When it comes to choirs, it seems Stephen Layton really does have the Midas Touch. Still only in his forties and already at the helm of numerous British ensembles, Layton is fast becoming one of the leading figures in the choral world. Although Layton’s fame undoubtedly stems from his directorship of two of the world’s finest choirs, Polyphony and the Choir of Trinity College, Cambridge (the former he founded during his time as organ scholar at King’s), the conductor’s other equally reputable ‘choral empire’, the Holst Singers, is beginning to assert itself on the British choral circuit.

Made up of a core of 40 regular singers who perform at most concerts, the London based choir works entirely as a self-run amateur outfit with no subscription fees. In many professional circles this “amateur” status might set alarms bells ringing, but in the choral world a choir should never be written off for it. The Holst singers sing with lots of other ensembles too, so they have a lot of experience; Will Davies, a member of the ensemble, explains that “everyone involved is there to concentrate on the music-making,” and it is no surprise that many Oxford and Cambridge choral scholars join the outfit after graduating.

One thing that has supplemented the choir’s achievements is their focus on their market. In an industry as competitive as the classical music one, finding a ‘niche’ is an absolute prerequisite for any sort of success. From scanning the choir’s recent performances and recordings it seems that the Holst singers have certainly found theirs. With performances of music outside that of the common repertoire (they have recently recorded such rarities as Schnittke's Choir Concerto and John Tavener’s mammoth The Veil of the Temple), they have quenched the current classical music market’s thirst for new and rarely performed choral works.

On Saturday the 5th of May the Holst singers will bring their ‘niche’ to Cambridge, setting up camp in Trinity College chapel and performing a programme of music you’re unlikely see on the standard chapel term card.

In a programme entitled ‘The Glory of Venice: Music for Voices and Brass,’ the Holst Singers will be joined by the London Trumpet Choir and organist Stephen Farr to celebrate Gabrieli’s 400th anniversary year. The exact programme is yet to be announced but will include Magnificat settings and other rare sacred pieces by Gabrieli and his Venetian contemporaries alongside modern-day homages to the composer. This mixture of neglected renaissance and contemporary music is, in a nutshell, the choir’s raison d’etre.

One issue Layton will have to consider is the venue. Although vast in comparison to most college chapels, the acoustics in Trinity College chapel are better suited to the clarity of chapel music. We can only wait until Saturday to see whether or not the walls of the chapel will manage the amassed forces of the antiphonal choirs and brss musicians that Layton’s programme requires. Though, given his recent form, it seems unlikely that this should prove a problem.

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