The Sixteen at St James’s in partnership with the Genesis Foundation

• The Sixteen establishes a new home in the heart of central London at St James’s Piccadilly, known to many as ‘the artists’ church’
• Collaborative programming to include new choral commissions, annual performances of Handel’s Messiah and choral evensongs
• Partnership marks the first professional choir to become resident at the church, which has been a home for musical excellence throughout the years

The Sixteen, St James’s Piccadilly and the Genesis Foundation today announce an historic partnership, with the choir taking up residency in the iconic church built in 1684 by Sir Christopher Wren. The collaboration, with funding from the Genesis Foundation, affirms the longstanding relationship between The Sixteen and St James’s, shaped through performances and creative projects over recent years.

In establishing a new partnership, the organisations continue their commitment to artistic excellence that is open and accessible to all, nurturing the next generation of young musicians, commissioning new music and presenting impactful performances within the historic church – conceived with choral music at its heart.

Starting from June 2026, they will present in partnership:

• The opening performance of The Sixteen’s annual Choral Pilgrimage at St James’s
• Four choral evensongs across the calendar year, from ensembles across The Sixteen’s community, including The Sixteen, Genesis Sixteen and Genesis Sixteen Alumni ensembles
• New choral music commissions performed by The Sixteen and Genesis Sixteen
• A continued home for The Sixteen’s annual choral festival, Sounds Sublime
• An annual performance of Handel’s Messiah from December 2027
• A programme of learning and participation activity within the parish of St James’s

Harry Christophers, Founder and Conductor of The Sixteen, says: “Never before has The Sixteen had a London home and where better than a church which, over the years, has come to be known as “the artist’s church”: St James’s Piccadilly. All I have ever wanted to do was to introduce our music to as many people as possible of all ages, all cultures, faiths and background.

Along with the Genesis Foundation, our combined ethos is a simple statement of commitment to excellence in music, access and inclusion. This triumvirate partnership allows us to engage and inspire new and existing audiences, as well as bring young people together to experience the wonderful world of choral music where harmony in all its forms abounds.”

Revd Lucy Winkett, rector of St James’s Piccadilly, says: “St James’s Piccadilly is honoured to become the new London home of The Sixteen and Genesis Sixteen.  With St James’s clear acoustic and The Sixteen’s world class sound, we commit together to the values this church has espoused for over 340 years: excellence in sacred music open to all who want to sing it or listen to its cadences. We believe that creativity is in itself a language of the human spirit, open to people of all faiths and none. This partnership enables both organisations to flourish in our joint commitment to ensuring that outstanding music-making is open to everyone, especially those who don’t yet know this extraordinary music could be for them.”

Michael Haslam, Director of Music, St James’s Church Piccadilly, says: “I am thrilled that The Sixteen and SJP are going to collaborate on projects, particularly focussing on access and inclusion. I have known their founder and director Harry Christophers almost all my adult life and we have worked together at the Tower of London and the Globe Theatre. What I am most excited about is the way that The Sixteen and the liturgical music at SJP will maintain their distinct identities but benefit from sharing musical knowledge, experience and resources. Our Lay Singers and Singing Scholars will continue to enhance the services in St James to the greater glory of God with spirit and understanding.”

Marie-Sophie Willis, Chief Executive of The Sixteen, says: “We are thrilled to be embarking on this partnership, which marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for our organisations. St James’s Piccadilly and the Genesis Foundation are organisations whose vision and ambition closely align with The Sixteen’s. We share a belief in the power of music to inspire, connect and enrich lives, and we look forward to creating a lasting hub for artistic excellence, community engagement and future generations of young musicians. We are deeply grateful to the visionary Genesis Foundation for its steadfast commitment to a partnership founded on such closely shared values.”

John Studzinski, Founder and Chairman of the Genesis Foundation, says: “One of our core principles at the Genesis Foundation is to develop long-term partnerships, with a focus on nurturing young talent, enriching the cultural landscape and creating lasting legacy. We are delighted to be in our 15th year of working with Harry Christophers and The Sixteen on Genesis Sixteen – something to celebrate in itself – and even more excited that this world-renowned choir now has a long-term home in an historically important church already associated with musical excellence. I am looking forward to attending many exceptional performances there over the coming years. We hope our five-year commitment enables The Sixteen to enrich the music offering at St James’s, building on its rich history.”

The partnership will also see support for The Sixteen’s Learning and Participation programme Ignite, as well as performance opportunities for Genesis Sixteen – The Sixteen’s free young artists’ programme for 18–23-year-olds.

Often known as ‘the artist’s church’, due to its wonderful Wren architecture and acoustics, St James’s has long associations with artists, activists and thinkers: Mary Beale, William Blake, Angelika Kaufman and Ottobah Cugoano, to name a few. Musically, it is associated with Handel, Purcell, Haydn, Mendelssohn, the pianist Therese Jansen and organist and conductor Leopold Stokowski. As a well-established venue for classical music, St James’s has also hosted many performances from pop icons including Adele, Bronski Beat, Biffy Clyro, Patti Smith, REM and Emeli Sande.

The Sixteen first collaborated with St James’s in finding a home for its annual festival celebrating choral music – Sounds Sublime working with the local community to celebrate the passion, joy and diversity of the human voice through workshops, singalongs and family activities. Since the first collaboration between the two organisations in 2019, there have been numerous projects that demonstrate the artistic excellence of the two, from performances of new Genesis Foundation-commissioned works by Lucy Walker, Millicent B James and Ninfea Cruttwell-Reade, a music video as part of St James’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show garden, and a BBC Radio 3 Choral Evensong broadcast featuring the voices of Genesis Sixteen.

During the course of the partnership, St James’s Piccadilly will undergo restoration as part of ‘The Wren Project’, a once-in-a-generation project to renew the organ and musical life of the church.  The building will be closed for two years starting in 2027, with the partnership between the two organisations continuing at St Pancras Church, Euston Road in the interim.