About Soul of the City Choir
We’re a big, friendly community of people who love singing together
Our story
Soul of the City began back in 2009 with a simple idea: get people together in a pub, sing upstairs, then head downstairs for a drink and a chat. Singing, because it feels great. Socialising, because community matters just as much as the music.
What started as a small plan quickly became something bigger. We expected 30–50 singers for the first term and nearly 100 turned up. Too many for a room upstairs in a pub!Too many for the little idea we’d imagined. But the heart of it stayed the same: a warm, fun place where people could sing without pressure and meet people they might never cross paths with otherwise.
Over the years we’ve sung at The Camden Roundhouse, Brighton Dome, Paddle Round the Pier, The Great Escape and Concorde 2. We’ve flashmobbed Brighton Station, The Grand Hotel, shot a music video at The Brighton Hippodrome singing Massive Attack’s Teardrop and even painted ourselves grey pretending to be zombies as part of a live show. But the magic has always been the same: getting a bunch of people in a room, tuning in to each other, singing with intent, and feeling the power of it.
People have found friends for life here. Some discovered their voice for the first time or rediscovered it after years of not singing. Some stood on stage with a live band and thought, “I can’t believe I just did that”. In a room full of different ages, different stories, different walks of life, different singing abilities, something clicks: connection, confidence, and a kind of simple joy that never gets old.
Today, with around 250 singers across Brighton & Hove, the feeling is still the same as day one: it just feels great to sing together and singing together in harmony in a choir, well, that’s just the icing on the cake!
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What makes us different
We’re an unauditioned, all-voices-welcome choir where people show up exactly as they are. Complete beginners, shower singers and seasoned pros all sing side by side — because the joy matters just as much as the sound. Rehearsals are warm, friendly and full of laughter, and we work hard in a way that still feels light, fun and totally do-able.
We sing feel-good songs that bring people together: harmony-rich versions of pop, soul and gospel favourites. If it’s expressive, uplifting and makes the room buzz, it’s probably in our set list. Big tunes, big harmonies, big smiles.
There’s no judgement here, just encouragement, good music and that rare feeling of being in a room with all sorts of people, all pulling together to create something bigger than themselves.
And honestly? It’s really hard to describe the feeling of being part of it - you have to be in the room to get it!
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Meet Vanessa
Vanessa started Soul of the City after realising how much she loved singing in harmony and how much she wanted to create a space where people could meet, sing and feel free of pressure. She grew up playing piano, fell in love with harmony and the amazing power that comes from choir singing at eight watching the London Community Gospel Choir. The performance blew her mind, hearing the different dynamics, how the harmonies soared high and fell quiet, all voices working together, filling the space, all singers listening intently to each other and guided by the conductor, epic! She later discovered a sense of real freedom through jazz singing whilst doing her music degree. Starting the choir in 2009 felt natural: part instinct, part “what skills have I got?”, and entirely rooted in the belief that singing should feel good, be fun, and bring people together.
Her background blends classical piano training, composition, orchestration, jazz performance and years of directing choirs at major venues including the Royal Festival Hall, Brighton Dome, the Roundhouse and Concorde 2. She brings the same encouragement her own teachers once gave her: a belief in people, a love of big enthusiastic sound, and a knack for guiding singers to do things they didn’t think they could do. She still thinks of choir as “organised yelling” in the best possible way! A place to feel feelings, make connections, and experience those magic moments when everyone is listening, locking in, and absolutely going for it.
The team who make it work
We’re so lucky to have a brilliant small volunteer team who help make choir nights happen. They’re singers from the choir, you’ll meet on the desk welcoming everyone in, the people setting up sound, and all the little things that make rehearsals and gigs ready. Behind the scenes, these wonderful humans keep the admin and logistics moving so that, when we gather, everything just works!
You’re welcome here!
Whether you’ve sung all your life or never outside your shower, you’re welcome. If you fancy being part of it all, come and have a sing!
Website photography by Simon Clemenger, RL Creatives (Ryan Ivatt) and Adam Bronkhorst.