No one should be defined by homelessness.

We are all simply sopranos, altos, tenors and basses.

We are all people who love to sing our hearts out.

We were founded on the premise that singing makes you feel good - it helps to build confidence, skills and genuine, long-lasting friendships. Our choir members are people who have experienced homelessness, or who are going through a tough time in their lives.

Meet our Choir Directors

  • “I’ve been singing in choir for over two years and it’s been amazing. It’s better than any tablet in the world because it gives you pure and utter passion; it gives you something to live for, something to wake up for.”

    Cardiff Choir member

  • “It was quite scary when I first came to choir as I suffer with anxiety so meeting new people is challenging, but when I settled in it was great. It’s really helped me with my mental health and I have made new friends, but the best thing is singing because it helps me forget all of my problems.”

    Jenny, choir member

  • “After the experience of being homeless, I'd lost all sense of pride and self-worth, but CWNN has helped to restore that. Our choir has gone from strength to strength and to have been part of the driving force behind that has given me a huge sense of accomplishment.”

    Alison, choir member

  • “I’m so happy to have found Choir with No Name. Going to that first session I was so nervous, but by the time I got to the second session I was singing my heart out. It’s made such a difference to me. I’m not existing anymore, I’m living, and that’s huge.”

    Richard, choir member

Learn more about our approach

  • We sing in three- and four-part harmony. It sounds great and feels great. As we master a chorus or verse, the sense of achievement of having created something as a whole, in which we have a vital part, is hugely fulfilling.

  • You don't have to have sung in a choir before to join one of our choirs. In fact, you don't even need to think you can sing (we think you can, we think everyone can).

    Come along and we'll teach you the rest. No need to be able to read music, or to be able to hold a tune. You're in safe hands with us.

  • Our choirs perform at least six footstomping gigs each year. Our gigs are some of the most fun you can have and their raucous joyfulness and uplifting feel challenge audiences’ expectations. We collaborate with a range of musicians and artists across genres.

    You can see some of our brilliant collaborations below.

  • At The Choir with No Name we love quirky, uplifting music. We sing pop, soul, rock and indie... (with the occasional foray into musicals, gospel, dance, etc) from the 50s to now; our influences range from Aretha to Abba, from Bowie to Britney and from Lulu to Lizzo. We love this music because it is familiar, fun, and accessible for most people.

  • We don’t take ourselves too seriously. Homelessness may be a serious issue, and our music helps our choir members to achieve serious changes in their lives, but that doesn’t mean we need to take ourselves too seriously.

    You won’t find us singing Streets of London, but you will find us singing “Let’s Dance”, “Don’t leave me this way” or “Murder on the Dance Floor”. We try not to ban songs, but we will be careful about the lyrics, changing lyrics or choosing not to sing a particular song if the language is discriminatory or inappropriate.

  • All of our Choir Directors are excellent musicians in their own right, able to inspire their choirs. What's more, they are a special breed of choir director, who work with empathy and compassion, able to create a safe space in which our members can shine.

Some of the artists we’ve performed with

The Liverpool Choir performing to Icelandic Eurovision legend, Dadi Freyr.

The Birmingham Choir performing Long live the strange, with Gaz Coombes and band.

The Liverpool Choir performing with Jennifer John.

The Brighton Choir performing with Alice Russell.

The Choir with No Name Coventry performing with Nitin Sawhney in Coventry Cathedral

The Choir with No Name Coventry performing with Nitin Sawhney in Coventry Cathedral

Gabriel Kahane's work 'emergency shelter intake form' performed by the BBC Concert Orchestra and the Choir with No Name London. January 2024.

Gabriel Kahane's work 'emergency shelter intake form' performed by the BBC Concert Orchestra and the Choir with No Name London. January 2024.

James Arthur singing with The Choir with No Name Birmingham at the Pride of Britain Awards 2023.

James Arthur singing with The Choir with No Name Birmingham at the Pride of Britain Awards 2023.

The Choir with No Name Coventry performing with The Choir with No Name Birmingham at Birmingham Conservatoire.

The Choir with No Name Coventry performing with The Choir with No Name Birmingham at Birmingham Conservatoire.

The Choir with No Name Cardiff performing with the South Wales Gay Men's Chorus.

The Choir with No Name Cardiff performing with the South Wales Gay Men's Chorus.

The Choir with No Name Coventry performing their own sell out gig.

The Choir with No Name Coventry performing their own sell out gig.

How group singing supports wellbeing

  • Connect

    Being a part of choir means we have to connect with others, whether in conversations before and after the rehearsal, over a cuppa or a meal, or whether during the singing, by listening to each other and blending our voices.

    Choir is a place to belong where we share the positive experience of mastering a new song, remembering the words, hearing the audience roar with appreciation, or simply hearing someone talk about what a song means to them.

    At choir, we can come whether we are feeling up or down. We support each other at choir.

  • Be physically active

    Singing is a physical activity. It involves movement and breathing control, creating physiological changes that counteract anxiety.

    When we sing together, we breath together. We sing upbeat music which for those who can, we often stand up to sing, having a bit of a boogie at the same time.

    Research suggests that happy chemicals are released, and we believe it, we feel good.

    We also help out with laying the tables, serving tea and coffee, putting out the chairs. All of these things are active and keep the blood pumping round the body.

  • Learn

    At choir we are constantly learning. This includes learning to pitch a note when others near us are singing something different, learning complex rhythms and fitting them in with the beat, improving our vocal control to make a pleasant tone to our voice and blend with others.

    We perform the songs we have learnt in gigs big and small. Whether we are performing at Cadogan Hall or at the local Sausage and Cider Festival, we feel good hearing audiences cheer us on, it builds our self-esteem and confidence.

  • Get involved

    As choir members we are encouraged to join in with the running of choir. This could be day to day activities like putting out the chairs or laying the tables. We can also be involved by being a member of the Member Advisory Panel, sharing our views on the direction of the organisation. We help newer members of choir so that they know how things work too.

  • Be in the present moment

    When we sing, we have to be in the moment. We can’t be thinking about other things, be on our phones or worrying about the future or past. We have to be in the moment, remembering the words, trying to listen for our note amongst the harmonies, watching the conductor for the tempo or other directions. We have to focus on our bodies to use them well to sing. We have to pay attention to those around us so we can blend in with the choir. And the songs themselves can also be moving themselves, particularly the lyrics.

Find out more about the five ways to wellbeing