Always on
This project successfully funded on 29th October 2025, you can still support them with a donation.
Bach in time for Christmas
Manchester, Greater Manchester, United Kingdom
Aim
To bring Bach’s Christmas Oratorio to life at The Stoller Hall, keeping it affordable and inclusive to a wider audience.
Dear friends of the William Byrd Singers,
We are reaching out to you with an exciting and ambitious project that we need your help to bring to life. In December 2025, we aim to perform one of the most uplifting and magnificent works of classical music: Bach’s Christmas Oratorio. The performance will take place at the stunning Stoller Hall in Manchester, and we need to raise £5000 to make it happen.
About the William Byrd Singers
We are a chamber choir based in the North West of England, passionate about performing the greatest choral works with heart, precision, and joy. Our last major project at the Stoller Hall – Bach's St Matthew Passion – was a huge success. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, and the experience demonstrated the incredible potential of our small but dedicated choir. With support from our generous audience and backers, we proved that we can deliver a performance of the highest quality, even with a limited budget.
Why We Need Your Support
Now, we are taking on another monumental challenge: Bach’s Christmas Oratorio. This work is filled with drama, beauty, and hope—perfect for lifting spirits at Christmas time. However, producing a performance of this scale comes with significant costs. We need funds to cover:
- The venue: The Stoller Hall is a truly magnificent space with incredible acoustics that we want to share with our audience.
- Orchestra and professional singing partners: To do justice to Bach’s masterpiece, we require a full orchestra and professional soloists to work alongside our choir.
A Concert For All
We firmly believe that exceptional classical choral music should be accessible to everyone, and we are dedicated to bringing the Christmas Oratorio to a broader audience. Our charity is built on the principle of not just performing for the sake of performance, but also to educate and raise awareness. With this in mind, we strive to keep ticket prices as affordable as possible, ensuring that no one is excluded, even in a premium venue. Naturally, this means we must explore ways to bridge the gap between affordable ticket prices and the high costs of producing such a performance.
How You Can Help
To make this vision a reality, we are launching a crowdfunding campaign with a target of £5000. We have some fantastic rewards for those who support us—[include a few of the highlight rewards] and all our donors will have their name featured in the concert program. Every donation, no matter the size, brings us closer to our goal and helps us create a truly special experience for all involved.
Join Us in Celebrating Bach's Christmas Oratorio
The Christmas Oratorio is a work that transcends time and speaks to the joy and hope we all share. We want you to be part of this celebration of great music, bringing people together through the power of Bach’s genius. Your support will help us bring this amazing piece of music to life in the heart of Manchester.
Thank you for considering supporting us, and we look forward to celebrating this incredible music with you in December 2025.
We'd also like to say a huge thank you to actors Wendi Peters and Matthew Kelly for their support in recording our campaign videos.
With gratitude, The William Byrd Singers thank you all in person
Donate Now and Be Part of Something Special!
Read what our Musical Director, Keith Orrell, has to say
"Many may have heard of Handel's Messiah which is often performed by choirs in Christmastide. Equally iconic is the Christmas Oratorio (Weihnachts-Oratorium) by another great baroque composer, J.S. Bach. It is an incredibly joyful, celebratory piece ranging from choruses with trumpets and drums, to idyllic pastoral scenes with lyrical flutes and oboe d'amores. The contrasting arias sung by our highly-rated soloists are both remarkably tuneful as they are technically demanding to perform. The music will undoubtedly move the hearts of those hearing the music for the first time, and will equally uplift those listeners already familiar with this truly great music".
About Our Soloists
We have four wonderful professional soloists: Taylor London, Ruairi Bowen, Tim Morgan and Andrew Slater. Read on to find out how amazing they are...
Taylor London - Soprano
Taylor London is a soprano based in Helston, Cornwall, known for her warm, expressive voice and a knack for storytelling through music. She’s performed widely across the UK and Europe in opera, concert, and oratorio settings, with recent solo appearances in Vivaldi’s Gloria, Mozart’s Mass in C Minor, and at venues like Truro Cathedral and the Issigeac International Music Academy in France.
A graduate of the Royal Northern College of Music—where she earned both her undergraduate and master’s degrees in vocal performance and music education—Taylor brings technical skill and emotional depth to every performance. Her repertoire ranges from the elegance of Mozart and the charm of Poulenc to the drama of Britten and Weber. But for Taylor, music is about more than just the stage.
She’s also a passionate educator and community leader. As Musical Director of the Culdrose Military Wives Choir and Hayle Local Vocalz, Taylor is all about making music accessible and meaningful. Whether she’s leading a local choir or teaching singing to young people in schools and private lessons, she’s focused on creating inclusive spaces for people to find their voice.
With a career that balances high-level performance with grassroots musical engagement, Taylor brings not only talent but also heart to everything she does. Whether she’s in the spotlight or behind the scenes, her mission is simple: to connect people through the power of song.
Ruairi Bowen - Tenor
Ruairi Bowen is a British tenor with a rapidly rising profile on both opera and concert stages in the UK and internationally. Known for his clear tone and dramatic flair, Ruairi is equally at home in Baroque masterpieces and modern repertoire.In recent seasons, he’s taken on major roles with English National Opera (Iolanthe), Opera Holland Park (Acis and Galatea), Prague National Theatre (Platée), Festival delle Valle d'Itria (Owen Wingrave) and Le Concert d’Astrée (The Indian Queen). He’s sung the Evangelist in Bach’s St John Passion from Melbourne to Snape, and appeared in concert with top orchestras including English Baroque Soloists, Britten Sinfonia, the Philharmonia, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and Scottish Chamber Orchestra throughout the UK, Europe and Down Under. In 2025, he’ll be back at St John’s Smith Square for the Good Friday St John Passion.
Ruairi studied at King’s College, Cambridge, and continues to work with top teachers while maintaining a regular slot in the Surrey cricket leagues. His recordings include Delius' Hassan - Complete Incidental Music with Britten Sinfonia and Stanford's Missa Via Victrix with BBC National Orchestra of Wales.
Whether performing Baroque gems, 20th-century English song, or diving into complex opera roles, Ruairi brings energy, musicianship, and a grounded love of storytelling to everything he sings.
Tim Morgan - Countertenor
Tim Morgan is a countertenor who’s distinctive voice and versatility is garnering significant attention i in classical music with his distinctive voice and versatility on stage.
He’s performed extensively from major opera houses to royal ceremonies—yes, that was him singing at the coronation of King Charles III with The Monteverdi Choir and Sir John Eliot Gardiner. A former member of Les Arts Florissants’ Jardin des Voix and a Samling artist, Tim was also a finalist in the Kathleen Ferrier Awards. His recent and upcoming work includes Britten’s Canticles with Ian Bostridge and Julius Drake, Purcell with The English Concert, Bach’s Christmas Oratorio with The Hanover Band, and Handel’s Partenope with the English National Opera.
On the opera stage, he’s taken on standout roles like the Voice of Apollo in Death in Venice (Welsh National Opera), the title roles in Handel’s Amadigi and Giulio Cesare (English Touring Opera), and Oberon in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Nevill Holt Opera). He’s also worked with directors and ensembles pushing the boundaries of classical performance, including Samuel Adams’s Gabriel and collaborations with multimedia artist Young-Jun Tak.
Tim doesn’t stay in one lane—his voice features on the film Saltburn, PJ Harvey’s latest album I Inside the Old Year Dying, and various experimental projects. Whether in a Baroque masterpiece or a modern crossover, Tim brings intensity, clarity, and curiosity to every note.
Andrew Slater - Bass
For more than a third of a century Andrew has been singing principal roles with the UK opera companies - also sometimes in Europe and America.
Thanks to the solid singing technique provided by the RNCM in the 1980's his voice has remained fresh as the odd grey hair has arrived, and he now looks and sounds ideal for the low voice roles of nobility or malevolence which abound in the repertoire. He is also good as the fat funny bloke. There is, in fact a role to suit him in almost every opera.
He is eternally good-humored - taking as a blessing that his job is the activity he would do for fun around a conventional career. Being married to a soprano whose international career allows him to travel the world in style, and, until recently, teaching a few students at the University of Huddersfield puts glorious icing on his cake.
We're also delighted to be accompanied by the fantastic 18th Century Sinfonia once more...
The 18th Century Sinfonia is a versatile ensemble of specialist period instrumentalists who, since its foundation, have accompanied numerous choral societies throughout the UK.
As a result of choral societies across the country discovering the clarity and joy of singing accompanied by period instruments, the skills of the 18th Century Sinfonia are very much in demand.
Over the last two decades Baroque masterpieces such as Bach's B minor mass, Passions, and Magnificat: Handel's ‘Messiah', Chandos and Coronation anthems have become standard repertoire for the ensemble.
Whilst these works form the core of the Sinfonia’s accompanying repertoire, the group also looks forward in music history to classical works such as Haydn (Creation) and Mozart (Requiem) : as well as backwards, to high renaissance works such as the Monteverdi Vespers of 1610.
The principal players of the 18th Century Sinfonia also comprise the 18th Century Concert Orchestra, whose performances combine period instruments, readings, candlelight, and sumptuous 18th century costume, in uniquely atmospheric recreations of 18th century musical life.
About our rewards
We have more than 80 rewards! Some large, some small and all donated with kindness by our choir members and supporters. However, you wont see our rewards all at once as we plan to release them over the period of the campaign so do return each week to see what's available or, better still, register your name on our mailing list to be sure to hear about the latest releases.
Featured Rewards
As well as the wonderful choir-related experiences which are described in the rewards list, including a conducting session with Keith and a Happy Birthday recording for a loved one, we have a few which need a little more explanation.
Escape to the Peak District: charming back-to-back townhouse in the beautiful and vibrant Colne Valley. Scenic walks for all abilities start right from the front door. Marsden & nearby Slaithwaite offer a wide range of cafes, restaurants & bars. This well-appointed house is 5 minutes walk from the village centre and 10 minutes from the station; excellent connections to Leeds, Manchester and beyond by road & rail make this a perfect base to explore West Yorkshire’s landscape and heritage - or just get away from it all!
The reward is available for one night, for an £80 pledge or two, for a £160 pledge.
Ot how about a two-night stay in cosy Lane House Barn in Hebden Bridge, Yorkshire, an area full of character which has attracted playwrights such as Sally Wainright (think Gentleman Jack and Happy Valley). Your stay will be made perfect with the addition of a luxury hamper with local produce such as cheeses, delicacies and wines. This is available to you between May 1st and December 18th 2026. Limited access, however you will be picked up from the gate and taken to your accommodation. What's not to like!
NOW, LET US TELL YOU ABOUT A FEW OTHER REWARDS LARGE AND SMALL (but there are many more so make sure to check out all the rewards listed)
Fantastic offer of a studio photo shoot, slashed from £100 to £60!
The photographer is Agnes, one of our sopranos. who also holds formal photography qualifications. The session would be suitable for single headshoots or a small family group (up to 3) and will take place in Mancheser.
A little bedtime reading is a signed copy of Sing Joyfully, a 40 page history of the first 5- years of the William Byrd Singers written by Byrds member Mark Flinn.
The Pastel Portrait reward will be painted by William Byrd Singer and local artist Leslie Robinson from a photo (please make sure it's reasonably high quality). The final picture will be sent via email as pastel doesn't travel well in the post without a frame! If you do want the original you can select this option and Leslie will have it framed and sent to you for the cost of the frame and postage. Here are examples of her work but you can also see more on Instagram @leslierob10
Tote Bags: How about these amazing bags as a reward for those who can only manage to donate a few quid? You see, we value everyone's contribution large, or small...
Website Design: The creation of a portfolio or brochure website to the donor's specifications by a professional website designer. This package would normally retail at £1600 so this is a great reward for your donation.
There is a separate consultation stage to decide the content: a choice of colour schemes, brand identity alignment (or inception, if needed), top level menu and populated content pages; and the final site is delivered with a domain name, properly hosted, and editable by the new owner on delivery. Site builds use Wix, but if the donor has a preference for another site builder, that can be accommodated. Note that a custom site built without using a site builder is not within the scope of this prize -- but enquiries may be made!
Funding method
Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made