User:Barrie Rogers/sandbox

Saint Michael's Singers
Saint Michael's Singers is a mixed voice choral group of around 80 members based at Coventry Cathedral. The choir was formed in 1963, shortly after the consecration of the new cathedral, and takes its name from the saint to whom the cathedral is dedicated. Since its inception the choir has performed in many of this country's leading concert halls, cathedrals and major churches, and has also visited and performed at venues in the Channel Islands, France, Germany and the Czech Republic. Over the years the singers have performed with many leading professional orchestras, including the Royal Philharmonic, the Hallé, City of Birmingham Symphony and BBC Concert Orchestras, as well as the London Mozart Players, Gabrieli Consort, Southbank Sinfonia and City of London Sinfonia. Collaboration with the English Symphony Orchestra commenced in 1999 with the Yehudi Menuhin memorial tour of Messiah performances, which led to a series of Messiah with Candlelight concerts at venues around the Midlands, and a recording of the work, released in 2005 on the Nimbus label. Other events with the ESO include the Elgar Festival at Worcester Cathedral, opera gala concerts at Birmingham's Symphony Hall and Eastnor Castle, and the 100th birthday celebrations of the Morgan Car Company. The choir has produced a number of their own recordings including Coventry Praise, A Coventry Christmas, Swingin' with the Saints and Royal Coventry, celebrating music performed at Royal visits to Coventry Cathedral since its reconstruction. The singers have also made recordings in the Hymnmakers' Series on the Kingsway label, which have been critically acclaimed in this country and in the USA. Saint Michael's Singers have made many radio and television broadcasts, most notably in the BBC TV Songs of Praise series, featuring in The Stories Behind Hymns programmes, two Easter recordings from the Holy land in 1999 and the annual Big Sing programmes from the Royak Albert Hall.