Unique Professional Choral Charity

Tallis Choral Foundation

We are a national charitable organisation developing, representing and supporting the next generation of choral professionals through performance, mentoring, networking, advocacy, education and career development.

We are particularly committed to supporting musicians at the transition points in their careers, recognising that talent is universal but opportunity is not.

We focus on bringing to life a new and innovative interpretation of choral music that is fresh and exuberant while remaining historically informed and authentic for audiences.

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Musical Leadership

Chris Why

Musical Director

Chris Why is a professional tenor, vocal pedagogue and artistic director with a proven track record of developing emerging singers and creating high-quality performance opportunities. As Founder and Musical Director of the Tallis Choral Foundation, Chris has extensive experience working with undergraduate, postgraduate and early-career professional musicians through teaching, mentorship, audition preparation and artist development. His goal is to combine educational leadership, charitable governance and artistic vision to support the next generation of professional singers transition into sustainable and rewarding careers in the music industry. Chris continues to have an active career as a performer, conductor and broadcaster with expertise spanning vocal performance, ensemble musicianship, professional preparation and higher-level music education.

Colin Walsh

Honorary President

Colin Walsh has been associated with cathedral music for nearly fifty years, serving at institutions including Windsor, Christ Church Oxford, Salisbury, St Albans, and Lincoln Cathedral, where he was Organist and Master of the Choristers from 1988, later becoming Organist Laureate and Emeritus. An international recitalist, he specialises in French organ music, has made over forty recordings, teaches in Cambridge, and holds an honorary Doctor of Music from the University of Lincoln.

Our History

Founded in 2017 by Musical Director Chris Why and incorporated as a registered charity in 2025, the Tallis Choral Foundation is a national charitable organisation developing, representing and supporting the next generation of choral professionals through performance, mentoring, networking, advocacy, education and career development.

Bringing together emerging and established singers, conductors and instrumentalists from across the United Kingdom, we provide high-quality professional opportunities, foster meaningful artistic collaborations, and champion the interests of those working within the choral sector. Through ambitious performances, outreach activity and professional development programmes, we are committed to strengthening the future of choral music and ensuring that talented musicians can thrive at every stage of their careers.

Whether you are an aspiring professional, an established musician, a supporter of the arts, or an organisation interested in partnership, we invite you to become part of our growing community and help shape the future of choral music.

To learn more about the different types of membership and the opportunities available through the Foundation, please follow the link below.

Supporting Us

Become a Friend of Tallis

Tallis exists to nurture exceptional young singers and to support early-career professional vocalists at a crucial stage in their development. Our concerts are designed as immersive experiences for our audiences, and as meaningful artistic and developmental opportunities for our singers, with affordability and access at the heart of our work. As a result, there is little surplus generated through performance alone.

Everything we are able to do beyond the concert platform, from creating new opportunities for young soloists to providing meaningful professional experience, is made possible through charitable giving.

By becoming a Friend of Tallis, you play a direct role in shaping the future of choral and vocal music. Your support helps us to invest in young people breaking into an extraordinarily competitive industry, giving them the chance to be heard, supported, and celebrated at the highest level.

Our Musical Director, Chris Why, is committed to growing the Tallis Foundation so that we can offer deeper, more sustained support to our singers. With your help, Tallis can do more, and reach further

Friends Membership

Friend
£75 per year (or £6.75 per month)
- Quarterly Friends newsletter
- Access to one behind-the-scenes rehearsal each year
- Exclusive digital content, including singer profiles and interviews
Friend+
£120 per year (or £12.00 per month)
- All of the previous friend benefits, plus:
- Access to up to two behind-the-scenes rehearsals per year
- Priority seating at Tallis concerts
Patron
£200 per year (or £16.66 per month)
- All Friend+ benefits, plus:
- Access to up to three behind-the-scenes rehearsals per year
- Complimentary interval drinks, hosted by members of the choir
- An exclusive Tallis branded gift box

Why Your Support Matters

Your membership is a charitable donation that directly supports:
Emerging soloists and ensemble singers
Early-career professional development
New performance and showcasing opportunities
The long-term sustainability of Tallis’s artistic mission
Quite simply, Friends make Tallis possible.

Recordings

Thomas Tallis - If ye love me

2026

William Harris - Faire is the Heaven

2026

Charles Wood - Hail, Gladdening Light

2026

I cannot praise you enough for singing at the wonderful concert yesterday afternoon - we were transported to Paradise! All of your voices are remarkable and so pure. In fact we were moved to tears at many points!

(Audience member, 2024)

The Tallis Consort provided an engaging, intimate performance full of vitality and energy. A blend of youth, experience and musical excellence proving a winning combination!

(Audience member, 2024)

Chris and the Tallis Consort were absolutely amazing. I feel so lucky to have found them! From start to finish Chris was just fantastic. Nothing was too much trouble. The singing was beautiful and they really made my father’s funeral such a moving service. I highly recommend them. Professional and so lovely and caring too. Thank you so much.

Jen

Outstanding in every way. Thank you!

Richard

The vocal group created a beautiful sound, which filled the large church with heavenly music. Several people in the congregation thought it was a recording, such was the clarity and beauty of the vocals we heard.

Kevin

We were over the moon with you guys, our best man heard you rehearsing when they arrived at the church and said it took their breath away! Your performances were incredible and we were so pleased to have your voices to bolster the hymn singing. All in all you guys were perfect, and were such lovely people to have as part of our ceremony. So many guests have commented on how brilliant the choir was and we can’t thank you enough for your really memorable contribution to our day!

Keira

Tallis Choral Foundation

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Unique Professional Choral Charity

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