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This site is about Voces Usuales a 'visiting choir' that sings services twice a year in English cathedrals. We are a collection of adult singers who have gained considerable experience in Anglican church music in a number of different settings. Our aim as a visiting choir from different parts of the UK is to support cathedral worship through performing the best of the Anglican sacred choral tradition.
About the choir
The choir is run by Matthew and Sinead Andrews. Matthew is the producer who undertakes all the organisation and Sinead is musical director. Originally founded in 2008, the choir was the idea of Matthew and his friend Richard Reece who had sung together in the chapel at St Chad's College in Durham. The idea quickly grew and the group expanded to include new members from other choirs who all shared a common interest in sacred choral music. There are now around 28 regular members, around 18 of whom gather on any occasion.
About the name
The name is in part based on the Liber Usualis, the book of plainsong for the Daily Offices and Masses in the Catholic tradition. Liber Usualis literally means the 'usual book'. Our purpose as an occasional choir is to provide music for the usual daily services in the cathedrals we visit in the absence of their own choir; hence, we are the 'voices' for the 'usual' services. The name also has a nice play on the idea of 'usual suspects'. Though that origin of the name is much less sophisticated.
About this web-site
Amongst other things this web-site contains the dates of our past and future bookings, an archive of all the messages sent through our e-mail group (members only), and a map of where we've sung or will be singing.
And gathered them out of the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.
Psalm 107:3