The Sixteen moves into new London home

The Sixteen is to make St James’s Piccadilly its first London home in a new five-year partnership supported by the Genesis Foundation.

The partnership provides a permanent central London base for one of Britain’s best-known vocal groups, founded by Harry Christophers in 1976, as well as creating a new focal point for choral music in the capital.

The partnership formalises a relationship that began in 2019, when St James’s became home to Sounds Sublime, The Sixteen’s annual celebration of choral singing, young voices and emerging ensembles. Since then, the church has hosted a growing number of the ensemble’s concerts, liturgy, education, commissions and young-artist development.

In the future, every annual Choral Pilgrimage by The Sixteen will begin at St James’s, giving the national tour a fixed London starting point. The residency will also bring four choral evensongs to the church each year, sung by The Sixteen, Genesis Sixteen and Genesis Sixteen alumni. Sounds Sublime will continue at St James's, and from December 2027, the ensemble’s annual performance of Handel’s Messiah will also move there.

The announcement comes as St James’s prepares for its ambitious Wren Project, which will restore and renew the church fabric and bring its historic organ back into use for the first time in 45 years. While the church is closed from 2027, the partnership will temporarily relocate to St Pancras Church.

With Genesis Sixteen continuing to provide fully funded training for 22 young singers each year, and new Ignite education projects planned locally, the residency promises to create a prominent and accessible hub for choral music in the heart of London.

Find out more about The Sixteen (including full details of their 2026 Choral Pilgrimage tour) on their Continuo Connect Artist page, and read our exclusive interview with their founder Harry Christophers in The Sixteen and the art of sacred sound.