Music is an integral part of worship at St Columba’s Church, enriching services and fostering a sense of reflection and community. Through our choral tradition, the fine three-manual Walker organ, and a varied concert series, music plays a central role in the life of the church. Our professional choir , comprising six singers, leads the music at Sunday morning services. Their repertoire spans centuries, blending sacred choral works with music that enhances the liturgy and supports congregational worship.
In addition to the professional ensemble, the congregational choir made up of members of the church community sings at monthly evening services. This group provides an opportunity for those who enjoy singing to take an active role in worship, contributing to the church’s musical life.
Beyond worship, St Columba’s hosts the Sounds of St Columba’s Recital Series, which brings together accomplished musicians to perform a wide-ranging repertoire from chamber music to opera. The series features both established artists and emerging talent, offering a space for high-quality music-making within the church community.
Our Professional Choir
Alex Porteous
Alex has been singing as a tenor at St Columba’s regularly since 2018. Prior to this, Alex sang with the Choir of Clare College, Cambridge from 2014–2017, singing three liturgical services a week, as well as touring internationally and performing at concerts and festivals throughout the world. Alex has recorded nine discs over the course of his time with Clare, including a series of music for the church year. Alex is also a freelance audio editor and producer, and supported the music of St Columba’s throughout lockdown by editing and producing anthems and hymns remotely for each Sunday service. Professionally, Alex is a Consultant in Health Technology Assessment and Health Economics at Costello Medical.
Helen Vincent
Helen has a wealth of choral experience in addition to her solo singing and has performed with renowned choirs such as Ex Cathedra and National Youth Chamber Choir of Great Britain. Helen achieved a distinction for her PgDip in Vocal Performance at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire in 2020 and sang as a Choral Scholar at Canterbury Cathedral in 2021-22, piloting a brand new career development and outreach programme. She currently works as a freelance singer and KS2 vocal coach.
Helen graduated with a BA in Music from the University of Leeds in 2010, and has gone on to sing as a soloist with a number of choral societies, as well as teaching both the voice and violin. She blazed the trail for future generations at Lincoln Cathedral in 2011, becoming the first woman to be employed as a singer on an otherwise all male back row, and subsequently Bristol Cathedral’s first female Lay Clerk from 2016-19.
Issie Davies
Prior to joining the choir at St Columba’s, Issie was a Choral Scholar at Royal Holloway, University of London, where she participated in eight professional recordings and sang in concerts and festivals across the UK and abroad. Highlights of her time there include performing a duet on Decca’s commemorative album for Queen Elizabeth II and a solo on Ola Gjeilo’s single, ‘A Spotless Rose’.
Upon leaving university, Issie secured a Choral Scholarship with Oxford Bach Soloists, where she enjoyed step-out solo experience, German language coaching and period performance masterclasses. Issie also sings with Omnium Ensemble, a new vocal group committed to supporting the work of living composers and promoting wellbeing through singing.
Professionally, Issie works in Music Publishing and will soon be starting a Business Development role in Choral Music at Oxford University Press.
Oscar Simms
Oscar is a young baritone currently based between London and Cambridge. He began singing aged 6 as a Chorister at the Temple Church, London, later becoming a Junior Choral Scholar at Southwark Cathedral and a Choral Scholar with the Choir of Clare College, Cambridge. He recently graduated with a first-class degree in Music from the University of Cambridge. Whilst at the University, Oscar was cast in a number of roles with the Opera Society, including Adonis in ‘Venus & Adonis’, Somnus in ‘Semele’, Polyphemus in ‘Acis & Galatea’ and Bartolo in ‘Le nozze di Figaro’. He also stage directed a number of productions for the Society, including the second UK production of the digital chamber opera ‘Denis & Katya’ by Philip Venables. Oscar has been fortunate enough to take part in masterclasses with world-class singers such as Roderick Williams, Mark Padmore, Nicky Spence and Catherine Wyn-Rogers, and in his final year of University he was a participant of the Sir Arthur Bliss Lieder Scheme with Joseph Middleton.
James Priest
James is a professional classical and jazz singer and pianist. His educational path to becoming a London-based freelancer formally began as an undergraduate at the University of Birmingham, where he studied music academically in parallel with voice and piano at the Birmingham Conservatoire, with piano as his principal study. He then completed a postgraduate Masters at Trinity College of Music, specialising in vocal performance, for which he was awarded a substantial scholarship. Subsequently, James enrolled on the Monteverdi Choir Apprenticeship Scheme (one of only 8 singers internationally and biannually) under Sir John Eliot Gardiner. Its itinerary included televised BBC Proms performances and European opera tours.
Further to this, James’s work continued to focus on opera and he enjoyed a number of consecutive years as a chorus member at Opera Holland Park, as well as joining companies such as Opera South and Surrey Opera as a soloist. These days, James’s work also includes being a teacher, accompanist, lounge pianist and wedding musician, but choral singing has always been a love and significant part of his music-making life. While a permanent member of the St Columba’s choir, James also sings at numerous other London churches, such as All Saints (Margaret St), St Bartholomew the Great (W Smithfield) and occasionally St Paul’s (Knightsbridge).
Isaac Jarratt Barnham
After first taking up music at school, Isaac received a Choral Scholarship to King’s College, Cambridge, as a counter-tenor, where he sung under Sir Stephen Cleobury and studied for a BA in Philosophy and Psychology. After graduation, he was successfully appointed to a post at St Columba’s. Alongside this role, he has also held Layclerkships at Clare College, Cambridge, and New College, Oxford.
Beyond choral music, Isaac is an active Close Harmony performer. His previous positions include membership of The King’s Men, and Fitzwilliam Barbershop. Whilst Barbershop Director, Isaac was responsible for the organization and direction of tours to both China and The Netherlands, and produced two sell-out Edinburgh Fringe shows. He is currently a Final-year medical student at the University of Oxford, and Teaching Fellow within the University’s Department of Public Health.
Cross over the square into Sloane Street. Walk along Sloane Street until the traffic lights at the corner of Pont Street. Turn left into Pont Street. St Columba’s will then be in sight.
Knightsbridge Station
Take the Harrods exit if open (front car if coming from the East, rear car if coming from the West). Come up the stairs to street level, carry on keeping Harrods on your right. Turn right into Basil Street. Carry straight on into Walton Place with St Saviour’s Church on your left. At the traffic lights, St Columba’s is to your left across the street. If the Harrods exit is closed, take the Sloane Street exit, turn right into Basil Street. Carry straight on past Harrods with the shop on your right, into Walton Place as before.
South Kensington Station
Come up the stairs out of the station and turn left into the shopping arcade. Turn left again into Pelham Street. At the traffic lights at the end of Pelham Street cross Brompton Road, turn left then immediately right into the narrow street of Draycott Avenue. After just a few yards turn left into Walton Street. Carry on walking up Walton Street until the traffic lights at the corner of Pont Street. Turn right and after a few steps you will be at St Columba’s!
