About Eclipse

We love singing that is challenging, satisfying & uplifting

What makes us different?

Eclipse is an amateur choir led by James Hawkins with a focus on musicality and achieving beautiful, accomplished singing.

We sing a wide variety of music ranging from Palestrina through to Disney songs. Our termly repertoire always gives our members something to love, something to work hard on, and something to have fun with.

Eclipse members are untrained musicians committed to improving our musicianship, singing and crafted choral sound. Members are motivated by a love of singing together, improving vocal ability and by the excellent training and coaching given. Our singers mainly started off their singing journeys in non-audition community choirs and have progressed to learn how to read musical scores and tackle more challenging works.

We are uniquely positioned as an educational choir with a modern, relaxed approach and a fun, eclectic repertoire.

When and where do you meet?

We have two choirs: our mixed SATB choir rehearses on Mondays and our ladies SSA choir on Thursdays. Both choirs rehearse in Kingston upon Thames, usually in All Saints Church in Kingston Market Place. We tend to perform locally - areas such as Richmond, Teddington, Twickenham, Wimbledon, Kew and also in Central London.

We perform at least two large concerts per year, and other events as and when they arise, e.g. Christmas carols, summer fayres, and events such as BBC Music Day. Then we may also be booked to perform for recording sessions, TV productions and other corporate events from time to time.

Our choir leader

James Hawkins

Eclipse Choir is run by the talented music producer and choir director James Hawkins. He founded Eclipse choir in 2014 and runs it professionally. You can see more of James's work here.

He has an enthusiastic and engaging style of teaching and is motivated to bring out the best in both the choir members and the music being performed. He has worked professionally for 20 years as a music teacher, choir director, music arranger, composer, producer, performer, and remains life-long student of music.

Eclipse Choir is an important, exciting project for him, where he is committed to creating a spectacular sounding choir of amateur singers. James also is an accomplished choral producer and recently led The Missing People Choir on Britain's Got Talent in 2017, and released a successful top 40 album of unique choirs in 2017 called Choirs With Purpose. You can find out more about Jim here.