The Choir

The Edinburgh Singers is one of the city's most distinguished non-professional auditioned mixed-voice choirs. Renowned for delivering performances that are both vibrant and deeply expressive, the choir traverses the musical landscape from the early Baroque era to contemporary compositions. Established in 1952, this ensemble continues to thrive as an exuberant and sociable community, drawing members from all walks of life and spanning various age groups.

Under the leadership of Musical Director, Alistair Digges, the choir strives to deliver high quality performances, whether a capella or accompanied by professional instrumentalists. The choir has forged collaborations with professional ensembles such as Scottish Opera and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, and has appeared on BBC TV's 'Songs of Praise' and Radio 4's 'Sunday Worship'.

The choir excels at rising to challenging pieces and even provides soloists from its own ranks for all but the grandest oratorios. In recent years, the choir's repertoire has undergone a remarkable expansion, both in terms of historical periods and musical styles. The ensemble has breathed life into Renaissance and medieval compositions, while also tackling monumental works from the 19th to the 21st century by composers including Parry, Stamford, Finzi, Kodály, Widor, Walton, Poulenc, Ešenvalds, Tavener, and MacMillan. Alongside these, the choir embraces choral masterpieces by more familiar names such as Bach, Handel, Haydn, Mozart, Mendelssohn, Faure, and Elgar. The choir also supports contemporary composers and has commissioned compositions by Aileen Sweeney and Chris Hutchings.

With a rich performance history going back more than 70 years, the choir continues to stage an impressive quartet of formal concerts annually, gracing prominent venues in Edinburgh's city centre including Greyfriars Kirk and St Mary's Cathedral. The choir's reach has extended beyond the city limits, encompassing tours to iconic locations such as Munich, Tuscany, Rome, Paris, and Berlin. Notable engagements also include appearances in Brussels and Ghent in April 2019.

The Edinburgh Singers were delighted to win the Scotland Sings Chorus Award 2016 in the Inspirational Year category.

We are always on the lookout for enthusiastic and talented singers interested in joining us. Find out more about how you can sing with us here.