The Exon Singers, founded in 1966, is recognised as one of the UK’s leading chamber choirs. It has become renowned for its dynamic and expressive performances of music from the Renaissance to the present day, with reviews describing the choir’s performances as “brilliantly sung” (Classic FM), with “beautifully tailored singing” (Gramophone), and a “brilliant soprano sound” (The Daily Telegraph), where “The Exon Singers excel” (BBC Music Magazine).
The choir broadcasts regularly on BBC Radios 2, 3 and 4 and has made a number of highly acclaimed recordings for Albany, ASV, Delphian and Regent record labels. The choir’s Artistic Director and Conductor is Richard Wilberforce. Richard succeeds Matthew Owens, under whose direction the choir received considerable recognition for its commitment to commissioning new works from some of today’s most exciting composers – Brian Chapple, Gary Davison, Joseph Phibbs, Richard Allain, David Briggs, Grayston Ives, Francis Jackson, Gabriel Jackson, Howard Skempton, Philip Moore, Philip Wilby, Matthew Martin and Robin Holloway. The choir welcomed James Burton as Composer in Residence for the 2015 Festival.
To celebrate the choir’s 50 years of music making and its 50th Festival, they have recorded a new CD of music commissioned by them for Choral Evening Prayer; this CD will be released early in 2017.
Since 1973, the annual Exon Singers Festival has been based in the historic market town of Tavistock on the edge of Dartmoor, and includes the beautiful venues of Tavistock Parish Church and Buckfast Abbey. The choir’s festival performances include the Oxford Festival of Contemporary Music and the Edinburgh Festival, as well as concerts in St John’s College, Cambridge, Gloucester Cathedral, Wells Cathedral and at venues in Winchester, Salisbury and Belfast.
The 2016 Exon Singers Festival was its 50th Annual Summer Festival; the 51st Annual Summer Festival will run from 1st-6th August 2017, with the annual Come and Sing Workshop Day for the Exon Festival Chorus on Saturday 29th July 2017.