About us

"A totally professional and stylistically appropriate presentation of the genius of Bach ... his harmonic and rhythmic complexity were all demonstrated impeccably. This included virtuoso ornamental writing not only for the solo singers ... and solo instruments ... but also by the chorus. ... The appreciative listeners were impressed by both the technical skills of all the participants and also their passionate and positive engagement with the repertoire."
Derek Beck in the Hampshire Chronicle
Eternity, you Word of Thunder
St Paul's Winchester
7 June 2026

The Bach Winchester Voices have presented sell-out performances of the St John Passion at Winchester College Chapel (March 2024 and April 2025) and of the Christmas Oratorio at St Paul’s Winchester (January 2024 and 2025). They have organised concerts in support of Gift of Sight and The Friends of Music in Winchester. and made their Stockbridge Music debut in December 2025. This year will see four Bach Winchester Voices events, including a return to Stockbridge a few weeks before Christmas.

The choir has its genesis in Jon Newman’s Crawley Bachistas, who have been performing Bach’s cantatas at St Mary’s Church in Crawley (near Winchester) since 2015. The group originally consisted of singers from the London-based Orlando Chamber Choir who got together during "Bach weekends" to enjoy the great composer's music. Each weekend ended with an informal sing-through in which individual choir members had a stab at the arias and recitatives, too. Their enthusiasm soon spread and the Crawley Bachistas attracted singers from across London and further afield.

In 2022, the choir joined forces with the Oxford Bach Soloists and director Tom Hammond-Davies for an extended five-day “Bach week” at St Stephen’s House, Oxford, resulting in a triumphant performance of the Mass in B Minor at St John the Evangelist Church. The Crawley Bachistas also travelled to Leipzig with director and Bach specialist Barbara Höfling to sing at St Thomas’s Church, where Bach was Kantor during his most productive years.

Since early 2024, the Crawley Bachistas have been joined by professional soloists and instrumentalists. The Sunday afternoon sing-throughs have become true concerts, too large for Crawley’s church and therefore performed at St Paul’s Winchester – whence the name Bach Winchester Voices. Andrew Hayman, the group's principal director, builds on Jon’s enthusiasm to deliver inspired and polished performances, covering 76 of the approximately 200 surviving Bach cantatas to date, and 9 motets – with many more to follow!

"You must be so proud of how the choir performed last night, and how wonderful it sounded alongside the orchestra."
Audience member
Eternity, you Word of Thunder
St Paul's Winchester
7 June 2026

"Another wonderful concert ... I enjoyed BWV 1149 very much, wrapped round in the very beautiful sound of the BWV and the comforting sentiments of the text." and "One of the highest-quality performances I've ever seen in Winchester."
Audience members
Sonn und Schild
St Paul's Winchester
1 February 2026

"Fine ensemble singing ... excellent diction throughout ... infectious enthusiasm of the choir. The evangelist was sung with conviction and a crystal-clear tone by Sebastian Hill."
Duncan Eves in the Hampshire Chronicle
Wachet auf!
St Peter's Stockbridge
7 December 2025

"The best amateur choir I've ever worked with."
One of the soloists
Christmas Oratorio
St Paul's Winchester
19 January 2025