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An Extraordinary Voice...
Help us to record the unaccompanied choral works of Sir Michael Tippett
In January 2026 The Carice Singers will make a major recording of Sir Michael Tippett’s choral music with Signum Records, marking a vital step forward in the composer’s ongoing revival.
Our recording will feature Tippett’s entire repertoire for unaccompanied choir. We will be joined by the Kathleen Ferrier Award-winning countertenor Hugh Cutting for Tippett’s Lullaby for Six Voices (originally composed for Alfred Deller), together with four other top-tier soloists for the much-loved Spirituals from A Child of our Time: Isabelle Haile, Rebecca Leggett, Zahid Siddiqui and Ross Ramgobin.
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Alongside the recording, we are delighted to be commissioning Ivor Novello-nominated composer Alex Groves to write a new choral piece inspired by Tippett’s friendship with Dame Barbara Hepworth. This new work will be premiered in November 2026.
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Having been awarded a significant grant from the Michael Tippett Musical Foundation, we are now looking to create a Tippett Circle to raise the remaining £10,000 needed for this important recording. More information on how to support us can be found below.​
Sir Michael Tippett. Image courtesy of Schott Music.
Sir Michael Tippett (1905-1998)
With a life spanning almost the entirety of the twentieth century, Tippett's extraordinary creative personality was mouled by radicalism, revolution and response. His choral music, too, defies the conventions of his time, belonging to his life's ardent search for beauty and hopefulness.
Tippett's music is currently undergoing a major surge in public attention in the UK and beyond - a strange thing, perhaps, for a composer who was described by Sir Terry Wogan in 1985 as "the most outstanding figure in contemporary classical music in Britain today".
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Recent performanes and recordings of Tippett's groundbreaking orchestral works and operas show him to have created some of the most beautiful, daring, and transcendental soundscapes of the twentieth century.
Committed during his lifetime to music education and the promotion of new music, he remains an indispensable beacon of inspiration for today’s composers.​​​​​​​​
Image courtesy of Schott Music
The Tippett Circle
Over the years, generous individuals have made a profound impact on The Carice Singers by choosing to support specific projects.
As a member of our new Tippett Circle, you will have the opportunity to be closely involved at every stage as this landmark project comes to life — from the making of our recording in January 2026, to its celebratory launch in November 2026, and beyond that as we share this extraordinary music with audiences across the UK in the seasons to come.
Opportunities to join begin at a suggested donation of £1,000. This could be as an individual, a couple, or as a group of friends.
If you would like to find out more about joining our Tippett Circle, please email Karen Malim (our Development & Fundraising Consultant) at tippettcircle@thecaricesingers.co.uk.
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There is £10,000 still to raise for this recording: donations to this project at any level are welcome.
I have followed The Carice Singers for years, astonished anew each time by the imagination of their programming – which includes serious commitment to new commissions – and by the accuracy and beauty of their singing. Their projected recording of Michael Tippett’s choral music is both exciting and important, in that their technical skill with music of this complexity will revitalise undeservedly neglected repertoire. Thrilled by the scope and ambition of the project, as well as its deep engagement with life beyond the outdated world of the compact disc, the Michael Tippett Musical Foundation has enthusiastically supported the Singers as far as our limited resources allow and would welcome further contributions to ensure it takes place at the highest possible level.
Oliver Soden, Chair of the Michael Tippett Musical Foundation & Author of Michael Tippett: The Biography
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