About Us
City Voices Bristol is a mixed choir of around 50 members who perform in a variety of venues in and around Bristol, sometimes further afield - even abroad!
There are no auditions to join us, as City Voices believe singing is for everyone. A community choir should be all about meeting new people and having fun and if you have a voice - then you can sing! We perform music from a huge variety of genres from pop songs and musical theatre classics, to Rutter and Mozart. We have even been known to sing in Icelandic!
We have two regular concerts per year, one in June and the other in December. Both have traditionally been performed in the wonderful St Georges Concert Hall and we almost consider it our 'home venue'! With its superb acoustics and fabulous atmosphere it is an absolute treat to sing there.
We run our rehearsals in a relaxed atmosphere, but that doesn't mean we don't get the work done!
Rehearsals take place every Monday night from 7.15pm - 9.15pm in Westbury-on-Trym.
Ben Pinnow
- Musical Director
A South Wales based Choral Conductor, Répétiteur and musical educator, Ben recently graduated from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama with a Masters in Choral Conducting where he studied under Neil Ferris, Simon Halsey and Sarah Tenant-Flowers. While at college he worked as Assistant Chorus Master for Carlo Rizzi and received the Busenhart-Morgan-Evans Choral Conducting Bursary which was awarded by the Worshipful Company of Singers.
Ben is currently the Musical Director for City Voices Bristol, Roath Community Chorus, Seren Singers and Opera in Situ. He is also Assistant Musical Director and Principal Accompanist for Canton Chorus and Cwmbach Male Choir. Recent engagements as Répétiteur include, with Opera'r Ddraig, Hansel and Gretel (2014), The Beggar's Opera (2015) and Die Fledermaus (2017) plus since 2008, extensive work on various projects with Welsh National Opera’s Education and Outreach Department.
Last year he was accepted onto the Live Music Now Scheme, the UK's leading musician development and outreach organisation with whom he performs, alongside mezzo-soprano Olivia Gomez, for people with limited access to live music including those living with dementia and children with special educational needs.
Sandie Middleton
- Assistant Musical Director & Accompanist
Sandie Middleton is a pianist with experience in vocal, instrumental, and choral accompaniment, chamber music and Répétiteurship. She holds an MA in Piano Accompaniment from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, and a BMUS from Cardiff University, where she was awarded the Elizabeth Griffiths Prize. She has worked with Cardiff University Symphony Chorus, Opera’r Ddraig, Winterbourne Opera and the Luigi Cherubini Conservatorio di Musica, Florence, Italy.
Sandie is currently Accompanist for Bristol City Voices and Keynsham Good Afternoon Choir. Sandie is passionate about sharing the positive effects of live music.
She performs in hospitals and residential homes with organisations such as Music in Hospitals and Lost Chord.