Welcome to Polyphony Down the Pub!

Congratulations – you’ve found the home of

Polyphony Down the Pub, London’s Favourite Night of Renaissance Motets & Booze!™

&

Counterpint, London’s Other Favourite Night of Renaissance Motets & Booze!™

&

Polyphony Down the Pub Brighton, Brighton’s Favourite Night of Renaissance Motets & Booze!™

as heard on BBC Radio 3’s The Choir & Organ:

At Polyphony Down the Pub and Counterpint, we pride ourselves on meeting the demands of the most sophisticated palettes.

On our wine list you’ll often find fine vintages from the likes of Victoria, Palestrina & Byrd, on the rotating craft beer menu there may well be fresh, hoppy numbers from la Rue, Zielinski or Casulana, and then of course there’s the chance of a wee dram of the hard stuff: Gesualdo.

We’re still on a break from our regular pub sessions, though in the past few years we have been able to get together for a Christmas singalong at Trafalgar Square.

If you’d like to know when we are next getting together then sign up for e-mail updates via our homepage or follow us on Facebook.

Cheers

Kevin

As traditional as family fights or passing out after too much turkey, the PDtP Christmas Eve Carols at Trafalgar Square are back!

And, bucking the trend of recent years, I’m giving you over 2 weeks’ notice to sign up.

We have a c.90 minute set from 4pm on Wednesday, December 24th in which we’ll be singing seasonal stunners from Palestrina, Victoria and Bach among many others, with your favourite(ish) traditional carols thrown in as palette-cleansers.

If you’ve sung with us before you’ll know that we often get a huge crowd listening and singing along, and – most importantly – donating lots of money to a very good cause (Alzheimer’s Society), so it’s a pretty wonderful way to spend Christmas Eve.

As always, you’ll need to do a bit of prep to get to know the scores beforehand, but of course learning music as good as this is a pleasure not a chore.

It’s proving to be a wet December so far, so I must ask that you only sign up if you’re absolutely sure you’re going to be there, as we are committed to singing even if it’s raining.

Please use the form below to register (you’ll need to go to the website to fill it in) and I’ll be back in touch with details and the scores in the next few days.

Cheers

Kevin

PS if you can’t join us then there’s no need to let me know but please accept my best wishes for the Christmas season!

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Read more: As traditional as family fights or passing out after too much turkey, the PDtP Christmas Eve Carols at Trafalgar Square are back!

Just when you thought you’d avoided us this year – we’re back for more festive carols and motets!

I know, I know, we get later and later with our invitation to sing in front of the Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree each year, to the point where next year you’ll probably get this message on Christmas Day.

BUT: once again, we have the opportunity to sing carols and motets on Christmas Eve, Tuesday, December 24th, between 4 & 5pm (possibly even 5.30 if no one else takes the following slot).

If you’ve sung with us in previous years, you’ll quite literally know the score(s), as we sing through our customary crackers by Victoria, Zielenski (and of course Bach) among many others, with lots of favourite traditional carols thrown in for good measure.

It’s become quite the Christmas tradition for us and we tend to raise mucho moolah for good causes, so I hope that many of you will be able to join us, whether as seasoned veterans or first-timers.

(There’s a little bit of homework to do in terms of getting to know the scores beforehand, but that shouldn’t be too onerous a task for singers of your calibre and commitment.)

We’ve enjoyed(!) mixed weather in previous years and while I’m ever optimistic for dry conditions, I must ask that you only sign up if you’re absolutely sure you’re going to be there come rain or moonshine.

(If you sadly can’t join us then there’s no need to let me know – I’ll simply wish you and yours a very Happy Christmas now!)

Please use the form below to register (you’ll need to fill it in on the website) and I’ll be back in touch with details and the scores in the next few days. [UPDATE 21/12/24: registration has now closed but thank you for your interest.]

Cheers

Kevin

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Read more: Just when you thought you’d avoided us this year – we’re back for more festive carols and motets!

Christmas comes but once a year, as does the invitation to sing with us…

Despite my huge desire to get pdtp going again in 2023, it just didn’t work out – but I truly am hopeful for next year, not least because 2024 will mark 10 years since our first session!

In the meantime, to make up for the crushing disappointment of the continuing hiatus, we have another opportunity to sing in front of the Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree this December.

Read more: Christmas comes but once a year, as does the invitation to sing with us…

And what could be more Christmassy than singing motets and carols in such an iconic space on Christmas Eve itself!

That’s right, our slot is Sunday, December 24th, between 3pm & 4.30pm and once again we’ll be exploring works by Palestrina, Victoria, Praetorius (and of course Bach) among others, interspersed with traditional Christmas carols.

Last year, an intrepid bunch of you turned up and sang through wind and driving rain, and while I’m hopeful that the weather this year will be kinder, I must ask that you only sign up if you’re committed to coming along come what may.

(And if you sadly can’t make it then there’s no need to let me know!)

Please use the form below to register and I’ll be back in touch with details in the next few days.

Cheers

Kevin

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Other opportunities for singing this December (and beyond)

Thank you to everyone who has kindly agreed to sing at our Trafalgar Square set this coming Sunday (there’s still time to sign up if you fancy some singing carols interspersed with Victoria, Palestrina, Bach and of course Gumpelzhaimer!).

You might also be interested in a couple of other drop-in groups who provide opportunities to sing Renaissance repertoire.

The London Motet & Madrigal Club, a singing group with a venerable 80 year history, are next due to meet this coming Saturday evening (December 17th) in the City of London, with a line-up that includes Guerrero, Byrd and Handl among many others. They meet regularly once a month throughout the year and you can pay to participate on a per session or annual basis.

(Just as we went to press, the LMMC cancelled their December 17th event but they’ll be back in 2023!)

If you’d like the chance to sing this music in a liturgical setting then look no further than the Lisson Grove Choir at the Church of Our Lady, St John’s Wood, (youngsters in comparison with the LMMC, with a mere 50 years of history behind them!).

They invite competent sight-singers to join them for performances of Renaissance masses and motets at services throughout the year. You can next join them to sing Victoria, Rore, Palestrina and Praetorius at Midnight Mass on December 24th and/or Byrd, Victoria and Morales on Christmas Morning. (Such treats!)

Full details for both groups can be found via their websites (links above) so do get in touch with them if interested.

Cheers

Kevin

Let’s try that again, shall we?

Can you believe it’s almost a year since I ruined literally everyone’s Christmas by reluctantly having to cancel our carols at Trafalgar Square?

So here’s a bit of early seasonal joyousness for you – we’ve blagged a spot again this year and this time I promise it’s going ahead, rain, snow or bubonic plague! (Cheery.)

The date is Continue reading Let’s try that again, shall we?

Can you believe it’s almost a year since I ruined literally everyone’s Christmas by reluctantly having to cancel our carols at Trafalgar Square?

So here’s a bit of early seasonal joyousness for you – we’ve blagged a spot again this year and this time I promise it’s going ahead, rain, snow or bubonic plague! (Cheery.)

The date is Continue reading Let’s try that again, shall we?

Seasonal singing on the South Coast

As promised, we’re putting on another Christmas Special down in Brighton, on Sunday December 22nd.

Booking goes live via this link at midday this coming Sunday (December 15th). You most definitely will not want to miss it, so get those mouse fingers ready.

By the way, a few PDtP London folk have expressed interest in coming along, so just to confirm, everyone is very welcome to join in the festive fun. (You might even want to make a day of it and enjoy the marvellous Christmas shopping opportunities that Brighton affords – there are many superb independent shops are within a pebble’s throw of the venue, which also happens to be next to the station.)

Speaking of London folk, thanks again to all who came along to last week’s London Christmas Special. Through your generosity we raised over £300 for the Choir with No Name.

Apologies to those who were hoping for London carol singing opportunities this week. Despite our best efforts we just couldn’t secure a suitable location. However, there is a slim chance that we might be able to do something in Central London in the early evening of Monday the 23rd. Very close to Christmas I know, but bear it in mind if you are still going to be in town as our public carol/motet singing is always a highlight of the season. 

Full details to follow if/when we have confirmation.

Cheers

Kevin