Sheffield Philharmonic Chorus

Choir and Orchestra in Church (Photo by Andrea Zanenga on Unsplash)

About the Chorus

Welcome to the homepage of South Yorkshire's foremost large mixed-voice choir!

Sheffield, like many towns and cities in Yorkshire, has a long and distinguished tradition of music-making, particularly with its choruses. The Sheffield Philharmonic Chorus was officially formed alongside the Sheffield Philharmonic Society in 1935, following the opening of Sheffield City Hall in 1930, though the chorus' origins date back many decades further. To this day, we perform with Orchestra in Residence the Hallé and acclaimed soloists as part of the Sheffield International Concert Season at the City Hall in Sheffield, and are a proud member of Classical Sheffield.

Currently over 160 voices strong, we regularly sing with leading orchestras including the Hallé, the BBC Philharmonic, the Northern Sinfonia and the Manchester Camerata, and frequently collaborate with other large choirs such as the Hallé Chorus, the Leeds Philharmonic Chorus and the Halifax Choral Society. We have also performed our exciting and varied repertoire of choral music all over the UK, and in many parts of Europe.

Interested in singing with us?

Visit our Rehearsals section for more information on when and where we meet, and go to our Sign-Up Form to register your interest!

The Sheffield Philharmonic Chorus rehearsing at Sheffield City Hall

Our Rehearsals

We rehearse regularly throughout the concert season, which takes place between each September and June. Our rehearsals are held on Tuesday evenings between 7pm - 9pm, at King Edward VII Upper School on Glossop Road, Sheffield S10 2PW. The rehearsals are led by our Music Director, Darius Battiwala, and accompanied by our pianist, Rachel Fright. We are very fortunate to have the talented Maggie McDonald as our Vocal Coach, who attends our rehearsals once every few weeks to take us through vocal exercises to improve our voice. Individual members of the choir are also able to have short sessions with her during these rehearsals.

We are always happy to welcome new members, and encourage any prospective new members to come and try us out by rehearsing with us for a few weeks before deciding whether you would like to join. Research has shown that singing greatly benefits our health and wellbeing, improves posture and sleep, increases mental alertness, and improves mood. Our passion is singing and sharing beautiful choral music with others, and our aim is to be as inclusive as possible - and of course to have fun! So don't be shy, and please feel free to come along and sing with us. Joining our rehearsals is a great way to improve your music appreciation, technique and knowledge - and make new friends!

Sign Up Form

Your Details



Your Voice*

Soprano

Alto

Tenor

Bass

*If you are unsure of your exact voice part, don't worry, just select the one you feel is most accurate for now. Our talented vocal coach holds sessions with all new members to help them determine the right part for their range!