Brighton Voices

A non-audition community choir in association with All Saints Church, Hove under their MD Nelson Wong and our interim MD Michael Maine

We are fully independent of the church, who are kind enough to support us and to provide us with practice space and a musical director. The choir is non-audition and friendly. Our aim is to sing music we enjoy and to challenge ourselves by performing about two concerts a year We welcome new members for all parts. Our repertoire is both secular and sacred, mostly classical music, sung in four or mo

re parts with a smattering of Victorian Part Songs. In the past we have worked on a number of pieces that are more challenging than those traditionally undertaken by community choirs and will continue to do so.

20/06/2026

With the first Brighton Voices concert under our belt, we look forward to our second. This time at our home ground of All Saints Church Hove, Sat 11 July, 7pm. Tickets £10 www.ticketsource.com/brighton-voices or phone: 0333 666 3366 or on the door.
In the meantime, today is the second instalment of some interesting facts on Elgar.
*Edward Elgar was born in Lower Broadheath near Worcester, 2 June 1857 – 23 Feb 1934).
*He was the fourth child of seven to William Henry Elgar (1821–1906) and Ann Greening (1822–1902). He regularly played the bassoon in a wind quintet, alongside his brother Frank, an oboist (and conductor who ran his own wind band).
*Beyond violin and piano lessons as a child, he had no formal music training and was a largely self-taught English composer, learning to play instruments and compose by studying scores in his father’s music shop in Worcester.
*Odd-jobbing, regularly accompanying local groups and choirs, as well as making early forays into composing, he also spent some time working at a solicitors to make ends meet.
*In 1883 while in Leipzig, he became engaged to his friend Helen Weaver. But it was called off the following year with no explanation.
*In 1886, he met Caroline Alice Roberts (9 Oct 1848 - 7 Apr 1920) one of his piano students. They married 8 May 1889 and had a three-week honeymoon in Ventnor, Isle of Wight.
*He loved puzzles. His daughter (and only child) was called Carice Irene (14 Aug 1980 – 16 July 1970), using part of each of his wife's forenames Car(oline Al)ice; and his house was named "Craeg Lea," which was an anagram of the first initials of his family members (C)arice, (A)lice, and (E)dward, plus the surname Elgar. There were no grandchildren.
📸 The Firs, Elgar’s birth place, now under the National Trust / with Alice / with daughter Carice Irene Elgar Blake

14/06/2026

What a whirlwind of a concert yesterday at Stanford Avenue Methodist Church, where the audience enjoyed a lovely selection of music. Brighton Voices gave their first of two performances of Schubert’s Mass in G and Elgar’s From the Bavarian Highlands. Expertly guided by Nelson Wong, his first concert with us as our new MD, and superbly played by Brett Welcome on piano. One highlight was the three soloists, Kat Carson, Michael Maine and Simon Madge coming together in a heavenly blend of voices for the Benedictus.
We were also joined by the Brighton Guitar Group, who played a varied programme of music composed or arranged for guitar ensemble. Featuring Latin American rhythms, Baroque music by Corelli, folk-inspired melodies, and pieces by Sussex composers. We then all came together in the encore of Limerick Fantasies, a new composition for this concert by their director, Jon Rattenbury.
If you didn’t catch it yesterday, then there is still chance on Sat 11 July, 7pm, All Saints Church Hove.
A slightly different programme, as the Brighton Guitar Group will not be performing.
Tickets £10 www.ticketsource.com/brighton-voices or phone: 0333 666 3366 or on the door.
📸 No: 1-10 the concert, No: 11-21 the rehearsals, No: 16 part rehearsal recording of the Benedictus.

13/06/2026

How exciting it’s the day of the Brighton Voices concert at Stanford Methodist Church Brighton, 5pm. Tickets £10 – www.ticketsource.com/brighton-voices or phone: 0333 666 3366 or on the door.
Now to introduce you to the ensemble.
*Kat Carson (soprano) is a performer, director, educator with over a decade’s worth of experience, and all-around creative from the UK living in the Netherlands. The composer of the new musical ‘Nun the Wiser’, founder of Stichting Nymphes & Monstres and The Cauldron, and is a member of Squeezable Rat Production Company and the Dutch Historical Acting Collective. She teaches at The Parlour in Amsterdam and directs the Eurokoor Nederland and the Cauldron Choir of Amsterdam.
*Michael Maine (tenor) is a well-known organist, musician and singer who has a long connection to the musical life of Brighton and Hove. He was associated with All Saints Church for many years and joined Brighton Voices as Guest Choir Director last September until the appointment of the new permanent Director Nelson Wong. Father Michael was the former Vicar of Cuckfield and now Honorary Assistant Priest at St Bart's, Brighton.
*Simon Madge (baritone): is Brighton-based. He has a long list of solo work to his credit, including Brighton Festival Chorus (St Matthew Passion), East Sussex Bach Choir (St John Passion); and in choral workshops. Has appeared in festivals such as Brighton Early Music, Arundel Literary Festival, and Brighton Fringe; and recently sang as part of Brighton Open Houses. Coming up: solos in Vaughan Williams' Serenade to Music in Uckfield and a repeat of Liederkreis in Brighton.
*Brett Welcome (piano) has worked as an accompanist for nearly 20 years throughout London, Surrey and Sussex. He enjoys many styles, from classical to blues and opera to contemporary, and has accompanied vocal, choral & instrumental soloists. He has been Musical Director and pianist on over 75 amateur theatre productions, several professional pantomimes and spent two years on P&O ships as pianist and keyboard player.
📸 L-R: Kat, Michael, Simon and Brett

06/06/2026

With only a week away have you got your ticket yet? Brighton Voices in concert will perform Schubert’s Mass in G, and Elgar’s From the Bavarian Highlands. Plus the Brighton Guitar Group with Warlock, Corelli & Barrios; and Limerick Fantasies (joint choir and guitars).
Sat 13 June at Stanford Methodist Church Brighton, 5pm. Tickets £10 www.ticketsource.com/brighton-voices or phone: 0333 666 3366 or on the door.
In the meantime, welcome to the first instalment of some interesting facts on Elgar. Today we talk about From the Bavarian Highlands…did you know:
*From the Bavarian Highlands (Op 27) is a work for choir and orchestra.
*Elgar’s wife Alice wrote six original poems, which Elgar then set to music under the collective title Scenes from the Bavarian Highlands.
*It was inspired by the alpine holidays they had enjoyed in Southern Germany 1893-97. With local folk dancing, yodels, and mountain hikes, the music serves as an upbeat, romantic tribute to Bavarian folk culture and scenery.
*Alice gave the songs sub-titles in recollection of favourite places visited during the holidays:
The Dance (Sonnenbichl): An upbeat, playful dance reflecting the folk entertainment the Elgars watched in local inns.
False Love (Wamberg): A moderate, slightly melancholic tune set against a local village backdrop.
Lullaby (In Hammersbach): A calm, gentle vocal piece evoking the peaceful alpine valley.
Aspiration (Bei Sankt Anton): A deeper, more solemn, and slow-moving reflection on the alpine scenery.
On the Alm (True Love, Hoch Alp): A bright, true-hearted expression of love at high altitude.
The Marksmen (Bei Murnau): An energetic, vigorous finale recalling the lively local rifle clubs.
*It was dedicated to Mr and Mrs Slingsby Bethell, the proprietors of the Garmisch pension where the 📸 Elgars had stayed.
*It was originally arranged with piano (1895) then later arranged with orchestral accompaniment (1896).
*The songs were published by Joseph Williams & Co. in December 1895, after first having been rejected by Novello's.
*The songs were first performed on 21 April 1896, by the Worcester Festival Choral Society conducted by Elgar.

30/05/2026

And we’re back! Brighton Voices resumes rehearsals next Weds 3 June.
Today is the fourth and final instalment, this time about Schubert’s Mass in G, which Brighton Voices are performing in two concerts this summer.
*Unlike the massive, dramatic masses of Beethoven, Schubert’s Mass in G focuses on lyrical beauty.
*The Mass contains six movements and last approximately 22 minutes.
Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, Benedictus and Agnus Dei.
*Kyrie is a short and heartfelt opening movement and features a delicate choral opening, a contrasting energetic soprano solo for the Christe eleison, and a return to the tranquil choral.
Lord have mercy,
Christ have mercy.
*Gloria is a joyous and celebratory piece, often regarded as one of the most upbeat, vibrant and festive movements of the mass.
Glory to God in the highest.
And on earth peace to all those of good will.
We praise thee. We bless thee.
We adore thee. We glorify thee.
*Credo starts with a calm simplicity before building to a climax.
I believe in one God,
The Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
and of all things visible and invisible.
*Sanctus is a short, solemn, and majestic movement. It showcases Schubert's early romantic style and is frequently performed and recorded as a standout choral piece.
Holy, Holy, Holy,
Lord God of Hosts.
Heaven and earth are full of thy glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
*Benedictus is a serene movement noted for its expressive melody.
Blessed is He who comes
in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
*Agnus Dei is the final, contemplative movement known for its intimate, pleading tone, departing from the dramatic style of larger mass settings.
Lamb of God,
who takest away the sins of the world,
have mercy upon us.
📸 Oil on canvass, Schubert at the piano 1899, by Gustav Klimt. Destroyed by a fire set by retreating German forces in 1945 at Schloss Immendorf, Austria.

23/05/2026

Brighton Voices now takes a short half term break, so there will be no rehearsal next Weds 27 May.
And as promised here is the news of 'Limerick Fantasies' by 📸 Jon Rattenbury, director of the 📸 Brighton Guitar Group, who came to rehearse this joint song with us last week, under the baton of our Brighton Voices MD Nelson Wong (https://www.brightonguitargroup.co.uk/jon-rattenbury).
"Limerick Fantasies was inspired by the characters that emerge from Edward Lear's 'nonsense verses', which he wrote in the mid-19th century for children of a patron. Lear's nonsense poems (he never called them limericks, though he used the limerick form) usually depict an individual, sometimes experiencing an unfortunate event, and often in fantastical situations. From over 100 verses, I selected three that present contrasting characters and situations, which then informed the music composed to accompany the text.
From the open-minded and vivacious young lady who allows 'all the birds of the air' to sit on her bonnet, to the patient old man of the coast sitting on a post, until it gets chilly, when he descends for toast, Lear manages to evoke distinct individuals in just five lines of verse. The music, which draws some inspiration from folk melodies, reflects the experiences of Lear's characters, and concludes with the whimsical old person of Tring, gazing at the summer moon, wearing his new nose-ring."
📸 There was a Young Lady (pre-1846), Royal Academy of Arts collection / There was an Old Man of the Coast (1846), private collection / An Old Person of Tring (1861), private collection – all from A Book of Nonsense / Edward Lear (1887) Author unknown.
Don’t forget to buy your tickets to this concert on Sat 13 June at Stanford Methodist Church, Brighton. From www.ticketsource.com/brighton-voices or phone: 0333 666 3366 or on the door.

16/05/2026

Advertising the first of our two concerts, on Sat 13 June at Stanford Methodist Church, Brighton. Tickets are now on sale @ £10 – www.ticketsource.com/brighton-voices or phone: 0333 666 3366 or on the door.
And now to introduce you to the Brighton Guitar Group (https://www.brightonguitargroup.co.uk/), who will be performing with us.
"Brighton Guitar Group performs an exciting and varied programme of music composed or arranged for guitar ensemble. The concert features Latin American rhythms, Baroque music by Corelli, folk-inspired melodies, and pieces by Sussex composers. A rare opportunity to hear the expressive sound of a guitar orchestra in the wonderful acoustic of Stanford Methodist church. The group is directed by guitarist Jon Rattenbury, and has been active for over 15 years, giving regular performances in Sussex."
The programme order for the guitar group's half of the concert is being finalised, but as a rough outline:
Capriol suite - selections - Peter Warlock
Madrigal Gavota - Agustin Barrios Mangore
Dry River - Akios Filios
Procession - Guy Richardson
Cavatina - Stanley Myers
Irish Dreams - Bruno Szordikowski
The Art of Now - Clive Whitburn
Concerto, Op. 6, No. 7 (movements 1 & 2) - Arcangelo Corelli
Brighton Voices will also be performing a joint song with the Brighton Guitar Group, look out next weekend for more about that!

09/05/2026

Brighton Voices are performing two concerts this summer with Schubert’s Mass in G being one of the pieces being sung. Today is the third instalment of some interesting facts about Schubert.
*Schubert composed his Mass No.2 in G Major (D 167), in early March 1815 when he was only 18.
*It is the most well-known of three missa brevis (short mass), dating between his more elaborate No’s. 1 and No. 5, known for its lyrical, devotional character and song-like melodies.
*He wrote it in less than a week and it was originally intended for his local Lichtenthal parish, scored only for small string ensemble, organ, and choir.
*It was thought that only a version with strings existed, but research in the 1980s revealed that Schubert later added trumpet and timpani parts for a "Klosterneuburg” version (referring to where it was found and its specific musical recording noted for its classical interpretation).
*Separately, Schubert's brother Ferdinand wrote parts for woodwinds and brass in response to the work's popularity.
*It was published posthumously in 1845/6, and for a time, was wrongfully credited to another composer. Robert Führer, a director of music at Prague’s St. Vitus Cathedral, even claimed the first edition it as his own composition (and late was imprisoned for embezzlement).
*It was only one of many works produced in 1815, a year where the teenage Schubert was remarkably prolific.
📸 Watercolour of Franz Schubert 1825, location unknown. Plus, oil painting 1875 (after his watercolour of 1825), in the Vienna Museum. Both by Wilhelm August Rieder.

02/05/2026

Brighton Voices are performing two concerts this summer with Schubert’s Mass in G being one of the pieces being sung. Today is the second instalment of some interesting facts about Schubert.
*He never married, but did fall in love with a young soprano named Therese Grob around 1814, he was unable to marry her because he lacked the financial means to support a family, a strict requirement for marriage in Austria at the time. He later fell in love with Countess Caroline Esterházy, whom he had tutored (along with her older sister) beginning in the summer of 1818, but social status made that impossible.
*During 1817-18, he was part of a close-knit circle of artists and students who had social gatherings, publishing newsletters including contemporary spoofs of politics. In the aftermath of the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars, the Austrian police were alert for revolutionary and suspicious activities. They arrested Schubert and four friends, one went to trial and Schubert and the others were severely reprimanded for inveighing against officials with insulting and opprobrious language.
*He occasionally drunk to excess.
* The only time in his career he gave a concert of his works, to critical acclaim, was on 26 March 1828, the 1st anniversary of Beethoven's death. He died eight months later, the cause officially attributed to typhoid fever, but some symptoms matched those of mercury poisoning, used to treat syphilis.
*At his own request, Schubert was buried near the grave of Beethoven in Währing on the edge of the Vienna Woods. In 1888, both Schubert's and Beethoven's graves were moved to the Weiner Zentralfriedhof musicians corner, where they are next to the later graves of Johann Strauss II and Johannes Brahms.
*He left behind over 1,500 compositions (including the Trout Quintet)….vocal works and art songs, symphonies, sacred music, operas, incidental music, and a large body of piano and chamber music.
*The 100th anniversary of his birth (1897) was celebrated in the musical world by weeks of festivals and performances dedicated to his music. The 100th anniversary of his death (1928) was marked with his works performed in churches, concert halls and on radio stations.
*He has featured in several films and documentaries and his music has featured in numerous films: from Walt Disney’s Fantasia (1940) to Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011).
📸 The site of Schubert's first tomb at Währing / Musicians corner Vienna Central Cemetery / Schubert Monument by Carl Kundmann, 1872, Vienna City Park

Address

All Saints Church, The Drive
Brighton And Hove
BN33QE

Opening Hours

7:30pm - 10pm

Website

http://brightonvoices.org/

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