In January 2025, the Starling Arts community gathered at the historic Crypt on the Green in Clerkenwell for an unforgettable, black-tie 15th Anniversary Gala & Performance Party.
The evening marked a momentous occasion: a celebration of fifteen years of building community, raising voices, and bringing musical joy to London, alongside a heartfelt farewell to our regular Starling Arts choirs.
Members of the Starling Arts choirs celebrate at our Gala
A Night of Music, Memories, and Black-Tie Elegance
Surrounded by stone vaults, warm ambient lighting, and fifteen years of cherished memories, Starling Arts choir members past and present, friends, family, and long-standing supporters came together in their finest black-tie attire.
The evening featured:
Retrospective Live Performances: Members of our singing community took to the stage to perform beloved choir arrangements, and musical highlights spanning our fifteen-year history, recalling past concerts, tours, and flash mobs.
Tributes & Toasting the 'Flock': Co-directors Anna Shields and Emily Garsin shared reflections on Starling Arts' journey from its founding in 2010 through to 2025, honoring the dedication of every singer who ever stepped into a rehearsal room.
Celebration & Dancing: The formal performances gave way to a celebratory party, allowing our community to dance, reconnect, and share stories from over a decade and a half of shared music-making.
Reflecting on 15 Years of Choral Community
When Starling Arts began in 2010, we could not have predicted how central our choirs - including The Starling Singers, Corvida, Forte, and Starling Voices - would become to our lives. Over 15 years, hundreds of singers joined our community, creating thousands of hours of music across rehearsed concerts, album recordings, weekend tours, and charity fundraisers.
As announced in late 2024, closing our regular weekly choirs was a deeply emotional decision. Evolving life commitments, post-pandemic changes in commuting habits, and shifting work patterns meant that ending weekly choir operations was the right choice to protect the legacy of Starling Arts and ensure a sustainable future.
Looking to the Future: The Next Chapter
While the weekly choirs have taken their final flight, the community spirit built over the last 15 years continues to thrive.
Starling Arts is evolving to focus on new creative horizons:
The Flock (Bi-Monthly Sing-Alongs): To keep our cherished singing network connected, Flock offers weekend singing sessions every two months throughout the year, giving former choir members a space to make sound together without weekly commitments.
Schools & Education Projects: Expanding our work in primary and secondary schools, including leading the Official Wicked Workshops in partnership with the West End production.
Applied Musical Theatre & New Writing: Co-creating new musical theatre pieces with community groups and developing original stage projects
Workplace & Corporate Wellbeing: Delivering bespoke voice workshops and interactive team-building sessions for businesses and communities across the UK.
Stay Connected with Starling Arts
Whether you are a former choir member looking to join our next Flock weekend sing, an educator interested in musical theatre workshops, or an organisation seeking creative facilitation, we invite you to be part of our next chapter.