A Penarth-based chamber choir is celebrating 25 years of music-making with a special anniversary concert featuring contemporary choral works, jazz, pop and Disney favourites.
A Journey of Musical Growth
Spectrum Singers was founded in 2001 as a small elite choir and has since grown into an ambitious ensemble. The group has performed on platforms including BBC Radio 3 and collaborated on international arts projects such as an installation at London’s Serpentine Gallery.
The choir is currently led by co-directors Benjamin Gait and Emily Gait-Scaglioni, who both joined as singers a decade ago after getting married. Benjamin has arranged Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No.5 (Movement 2) especially for the anniversary, reimagining the orchestral part for voices alone.
"Spectrum Singers has always been an unaccompanied choir," Benjamin said. "This piece celebrates that as the voices take on the orchestra’s role in accompanying the piano solo rather than the other way around."
The Silver Concert
The anniversary concert, titled Silver, will take place on Friday, June 12, 2026 at Penarth Pier Pavilion. It features pianist Qi Zhang-Mitchell alongside a programme of works by Arvo Pärt, Ēriks Ešenvalds and Caroline Shaw, as well as close-harmony jazz, pop and Disney arrangements.
Founder member Helen Turner, who has sung with the group since its first rehearsal, said the choir has remained a constant through 25 years of change. Soprano Emma Loyns, the newest member, described Spectrum as her 'secret choir', saying it offers a rare chance to simply be part of a team, while also drawing on her wider musical skills in performance.
Resilience and Community
Despite challenges including the loss of founder Stuart Edwards in 2013 and the impact of the pandemic, the choir has continued to thrive. Members highlight its strong sense of community and shared purpose.
Tickets for Silver are available via TicketSource, with further performances planned at Cardiff Museum for Make Music Day on June 21 and at the Usk Choral Festival on July 4 and July 5.
