Friends of the Vox

Home
United Kingdom
Tenterden
Friends of the Vox

Directions Website Contact the organisation

We are committed to promoting & encouraging community through the power of choral music.

29/10/2026

✨🎄 Friends of the Vox is excited to bring in the festive season with Wolcum Yole, an exciting concert featuring performances from both of our choirs, Vox Anima Chamber Choir and Vox Populi! 🎄✨

📅 The concert takes place on Saturday 5 December at St Lawrence's Church in Mereworth, at 6pm.

🎵 Look forward to a varied programme, including two settings of the 'Gloria' by Randol Alan Bass and Vivaldi, Benjamin Britten’s 'A Ceremony of Carols', and seasonal works by Andrew Carter. Vox Anima Chamber Choir and Vox Populi will be directed by our Artistic Director, James Meaders, and accompanied by Richard Hammond-Hall.

🥂 Following the concert you are welcome to stay for refreshments, and a chance to win some fabulous prizes in our Christmas raffle! Prizes include a Sparkling Brunch for two at The Swan, West Malling; Sparkling w**e; a bespoke celebration cake; a £15 Dressed By Dee voucher, and tickets to Vox Anima London ’s Summer 2027 concert programme at The Barbican, and St George’s Chapel, Windsor! (Raffle tickets are priced at £1 each - £5 per book of five). All proceeds will go towards the Charity.

🎫 Tickets: £15 in advance, free for under 18s
(£20 on the door, subject to availability)
https://www.friendsofthevox.org/our-upcoming-events/wolcum-yole

*Due to low internet coverage at the venue we will be unable to accept card payments. Please bring cash for your concert and raffle tickets on the day. Thank you!*

26/10/2026

Vox Anima Chamber Choir warmly invites you to join us for a special Open Rehearsal on Saturday 14 November 2026 🎶

Come along to get a glimpse behind the scenes of one of our rehearsals and experience our music-making up close! You’ll have the opportunity to:

🎵 Observe the rehearsal process and see how a VACC performance takes shape
🎶 Hear some of the chamber choir’s newest repertoire
🎼 Enjoy insights from our conductor James Meaders
👋 Get to know the choir and accompanist Richard Hammond-Hall
🥂 Stay afterwards for a celebratory reception, with fizz included!

Immerse yourself in the music as we work on a varied and exciting programme of music by British composers, including Bob Chilcott’s A Little Jazz Mass and Benjamin Britten's A Ceremony of Carols.

Whether you’re a passionate choral music enthusiast, a fellow singer, a regular audience member, or simply curious to discover more about the world of choral music, we’d love to welcome you.

📍 Where: Bates Hall, Sutton Valence Prep School
📅 When: Saturday 14 November 2026
🕔 Time: 5pm-7pm
🎟️ Admission: Free (donations to Friends of the Vox welcome)

We look forward to welcoming you for an evening of music-making, insight into the rehearsal process, and good company!

22/10/2026

✨ Friends of the Vox is delighted to welcome Richard Hammond-Hall as its new Director of Community Engagement. ✨

Richard is an accomplished accompanist, educator, and choral musician whose career spans performance, music education, and artistic leadership.

Richard has taught in a wide variety of settings, including the Merton Music Foundation, Westminster School, Surbiton High School, and Woldingham School. He has prepared choirs for performances at prestigious venues such as the Royal Opera House, the Royal Albert Hall, and Cadogan Hall, and has led his ensembles on international tours, live television broadcasts, and world-premiere performances. His students have gone on to study at leading institutions including the Royal College of Music, the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, and Oxford and Cambridge Universities.

From 2018 to 2023, Richard was Director of Music at a parish church in Kent, where he founded a junior choir and established a nationally recognised Choral and Organ Scholarship Programme. He has recently taken on the role of Artistic Director of the International Children's Choir Festival and Director of Community Engagement at Vox Anima London, and is a Trustee of the Thames Youth Orchestra. He has been Accompanist for Vox Anima Chamber Choir since its creation in 2018, and was welcomed by Vox Populi as Accompanist this autumn.

A graduate of King’s College London and the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, Richard is passionate about music’s power to enrich lives and strengthen communities. Alongside developing educational programmes and events, he looks forward to creating opportunities for people of all ages, including those living with dementia and others who face barriers to participation, to experience the transformative power of choral music.

✨🎶 Please join us in welcoming Richard to the team! 🎶✨

06/10/2026

🎶 Vox Anima Chamber Choir invites you to join them for an open rehearsal. 🎶

Save the Date!
📅 Saturday 14 November, at 5.00pm.
(Kent venue to be announced...)

⭐ Observe the rehearsal process “up close”
⭐ Meet the choir
⭐ Hear some of the choir’s newest repertoire
⭐ Meet conductor James Meaders
⭐ Meet accompanist Richard Hammond-Hall
⭐ Join us for a celebratory reception - fizz included! 🍾🥂

✏ Please add the date to your calendar, and spread the news with your friends and family. Entrance is free (donations welcome).

Further details will be announced soon, so be sure to like and follow us to stay updated with all of our latest news! 📣

29/09/2026

✨ Vox Populi are now three weeks into the term, rehearsing some gorgeous new repertoire! ✨

🎵 As well as a deeper study into the 'Vivaldi Gloria', the SATB choir have been exploring the wonderful 'Gloria' by Randol Alan Bass, and a beautiful arrangement of Dolly Parton's 'Light of a Clear Blue Morning' by Craig Hella Johnson.

🎵 Vox Populi is a non-auditioned, intergenerational choir, which promotes and performs the music of living composers. The choir meets on Wednesdays at West Malling Primary School, from 7.45pm. Led by Friends of the Vox Artistic Director James Meaders, and accompanied by Richard Hammond-Hall, rehearsals are the best combination of focused music-making, soul-feeding singing, and fun, social connectivity.

If you are looking for a friendly community of people who love to sing together, perform together, and explore some of today's most beautiful and exciting choral music, please get in touch! We would love to hear from you. 💖🎶

📅 Vox Populi will next be performing at St Lawrence's Church, Mereworth, at 6pm on Saturday 5 December.

17/09/2026

👏 Congratulations to all who took part in our 'come and sing' event last Saturday! 👏

🎵 67 singers from 8 choirs across Kent and Surrey came together for the afternoon, at West Malling Primary School, to rehearse and perform Vivaldi's joyful 'Gloria'.

🎵 Under the baton of Artistic Director James Meaders, the choir explored musical structure, choral performance, and a variety of vocal production techniques - resulting in beautifully unified sounds and a performance to be proud of!

📰 Visit our news blog to catch up on all of our recent concerts and events!
https://www.friendsofthevox.org/news

07/09/2026

✨ The first draw takes place TODAY!✨

Could you take a moment to nominate Friends of the Vox for a Movement for Good award?

Every day this week £1,000 will be won by charities nominated by YOU! Each new person nominating Friends of the Vox increases our chance of winning, and nominating us once ensures that we are also in the running for the remaining draw in December this year!

Please take a minute to nominate us by clicking on the link below:
https://movementforgood.com/draws/1000/?cn=1200317&ct=heritage_arts

Thank you. 🙏💖

05/09/2026

🌟🎫 One week to go! Have you booked your place? 🎫🌟

✨ Join Friends of the Vox and a wonderful community of singers in West Malling, Kent, on Saturday 12 September, for an afternoon of singing, musical exploration, and a satisfying performance of the brilliant 'Vivaldi Gloria'!

✨ Hosted by our non-auditioned SATB choir Vox Populi, and led by Artistic Director James Meaders, this special 'come and sing' event will explore Vivaldi’s exuberant 'Gloria', accompanied by Richard Hammond-Hall.

🎵 Throughout the afternoon, singers will rehearse together in a friendly and supportive atmosphere, developing choral skills and enjoying the thrill of creating something truly special as a community. Whether you are an experienced musician or simply love to sing, you will be warmly welcomed! There will also be time during the breaks to meet fellow singers, make new connections, and chat with members of West Malling-based Vox Populi about our unique choral community.

🎵 The day will culminate in an informal performance of the 'Gloria' with accompaniment and soloists — a joyful celebration of all the afternoon’s work!

To book your place, click on the link below:
https://www.friendsofthevox.org/our-upcoming-events/come-and-sing-vivaldis-gloria

📅 Saturday 12 September
📍 West Malling Primary School
⏰ 1pm
🎫 £20, £5 students, free for carers

Address

St Mildreds Close, Church Rd
Tenterden

Website

http://www.friendsofthevox.org/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Friends of the Vox posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.