Come & Sing American Choral Music
Join Petros Singers for an uplifting come-and-sing workshop that celebrates the energy and diversity of American choral music.
From its roots in early sacred traditions to the bold, inventive sounds of the 20th century, American choral music tells the story of a nation shaped by many voices – European settlers, indigenous communities, enslaved peoples, and generations of composers eager to experiment, innovate and inspire. What began as simple devotional singing has blossomed into a multitude of inspirational and engaging styles.
In this afternoon workshop, you’ll explore a wonderfully varied programme that showcases the breadth of American choral writing. The final repertoire will be announced soon, but we will be singing music by composers including Bernstein, Lauridsen and Whitacre. Some pieces will be well-known favourites, while others will offer the excitement of discovering rarely performed gems.
Whether you’re a seasoned singer or simply love the thrill of making music with others, you’ll find plenty to enjoy. So join us on Saturday 7th February for an inspiring, energising and thoroughly enjoyable afternoon of music-making. We look forward to welcoming you!
The workshop will be led by Graham Ross who has established an exceptional reputation as a sought-after conductor and composer of a very broad range of repertoire. He is co-founder and Principal Conductor of The Dmitri Ensemble, and Director of Music and Fellow of Clare College, Cambridge. In demand as a regular guest conductor in the UK and abroad, recent collaborations have included performances with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, London Mozart Players, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, BBC Singers and BBC Concert Orchestra and, in 2025, he directed the Danish National Vocal Ensemble at the BBC Proms. Graham brings deep expertise and enthusiasm for American choral music, and his 2024 album Rolling River received glowing reviews from Gramophone and BBC Music Magazine.
Petros Singers has a particular interest in American music in 2026 as we will working towards our summer concert, Independence Day, to be held on Saturday 4th July in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence!
Timetable
Registration is from 1.30pm. The workshop will run from 2.00–6.00pm, with an informal performance at the end of the afternoon. We will have a break for tea-time refreshments, which are included in the ticket price. Please bring a reusable cup if you can, and also your own bottle of water.
Voice parts
Please select your preferred voice part when booking your ticket. If you are booking more than one ticket, give the name of the other singer(s) in the ‘add message’ box of the booking form. Whilst we hope to give everyone their preferred part, depending on numbers we may ask you to sing the other part in your chosen voice (e.g. a Sop 1 might have to sing Sop 2). We will advise you of this when we receive your booking.
Getting there
St Peter’s is less than 10 minutes’ walk from Ravenscourt Park and Stamford Brook underground stations (District line) or a 20-minute walk from Hammersmith (District, Piccadilly and Hammersmith & City lines). We advise checking with TfL in advance in case of any line works. There are also several buses that run between Hammersmith and Chiswick (Goldhawk Road stop), and some free street parking in the surrounding area.
Workshop tickets
£30 | £20 age 16–30
Includes loan scores and refreshments
All tickets must be booked in advance
From its roots in early sacred traditions to the bold, inventive sounds of the 20th century, American choral music tells the story of a nation shaped by many voices – European settlers, indigenous communities, enslaved peoples, and generations of composers eager to experiment, innovate and inspire. What began as simple devotional singing has blossomed into a multitude of inspirational and engaging styles.
In this afternoon workshop, you’ll explore a wonderfully varied programme that showcases the breadth of American choral writing. The final repertoire will be announced soon, but we will be singing music by composers including Bernstein, Lauridsen and Whitacre. Some pieces will be well-known favourites, while others will offer the excitement of discovering rarely performed gems.
Whether you’re a seasoned singer or simply love the thrill of making music with others, you’ll find plenty to enjoy. So join us on Saturday 7th February for an inspiring, energising and thoroughly enjoyable afternoon of music-making. We look forward to welcoming you!
The workshop will be led by Graham Ross who has established an exceptional reputation as a sought-after conductor and composer of a very broad range of repertoire. He is co-founder and Principal Conductor of The Dmitri Ensemble, and Director of Music and Fellow of Clare College, Cambridge. In demand as a regular guest conductor in the UK and abroad, recent collaborations have included performances with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, London Mozart Players, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, BBC Singers and BBC Concert Orchestra and, in 2025, he directed the Danish National Vocal Ensemble at the BBC Proms. Graham brings deep expertise and enthusiasm for American choral music, and his 2024 album Rolling River received glowing reviews from Gramophone and BBC Music Magazine.
Petros Singers has a particular interest in American music in 2026 as we will working towards our summer concert, Independence Day, to be held on Saturday 4th July in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence!
Timetable
Registration is from 1.30pm. The workshop will run from 2.00–6.00pm, with an informal performance at the end of the afternoon. We will have a break for tea-time refreshments, which are included in the ticket price. Please bring a reusable cup if you can, and also your own bottle of water.
Voice parts
Please select your preferred voice part when booking your ticket. If you are booking more than one ticket, give the name of the other singer(s) in the ‘add message’ box of the booking form. Whilst we hope to give everyone their preferred part, depending on numbers we may ask you to sing the other part in your chosen voice (e.g. a Sop 1 might have to sing Sop 2). We will advise you of this when we receive your booking.
Getting there
St Peter’s is less than 10 minutes’ walk from Ravenscourt Park and Stamford Brook underground stations (District line) or a 20-minute walk from Hammersmith (District, Piccadilly and Hammersmith & City lines). We advise checking with TfL in advance in case of any line works. There are also several buses that run between Hammersmith and Chiswick (Goldhawk Road stop), and some free street parking in the surrounding area.
Workshop tickets
£30 | £20 age 16–30
Includes loan scores and refreshments
All tickets must be booked in advance