Voces8


Voces8, styled VOCES8, is an a cappella octet from England. They have appeared internationally and made recordings of classical music, jazz, pop, and their own arrangements. Recent recordings are for Decca Classics and under their own label, Voces8 Records. Educational efforts are run by the Voces8 Foundation.
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History

VOCES8 is a British vocal ensemble originally founded in 2003 and regrouped in 2005 by brothers Paul and Barnaby Smith, both former choristers of Westminster Abbey. For most of its history, the ensemble has contained two sopranos, two countertenors, two tenors, a baritone and a bass. By 2018, one of the countertenors had been replaced by a female alto.
The ensemble has a diverse repertoire, including early English and European Renaissance music, traditional folk song, classic jazz, pop, and their own arrangements. They have appeared internationally, touring especially in Europe, Asia, and North America.
LIVE from London is an online choral festival and broadcast series founded in 2020 by VOCES8 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, presenting professionally produced performances by vocal ensembles and artists from the United Kingdom and internationally, with selected participants including The Tallis Scholars, VOCES8, Take 6, I Fagiolini, London Adventist Chorale, ANÚNA, amarcord, The Aeolians, Apollo5, The King's Singers, and Stile Antico.
VOCES8 has commissioned new works from composers such as Ēriks Ešenvalds, Ola Gjeilo, Jonathan Dove, Jocelyn Hagen, Ken Burton, Roderick Williams, Alexander Levine, Roxanna Panufnik, Mårten Jansson, Ben Parry, and Christopher Tin. Jim Clements is their arranger-in-residence.
The octet won the Limelight International Artist of the Year: People's Choice award at the 2021 Limelight Awards.
Their 2022 tour programme was called Stardust, after a composition commissioned from Taylor Scott Davis.
In June 2025 Voces8 celebrated their twentieth anniversary with the release of their album Twenty, featuring a mix of tracks from across the genres they are notable for. This was accompanied by a 20th-anniversary concert on 8th June at the Barbican Centre.

Members

Current

Current members are as follows:
  • Savannah Porter – First soprano
  • Eleonora Poignant – Second soprano
  • Katie Jeffries-Harris – First alto
  • Barnaby Smith – Second alto/countertenor and Artistic Director
  • Blake Morgan – First tenor
  • * Covered by Monty Charles
  • Euan Williamson – Second tenor
  • Chris Moore – Baritone
  • Dominic Carver – Bass
As of 5 January 2026, VOCES8 has announced that Eleonora Poignant will be leaving the octet for the 2026 season.

Former

The ensemble's former members are:
  • Rachel Major – First soprano
  • Andrea Haines – First soprano
  • Catherine Backhouse – Second soprano
  • Emily Dickens – Second soprano
  • Eleonore Cockerham – Second soprano
  • Molly Noon – Second soprano
  • Daniel Keating-Roberts – First countertenor
  • Chris Wardle – First countertenor
  • Charles MacDougall – First tenor
  • Oliver Vincent – First tenor
  • Thomas Elwin – Second tenor
  • Robin Bailey – Second tenor
  • Robert Mingay Smith – Second tenor
  • Sam Dressel – Second tenor
  • – Baritone and founder
  • Rob Clark – Baritone
  • Simon Whiteley – Bass
  • Greg Hallam – Bass
  • Dingle Yandell – Bass
  • Jonathan Pacey – Bass

VOCES8 Foundation

The VOCES8 Foundation is a UK-registered charity, set up by VOCES8 founder members Paul and Barnaby Smith in 2006 to develop the ensemble's music education and outreach programmes. Awarded a Classic FM (UK) Public Choice Award at the 2020 Music & Drama Education Awards, the charity works across choral and small vocal ensemble performance and education and is based at the VOCES8 Centre at St Anne and St Agnes Church in the City of London.

Performance

Foundation artists perform around 200 concerts each year, including through online/livestreaming.

Education

Foundation artists reach up to 40,000 people a year in regular workshops and masterclasses with Music Hubs, schools and community groups. In 2015 the ensemble launched the VOCES8 Scholars Programme which provides training in performing, recording and workshop leading for 20 young singers with an interest in choral singing in the UK and USA.
In 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic they launched the VOCES8 Digital Academy featuring tutorials, exercises, learning and performing tracks and videos.

Discography

The group has recorded with Decca, Signum, and their own Voces8 Records label. As part of their 15th anniversary celebrations in 2020, the group released their project After Silence, consisting of four digital EPs.

Albums

Aces High Bach's Motets, with the Senesino Players Brahms, Bruckner, Reger In the Beginning Christmas A Choral Tapestry Where I Sleep Eventide Lux Winter Equinox Enchanted Isle After Silence Infinity Nightfall
  • ''Twenty''

EPs

Voces8 EP

Collaborations

A Capella Collection – with other groups, marking 15 years of Signum RecordsChoral Collection – sameEarly Music Collection – sameA Purcell Collection – by Voces8 and Les InventionsPsalms – works by Benedetto Marcello, Voces8 and Les InventionsOla Gjeilo – works by Ola Gjeilo and Voces8Home Is – by Jacob Collier and Voces8Requiem Novum – by Mårten Jansson, Voces8, Apollo5, and the Philharmonia OrchestraThe Lost Birds – by Christopher Tin, Voces8 and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Music books

A Cappella Songbook
  • ''A Cappella Songbook 2''