Patrick Allies conducting his first Ripieno Choir concert in June 2023
About the Ripieno Choir
The Ripieno Choir is an adventurous chamber choir of about thirty experienced singers, drawn from south-west London and north Surrey, who rehearse near Esher.
Directed by Patrick Allies, our grounding is in the music of the Renaissance and Baroque. However, our wide repertoire extends right through to contemporary composers, and includes rarely-performed and rediscovered music. See details of our previous concerts.
We mostly perform a cappella, but for larger works we are able to attract first-class professional soloists and specialist instrumental ensembles. In recent years we have been joined by the Monteverdi String Band, the English Cornett and Sackbut Ensemble, The Brook Street Band, His Majestys Sagbutts & Cornetts, and The Gonzaga Band.
Our concert venue
The Ripieno Choir performs three main concerts per year, usually at All Saints Weston. Our concert venue has been carefully chosen to provide a fitting atmosphere for the choir’s music, and an enjoyable experience for our audience.
The Ripieno Choir in the garden of All Saints Weston at our June 2023 concert
Why ‘Ripieno’?
In the Baroque period, the ripieno was the orchestral ensemble in a concerto grosso, in textural opposition to the concertino. In choral music, those singers who were soloists (concertisten) were distinguished from those who supported them (ripienisten).
Other performances
Over the years, The Ripieno Choir has maintained its Christmas carol heritage by singing carols in the pubs of Thames Ditton in support of local charities. The choir also enjoys singing further afield, on foreign tours and UK awaydays. Our most recent overseas tour was to Seville in the autumn of 2019.
Overseas tours have enabled performances in stunning locations like the Cathedral of St John the Divine in Manhattan, the Saint Michael and Saint Gudula Cathedral in Brussels, Abbaye de Valloires in the Picardie area of France, St George’s Cathedral in Cape Town, Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, St Mark’s Basilica Venice, and Espacio Turina in Seville.