Quire Information
Most Quires (except where noted) have practices open to visitors by arrangement (please tel or email) and membership is open to all. To find a quire near you, click on the map.
Abbreviations: WG = West Gallery; SH = Shapenote
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 Amber Valley Quire (Derbyshire) - A non-costumed quire (WG only) meeting on the 2nd & 4th Sunday evenings of every month except August in Horsley Woodhouse, Derbyshire. Performances: concerts.
Contacts: Jane Waltho 01889 591770 - email or Jack Crawford 07967 000323 - email
Musical Directors: Jack Crawford and David Ledsam
Beaminster Gallery Quire (Dorset) - A costumed quire (mainly WG) meeting on most Thursday evenings from September to May at 7.30 pm in Comrades Hall, Broadwindsor. Performances have included concerts, church services, Beaminster
Festival and pub carols on Twelfth Night.
Contact: Ron & Pauline Emett 01308 868377 - email
Musical Director: Ron Emett
Bedford Gallery Quire - A costumed quire (WG and Social music of the period) meeting on the 1st, 3rd & 5th Thursdays each month at Priory Methodist Church, 63 Newnham Avenue, Bedford MK41 9QJ. Concerts, festivals, workshops and functions of virtually any kind undertaken.
Contact: Ken Baddley 01234 310018, mob: 07882 676290 - email
or Linda Reed 01234 216623 - email
Musical Director: Ken Baddley email
Bristol Harmony - A non-costumed quire (WG and village band music) meeting on 1st & 3rd Tuesday evenings in Bristol. Practices are open to visitors. Performances by invitation.
For more details click HERE or visit the website.
Contact: Colin Sleath, 0117 9686860 email
Musical Directors: Esther Steward and Anne Koerber
Called to be Saints (Bristol & Somerset area) - A non-costumed quire (mostly WG, some SH) meeting Saturday afternoons monthly in Nailsea, Bristol. Performances have included concerts, festivals, gala days, harvest suppers and local workshops. The quire organises an annual Villages Tour.
Contact: Eileen Wilson 01275 852942 email
Musical Director: Eileen Wilson
Chiltern West Gallery Quire (Home Counties N of London) - A costumed quire (WG - mostly local) meeting monthly on Saturday afternoons in Welwyn Garden City. Performances have included concerts, church services and festivals.
Contact: Mike & Antonina Spittal 0207 2637418 or email
Musical Director: Jenny Ellis 01462 629539 or email
Christminster Singers (Oxfordshire) - An unaccompanied Oxford-based performing group (WG, SH, folk, etc) which practises throughout the year. Membership is by invitation. Performances (non-costume) include concerts, music festivals and workshops locally, throughout the UK and abroad.
Contact: Dave Townsend 01865 714778 email
Musical Director: Dave Townsend
CDs: William Knapp: West Gallery Anthems and Psalms see details
Let the Echo Fly, The Story of West Gallery Music - see details
The Gladly Solemn Sound (North Lancashire) - A non-costumed choir (mostly WG) meeting weekly on Wednesday evenings, 8 - 10pm, at the Gregson Centre, Lancaster. Performances have included concerts, festivals and weddings.
Contact: Paul Guppy 01524 68621 email
Musical Director: Paul Guppy
CDs: Repeat Their Sounding Joy - see details
Awake ye Mortals all - see details
Gloster Gallery Quire (Gloucestershire)- A costumed quire (WG, glees and dance music) meeting fortnightly on Sunday afternoons (September-June) at Matson Baptist Church, Gloucester.
Contact: John Thorn 01452 616326 or Elizabeth Akhurst email
Musical Director: John Thorn
The Grace Darling Singers (Manchester and Cheshire) - A non-costumed group (WG and early American psalmody) meeting monthly on Sunday afternoons in Poynton. Performances include concerts, services, lecture-recitals and workshops.
Contact: Sally Drage 01260 270217 email
Musical Director: Sally Drage
The Greenwood West Gallery Quire (South Lincs, East Notts, North Cambs) A partly-costumed quire (WG only) meeting periodically at St James the Great, Aslackby, Sleaford, Lincs. Performances: concerts.
Contact: Barry Jeffery 01529 421681 email
Musical Director: Pete Shaw 01778 571563 email
Immanuel's Ground - The quire rehearses on 2nd, 4th & 5th Wednesdays each month at Northgate Methodist Church, Warwick. Performances - mostly in costume but sometimes in modern dress - include concerts, church services, illustrated lectures, workshops, educational videos and pub sessions.
The quire hosts the annual Mid-Shires’ Quires’ Day, and Byfield Village Carols.
Contact: Ian & Barbara Meddoms 01926 492945 email
Musical Director: Edwin Macadam
The John Moore Quire (West Midlands and Shropshire) - An almost-totally-costumed quire (WG and dance tunes) meeting monthly on the 3rd Sunday, 2 - 4 pm, at the Methodist Church, Broseley. Performances have been concerts, church services, Bridgnorth Folk Festival and workshops.
Contact: Rita Powell 01952 883475 email
or: Isabella Ashman 01902 441434 email
Musical Director: Liz Raymont
Joyful Noise - A non-costumed quire (mostly WG, some SH) meeting on 1st & 3rd Sundays at Dene Court Community Room, Hamsterley Colliery, Newcastle upon Tyne. Performances have been concerts, church services, church crawls and workshops.
Contact: Win Stokes 01912 575918 email
Musical Director: Paul Gailiunas
Events Organiser: Chris Gardner 01207 563778 email
The Larks of Dean Quire (mid Lancashire) - A non-costumed quire (mainly WG, some SH) meeting on the 1st &3rd Sundays each month in Bury, Lancs. Performances: concerts, church services and workshops.
Contact: Jean Seymour 01617 611544 email
Musical Director: Jean Seymour
London Gallery Quire (London inside the M25) - A non-costumed quire (WG only) meeting on alternate Wednesday evenings during term time at St James Garlickhythe Church, London. Performances: Church services, workshops and concerts/lecture recitals
Contact: Stella Hardy 020 7515 4639 email
Musical Director: Francis Roads
CD: Praise Ye The Lord - see details
Book of Music: Your Voices Raise - see details
The Madding Crowd (Hampshire) - A costumed quire (mostly WG, with glees, folk songs, patriotic songs) meeting every Sunday evening, 7.45 - 10 pm at St Boniface Church, Chandlers Ford. Guest night for visitors is the 1st Sunday monthly or by special arrangement. Membership is by invitation.
Performances include concerts, church services, folk festivals, heritage events and Going the Rounds.
Contact: Brenda Bennett 01264 810578 email
Musical Director: Mike Bailey
You can watch short videos of the Madding Crowd Wassailing at Manor Farm, Botley and
leading a carols workshop at Emery Down, Nr Lyndhurst, New Forest
CD: Hark, Shepherds, Hark - see details
The Marsh Warblers (Kent) - A costumed quire (mainly WG, with glees, patriotic & folk songs) meeting on the 1st, 3rd & 5th Tuesdays each month at Zion Baptist Church, Tenterden. Performances have included concerts, workshops and church services.
Tony Singleton 01580 753431 or email:
Musical Director: Tony Singleton
Norfolk Gallery Quire - A costumed quire (WG and folk songs), meets on the 2nd & 4th Mondays of each month in Weasenham, Norfolk. Performances: concerts and church services.
Contact: Alan Hollingdale 01328 701912 - email
Musical Director: Alan Hollingdale
Pembrokeshire West Gallery Quire (W.Wales) - A costumed quire rehearsing on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of every month at Albany Church Hall, Hill Street, Haverfordwest.
Contact: Jonathan Parker 01437 563779 email
Musical directors: Val McInally and John Tose
Purbeck Village Quire (Dorset) - A costumed quire (WG and Folk) meeting weekly on Monday evenings, 7.30pm (except February, July & August) at Wareham Methodist Church. Performances have included concerts, workshops, Music and Folk Festivals, Going the Rounds, harvest suppers with barn dances
Contact: Chris Pullen: 01929 423 505 or email
Musical Director: Steve Earwicker 01929 480 737 or email
CDs: Round the Year with the Village Quire - see details
Christmas in Purbeck - see details
DVD: A Village Christmas from Dorset Past - see details
Band Music Book: Never on Sunday - see details
Rodhuish Gallery Singers (Somerset) - A small costumed quire (WG and local carols) meeting occasionally in West Somerset. Practices are open to visitors by
arrangement and membership is by invitation. Performances have included concerts, church services and talks with music.
Contact: Hilary Binding 01643 821704 email
Musical Director: David Brown
01458 274841 email
Shropshire Harmony - WG, SH, country dances, traditional folk songs. Performances: informal and secular. Based in Bishops Castle, South Shropshire, meeting 2-5 pm on the last Sunday of the month.
Contact: Frankie Rickford - email
Musical Director: Robert Bunting - email
Stream of Sound - A non-costumed group of young singers (WG, SH, world harmonies & folk song), meeting on term-time Tuesday evenings in Stourbridge. Open to anyone aged 12 -24, no prior musical training necessary. Performances include major folk festivals, churches, town halls, workshops and residential courses.
Contact: Caroline Price 01384 377833 or email
Musical Director: Caroline Price - email
CDs: Bottled at Source (English Music) & New Old Songs (World music)
Sussex Harmony - A sometimes costumed quire (WG and SH) meeting every Thursday evening except August at South Malling Church, Lewes. Performances have included concerts, church services, folk gigs, festivals,receptions in venues ranging from theatres to a brewery.
Contact: Jan Green 01903 830361 email
Musical Director: Rachel Jordan
Cassette Tape: Brighton Festival - see details
Book: The Singing Seat - see details
The Thomas Clark Quire (West Kent) - having performed for some 20 years as a costumed quire (mainly WG), is currently meeting informally approximately monthly and is planning a recruitment drive in the autumn of 2012.
Contact: Barry Tucker 01622 763916 - email
Music Director: Barry Tucker
Tranter's Party (Cotswolds) - An occasional quire (mostly WG) that meets in Condicote, near Stow on the Wold, every year for a performance around Christmas. About twelve singers and instrumentalists.
Contact: Annette Smith, 01451 830160 or email
Musical Director: Annette Smith
Tuesday Occasionals (Derbys., Notts and Leics) - A non-costumed quire (WG and SH) meeting weekly on Tuesdays. Performances have included concerts, church services, folk festivals and workshops
Contact: Ian West 01952 882448 - email
Musical Director: Helen Brown
The Village Quire (Herefordshire / Powys border) - A non-costumed quire (mainly WG, SH and folk song) meeting weekly on Friday evenings, 7.30 - 9.30 in Maesyronnen Chapel, Cwmbach, near Glasbury-on-Wye on the Herefordshire / Powys border. Membership is by invitation. Performances have been church / charity concerts, village fayres and folk events.
Contact: Dave Newell or Cheryl Christopher 01497 847676 - email
Musical Director: Dave Newell
Vital Spark (Worcs and Herefs) - A non-costumed quire (WG and SH) meeting weekly on Wednesday evenings at 8:30 pm in West Malvern Village Hall. Practices are open to visitors by arrangement and membership is by invitation. Performances have
included concerts, church services and festivals.
Contact: Sue Smith 01905 423488 email
Musical Director: John Williams
CDs: Vital Spark present Vital Spark see details
There Were Shepherds - see details
Washaway West Gallery Choir (Cornwall) - A non-costumed choir (WG some glees) meeting monthly on the 2nd and 4th Mondays at St Conan’s Church, Washaway, Cornwall. Practices are open to visitors by arrangement and membership is by invitation. Main annual event is a concert of carols and readings at Pencarrow House, a local stately home. Other performances have been services and concerts.
Contact: Peter Meanwell 01208 78393 email or Linda Collins email
Musical Director: Peter Meanwell
The West Gallery Quire (Devon) - A costumed quire (WG and other music of the period) meeting on alternate Tuesday evenings, 7.30 - 9.00 pm, at St Lawrence's Chapel, Threshers, Crediton. Performances have included concerts, church services, folk and civic arts festivals and a wedding.
Contact: Alan Weeks 01404 822028 email
Musical Director: Claire Willman
The William East Quire (Leics, Rutland and S Lincs) - A costumed quire (mostly WG, some SH) meeting on Fridays 8 - 9:30 pm, (not every week) at Brewery House, High Street, Ketton. Performances have included concerts, church services, weddings and historical commemorations.
Contact: David Moore 0115 9664938 email
Musical Directors: Sue Glover, Mary Cade, David Moore, Philip Riley, Stewart Heyday
MP3 recordings of the quire can be heard HERE
Wolds Apart West Gallery Quire (N Lincs and S Yorks) - A non-costumed quire (mostly WG) meeting on the 2nd Sunday monthly (except August) at St Paul’s Church, Sculcoates, Hull, or at churches anywhere in E Yorks/N Lincolnshire. Performances have included church services and arts festivals.
Contact: Marilyn Jackson 01724 842481 or Roger Hateley by email
Musical Director: Roger Hateley
Overseas Quires
The West Gallery Quire, Boston, Massachussetts, USA - A non-costumed quire meeting monthly at Newton Highlands Congregational Church, Newton, MA. Performances have been concerts, church services and folk festivals.
Contact: Bruce Randall (001) 978 373 5852 email
Musical Director: Bruce Randall
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