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In 2011, a group of young singers from Northern Ireland had the opportunity to work with internationally renowned countertenor Mark Chambers in preparation for a landmark Proms performance of Mendelssohn’s Elijah in London’s Royal Albert Hall. The singers were so inspired by the experience of working among professional groups and soloists that they decided to establish a new ensemble based in Northern Ireland, and so Sestina was born. From this initial ad hoc group of singers, Sestina has developed into an ensemble with an ever-growing reputation for excellence, both in its mentorship of young singers and in the quality of its performances, specialising in early music.

For singers, Sestina’s mentorship courses offer an immersive educational experience like no other, where young performers from Ireland and Northern Ireland, hand-picked at various stages of their training, work alongside professional singers at the very top of their careers. Sestina focuses on developing versatile musicians, giving the singers the chance to perform in ensembles of different sizes and as solo singers, and giving them valuable training in opera and stagecraft.  It is a method with a proven record of success.  Sestina’s original founding members have gone on to sing with renowned ensembles and organisations such as Gabrieli Consort, Tenebrae, Monteverdi Choir, Opera de Lyon, Grange Park and Garsington Opera. The result of the mentoring courses (held twice a year, in April and September) has been a string of critically-acclaimed performances of the works of Monteverdi, Purcell, Handel and others, and an equally impressive list of individuals and organisations who have collaborated with Sestina on these projects, including His Majesty’s Sagbutts and Cornetts, The Monteverdi String Band, Dutch violinist Johannes Leertouwer and the Irish Baroque Orchestra. For a full list of past projects, click here.

In addition to our mentoring courses, Sestina's singers perform in additional events throughout the year, for example, our annual Christmas events, and as soloists for collaborations with other organisations, including Hillsborough Castle, Altnaglevin Hospital Choir, St. George’s Singers, Garden Show Ireland and the Irish Doctors Choir.

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Our story