Small ensemble, or consort singing, is in many ways a completely different art form than “traditional choral singing.” And it isn’t quite solo singing either. You will hear and see some live recordings captured during rehearsal in this episode!

Apollo5 is comprised of Clare Stewart and Penelope Appleyard (sopranos), Joseph Taylor and Jacob Ewens (tenors), and Augustus Perkins-Ray (bass). The six of us discussed a wide range of topics from the technical to the aesthetic aspects of small vocal ensemble singing and presentations.

Don’t miss this one!

Tune in now on YouTube or your favorite podcast app!

Tune in, and have your thinking stimulated and challenged. Then, weigh in yourself with your related ideas and experiences on Facebook in the Choralosophers group or over on choralosophy.substack.com Also, don’t forget to grab a reading rope for your classroom wall from the shop! Music Reading Rope

For future rehearsal clips, find me on TikTok, Insta and FB!

Celebrating its 15th year in 2025, APOLLO5 continues to thrill, move and inspire audiences as one of Britain’s smallest but most impressive vocal groups. Comprising a soprano, mezzo-soprano, two tenors and a bass, the ensemble – which takes its name from the ancient Greek god of music – has become known for its ability to connect with intimacy and directness, showcasing with rich, dynamic and distinctive sound how powerful five voices alone can be. With a versatile approach to music programming, and a repertoire spanning renaissance, classical and contemporary choral works to folk, jazz and pop, the group’s five voices bring the music of five centuries to life.

APOLLO5’s busy touring schedule has taken the group to Europe, the USA and Asia. In addition to performing at prestigious UK venues such as the Wigmore Hall, Cadogan Hall, St John’s Smith Square, the Royal Albert Hall and the Barbican Centre, the group has toured extensively across France, Germany, and other European countries, including recent appearances with an orchestra and a brass band in Lisbon (PT) and Prague (CZ) respectively. The group is a regular guest on BBC Radio 3’s In Tune, and often receives airplay from the national broadcaster, as well as other UK stations Classic FM, Magic Classical and NTS Radio. 2024/25 tour highlights include a trip to the USA under new agency representation; appearances at European festivals such as Common Ground (NL) and Koorfestival Vlaanderen (BE); and special concert celebrating the ensemble’s 15th anniversary at the Barbican Centre in London.

The group has released six solo studio albums. Haven, which explores the music of troubled, displaced and persecuted composers and features a full setting of William Byrd’s Mass For Five Voices, was released in 2023 to critical acclaim. Other albums include Where All Roses Go and O Radiant Dawn (both of which charted in the top 5 of the UK Classical Charts), winter disc A Deep But Dazzling Darkness, and Invocations, a piano-accompanied treasury of favourite songs recorded with composer and arranger Fraser Wilson. In January 2025, APOLLO5 will release their seventh album, Anam, a Gaelic-tinged programme of “music to move the soul”. During the pandemic, APOLLO5 was part of the launch of LIVE From London, a series of live broadcasts from many of the world’s leading vocal ensembles and orchestras. These online concerts brought music to the homes of millions during the pandemic, and raised funds for more than 500 artists, composers and production teams in the process; the festival continues to thrive online in today’s post-pandemic world.

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