The Choir was founded as the December Festival Choir in 1958 - an informal group of singers who performed concerts of Christmas music to raise money for charities (hence the name). The Choir soon became a permanently established group of up to 120 members and under the direction of the founder, David Aylett, gave regular concerts. These included performances from the standard choral repertoire of oratorios, masses and concert versions of operas and other lighter works.

David conducted the Choir for 26 years, and was succeeded by Helen Blakeman, Bucks County Music Advisor, who still sings with us. In 1995, Piers Maxim, our first professional conductor was appointed, and under his expert direction the Choir continued to develop and flourish, expanding the repertoire to include 20th Century works. Since then we have been led by Justin Doyle, Madeleine Lovell and, most recently, James Davey, who joined us in January 2009.

In September 2000 it was felt that the Choir should be more closely identified with our home town and the area in which we perform, so from January 2001 we became Aylesbury Festival Choir.

Now celebrating our 51st season, the 90 strong choir is pleased to employ a superb professional conductor and accompanist and to be supported by high calibre soloists and musicians. We have spread our musical wings across a whole range of music from oratorios to jazz, and we hold regular workshops to experiment with new material. Our concerts are known for their high standards of performance and presentation and continue to provide a cultural asset for Aylesbury and the surrounding areas. We remain committed to being a non-auditioned choir, but we always aim for the best, mixing hard work with a friendly environment.

The history of the Choir is a testament to the vision, commitment and enthusiasm of many people whose varied talents and expertise have enabled the Choir to flourish. Aylesbury Festival Choir continues to enjoy the loyalty and commitment of all its members, and we look forward to maintaining our high profile and excellent reputation for many years to come.