About Us

Early Days

United Christian Singers formed in November 1989, in response to an invitation from Roger Jones to host the first performance in the northwest of his new musical, ‘Mary Magdalene’. This resulted in around 250 singers from Christian churches across Greater Manchester, Cheshire, and Lancashire coming together. The premiere took place in the Free Trade Hall, in Manchester, and from here our journey began.

Evolution and Growth

This wonderful experience and a feeling of a call from God to mission throughout Greater Manchester and beyond through music led many of the group to stay together and form United Christian Singers. Over the years membership has changed to some extent but a vibrant and faith-led ensemble remains. Today, the United Christian Singers consist of approximately 40+ men and women dedicated to their cause.

Notable Performances

The group has performed in numerous prestigious venues including the Victoria Hall in Bolton, the Champness Hall in Rochdale, Christ Church in Southport, and Weaverham Parish Church. They have also graced the Royal Northern College of Music and many other venues and churches in the Greater Manchester area too numerous to list. We are always pleased to receive invitations to sing.

Community Outreach

Extending their mission beyond traditional venues, the United Christian Singers have performed in Styal and Risley prisons, although regulations limited their audience size in these settings. They were honoured to be invited to sing in Blackpool during The Methodist Conference week, further cementing their reputation as a group committed to sharing their music with diverse audiences.

Musical Endeavours

Throughout our first 30 years, the United Christian Singers premiered nearly every new musical by Roger Jones. 

Our repertoire also included a diverse range of works such as Brian Hoare’s ‘New Creation’, Raymond Smith's 'Anno Domini', Carol and Jimmy Owens' ‘The Witness’, ‘Sing Good News’ by various composers, John Peterson's ‘Night of Miracles’,  and 'Emmanuel', composed in 2012 by a former choir member, Margaret Heylings-Jones, featured in their own compilation of songs, sketches, and narration, called 'To Advent and Beyond' in 2015. More recently they have presented works by several American composers.

Among their notable presentations have been ‘Make Way for Christmas’ and  ‘The Gift’ by Graham Kendrick, and ‘Two Sisters and a Funeral’ by Roger Jones, showcasing their versatility and commitment to presenting inspirational and uplifting musical works.

Leadership

In 2016, we said a sad farewell to our Musical Director, Walter Brisk, who stepped down after 27 years of dedicated and unstinting service to the choir. Walter handed over the baton to Anne Wilde. Through her leadership, we continue in our witness and spread the gospel through our music.

Latest Performances

More recently Advent performances have been "The Silence and the Sound" in 2016, and ‘Let There Be Christmas’ in 2019,  After the Covid hiatus in 2022, we revisited ‘Night of Miracles’, followed in 2023 by ‘Christmas Dreams’ and ‘Little Lion, Little Lamb’ in 2024.  Each of these distinctive musicals presented the Advent and Christmas story in their own unique style, bringing choral challenges and enabling choir and audiences the opportunity to hear the old familiar stories in new and innovative ways.  

Our late spring concerts in recent years have featured part of ‘The Witness’ twinned with selections from ‘Les Misérables’ comparing the discipleship of Peter with the hero of Victor Hugo’s novel Jean Valjean in 2017. "A Journey to Hope" in 2018 explored the theme of slavery through some African American Spirituals arranged by Joseph. M. Martin.  More recently ‘Footprints In The Sand’ has looked at discipleship from the perspective of Christ’s earliest disciples which challenges us today.

Future Performance in 2025: Once Upon A Morning

Looking ahead to 2025 we hope to present, "Once Upon A Morning" by Pepper Choplin, a blend of storytelling and music that captures the events from Jesus’ crucifixion through to Pentecost and offers the promise of a fresh start

Impact and Legacy

The United Christian Singers have built a legacy of excellence and service through their dedication to musical performance and community outreach. Their journey from a spontaneous gathering to a cohesive and influential group demonstrates their unwavering commitment to their mission and the power of music to unite and inspire.

Come and Join Us

If you live anywhere in the Greater Manchester area and would like to join us, please get in touch with us by emailing:

info@unitedchristiansingers.org.uk 

Everyone is welcome, we do not hold auditions, and there is no requirement to read music.

The same contact applies if you would like to invite us to sing for you.

We offer our services for free, bringing audio and technical support with us, if required.