RISING VOICES

Oxford's Community Folk Choir

Rising Voices is a friendly community choir, the only Oxford choir specialising in folk music. We sing traditional and modern folk songs unaccompanied, usually in four-part harmony. Songs are taught by ear, so there is no need to be able to read music; our songs are arranged to create beautiful harmonies and include parts suitable for singers of all abilities. While we take our singing seriously and strive for high standards, it is very important to us that everyone is included and having fun.
Our Musical Director is inspirational choir leader Rose Martin, who also directs the Cecil Sharp House choir in London. Rose took over from wonderful choir founder and leader Cat McGill in 2021.

Rehearsals, Fees and New Members

Rehearsals – When and Where

We sing together on Thursday evenings in term time, 7.30 – 9.00 pm (doors open from c. 7.15 pm),

at St Clement's Centre (Main Hall), Cross St, Oxford OX4 1DA.

Parking is available at the hall, which is accessible for wheelchair users.

Bus routes are close by.

Fees

The fee is £8.00 per session. Fees are usually paid termly or half-termly in advance (pro rata if joining mid term), but we are pleased to offer a free taster session to anyone who might be interested in joining the choir.

Join Us!

We give a warm welcome to anyone interested in joining us - do come along and see if you like what we do. Lower voices particularly welcome!

Performances
We like to perform locally several times a year: we have been invited to sing in many venues including the Ashmolean, Oxford Town Hall, the Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford Castle, Exeter College, the Story Museum, the Westgate Centre, Great Coxwell Barn (Great Barn Festival), Cogges Manor Farm, Waterperry Gardens, Florence Park (FloFest) and at a variety of Oxford venues as part of Folk Weekend Oxford.
We are well known locally for our enthusiastic performances and strong sense of community and fun!

Next Performances

Saturday 6 December 2025, 11am at Westgate shopping centre.

We fundraise for the RNLI, so if you would like to support this excellent cause, please go to: https://www.justgiving.com/page/risingvoicessingtosavelives, thank you.

Saturday 13 December 2025, 2-3pm at St James Church, Beauchamp Lane, Cowley, OX4 3LF as part of Cowley Christmas Festival - seasonal songs, carols and readings. We are always delighted to support the festival and its chosen charities ROSY and SeeSaw (Respite for Oxfordshire's Sick Youngsters (ROSY) | Oxford Health Charity and SeeSaw | Grief support for children and young people in Oxfordshire)

Most Recent Performances

Thursday 3 July 2025, The Star, Rectory Road, Oxford.

Saturday 12 April 2025, Norrington Room, Blackwell's Bookshop in Broad Street,

for the Oxford Folk Festival.
Other Recent Gigs

Friday 6 Dec 2024, in Broad Street as part of the Christmas Market.
Sat 20 April 2024 in the Norrington Room in Blackwell's Bookshop as part of the new Oxford Folk Festival. We sang sea-related songs in support of the RNLI 'Sing to Save Lives' initiative to celebrate their bicentenary year in 2024. Details: Sing To Save Lives for the RNLI Bicentenary - ChoirCommunity
RV Fundraising page for RNLI : https://www.justgiving.com/page/risingvoicessingtosavelives

Folk Weekend Oxford and Oxford Folk Festival
Rising Voices was for many years proud to be the official community choir of Folk Weekend Oxford (FWO). We originally made our debut at Oxford Folk Festival in 2008, and we have sung regularly at the FWO held each April since then (Covid years excepted), usually at the festival's opening ceremony. From 2024, the new Oxford Folk Festival (OFF) has taken over the reins from FWO - long may it continue! A link to the Facebook page for the Oxford Folk Festival is given on the Explore Further page below.