The principal purpose of this site is to provide free, downloadable music for church choirs with few or no men.

Go to the free music downloads HERE

The list is fully searchable, using such criteria as:

Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Purification (Candlemass), Lent, Passiontide, Easter, Ascension, Pentecost, Trinity, Harvest, Communion, and General.

Also by voicing:

One Part, Two Parts, Three Parts, Four Parts, SATB, Many Parts, Flexible, A Cappella, and Accompanied.

The list can also be searched by:

Composer, Name of Piece, or any suitable key-word.

Searches by multiple criteria are also possible, such as:

Bach, Advent, One Part, Accompanied,

or

Lent, Three Parts, Flexible, A Cappella.

There is no charge for downloading, copying, and performing a piece, as long as it is in the context of a church service of something similar. If you want to use a piece in some commercial connection, there is a link to a list of contact information of composers, editors and arrangers on the Downloads page.

The Toolkits are pages running parallel to Small Choirs, which offer free facilities and help to churches.

• The Organists' Toolkit, LINK, is a guide for pianists who find themselves accompanying services on an organ. The pages cover all the essential things such a person would need to know.
• The Singers' Toolkit Part 1, LINK, is aimed at adult singers who take up choral singing with little or no background. Lots of essential information about following printed music, breathing, and other topics is given.
• The Singers' Toolkit Part 2, LINK, is intended for new adult singers who have some problem matching pitch. The pages are full of little exercises they can practise in their own time.
• The Choir Trainers' Toolkit, LINK, caters for non-experts who find themselves having to direct a choir with no previous experience. Much essential information is covered, including how to make simple arrangements with little or no knowledge of harmony and counterpoint.

The Simplified Hymns, LINK, consists of 500 common hymns from across the church's year with the accompaniments made simpler. These arrangements are principally intended for less-confident organists and pianists helping out. They are free to download and use.

Carols Uplift, LINK, also known as Slim & Super Slim Carols, are arrangements for orchestral instruments of the carols and Christmas hymns from the list of 500 simplified hymns. The pages include parts for all the common orchestral instruments, are never in more that three parts, and the middle part lies within the range of violins.

The idea for a special resource for Small Choirs arose after Glynne Williams, who was at the time organist of St. Paul's, Goodmayes, wrote a letter to Church Music Quarterly - the magazine of the Royal School of Church Music. In her letter, Glynne lamented the sad state of choral singing in many churches. She also expressed frustration about the problem of trying to motivate the members of her own small choir. Her frustration was understood by Chris Stevenson (St. Francis', Barkingside) and Philip Norman (St. John's, Leytonstone) who worked with similar choirs. As all three sang in the same secular choir, they decided to arrange a special event for their church choirs, the first in 2003 - which quickly grew in size as more churches and singers became interested.

At first, Small Choirs Festivals were held in local churches and, as the repertoire grew, it was made available on line (on the distant ancestor of this page).

Then international co-operation was sought - hence the pieces by non-UK nationals on the site.

Grateful thanks is extended to all the composers, editors, and arrangers who have given permission for their work to be used on the site. Particular thanks is given to Denis Mason, whose 906 contributions cover 31 pages of this site.