Musicians

Choirs, Concerts, Orchestras, Festivals, Venues

If you are visiting Glyndebourne, make sure you visit Lewes town and enjoy the creative galleries, concerts and shops, artisan bakeries, local wine and much more.

If you are a local, we’ve listed here most of the orchestras, ensembles, festivals, choirs and ensembles right here in the town of Lewes which you may be able to take part in or enjoy an exciting array of concerts gigs and musical activities.

Annual Music Events

Lewes Music Festival

Now moving into it’s fourth year. With Support from the local community and all surrounding areas and further they support national and international artists as well as supporting many local up and coming bands/artists/DJ’s within the Sussex area. Lewes Music Festival

We will be writing regular posts on musical activities and events but we hope these listings will be helpful.

Choirs

The Good Vibe Choir

The Good Vibe Choir in Lewes was formed in 2021 at The Con Club. After only a couple of years it became Lewes’s largest choir. The Good Vibe Choir prides it’s self in being an inclusive, fun and friendly, pop choir in the heart of Lewes 139 HIgh Street from 7.30 pm to 9.00 pm. Lewes Good Vibe Choir

Lewes Musical Theatre Choir

Experience the joy of singing show tunes together in beautiful harmony whilst improving your own voice. No audition needed, all levels welcome! The West End choir runs weekly, rehearsing termly on Wednesdays at Lewes Town Hall in Lewes High Street. Taster sessions for January may be fully booked but you can find out more on their website Lewes Taster Sessions

East Sussex Community Choir

To join this choir, you do not necessarily have to be able to read music, but singers are expected to be able to sing in tune and to blend well with the other voices in the choir. They meet on Monday evenings in Lewes during school term times, from 7.30 – 9.00 pm. Find out more Sing with the East Sussex Community Choir – Lewes

The Baroque Collective Singers

The Baroque Collective Singers is a chamber choir, also based in Lewes. See below and About | Lewes BaroqueFest

Choral Workshop

If you are you a keen choral singer you might like to join a choral workshop. You will enjoy learning new pieces, or getting re-acquainted with familiar ones, with the help and encouragement of experienced choral director Nick Houghton. Every year they run workshop days focusing either on a large-scale work that amateur choirs rarely get to perform,  or smaller lesser-known pieces. Find out more at Choral Workshops

Singing Mamas (a singing group not just for mamas!)

They welcome all women, any age and any life phase to come and experience the magic of group singing. No auditions or performances, no sheets of music, no solos. Just joy, connection, and a cuppa. Little ones welcome. Website

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Orchestras and Ensembles

Lewes Concert Orchestra

Find out more about joining The Lewes Concert Orchestra or get dates in your diary for future concerts.

Musicians of All Saints

A Lewes-based chamber orchestra of professional musicians dedicated to the presentation of both new and unusual works together with a standard repertoire of better-known pieces. See Musicians of All Saints

The Workshop Series

Until 2023 almost all the concerts took place in the instrument-making workshop of Malcolm Rose and Karin Richter, in English’s Passage, Lewes. It was a unique, historic, characterful and much-loved performance space, that frequently allowed visiting artists to use of newly-restored original keyboards instruments, as well as expertly-constructed reproductions. Sadly, after the untimely death of Malcolm Rose in late 2022, it was no longer available for concerts, and more recently various churches in Lewes have been used. Find out more about the people behind The Workshop Series and future performances.

The Baroque Collective

The Baroque Collective is a professional period orchestra based in Lewes. The Baroque Collective offers an enticing and flexible range of programmes from Locke and Purcell to Mozart and from trios to major works with chorus. Watch and listen

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Music Venues

The Con Club in Lewes

Lewes Con Club is popular music venue – a mainly volunteer-run, not-for-profit social club and independent music venue, open every day to its members and non-member. There are regular live music and other events – see website for news and events.

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Music Shops for Musicians

Academy Violins has to have a mention!

An amazing shop which sells fine stringed instruments, repairs and restoration. The shop was established in 1973, and since 1998 Academy Violins has been under the management of Robert Haydon Clark a former violinist with the London Symphony Orchestra, and conductor of the Consort of London. Robert studied with professor Yfrah Neaman at the Guildhall School of Music, London and also played with Yehudi Menuhin Festival Orchestra. As director of the Consort of London chamber orchestra he made a number of recordings and performed in all the London concert hmalls including the Royal Festival Hall together with major music festivals. Academy violins

Union Music Store

There is nothing they don’t know about vinyl. Union Music Store offers a wide eclectic range of new and pre-loved vinyl, CDs and books focussing only on music that they have a deep love and passion for. Sign up to hear latest news and follow their blog. Union Music Store. Feast your ears!

Music for children

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Lewes Hub supports Music Lifeline – a CIC which works to provide access to music for children, mainly from state schools, who otherwise can’t access music. Lewes is fortunate that it has many musical activities for children, but a lot of East Sussex isn’t so fortunate where music is no longer taught in schools and have no specialist music teachers. Music Lifeline has been supported by many local musicians who see the importance of keeping music in the lives of children.