Quire Information
Most Quires (except where noted) have practices open to visitors by arrangement (please tel or email) and membership is open to all. To find a quire near you, click on the map.
Abbreviations: WG = West Gallery; SH = Shapenote
 Amber Valley Quire (Derbyshire) - A non-costumed quire (WG with local Derbyshire and Leicestershire specialities) meeting on the second and fourth Sundays of every month except August, in Horsley Woodhouse, Derbyshire. Practices are open to singers and instrumentalists - just let us know so that we can provide music.
Contacts: Heather Flockton email - (or Zuzanna Forster)
Music Directors: Zuzanna Forster email
Bedford Gallery Quire - A costumed quire (WG and Social music of the period) meeting on the 1st, 3rd & 5th Thursdays each month at Brickhill Community Centre, 12 Avon Drive, Bedford MK41 7AF. Concerts, festivals, workshops and functions of virtually any kind undertaken.
Contact: Ken Baddley email
or Linda Reed email
Music Director: Ken Baddley email
Bristol Harmony (Bristol and South Glos.) - A non-costumed quire (WG and village band music) meeting on 1st & 3rd Tuesday evenings in Bristol. Performances have included concerts and church services.
Contact: Peter John email
Music Directors: Anne Koerber and Esther Steward - email
Broadwindsor Gallery Quire (Dorset/South Somerset) - An (occasionally) costumed quire (mainly WG) meeting fortnightly on Tuesday evenings at 7.30 pm throughout the year, except August.
The Quire meets in Comrades Hall, Broadwindsor for practices and socialises afterwards in the White Lion which is a community run pub. Practices are open to visitors and membership is open to all. We perform infrequently, but are focused on the local community, e.g. Harvest Supper, church services and pub carols on Twelfth Night.
Contact: Clare Dawson email or phone 07816 490021
Music Director: Mike Wilson-Smith
Called to be Saints (Somerset) - A non-costumed quire (mostly WG, some SH) meeting Saturday afternoons monthly in Nailsea, Bristol. Performances have included concerts, festivals, gala days, harvest suppers and local workshops. The quire organises an annual Villages Tour.
Contact: Pete Crooke email
Music Director: TBC
Chiltern West Gallery Quire (Home Counties N of London) - A costumed quire (WG - mostly local) meeting monthly on Saturday afternoons in Welwyn Garden City. Performances have included concerts, church services and festivals.
Contact: Antonina Spittal email
Music Director: Jenny Ellis email
Christminster Singers (Oxfordshire) - An unaccompanied Oxford-based performing group (WG, SH, folk, etc) which practises throughout the year. Membership is by invitation. Performances (non-costume) include concerts, music festivals and workshops locally, throughout the UK and abroad.
Contact: Dave Townsend email
Music Director: Dave Townsend
CDs: William Knapp: West Gallery Anthems and Psalms see details
Let the Echo Fly, The Story of West Gallery Music - see details
The Gladly Solemn Sound (North Lancashire) - A non-costumed choir (mostly WG) meeting weekly on Wednesday evenings, 8 - 10pm, at the Gregson Centre, Lancaster. Performances have included concerts, festivals and weddings.
Contact: Paul Guppy email
Music Director: Paul Guppy
CDs: Repeat Their Sounding Joy - see details
Awake ye Mortals all - see details
A Different Lore - see details
The Greenwood Quire (South Lincs, East Notts, North Cambs) A costumed quire (WG only) meeting monthly at St James the Great, Aslackby, Sleaford, Lincs, NG34 0HG to
prepare for performances, currently about 6 per year.
Contact: Mike Stevens email
Music Director: Brian David
Immanuel's Ground - The quire rehearses every Wednesday at Northgate Methodist Church, Warwick (WG, SH, dance tunes). Performances - mostly in costume but sometimes in modern dress - include concerts, church services, illustrated lectures, workshops, educational videos and pub sessions.
The quire hosts the annual Mid-Shires’ Quires’ Day, and Byfield Village Carols.
Contact: Sheila Macadam email
Music Director: Gillian Warson email
The John Moore Quire (West Midlands and Shropshire) - A costumed quire (WG, glees, dance tunes) meeting monthly on the 3rd Sunday, 2 - 4 pm, at the
Birchmeadow Centre, Broseley TF12 5LP. Performances include concerts, church services, Bridgnorth Folk Festival, and workshops.
Contact: Marjie Wright or Rita Powell email
Music Director: Bryan Shepherd email
The Larks of Dean Quire (mid Lancashire) - A non-costumed unaccompanied quire (mainly WG, some SH) meeting on the 1st &3rd Sundays each monthexcept July & August, 7:30 - 9:30 pm at the United Reformed Church, Bury, Lancs. Performances: concerts, church services, illustrated talks and workshops.
Contact: Neil Chadwick email
Music Director: Jean Seymour
London Gallery Quire (London inside the M25) - A non-costumed quire (WG only) meeting on alternate Wednesday evenings during term time at St Michael's Paternoster Royal Church, College Hill, London EC4R 2RL; two minutes from Cannon Street station.
Contact: Jill Holland email
Music Director: Phil Price email
CD: Praise Ye The Lord - see details
Book of Music: Your Voices Raise - see details
The Madding Crowd (Hampshire) - A costumed quire (mostly WG, glees, folk songs, patriotic songs) meeting every Sunday evening, 7:45 - 10 pm at St Boniface Church, Chandlers Ford. Guest night for visitors is the 1st Sunday monthly or by special arrangement. Membership is by invitation.
Performances include concerts, church services, folk festivals, heritage events, and "Going the Rounds".
Contact: Daphne Goddard Coates email
Music Director: Mike Bailey
CD: Hark, Shepherds, Hark - see details
You can watch short videos of the Madding Crowd Wassailing at Manor Farm, Botley and
leading a carols workshop at Emery Down, Nr Lyndhurst, New Forest
The Marsh Warblers (Kent) - A costumed quire (mainly WG, with glees, patriotic & folk songs) meeting on the 1st, 3rd & 5th Tuesdays each month at Sandhurst Baptist Church, Kent. Performances include concerts, workshops, church services, and annual church tour.
Tony Singleton or email:
Music Director: Tony Singleton
CDs: visit website
Norfolk West Gallery Quire - A Quire based in Spooner Row, South Norfolk, aiming to sing and play in local churches with West Galleries. Performances have included West Gallery Evensong, Harvest and Christmas services. Fortnightly rehearsals are on Wednesday evenings in the Guild Church of the Holy Trinity, Spooner Row; open to visitors and membership is open to all.
12-20 singers and instrumentalists
Contact: Brian Randall (Chairman) email
Music Director: Philip Aldred (email via Chairman above)
Purbeck Village Quire (Dorset) - A costumed quire (WG and Folk) meeting weekly on Monday evenings 7:30pm (except January, February, July and August) at Wareham United Reformed Church. Performances have included concerts, workshops, Music and Folk Festivals, "Going the Rounds", harvest suppers, with barn dances.
Chair and Contact: Mike Quinlan email
CD: Round the Year with the Village Quire - see details
DVD: A Village Christmas from Dorset Past - see details
Book: The Worth Carols - see details
Band Music Book: Never on Sunday - see details
The Ridgeway Singers and Band (Dorset) - A non-period costumed group performing West Gallery, folk song arrangements and original compositions mainly from Dorset
Leaders: Tim Laycock and Phil Humphries
Contact: Phil Humphries email
For concerts, CD, contacts, please visit website
Sacred Harmony (Manchester and Cheshire) - A non-costumed group (WG and early American psalmody) meeting monthly on Sunday afternoons in Poynton. Performances include concerts, services, lecture-recitals and workshops.
Contact: Sally Drage email
Music Director: Sally Drage
Shropshire Harmony - A non-costumed quire (mainly WG) meeting at 2-5pm on the 4th Sunday of the month (except July, August and December) in Lydbury North Village Hall, SY7 8EB. Membership is open to all; prior contact is useful. Occasional concert performances are undertaken.
Secretary: Vicky Hunns email
Music Director: Andy Watts
Sussex Harmony - A sometimes costumed quire (WG and SH) meeting most Thursday evenings, except August, at South Malling Church, Lewes. Visitors and new members are warmly welcomed to practices. Performances have included concerts, church services, folk gigs, festivals, receptions in venues ranging from theatres to a brewery.
Book: The Singing Seat - see details
The Thomas Clark Quire (West Kent) - meets for rehearsal at Maidstone Baptist Church, 8-10pm on 1st and 3rd Tuesdays (except August). Occasional performances are undertaken, usually in costume. Visitors and new members are welcome.
Contact: Barry Tucker email
Music Director: Barry Tucker
Tranter's Party (Cotswolds) - An occasional quire (mostly WG) that meets in Condicote, near Stow on the Wold, every year for a performance around Christmas. About twelve singers and instrumentalists.
Contact: Annette Smith - for contact details see the WGMA Directory
Music Director: Annette Smith
Tuesday Occasionals (Derbys, Notts, and Leics) - A non-costumed quire (WG and SH) meeting weekly on Tuesdays. Performances have included concerts, church services, folk festivals, and workshops
Contact: Ian West email
Music Director: Helen Brown
The Village Quire (Herefordshire / Powys border) - A non-costumed quire (mainly WG, some SH and folk song) meeting weekly on Friday evenings, 7:30 - 9:30 in Maesyronnen Chapel, Cwmbach, near Glasbury-on-Wye on the Herefordshire / Powys border. Membership is by invitation. Performances have been church / charity concerts, village fayres and folk events.
Contact: Dave Newell - for contact details see the WGMA Directory>
Music Director: Dave Newell
Vital Spark (Worcs and Herefs) - A non-costumed quire (WG and SH) meeting weekly on Wednesday evenings at 8:30pm in West Malvern Village Hall. Practices are open to visitors by arrangement and membership is by invitation. Performances have included concerts, church services and festivals.
Contact: Sue Smith email
Music Director: Jackie Gribble
You can keep up to date with our activities by checking our Facebook page. It can be accessed HERE
CDs: Vital Spark present Vital Spark see details
There Were Shepherds - see details
Washaway West Gallery Choir (Cornwall) - A non-costumed choir (WG, some glees) meeting monthly on the 2nd and 4th Mondays at St Conan’s Church, Washaway, Cornwall. Practices are open to visitors by arrangement and membership is by invitation. Main annual event is a concert of carols and readings at Pencarrow House, a local stately home. Other performances have been services and concerts.
Contact: Peter Meanwell email
Music Director: Peter Meanwell
The West Gallery Quire (Devon) - A costumed quire (WG and other music of the period). Performances have included concerts, church services, folk and civic arts festivals and a wedding. The quire meets throughout the year, as required, to prepare for a range of events (around four annually). Meetings are open to all, non-members are always welcome.
Contact: Clare Bainbridge email
Music Director: Claire Willman
Overseas Quires
The West Gallery Quire, Boston, Massachussetts, USA - A non-costumed quire meeting monthly at Newton Highlands Congregational Church, Newton, MA. Performances (WG only) have been concerts, church services and folk festivals.
Contact: Bruce Randall email
Music Director: Bruce Randall
Virtual Quires
With Cheerful Voice - a virtual choir and band. It began during the first covid lockdown, using the name “Lockdown Gallery Quire”, and as covid recedes has changed to its new name. It is a non-audition choir open to any singer and any acoustic instrument, and a new piece is performed each month. Guide track videos are sent out, and every participant records themselves singing or playing to a common guide track. These are then combined to produce a single rendition. We have completed well over 30 pieces, of which more than half are West Gallery, and the rest are classic hymns, usually from the later Victorian period. One of the aims of the choir is to introduce West Gallery music to wider circles, and so far well over a thousand recordings have been submitted from more than one hundred individuals, a good half of whom are not from West Gallery quires.
Previous pieces can be heard here
Contact: Phil Price email
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