The Oriel Singers

27/07/2026

We're very excited to perform for you tomorrow night at our late concert I Heard a Voice, part of the Three Choirs Festival.

Whilst you're there, do take a look at 3choirs.org to see what other choral delights and treats you can catch in Gloucester this week!

26/07/2026

We’re delighted to once again be singing at the Three Choirs Festival. We’re giving a late night concert at St Mary de Lode Church, just a stone’s throw from the West Door of Gloucester Cathedral.

Tickets available from 3choirs.org - search for “I Heard a Voice”.

21/07/2026

We were so delighted to be able to support this event last Friday, raising money for the High Sheriff of Gloucestershire’s fund, which through making grants to organisations and projects across the county, aims to give young people meaningful and challenging activities to reduce harm and improve their lives and experiences.

Thank you to everyone who came to support this worthy cause; thank you to the other performers; and thank you to Dame Fiona Reynolds, the High Sheriff, for inviting us.

25/06/2026

We'll see you on the 28th July at 10pm: Three Choirs Festival - I Heard a Voice

Sumer is icumen in 🌞
We're just one month away from this year's Three Choirs Festival - book your tickets at 3choirs.org.

24/06/2026

We are still planning to go ahead with Bach, and All That Jazz at 8pm on Thursday, but with some minor changes to our usual arrangements.

We will be encouraging an entirely relaxed dress for both the audience and performers, with the emphasis on being 'cool and colourful' (as Bach would have wanted it).

Water will be available throughout the performance, and we will be opening doors (despite any noise) to allow a through-draught as it will be a breezy evening.

We hope these measures will be sufficient to keep temperatures as low as they possibly can be in this heat, and that you have an enjoyable evening despite the extreme weather we are experiencing in the region. We also encourage you to allow extra time for travel and consider your needs when making a choice of transport mode.

19/06/2026

Our director Ben Sawyer explains just how connected the music of JS Bach, and of those who inspired him, are to the music of Jazz, connecting to musicians such as John Lewis, Jacques Loussier, and the Swingle Singers.

Our concert of Bach, and All That Jazz, with the David Gordon Quartet, is on Thursday 25th June at 8pm in Cheltenham. We hope you can join us. Tickets available from https://buytickets.at/theorielsingers/2112089/r/fbpost

11/06/2026

The Oriel Singers and The David Gordon Quartet have joined forces to present Bach, and All That Jazz

Here's the first in our look at some of the instrumentalists in the quartet, starting with harpsichordist, pianist, improviser, composer, jazz musician and baroque specialist David Gordon: a musician of almost boundless scope.

His research into historical improvisation has fed his passion to transmit improvisational practice beyond the world of jazz. He also formed HighWire Baroque, an improvising baroque orchestra and is a member of the London Tango Quintet.

We are so delighted to be working with him and other members of the quartet to bring out those jazzy elements of J.S. Bach's and J.C. Bach's music; which are often hidden in plain sight.

Come join The Oriel Singers and The David Gordon Quartet at 8pm on 25th June, in St Andrew's Church, Montpellier St, Cheltenham. Bach and Jazz truly are a match made in heaven. Tickets are £15, reduced to £2 for full-time students and under-18s. Tickets available from Bach, and All That Jazz.

31/05/2026

Did you know we're performing in the Three Choirs Festival this July? Our conductor, Ben Sawyer, has a few words to say about the concert, which rounds off our 50th anniversary season.

See Three Choirs Festival - I Heard a Voice for more information!

And if you can't make that, our Bach, and All That Jazz concert is happening in June. Both are sure to be exciting!

31/05/2026

We're so excited about our upcoming Bach, and All That Jazz concert, featuring The David Gordon Quartet instrumentalists.

There's a tradition of integrating jazz with choral music, perhaps best demonstrated by pieces such as Will Todd's Mass in Blue, and Bob Chilcott's Little Jazz Mass.

What are your favourite choral-jazz fusions? Whether it's explicit or just a moment in a piece, let us know in the comments.

20/04/2026

We’re very excited to be presenting Bach, and All That Jazz, a concert of motets by J.S. and J.C. Bach, interspersed with jazz improvisations inspired by the themes of the motets.

The inherent jazz undertones that can be found in the harmonic language and rhythmic counterpoint of both Bachs’ music will make this an intriguing and enjoyable evening of music, for lovers of Jazz and Choral Motets alike - and indeed, for lovers of both.

We are very fortunate to be joined by our jazz instrumentalists: The David Gordon Quartet, comprising David Gordon on Piano, James Ayre on Drums, Dave Ayre on Bass, and Dom Franks on Saxophone. The Oriel Singers are directed by Ben Sawyer.

This concert is at 8pm on Thursday 25th June 2026, at St. Andrew’s Church, Montepellier Street, Cheltenham, GL50 1SP. The concert will last about an hour with no interval. Tickets are £15, or for under-18s and students, £2, and are on sale now.

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