About Us

Brought together in 1975 by John Sloboda, we draw our members from the local area and beyond and are based at Keele University. We are about 40 members.

Our eclectic repertoire is a mix of sacred and secular music, and ranges from the Renaissance to contemporary composers, including pieces commissioned for the choir. The format of our concerts is varied: a cappella, with piano/organ accompaniment, and also with professional ensembles and soloists. We give three major concerts a year and have also collaborated with other choirs to perform larger works.

Since January 2017 the choir has thrived under the accomplished directorship of Neil Taylor, ably supported by our talented accompanist Ian Riddle. In Summer 2019 we undertook our first tour for several years, on this occasion to France. Our performances there met with great success, and we were overwhelmed to receive a standing ovation and demand for an encore from one capacity audience!

We've had some most enjoyable singing experiences since returning after COVID lockdowns, performing well-known works and others new to KBC. In our 2022 summer concert we were thrilled to accompany ourselves on wine glasses for Ēriks Ešenvalds' Stars - made all the better by the fantastic reception from our wonderful audience. In November 2022 we performed Haydn's Creation with Brayside Orchestra and wonderful soloists, all made possible by a donation from an anonymous benefactor. A local school group provided images for our programme and posters. We've also had concerts with jazz by Todd and Shearing, featuring piano, bass and drums. From early plainchant to Finnish composer Mäntyjärvi, all in 2 years!

Our last concert (Lauridsen's Lux Aeterna, and Goodall's Eternal Light) in November was met with an appreciative and moving silence before rapturous applause.

And in 2025 we host Brayside orchestra and professional soloists in our 50th Anniversary concert of Bach and Handel. This has been made possible through the final donation from our anonymous benefactor - many thanks, whoever you are!

Neil is a sought after and renowned choral director, organist, piano accompanist, teacher and coach, based in the north west of England.

After a scholarship to the Royal College of Music, he held cathedral appointments in St Albans, Norwich, and Sheffield. He has undertaken many tours abroad, and broadcasts frequently on BBC radios 2, 3 and 4. His recordings include Music for a Millennium, a Classic FM Disc of the Year Award Winner, and numerous releases as organist and conductor, all to high acclaim.

Neil is a sought after and renowned choral director, organist, piano accompanist, teacher and coach, based in the northwest of England.

As solo organist, he has played at many of the major venues in the UK, and has worked with the Hallé, BBC Philharmonic, Northern Chamber Orchestra, Manchester Camerata, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Northern Sinfonia, the Orchestra of Opera North, the Orchestra of Welsh National Opera, Sir John Rutter, Huddersfield Choral, and the Exon Singers.

He is Music Director of St George’s Singers in Manchester, the Keele Bach Choir, and organist & keyboard studies teacher at Rossall School; he works regularly with the BBC as Music Director and as accompanist on Songs of Praise and the Young Chorister of the Year Competition.

In his spare time he enjoys reading, walking, and cookery.

Ian was born and educated in Newcastle, and was church organist at the age of 14! He studied at Huddersfield University and at Bretton Hall College. 

As a distinguished accompanist Ian has worked with many opera companies, choirs and soloists both nationally and internationally. He has toured in the US and in France.

Ian has also been the accompanist to the Ceramic City Choir and the Audley Male voice Choir for many years. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists, a Fellow of Trinity College London, and a Fellow of the London College of Music.