The Sixteen gave its first concert in 1979 under the direction of founder and conductor Harry Christophers CBE, and celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2019. Its pioneering work since has made a profound impact on the performance of choral music and attracted a large new audience, not least as ‘The Voices of Classic FM’ and through BBC television’s Sacred Music series. The voices and period-instrument players of The Sixteen are at home in over five centuries of music, a breadth reflected in their annual Choral Pilgrimage to Britain’s great cathedrals and sacred spaces, regular appearances at the world’s leading concert halls and award-winning recordings for The Sixteen’s CORO and other labels. Recent highlights include the world première performances of James MacMillan’s Fifth Symphony Le Grand Inconnu, commissioned for The Sixteen by the Genesis Foundation, a live stream of his Stabat mater from the Sistine Chapel, an ambitious on-going series of Handel oratorios, a debut tour of China and a new, specially-commissioned series of programmes presented by Sir Simon Russell Beale entitled A Choral Odyssey. The Sixteen Choir and Orchestra’s vision and most important goal is ‘choral music for everyone’ – providing an opportunity for everyone, everywhere, to experience top quality choral music. Through extensive touring all over the country, a wide range of participatory projects, digital activity, and over 190 recordings, The Sixteen strives to provide access to choral music for all and opportunities for everyone everywhere to engage with it. The Sixteen believes in the transformative power of music - the ability music has to provide consolation, tackle loneliness and enhance wellbeing - the way music can create a sense of community. The Sixteen is committed to ensuring that the legacy of choral music in the UK is continued and developed with world class performances of choral works, both ancient and contemporary, across the UK and internationally.