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
When emailing replace -AT- with @ before posting
 Beaminster Gallery Quire (Dorset) - a costumed quire (mainly WG) meets on most Thursday evenings from in Broadwindsor. Performances: concerts, church services and Beaminster Festival.
Contact: Ron & Pauline Emett 01308 868377 email
Musical Director: Ron Emett
Bedford Gallery Quire - a costumed quire (WG and SH) meets twice monthly in Bedford. Performances: concerts, church services, festivals and workshops.
Contact: Ken Baddley 01234 304103, mob: 07882 676290 email
Musical Director: Ken Baddley email
Bristol Harmony - meets on Tuesday evenings in Bristol (West Gallery only).
For more details click HERE or visit the website.
Contact: Toby Parker 0117 9243083 email
Musical Director: Toby Parker
Called to be Saints (Bristol & Somerset area) - A non-costumed quire (mostly WG, some SH) meeting 2nd Saturday each month at Church House, Nailsea, North Somerset. Performances: 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) - The quire meets in the afternoon on the 2nd Saturday of each month in Welwyn Garden City (mostly WG). Performances (mostly costumed): concerts, church services, workshops and folk events.
Contact: Mike & Antonina Spittal 0207 2637418 or email
Musical Director: Jenny Ellis 01462 629539 or email
Christminster Singers (Oxfordshire) - A non-costumed group practising irregularly - WG, SH, folk songs, new compositions and Tudor music. Practices are not open to visitors and membership is by invitation only. Performances: concerts and music festivals.
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 Cwmbach Quire see The Village Quire
The Gladly Solemn Sound (North Lancashire) - A non-costumed quire (mostly WG) meeting weekly on Wednesday evenings in Lancaster. Performances: concerts, festivals and a wedding.
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 only) meeting fortnightly on Sunday afternoons in Gloucester. WeG, Glees, etc.
Contact: John Thorn 01452 616326 email
Musical Director: John Thorn
The Grace Darling Singers (Manchester and Cheshire) - more a choir (non-costumed) than a quire, meets monthly on Sunday afternoons in Poynton, Cheshire (WG and SH). Performances: concerts, services, lecture-recitals and workshops.
Contact: Sally Drage 01260 270217 email
Musical Director: Sally Drage
Greenwood Quire (South Lincs, East Notts, North Cambs) A partly-costumed quire meeting periodically at St James the Great, Aslackby, Sleaford, Lincs. Practices are open to visitors by arrangement, and membership is open to all. Performances: concerts (WG only).
Contact: Barry Jeffery 01529 421681 email
Musical Director: Pete Shaw 01778 571563 email
Immanuel's Ground - The quire meets on the 2nd, 4th and 5th Wednesdays each month at Warwick (WG, some SH). Performances (mostly costumed): concerts, church services, private functions workshops, and pub sessions.
Contact: Ian & Barbara Meddoms 01926 492945 email
Musical Director: Edwin Macadam
The John Moore Quire (West Midlands and Shropshire) - A non-costumed quire (WG only) meeting monthly on the 3rd Sunday in Donington, Shropshire. Performances (WG only): 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 (WG and SH) meeting on the 1 st and 3rd Sundays each month in Newcastle upon Tyne. Performances: concerts, church services 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) 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 every other Wednesday evening during term time at St James Church, Garlickhythe, London. Performances: Church services, workshops and concerts/lecture recitals
Contact: Stella Hardy 020 7515 4639 email
Musical Director: Francis Roads
The Madding Crowd (Hampshire) - A costumed quire (mainly WG) some SH and contemporary music) meeting every Sunday evening in Chandlers Ford, near Winchester. Guest night for visitors is the 1st Sunday monthly. Membership is by invitation. Performances: concerts, church services, folk festivals, English Heritage events and Going the Rounds.
Contact: Brenda Bennett 01962 866963 email
Musical Director: Mike Bailey
CD: Hark, Shepherds, Hark - see details
The Marsh Warblers (Kent) - A costumed quire (WG, glees & traditional songs) meeting on the 1st, 3rd & 5th Tuesdays each month in Tenterden. Kent. Performances: concerts and workshops.
Contact: David Dedrick 01580 763377
or Tony Singleton 01580 753431 or email:
Musical Director: Tony Singleton
Norfolk Gallery Quire - A costumed quire (WG and folk), meets on the 2nd & 4th Mondays of each month in Weasenham, Norfolk. Performances: concerts and church services.
Contact: Chris Gutteridge 01760 755993 email
Musical Director: Chris Gutteridge
Pembrokeshire West Gallery Quire (W.Wales) - Meeting on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of every month in Haverfordwest.
Contact: Jonathan Parker 01437 563779 email
Musical directors: Val McInally and John Tose
Purbeck Village Quire (Dorset) - A costumed quire (WG and folk music) meeting weekly on Monday evenings in Wareham, Dorset. Performances: concerts, workshops, Music and Folk Festivals.
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
Rodhuish Gallery Singers (Somerset) - A costumed quire (mainly WG) meeting monthly on the 1st Friday at Carhampton, near Minehead; membership is at the discretion of the Musical Director. Performances: concerts, church services and illustrated lectures.
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 (aged 12-24) (WG, SH, world harmonies & folk song) meeting on term-time Tuesday evenings in Stourbridge. Performances: concerts, church services and festivals.
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 costumed quire (WG and SH) meeting Thursday evenings near Lewes. Performances: concerts, church services and festivals.
Contact: Jan Green 01903 830361 email
Musical Director: Rachel Jordan
Cassette Tape: Brighton Festival - see details
Book: The Singing Seat - see details
Tranter's Party (Cotswolds) - A non-costumed quire (Mainly WG, some SH) meeting irregularly on Sunday afternoons Condicote, near Stow on the Wold, to prepare for occasional local performances. New members are very welcome.
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 Tuesdays weekly. Performances: concerts, church services folk festivals and workshops.
Contact: Jack Crawford 01889 591770 email
Musical Director: Helen Brown
The Village Quire (Herefordshire / Powys border) - A non-costumed quire (WG, SH, English traditional folk and world music), meet weekly at Cwmbach, nr Glasbury on Wye. Performances: concerts, church and folk events. Some performances accompanied by The Cwmbach Quintet.
Contact: Dave Newell / Cheryl Christopher 01497 847676 or email
Musical Director: Dave Newell
Vital Spark (Worcs and Herefs) - A non-costumed quire (WG and SH) meeting weekly in West Malvern; membership is by invitation. Performances: 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 (mainly WG) meeting twice a month in Washaway, Cornwall; membership is by invitation. Performances: 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 contemporary music) meeting fortnightly in Crediton, Devon. Practices are open to visitors by arrangement and membership is open to all. 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 (WG and SH) meeting most Friday evenings in Ketton. Performances: concerts and church services.
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 (WG only) meeting on the 2nd Sunday monthly in Sculcoates, Hull or local churches. Performances: church services.
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 (WG only) meeting monthly at St Mary's Church, Newton Lower Falls, MA. Performances: concerts, church services and folk festivals.
Contact: Bruce Randall 010 1978 373 5852 email
Musical Director: Bruce Randall
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