HELPING COMMUNITIES THROUGH THE POWER OF MUSIC

The Covid-19 pandemic highlighted the growing need for people across our communities to access the health and wellbeing, social and educational benefits of singing and music.

Our new Encore Appeal focuses on the three main strands of our work: singing workshops to bring high quality music education to schools in deprived areas; our Memory Singers work to improve the lives of people living with dementia; and empowering composition and performance workshops for children with special educational needs.

This work is more in demand than ever, and we need your help to deliver it.

Through our workshops in schools, we encourage young people to express themselves through music as part of a choir, building resilience and supporting mental health, cooperation and academic attainment.  We have been helping children and young people with special educational needs to discover their voices by creating original compositions which express their ideas, interests and experiences. In partnership with The Alzheimer’s Society, Armonico Consort has developed the UK’s first ever choir which brings together professional musicians and those living with dementia. Using music at its most powerful, this brings extraordinary results, particularly when we use our core baroque repertoire, with doctors often prescribing it rather than medicine, as it is simply more effective.

THROUGH THE ENCORE APPEAL, WE WILL ADDRESS THESE SITUATIONS HEAD ON, REVERSING THE DECLINE AND TACKLING THE NEGLECT, PROVIDING FOR THOSE IN NEED.

Generously Supported by Mr Roger Medwell MBE DL who will be giving 30p for every £1 donated, up to the first £100,000 raised.

Armonico Consort is a critically acclaimed UK choir and instrumental ensemble renowned for its inspiring concerts and imaginative singing education programme, AC Academy.

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Inspiring audiences with passionate performances.

Critically acclaimed choir and instrumental ensemble Armonico Consort entertains audiences across the country with its high quality concerts, outstanding recordings and innovative projects. Drawing on the passions of forward-thinking founder and artistic director Christopher Monks, our professional singers and musicians perform inspiring programmes, spanning the Baroque to the present day.

Central to Armonico Consort is our education programme AC Academy, which reaches 15,000 children a year across the UK through its in-school Choir Creation Scheme and after-school AC Academy Choirs in partnership with music hubs nationwide.

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The legacy of a choir that lasts forever

AC Academy is Armonico Consort’s extensive and imaginative singing education programme, which reaches 15,000 young people a year offering life-changing experiences and first-class performance opportunities through fun and engaging singing projects.

The charity develops and supports choirs and choir leaders across the UK through its in-school Choir Creation Scheme, after school AC Academy Choirs and SEN projects, in partnership with music hubs nationwide and in collaboration with venues such as the Royal Albert Hall.

By 2020, we aim to create 300 children’s choirs and 300 choir leaders leaving a singing legacy across the country.

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Armonico's workplace choir scheme

There’s never been a better time to invest in the health and happiness of your workforce.

There is strong scientific evidence that singing helps reduce stress and improves mental and physical well-being. Our research shows it boosts productivity too.

Voice Squad is Armonico Consort’s workplace choir scheme which brings employees from across the business together in a social and fun activity to help create a happier, more productive, workforce.

Find out more about Voice Squad half-day workshops and longer term choir creation.

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What's On

SUPERSIZE POLYPHONY 2

SUPERSIZE POLYPHONY 2: 24/01/2025 - 07/02/2025

The critically acclaimed Supersize Polyphony programme of choral music on a colossal scale, made Armonico Consort famous across the British Isles. Back with even more daring and adventurous staging in 20 – 40, and even 60 different voice parts, we will once again sing 360 degrees around the audience, totally immersing them in their sound!

AC ACADEMY SCHOLARS MASTERCLASS WITH ELIN MANAHAN THOMAS

AC ACADEMY SCHOLARS MASTERCLASS WITH ELIN MANAHAN THOMAS: 23/03/2025 - 23/03/2025

Armonico Consort’s brilliant young AC Academy Scholars work with world renowned soprano, and long- time Armonico friend, Elin Manahan Thomas in a variety of repertoire. The event will take place on the 22nd March and end with a performance at 3pm, and all are welcome to attend with a retiring collection. For any enquiries regarding

HANDEL ISRAEL IN EGYPT

HANDEL ISRAEL IN EGYPT: 05/04/2025 - 19/04/2025

Israel in Egypt is without a doubt Handel’s most spectacular choral showpiece.  Almost certainly the most dramatic choral writing form the 18th century and Biblically epic, from graphic musical depictions of flies, frogs, hailstones, the river Nile turning to blood to the parting of the Red Sea. For lovers of the lyrical and ornate choruses of Messiah

NAKED BYRD 2

NAKED BYRD 2: 06/05/2025 - 06/05/2025

Ten years on from our most successful concert series and CD recordings to date, indulge yourself in the second part of our collection of the incredible world of choral music from the last 800 years, with simple raw emotion at its heart. Featuring some of the Greatest Choral music ever written, envelop yourself with the

RACHMANINOV VESPERS

RACHMANINOV VESPERS: 20/06/2025 - 08/07/2025

If you are new to the Vespers, think of his divine Symphony no 2, but performed by voices, and you won’t even get close to how incredible this is! Just 110 years ago, what is widely praised as Rachmaninov’s greatest achievement and the greatest achievement of the Russian Orthodox Church was created. The composer managed

BEOWULF

BEOWULF: 15/07/2025

Join Armonico Consort in the retelling of Beowulf, one of the world’s greatest mythical tales, in an evening of musical entertainment. Discover a legendary time of heroes and warriors as Prince Beowulf battles demons and magical beasts. Featuring a gripping script written by William Towers, this touching epic saga has been set to music by

THE FAIRY QUEEN

HENRY PURCELL'S THE FAIRY QUEEN: 22/07/2025 - 22/07/2025

For 15 years, Armonico Consort has been in demand by festivals in the UK and Europe to perform its inimitable version of Purcell’s Dido & Aeneas. The singers and actors of the company now turn their attention to Purcell’s greatest semi-opera in a brand new semi-staged version with a specially adapted script from Shakespeare’s ‘Midsummer

ARMONICO CONSORT – ON DEMAND

Unable to come to our live concerts? Explore our brand-new On Demand concert series featuring some of the Consort's favourite early music repertoire now available for you to experience at home.

News

Patrons gather for Armonico’s Membership re-launch

Patrons, friends and supporters of Armonico Consort gathered at Malvern Theatres on Friday (6 December) at a performance of Handel’s Messiah, to join in the re-launch of our Membership scheme. Armonico’s President Roger Medwell MBE DL, members of the Development team, and volunteers Elizabeth and Lawrence, were on hand to talk to audience members about
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Armonico Scholar Anna wins BBC Chorister of the Year

Armonico Consort Scholar Anna is celebrating after winning the coveted BBC Chorister of the Year 2024 Junior title.  The competition was broadcast on BBC TV’s Songs of Praise on 1 December, hosted by Aled Jones and Reverend Kate Bottley. 13-year old Anna, from Stratford-upon-Avon, joined AC Academy Warwick (Armonico Consort’s after-school choir) on her 6th birthday ...  
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Supersize Polyphony

 THE TIMES

Splendid - Naked Byrd 2

THE INDEPENDENT

Dido & Aeneas – “The vocal ensembles are beautifully sparse and luminous and the instrumental playing is brightly streamlined.”

THE GUARDIAN

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