Street Choirs Festival is 40!
The Street Choirs Festival grew out of the National Street Band Festival which began in Sheffield in 1984.
Want to know more about our history? ‘Singing For Our Lives, Stories from the Street Choirs’ explores the role of street choirs in British political culture. Tracing the origins of a number of street choirs, the book also tells the story of the Street Choirs Festival from its origins to the present day. Singing For Our Lives is based on oral histories from more than 40 members of UK street choirs, collected and presented by Campaign Choirs Writing Collective. https://www.intellectbooks.com/singing-for-our-lives
Campaign Choirs Network
Together we have a voice!
Given the political urgency of our times, the Campaign Choirs Network was formed in 2013 to share information about issues, events and actions. That urgency seems ever increasing. Through the Network, choirs share songs and campaigns and coordinate a collective presence at demonstrations and rallies. We organise through our email list, website and Facebook group.
Find out more and contact us on our website or Facebook page
Here is the list of festivals which have taken place over the last 40 years.
| 1984 | Sheffield | National Street Band Festival |
| 1985 (May) | Newcastle | |
| 1985 (November) | Manchester | |
| 1986 | Bradford | |
| 1987 | Bristol | |
| 1988 | Liverpool | |
| 1989 | Leicester | |
| 1990 | Newcastle | |
| 1991 | London, Hackney | National Street Music Festival Big Red Band and Raised Voices |
| 1992 | Sheffield | Sheffield Socialist Choir |
| 1993 | Cardiff | Côr Cochion |
| 1994 | Leeds | Leeds People’s Choir |
| 1995 | Stroud | |
| 1996 | Nottingham | Nottingham Clarion Choir |
| 1997 | Morecambe | |
| 1998 | Leicester | Red Leicester |
| 1999 | Bradford | |
| 2000 | Manchester | |
| 2001 | Nottingham | Nottingham Clarion Choir |
| 2002 | Hebden Bridge | Calder Valley Voices |
| 2003 | Belper | The Rough Truffles |
| 2004 | Leeds | Leeds People’s Choir |
| 2005 | Saltaire/Shipley | Bradford Voices |
| 2006 | Gateshead | National Street Choirs Festival Caedmon Choir and Heaton Voices |
| 2007 | Manchester | Manchester Community Choir |
| 2008 | Brighton | Hullabaloo Community Quire |
| 2009 | Whitby | Whitby Community Choir |
| 2010 | Sheffield | Out Aloud |
| 2011 | Whitby | Whitby Community Choir |
| 2012 | Bury | Bury Acapeelers Community Choir |
| 2013 | Aberystwyth | Côr Gobaith |
| 2014 | Hebden Bridge | Calder Valley Voices |
| 2015 | Whitby | Whitby Community Choir |
| 2016 | Leicester | Red Leicester |
| 2017 | Kendal | Lakeland Voices |
| 2018 | Brighton | Hullabaloo Community Quire |
| 2019 | Manchester | Manchester Community Choir |
| 2022 | Whitby | Whitby Community Choir and Northern Chorus |
| 2023 | Kendal | Lakeland Voices |
| 2024 | Sheffield | Carfield Community Choir, Out Aloud and Sheffield Socialist Choir |