Summer School 2026: sing something new with Choir of the Earth!
Choir of the Earth’s Summer School 2026 offers a welcoming way to enjoy choral singing, whether you are are an experienced chorister, returning after a break, or curious to try singing with a choir for the first time.
The 2026 Summer School programme offers a flexible series of shorter choral courses across June, July and early August, from soulful spirituals to choral reimaginings of classical greats, offering something for everybody.
Summer School is a great opportunity for experienced choral singers to learn new, often shorter pieces and expand your choral repertoire. It is also a no-pressure way for newer singers to try choral singing, with shorter works, varied musical styles, and Choir of the Earth’s supportive online teaching approach and superb resources.
Summer School recordings are often the ones that singers who have missed out later say they wish they had taken part in. One previous Summer School recording, of Eric Whitacre’s Seal Lullaby, even won Choir of the Earth second place in Britain’s Top Choirs in 2023!
Summer School 2026 programme
This year’s programme includes four courses of varying lengths: a 5-week course, a 2-week course, a 1-week course, and a 3-day course. Singers can take part in as much or as little as you have time for, whether that means joining one course, several courses, or the whole programme - whatever best fits your plans in the coming months.
The programme begins on Monday 1 June 2026 with Five Spirituals from A Child of Our Time by Michael Tippett. Over five weeks, Choir of the Earth’s Musical Director, Ben England, will teach singers will to sing and record Steal Away, Nobody Knows, Go Down, Moses, By And By and Deep River. These powerful spirituals are deeply satisfying to sing, combining rich expression, emotional depth and a strong sense of humanity and hope.
From Tuesday 7 July 2026, the programme continues with a two-week course to learn, sing and record Ndikhokhele Bawo, a traditional song from South Africa, sung in isiXhosa, arranged by Michael Barrett. Following the popularity of Choir of the Earth’s previous performance of Barrett’s arrangement of Indodana, this course offers singers the chance to explore another deeply moving and resonant work from southern African choral tradition. This course will also be directed by Ben England.
The next course begins on Monday 27 July 2026, with Ben leading singers in a one-week course to learn, sing and record Lux Aeterna - John Cameron’s choral setting of Edward Elgar’s Nimrod from the Enigma Variations. Many singers will already know and love Nimrod in its orchestral form, and this choral version offers a beautiful opportunity to experience its long, glowing lines and heartfelt harmonies from within the music itself.
Summer School concludes with a special three-day course from Wednesday 5 August 2026, where singers will learn, sing and record Danse de la Fée-Dragée - a light-hearted choral jazz arrangement of Tchaikovsky’s Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy from The Nutcracker, arranged by Leo Hussain and Ralph Allwood. With fun nonsense words, lively rhythms and 10 choral lines, this final course is a joyful way to round off the programme, directed by Ralph Allwood, Earth Choir Academy’s Patron and co-arranger of the piece!
Learn in your way, in your time
As with other Choir of the Earth courses, singers will learn online using a flexible teaching approach, with rehearsals, resources and rehearsal tracks to support you at home. You will also have the option to submit your own recordings, which will be combined with singers around the world to create final concert performances.
Whether you are an experienced chorister, returning to singing after a break, or curious about trying choral singing for the first time, Summer School 2026 is a welcoming way to keep singing, learn something new, and be part of Choir of the Earth’s global community. We hope to sing with you very soon!
Find out more about each course here:
Join the chorus
To join in with any part of the Choir of the Earth Summer School 2026 programme, simply become a member of the Choir!
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