Celebrating its 45th anniversary in 2024 The Sixteen gave its first concert in 1979 under the direction of Founder and Conductor Harry Christophers CBE. Their pioneering work since has made a profound impact on the performance of choral music and attracted a large new audience, not least as ‘The Voices of Classic FM’ and through BBC television’s Sacred Music series.

The voices and period-instrument players of The Sixteen are at home in over five centuries of music, a breadth reflected in their annual Choral Pilgrimage to Britain’s great cathedrals and sacred spaces, regular appearances at the world’s leading concert halls, and award-winning recordings for The Sixteen’s CORO and other labels.

Recent highlights include: the 2026 world premiere of Sir James MacMillan’s Angels Unawares, performed and broadcast from the Sistine Chapel, commissioned by the Genesis Foundation, an ambitious ongoing series of Handel oratorios, extensive tours of the USA, the Netherlands and Japan, and the launch of an exciting new partnership with St James’s Church, Piccadilly, London and The Genesis Foundation.

The Sixteen’s commitment to the future of choral music is clearly reflected in its extensive outreach programme, using the power of music to engage and inspire new and existing audiences as well as transforming music education. Genesis Sixteen, supported by the Genesis Foundation, offers the UK’s first fully funded choral training programme for singers aged 18 to 23. It has been specially designed to help participants navigate the testing transition from student status to life as professional performers. Autumn 2025 saw the launch of Ignite; three major new strands of work, identifying and supporting young singers to find pathways into choral music.