Alan Vincent founded Kent Chamber Choir in 1983. With some six concerts a year we bring high quality choral singing to towns and villages throughout Kent, occasionally elsewhere in the UK and abroad. Drawing on membership of forty or so singers our repertoire ranges from simple miniatures to complex music for two or more choirs. We programme all kinds of sacred music from the 15th to the 21st centuries and often include a diverse mix of secular items. Although much of what we sing is unaccompanied, a large-scale work with orchestra is a regular feature. Many of our concerts are in support of local charities. Over the years we have raised thousands of pounds for good causes such as Kent Music Bursary Fund, and set up the Kath Topping Award for Vocal Studies which gave financial assistance to talented young singers between 2004 and 2024. After forty years of leading the choir, Alan retired from the post of Musical Director in 2023 and Daniel Gethin took on the role in January 2024 and is introducing the choir to new repertoire and ways of working.
KCC recording
A CD, containing twenty tracks and recorded over 2 days in June and September 2012 is available. It was the culmination of months of hard work by Alan Vincent and the choir, and shows the diversity of music for which the KCC is renowned. For further information and audio clips of the songs, click here
The Kath Topping award for vocal studies
The award was established by Kent Chamber Choir in memory of Kath, a much-loved member of the Choir who died suddenly in 2002. The Kath Topping Memorial Fund was set up in October 2003 with the proceeds of a concert in Rochester Cathedral at which Kent Chamber Choir was joined by its patron, the internationally acclaimed soprano Emma Kirkby and the Kent Youth Choir, Kent Youth Singers and Kent County Junior Choir in the first performance of “Sing Joyfully” composed by Alan Vincent, a fitting tribute to Kath. Since 2003 twenty five young singers have received up to £500 to support their vocal studies. Unfortunately the award this year is the last we are able to make and this has only been made possible by financial support from Gravesham Choral Society for the awards in both 2023 and 2024. We would like to thank Gravesham Choral Society for its amazing generosity. We have made a joint award in 2024 to two very promising young sopranos, Leonie Carrette and Nicole Ng. Here is a message from Leonie: "I am thrilled to be a recipient of the Kath Topping Award. Thank you so much! As a Music Scholar at the University of Kent and an alumnus of Canterbury Cathedral Girls’ Choir, I have amassed considerable experience as a singer, both chorally and as a soloist. I compete in multiple festivals each year and am involved in as many concerts as I can balance alongside my degree. This coming Autumn, I am applying for a postgraduate course in Vocal Studies & Opera at the Royal Academy of Music. This award will enable me to bolster my application by funding more lessons and sessions with accompanists and repetiteurs. It will also aid travel costs for visiting the conservatoire and attending any masterclasses and performances they may hold this year, that I otherwise could not afford to attend." Here is a message from Nicole: "Singing has always been a special part of my life. It is extremely difficult for me to know whether I could make a career as a singer just because I love singing, working hard, and am fortunate enough to have some ability. Of course I am torn between the safer path of applying to university to study architecture or what seems to me to be a riskier path of applying to music colleges. To be a recipient of the Kath Topping award (and heed the advice of the experts on the panel) is exactly the sort of encouragement I have needed to tip the scales towards taking the greater risk career-wise. I am extremely grateful to have been granted the award, and will use it wisely in my journey to find the best way forward and make certain that by opting for ‘singing’ I have indeed made the right career choice." As Administrator of the Kath Topping Award, I’d like to thank schools, colleges, singing teachers, Kent Music, University of Kent and Canterbury Cathedral for supporting the award by encouraging talented young singers to apply. I’d also like to thank everyone who has assisted in the audition process over the years. To Alan Vincent and Marion Whitehead who have sat on the audition panel since the first award was made and to professional singers, Juliet Schiemann and Simon Thorpe, who have given candidates invaluable feedback and encouragement. Last but by no means least, I’d like to thank Barbara and Roger Harris for allowing us to take over their home each year as the audition venue and Roger for being our resident accompanist. We have been asked to draw your attention to an exciting new award for young singers as follows: The Kent and Medway Young Musicians Trust (www.kamymtrust.org) presents an annual vocal masterclass and award, the initiative of trustee and singer Anna Nicolaus. Passaggio was first held in May last year; you can see the report and photo here: www.kamymtrust.org/news The winner, who received £200 and performance opportunities, was Leonie Carrette, an opera singer (who was also one of the two winners of the Kent Chamber’s Choir’s final Kath Topping Award.) Here is a link to the Passaggio page www.kamymtrust.org/passaggiovocalaward
