Haraya Choir

Haraya Choir Please subscribe on our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/hVz9tOlgV8I Peter's Church in Notting Hill. Haraya means "imagination" or "vision" in Tagalog.

Award winning Haraya Choir was officially formed in 2017 and debuted in a sold out concert at St. Haraya won 1st prizes at the North Wales Choir Festival (Pop and Mixed Choir categories) in 2022 and the grand prize at the Manchester Amateur Choir Competition in 2020.
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Having different professions and backgrounds with singers mostly nurses and staff from the NHS/healthcare sector, the members are

unified through their shared passion for singing and musical excellence.
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The Haraya repertoire includes a wide range of styles, genres and idioms which include sacred, classical, pop, opera, folk and contemporary. Haraya also strives to promote both Filipino and British music in their concerts and performances. Karlene Moreno-Hayworth is their founder, artistic director and conductor.
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18/06/2026

UPDATE: NOW SOLD OUT!!!!!**

Thank you to everyone who booked. We are so looking forward to celebrating with you.

Here’s a brief excerpt from one of Haraya Choir’s live performances of "Bituing Walang Ningning" at St Michael’s Cornhill in London. "Bituing Walang Ningning" is one of the most requested songs in our repertoire, and a song that needs no introduction to many Filipinos.
And yes… if you watch until the end, you may notice a gentleman bravely walking right down the aisle mid-performance to take a photo.
Frankly, we understand.
We took it as a compliment.😊
And this Saturday, we’re looking forward to sharing that same magic with you at the Swindon Filipino Heritage Gala.
For many in the UK Filipino community, hearing Bituing Walang Ningning performed live by a choir is still quite a rare experience.
For many of us living far from home, songs like this can feel like a journey home: back to familiar voices, cherished memories, and the stories that shaped us.
**The event is now almost fully booked, so if you’re planning to join us, now would be a good time to secure your place.
Come and experience it with us.
✨ Swindon Filipino Heritage Gala
📍 DoubleTree by Hilton, Swindon
📅 Saturday, 20 June
🎟️ To purchase tickets, email [email protected] or send a message via Swindon Filipino Association’s Facebook Messenger.
We can’t wait to sing for you.

17/06/2026

One of our favourite rehearsal moments from a few weeks ago… 😂
This was John Ray singing the Bukonut Woman solo for the very first time, a solo previously sung brilliantly by EJ.
Naturally, during rehearsal, our conductor Karlene (with impeccable timing for mischief) jokingly asked EJ:
“So… do you feel any resentment towards John Ray now that he’s taken over your solo?” 🤭
Thankfully, no choir members were harmed in the making of this rehearsal.😇
But jokes aside, this reflects something we take very seriously in Haraya Choir.
In a smaller ensemble, flexibility is everything. We make a conscious effort to ensure that spotlight moments and solo opportunities are shared and not simply assigned to the same people every time. Everyone gets opportunities to sing solo lines, everyone learns multiple parts, and wherever possible, everyone covers each other.
Why? Because real life happens. Someone may fall ill, have work commitments, family emergencies, or simply be unable to make a performance, and the show must still go on.
More importantly, we believe solo singing helps singers grow immensely.
Stepping forward on your own builds confidence, strengthens technique, sharpens musical responsibility, and perhaps most importantly, teaches you how to regulate your nerves under pressure. That kind of growth doesn’t just create better singers-- it builds stronger, more resilient people.
This piece certainly presented a few challenges in rehearsal (as this video may lovingly reveal 😅), but that is all part of the process.
And we’re pleased to say… Bukonut Woman is now performance-ready, delivered with confidence, flair, and just the right amount of cheek. ✨
If you’d like to hear how it sounds now (and enjoy the rest of our wonderfully eclectic programme), come catch Haraya Choir live at Swindon Filipino Association's Heritage Gala this Saturday.
Expect music, culture, nostalgia, laughter, and a few delightful surprises along the way.
See you in Swindon! ❤️

15/06/2026

Swindon… we’re coming THIS WEEKEND!!! ✨🇵🇭

Haraya Choir is incredibly excited to be the headline performers at the Heritage Ball 2026, hosted by the Swindon Filipino Association on 20 June at the DoubleTree by Hilton, Swindon.

We’ve prepared a vibrant, entertaining, and heartfelt programme especially for this occasion, featuring beloved Filipino classics, audience favourites, and a few exciting surprises along the way.

As we celebrate Filipino heritage, culture, and community, we look forward to sharing an unforgettable evening of music, joy, and Filipino pride with you all.

Our heartfelt thanks to the Swindon Filipino Association for this wonderful invitation. We cannot wait to celebrate with everyone.

Watch our video greeting and come join us on 20 June. We’d love to see you there! 💙❤️💛

12/06/2026

🇵🇭 Happy 128th Philippine Independence Day!

Today, we are resharing this special moment of Haraya Choir singing our national anthem in honour of Philippine Independence Day.

For many of us living overseas, music becomes one of the strongest threads connecting us to home. In just a few minutes, an anthem can hold so much history, sacrifice, resilience, and love.

As we celebrate 128 years of Philippine independence, we honour all those who came before us, those who fought for freedom, and those who continue carrying the Filipino spirit wherever they are in the world.

Maligayang Araw ng Kalayaan. ❤️💙💛

Mabuhay ang Pilipinas.

“Haraya has stopped being just a choir I belong to; it has become a standard I live by."Finally - we know you’ve been wa...
11/06/2026

“Haraya has stopped being just a choir I belong to; it has become a standard I live by."

Finally - we know you’ve been waiting! - to the Sopranos! One of our longest serving members Joan Peralta has been singing with Haraya for an impressive nine years now.

By day, Joan works as a Line Manager at one of London’s top cardiothoracic centres. In this environment, things move fast, precision is key, and teamwork is everything. Whereas by night, she trades this clinical co-ordination for a very different rhythm - that of musical harmonies, both operatic and choral.

Outside of work and singing, she is a runner, “partly for fitness, partly for sanity. I also enjoy writing, which is where I try to make sense of life in sentences, and singing, which is where I stop trying to make sense of anything and just feel it. And coffee? It’s less of a hobby and more of a co-pilot in everything I do: essential, dramatic when absent, and always welcome!” ☕️

After her 9 years singing with us, Joan reflects, “What makes this journey even more meaningful is that the people who stayed in Haraya have seen that same shift. We’ve grown into it together. The same vision, same hunger, same commitment. It’s rare to find a group where passion aligns so naturally with discipline - and when you do, it changes you. In many ways, Haraya has taught me that purpose isn’t something you find, it’s something you grow into. What starts as a spark of interest can, over time, become a quiet fire that shapes who you are.”

We support that sentiment - keep smouldering with passions, and let them guide and change us for the better. ❤️‍🔥

What a lovely and deeply meaningful way to begin our 10th Anniversary Season. 🇵🇭🇬🇧Yesterday, Haraya Choir had the great ...
08/06/2026

What a lovely and deeply meaningful way to begin our 10th Anniversary Season. 🇵🇭🇬🇧
Yesterday, Haraya Choir had the great honour of once again leading and singing the Philippine and British National Anthems at the Philippine Independence Day Mass at Our Lady of Victories Church. We are so grateful to the committee for inviting us back for the second time. It is always a privilege to be part of such a special celebration for our community.
There was something especially moving about singing Lupang Hinirang yesterday. Living here in the United Kingdom, opportunities to sing our Philippine National Anthem together do not come very often, and hearing those familiar words resonate through the church brought a real sense of pride, nostalgia, and connection to home.
“Ang mamatay nang dahil sa ’yo...”
A line we perhaps understood differently as children, but one which, with time and distance from the motherland, speaks so powerfully of love, sacrifice, identity, and belonging.
For a few moments yesterday, many of us were transported home. ❤️
Thank you to everyone who welcomed us so warmly, and to all who celebrated with such joy and reverence. A beautiful start to what promises to be a very special year for Haraya Choir.


📸 Photos & videos courtesy of St. Dom’s choir members, Nikka Raiza Mangubat Peñaranda, Karlene Moreno-Hayworth.

Spotlight on another Haraya officer today - baritone singer Jhec Maranan.As Production Manager, Jhec contributes to our ...
05/06/2026

Spotlight on another Haraya officer today - baritone singer Jhec Maranan.

As Production Manager, Jhec contributes to our stage design - including creating arts and crafts for concerts, such as the giant handmade flowers featured in recent performances, which made quite the impression on our audience! 🌺

Jhec is a nurse from Pila, Laguna who moved to London and began searching for a choir to nurture his passion for singing. He met Jes, established Haraya member and now his partner - who encouraged him to join us in November 2023. Love really is at the core of Haraya!

Jhec’s musical journey began at the age of 10 in his parish church choir, and he has never stopped singing since. Deeply rooted in faith, he sees singing “not just as a passion but as a calling, hoping to move and connect with people through every performance”.

He began choral life as a Tenor, but has since discovered that his voice is naturally suited to the Baritone range - a role which he has been singing with us for the past year.

Give our Jhec his flowers, everyone 💐

02/06/2026

“Iisang Bangka” is finally back in the rehearsal room.
A few of us still remember singing it in "Haraya Choir:In Concert" exactly 8 years ago to this day whilst others are discovering it for the very first time. Safe to say… there’s still a little way to go 😂 but what a very promising start.
There’s something so special about hearing Haraya sing this again, the warmth, the nostalgia, the message of unity, and that unmistakable Filipino spirit of moving forward together in one boat. ❤️
Here’s a little glimpse from rehearsal as we begin bringing this beautiful piece back to life for our 10th Year Anniversary Season.
“Iisang bangka tayo…” 🚣‍♂️

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