St Martin's Voices

The church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, London, describes St. Martin's Voices as "its flagship professional ensemble." The group is small -- publicity photos generally show eight or nine singers -- and has various tasks. Beyond its famous Academy of St. Martin in the Fields orchestra, the Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, London, is home to several choirs. The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields also maintains its own chorus, and including that group, the church is home to no fewer than seven choral groups. The St. Martin's Voices sing for special services at St. Martin-in-the-Fields (the Choir of St. Martin-in-the-Fields sings at regular Sunday worship services), but the bulk of their activities consist of concerts. They offer a public weekly concert series called Great Sacred Music, and they perform concerts both at the church and beyond. In 2019, St. Martin's Voices released their debut album on the Signum label, featuring the Passion Music and Jazz Missa Brevis of composer Will Todd, joining his ensemble for the recording. The St. Martin's Voices have toured several times, appearing in concert halls and in Episcopal churches such as the Church of the Epiphany in Washington, D.C., where they appeared in conjunction with the church's Stations of the Cross exhibition. The St. Martin's Voices share a director, Andrew Earis, with the other St. Martin's choirs (the complete list includes the Choral Scholars of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, the Choir of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, the St. Martin's Chorus, the Children's Voices of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, and the congregational Occasional Singers). As the church's director of music, Earis is supported by an assistant director of liturgical music, an assistant organist, a choral conducting fellow, an organ scholar, and a music program manager, among others. The singers have also developed their own St. Martin's Voices Fellowship, a training program for advanced young singers who are emerging into their professional careers. In 2023, St. Martin's Voices returned on recordings, issuing the album A Winter Breviary: Choral Music for Christmas on the Resonus Classics label.
© James Manheim /TiVo