Hold tickets for 14 days whilst you finalise numbers and collect ticket monies from choir members.

Ready to complete your booking ? Click here to enter your details and finalise your ticket order.

Experience The UK Choir Festival

WATCH OUR VIDEO

About The Festival

Community Choirs ~ Gospel Choirs ~ Youth & School Choirs ~ Glee Clubs ~
Choral Societies ~ Chamber Choirs ~ Barbershop Choirs and more

Launched in 2016, The UK Choir Festival has been hailed by American Express Essentials as “One of the most ‘Awe-Inspiring Choral Festivals of the World’.  We have welcomed over 5000 attendees since its conception from over 200 choirs.  The festival aims to support, train and bring choirs together in a great setting where they can learn, develop and thrive.

The festival is designed for choirs of all abilities, ages and style, no matter whether you are a local community choir, a cappella choir, school or university choir, gospel choir, choral society or barbershop choir. If you sing….. you’re welcome!

Choir love being part of this exciting and dynamic festival, where learning and making great music is at its heart.  Choirs of all sizes attend from as small as a quartet to those with 100+ members, and individuals can also attend without their choirs if they choose do so.

The UK Choir Festival is produced to give choirs the opportunity to be taught by some of the best workshop leaders in the UK, in a supportive, informative, collaborative, non-competitive and inspiring conference-style setting. It involves practical and method teaching, and everyone is involved as we work on vocal technique, performance, stage craft, blend and balance, language, and work on new styles and genres of singing.

Attendees watch and take part in a series of workshops led by our experts who then come together for a joint session in the afternoon.  There’s lots of singing, lots of great music-making and a lot of fun to be had – attendees come away feeling uplifted, excited and ready to work on the what they have learned.

The festival is non-competitive, but very much ‘hands-on’ for everyone to watch and learn from each other.  At the end of each day, choirs get the opportunity to perform (if they choose to) in front of each other and the panel of workshop leaders who give each choir written constructive critique to help them leave with confidence, ambition and improved skills.

The UK Choir Festival has welcomed adult and youth choirs from around the UK,
Ireland, Iceland, India and the United States
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The Joint Session

The festival includes The Joint Session where our 4 amazing workshop leaders come together for a 75min session working on a single piece in mass and masterclass styles.  This collaborative session brings together the talent and expertise of all our workshop leaders of the day in an engaging and hugely interactive session for everyone to enjoy.

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Even more with Platinum

Platinum Sessions have always played a big part in the festival with invaluable 1-2-1 feedback and Q & A with our workshop leaders.  Don’t miss the opportunity at the end of the festival day to have your own 40min session filled with  invaluable advice from our exceptional team of experts.

From Pop and Gospel to Classical, Vocal Tecnhnique and Performance, 
there is something for everyone at the UK Choir Festival

Amazing Workshop Leaders

The UK Choir Festival has worked with some of the best workshop leaders in the UK

Upcoming Events

Our Flagship Weekend is Back!

ST ALBANS

SAT 19TH & SUN 20TH OCTOBER 2024

ATTEND ONE DAY OR BOTH DAYS
9am – 6pm (7pm for Platinum ticket holders)

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Festival Schedule​

The Festival Schedule will be announced shortly

Registration
  • 08:30

Registration

Festival Welcome
  • 09:00

Festival Welcome

Presented by Founder and Producer of the UK Choir Festival, Russell Scott.

WARM UP
Morning Warm Up
  • 09:15

Morning Warm Up

This inviogorating and lively warmup to start the day off, led by one of our esteemed workshop leaders.

WORKSHOP
Listen; Hear! with Matthew Roughley

Listen; Hear! with Matthew Roughley

Blend, intonation, tuning… As singers and musicians we know that our greatest asset is our ears, but how can we fine tune our listening skills and ultimately improve our ensemble singing? Join vocal director and arranger Matthew Roughley in this engaging and practical workshop  exploring ways to improve your ability to harmonise, blend with other singers and take your musicianship to the next level. In this workshop you will be taken through a series of contemporary harmony exercises and arrangements that will help you to fine tune your ears!

Morning Break
  • 10:30

Morning Break

WORKSHOP
Find Your Groove with Stuart Overington

Find Your Groove with Stuart Overington

We’ve probably all been told at some point in a choir rehearsal to stand still or ‘look smart’ but when you watch great choirs you’ll see they are all moving. Movement and singing go hand in hand whether it’s about finding the groove of the song or simply breathing together. When done well it’s magical, when done badly it’s uncomfortable to watch. This workshop will explore how choirs use their bodies to keep the music together, communicate the text and free the voice.

WORKSHOP
Rhythm Nations with Steve Cook

Rhythm Nations with Steve Cook

Join specialist music teacher, choral director and arranger Steve Cook for an energetic and dynamic workshop exploring some infectious chants and catchy melodies from different genres – all designed to get you ‘into the groove’. Steve will ensure the ‘rhythm is gonna get you’ with some layered riff-based pieces, syncopated African songs, world music chants and some uplifting pop and soul choruses. After this lively session, you’ll have your finger on the pulse and be ready to ‘beat it’ back to your own choir rehearsals!

Lunch Break & Rehearsals
  • 12:50

Lunch Break & Rehearsals

Choirs will be allocated slots during the extended lunch break to rehearse in preparation for the afternoon Performance Session.

WARM UP
Afternoon Warm Up
  • 14:10

Afternoon Warm Up

Before the afternoon session kicks off, one of our workshop leaders will get your voices warmed up once again, ready for the final workshops.

WORKSHOP
Spice Up Your Gospel Sound with Audrey Mattis

Spice Up Your Gospel Sound with Audrey Mattis

PICK YOUR SEASONING · Singing Gospel Choir songs chosen by Audrey will “spice up” your day! · Introducing Gospel singing in a truly authentic way, Audrey provides lots of background information into this style of singing ensuring that as well as having fun, each participant understands the style that bit more. MARINADE · Learn new songs at a pace and you will be singing 3 and 4 part Gospel harmonies in no time! Once you return to your choir base you can continue to sing these new songs to completion as you let the information steep. · Resources can be made available to all choir directors for further learning afterwards as every workshop is taught aurally without use of notation. HEAT UP THE PLACE · Feel the vibe and move to the rhythm of the song, learn the famous “Gospel choir 2-step”. · Learn about the dynamism of Gospel blend and tone using vocal acoustics – and even some vocal acrobatics if you dare! TASTE AND SEE · Our final workshop performance will leave you feeling invigorated and with a “pep in your step”. You will be amazed at how much you’ve learned in such a short space of time and Audrey will be available throughout the day to chat and share further tips about this style of singing.

Afternoon Break
  • 15:20

Afternoon Break

WORKSHOP
The Joint Session

The Joint Session

This final workshop is a collaboration by all the workshop leaders of the day working on one single piece in a Masterclass format, whilst giving everyone the opportunity to take part. Putting together all the learnings of the day, this session is aimed at consolidating whilst giving choirs the opportunity to work with all 4 workshop leaders at the same time.

Mini Break
  • 17:00

Mini Break

PERFORMANCE
The Performance Session
  • 17:10

The Performance Session

The Performance Session is often one of the festival's highlights. Choirs take to the stage to perform whilst being adjudicated by our panel of workshop leaders, giving positive and constructive feedback in written form to help choirs develop and thrive even more than ever before.

Festival Finale
  • 17:55

Festival Finale

The Platinum Sessions*
  • 18:00

The Platinum Sessions*

Platinum Sessions have always played a big part in the festival with invaluable 1-2-1 feedback and Q & A with our workshop leaders. We are excited to expand this further as we split the sessions into 2, so each choir receives 2x 20min sessions each with 2 workshop leaders, giving more value than ever before and much less waiting time as we work on 2 sessions at a time.

Close
  • 19:00

Close

* Platinum Ticket Holders only

All workshops and workshop leaders correct at time of press but subject to change

Tickets

Great Options... Great Value

GOLD

FOR CHOIRS AND THEIR CHOIR DIRECTORS
£ 35 per person, per day
  • Unreserved Seating
  • Access to all workshops
  • Complimentary Festival Programme
  • Opportunity to Perform
  • Performance Feedback
  • Complimentary Refreshments

PLATINUM

FOR CHOIRS AND THEIR CHOIR DIRECTORS
£ 40 per person, per day
  • Unreserved Seating
  • Access to all workshops
  • Complimentary Festival Programme
  • Opportunity to Perform
  • Performance Feedback
  • Complimentary Refreshments
  • Priority Seating
  • 1-2-1 Platinum Session with Workshop Leaders

GENERAL ADMISSION

FOR THOSE NOT ATTENDING WITH THEIR CHOIR
£ 45 per person, per day
  • Unreserved Seating
  • Access to all workshops
  • Complimentary Festival Programme
  • Complimentary Refreshments

WEEKEND DISCOUNT - BOOK BOTH DAYS AND SAVE 15%

Easy Booking Options

ENJOY EARLY BIRD DISCOUNTS

Enjoy an EXTRA discount off all tickets until Friday 12th April 2024

Hold tickets for 14 days whilst you finalise numbers and collect ticket monies from choir members.

Ready to complete your booking ? Click here to enter your details and finalise your ticket order.

Prices thru 31st December 2024.

Information:

General Admission tickets are for guests only and those not attending with their choir.  General admission tickets are seated individually.

* A 3.5% booking fee is applied to all bookings at the time of purchase. All prices are inclusive of VAT.

Bookings are non-refundable, non-transferrable and non-exchangeable unless the event is cancelled.
Terms and conditions apply.

FAQ

Tickets

Choir leaders should book their attendees in a group booking selecting the correct ticket type.  Additional tickets can be purchased at any time up to the event,  a code will be sent post-purchase to use when adding extra attendees.  Choir leaders should purchase the same ticket type as their choir, unless attending on their own without their choir in which case they need a Choir Leader ticket.  Attendees who are attending without their choir should purchase a General Admission ticket. GOLD and PLATINUM tickets have a minimum order of 8 tickets.

Music

There is nothing to learn or prepare for the festival.  All music taught will be done by either rote or with lyrics/music printed in our complimentary festival programme which is given to all attendees upon arrival.  We do not use an OHP to ensure maximum engagement at all our events.

Performing

Choirs have the option of performing.  We encourage all choirs to perform, and whilst it is not mandatory, choirs get a fantastic experience from doing so, as almost all choirs perform.  Choirs are welcome to perform a cappella, with acoustic instruments (a grand piano is available for use) or backing track.  Pianists who are playing for choirs but not attending the full day will not need a ticket (unless arriving before the performance session), but we must be notified in advance of their attendance.  Shortly before the festival choir leaders will be requested to submit details of their performance. Performances are non-competitive, but are constructively critiqued by our workshop leaders in written form (this is not X-Factor!).  Notes are handed directly to choir leaders at the end of the event.

Platinum Sessions

We offer a limited number of Platinum Sessions where choirs can benefit from a 40min 1-2-1 session (or 2x 20min sessions) with our workshop leaders, to work on the notes from their performance, ask questions, and get direct support and guidance from our experts.

Filming and Photography

Attendees are welcome to take photographs (without the use of flash).  Filming is NOT permitted.  All events are filmed professionally and made available via our App on our RED platform around 2 weeks after the event.

Accommodation

The festival is non-residential but we have travel partners who can help with any accommodation or travel requirements.  Please contact us for more information.

Parking

There is good parking at all our venues along with access for coaches and buses.  Full details are provided in the information packs available shortly before the event.

Disabled Access

All venues are disabled-friendly and have accessibility for all attendees.  We ask choir leaders to notify us within good time of any disabled access requirements so we can accommodate them and ensure a great experience for everyone.  Whilst we cannot guarantee seating or special requests, we will do everything possible to accommodate.  Disabled parking is also available but subject to capacity.

For any other questions please Contact Us.

Our Proud Partners

Grab the UK Choir Festival App Today!

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CHOIR DIRECTOR

FOR CHOIR DIRECTORS WHEN ATTENDING WITHOUT THEIR CHOIR
£ 65 per person, per day
  • Unreserved Seating
  • Access to all workshops
  • Complimentary Festival Programme
  • Complimentary Refreshments
  • Priority Seating

SILVER

FOR CHOIRS AND THEIR CHOIR DIRECTORS
£ 30 per person, per day
  • Unreserved Seating
  • Access to all workshops
  • Complimentary Festival Programme
  • Opportunity to Perform
  • Performance Feedback