About us

The Renaissance Choir is one of the leading non-professional choirs on the South coast of the UK.

We are an auditioned, non-professional SATB / SSAATTBB choir of around 30 members. As our name implies, although we have a special interest in a cappella music from the Renaissance period, we present a varied, ambitious repertoire from many periods and traditions, sacred and secular, ranging from the Renaissance through to contemporary works.

Each year we put on around four concerts in South East Hampshire and West Sussex, and rehearse weekly during term time (September to July). Rehearsals take place at the Emsworth Community Centre, PO10 7DD, from 7.30pm to 9.30pm on Friday evenings.

We regularly sing in 8 parts, and we have many capable in-house soloists. We do not have a permanent accompanist, but there are competent pianists among our membership who will deputise.

We have a tradition of commissioning new music, most recently from Ian Schofield for our 50th anniversary in 2026.

Our credo is “every voice matters”. Members generally have some ability to read music. We’re used to doing “homework” each week to avoid too much note-bashing in rehearsal and to allow us to concentrate on interpretation. We supply music learning (e.g. MIDI) files to assist with learning.

We aim to create an environment in which all singers feel inspired, challenged and supported, whatever their level of experience. The Choir takes pride in its ongoing musical development and its consistently high standard of performance.

Our Music Director is Catherine Olver, who has led the choir since 2026. 

We have an Assistant Music Director, Malcolm Keeler, who is an experienced MD in his own right.

We own an extensive library, which is also available for hire. Some of our members are graduate musicians.

Sometimes, we share a concert programme with a solo instrumentalist, engaging a young professional at the start of their career.

We regularly go on tour to sing in many of the UK’s and Europe’s finest venues, which have included St Peter’s in Rome, Notre-Dame de Paris, the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela, and most recently St John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta.

As a registered charity (No. 275475), we seek not only to perform choral music to a high standard, but also to enrich the cultural life of our community through education, collaboration and accessibility. We are members of Making Music.