Biography

“Hugely impressive” GRAMOPHONE MAGAZINE

“Wonderful voices” BBC RADIO 3

“Exceptionally beautiful singing” CLASSIC FM

★★★★★ – “bristling, youthful economy” THE OBSERVER

★★★★★ – “an inspired programme, superbly sung throughout” BBC MUSIC MAGAZINE

APOLLO5 stands out as one of Britain’s smallest but most dynamic vocal groups. Comprising a soprano, alto, two tenors and a bass, the ensemble — named after the ancient Greek god of music — has earned a reputation for its ability to connect intimately with audiences whilst producing a rich, vibrant and versatile sound. With a repertoire that embraces Renaissance, classical, and contemporary choral works, alongside folk, jazz, and pop, the group’s five voices vividly bring five centuries of music to life.

APOLLO5’s extensive touring schedule has taken the group across Europe, the USA, and Asia. The ensemble has performed at renowned UK venues including Wigmore Hall, Cadogan Hall, Sinfonia Smith Square, the Royal Albert Hall, and the Barbican Centre. They have also toured widely in France, Germany, and other European countries, with recent highlights including collaborations with an orchestra in Lisbon and a brass band in Prague. Regular appearances on BBC Radio 3’s In Tune and frequent airplay on Classic FM, Magic Classical, and NTS Radio reflect their broad appeal.

The group has released seven solo studio albums. Recent highlights include Anam (2025), a Gaelic inspired collection of “Music to Move the Soul,” and Haven (2023), which explores the music of troubled, displaced, and persecuted composers and features William Byrd’s complete Mass for Five Voices. Other notable releases are Where All Roses Go (2021) and O Radiant Dawn (2019), both of which reached the top 5 of the UK Classical Charts, as well as the winter album A Deep But Dazzling Darkness (2021) and Invocations (2023), a collaboration with composer and arranger Fraser Wilson. Their upcoming eighth album, Crossings (2026), is a musical meditation on the ancient Via Francigena pilgrimage route.

During the pandemic, APOLLO5 played a key role in launching LIVE From London, a global series of online concerts that reached millions and supported over 500 artists, composers, and production teams — a festival that continues to thrive today.

As part of the VOCES8 Foundation, APOLLO5 collaborates with Paul Smith and affiliated ensembles to deliver transformative workshops, masterclasses, and concerts to over 40,000 young people annually in the UK, Europe, and the USA. In recent years, the group has worked with thousands of participants across France through Association Sing’In projects, performing in unique venues such as football stadiums, circuses, and royal abbeys. Much of their UK education work is based at the VOCES8 Centre at St Anne & St Agnes Church in Central London. APOLLO5 has also helped to lead a major singing project in Hackney and Tower Hamlets, partnering with inner-city schools and supporting teachers. Now in its eighth year, this initiative is supported by the Masonic Charitable Foundation, the Worshipful Company of Glovers, The Big Give Trust, and generous private donors.

APOLLO5
Penelope Appleyard – soprano
Lily Robson – alto
Thomas Mottershead – tenor
Joseph Taylor – tenor
Augustus Perkins Ray – bass