The Choir Palatinate Voices was founded in 1996 by
two members of Durham Cathedral Choir, as a way of bringing together singers
from the Cathedral, the University and the City to form a chamber choir capable
of tackling the most challenging repertoire. The choir regularly performs in
Durham Cathedral's Chapter House and at Elvet Methodist Church, and
has sung elsewhere in the region, including St Brandon's Church at Brancepeth,
St Michael and All Angels' in Houghton-le-Spring, Ushaw College and St George's,
Cullercoats (as part of the 2006 St George's Early Music Festival). The
choir has also sung services in Durham Cathedral and York Minster. Performances are often accompanied by
instrumental forces, from viol consorts and brass ensembles upwards. In
recent years there have been many collaborations with the period-instrument
orchestra, Durham Baroque. The choir has also at times joined forces with
the choristers and gentlemen of the Cathedral Choir, and with a network of
friends, in order to perform larger-scale repertoire (such as Widor's Mass for
Two Choirs and Two Organs, and Tallis's Spem in alium). Since 1997 the choir has
been conducted by Durham Cathedral's Sub-Organist, Keith Wright (above). He was
for four years Organ Scholar at 