What Mastersingers does

Mastersingers is an amateur vocal ensemble based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire (United Kingdom), founded in 1993 by Alan Simmons. The group performs as a 12-voice choir using a distinctive SATTBB voicing (four female and eight male singers) accompanied by a trio of piano, drums, and double bass. Its repertoire spans medieval French carols, sacred works, jazz standards, and contemporary pop arrangements, and several members (notably James Morgan, Rob Wilding, Alan Simmons, and Alan Woods) are themselves composers and arrangers who produce original material for the ensemble.

The ensemble's product offering consists of seven recorded albums (Softly, Beautiful Music Dangerous Rhythm, Love's Redeeming Work, Rhapsody, Here To Stay, Mastersingers Live, and Wolcum Yole), sold directly via the mastersingers.co.uk website at £5 each plus postage, and also distributed digitally through Apple's iTunes store. Concert performance services — bookable through the website for charities, churches, community events, and private functions — represent the core live offering, with tickets sold through wegottickets.com and at the door. The group has no proprietary technology platform; its commercial infrastructure is a standard WordPress site, social media profiles, and an associate network (Morgan Music, Alan Simmons Music, Concert Direction).

Mastersingers monetizes through three streams: one-off CD sales (online and at concerts), one-off concert ticket revenue, and ad hoc private function bookings. It has no formal corporate ownership, no funding rounds, no subsidiaries, and no enterprise contracts; revenue and financial figures are not publicly disclosed. The ensemble has operated for over three decades with a stable headcount of approximately 15, recorded at Abbey Road Studios and Parr Street Studios, and maintained a recurring media relationship with the BBC across Radio 2, the Daily Service, and Songs of Praise.

Name

Mastersingers

Legal name

Mastersingers

Website

https://mastersingers.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Mastersingers is an amateur 12-voice vocal ensemble (SATTBB format) based in Huddersfield, UK, founded in 1993. It sells seven recorded CDs and books live concert performances for UK and European audiences across churches, charities, and community events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Choral Music Performance

NAICS

Musical Groups and Artists (711130), Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers (711510), Other Sound Recording Industries (512290)

akta.pro primary industry

Session Musicians & Vocalists (MPAIAHAC)

Keywords

• Vocal ensemble performances
• Choral concert services
• Live music entertainment
• Recorded music albums
• Choral music direction

Headquarters

HQ city

Huddersfield

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. CD Sales: Direct sales of CDs at £5 each plus postage and packaging. Available through their website and at concerts.
2. Concert Tickets: Revenue from live concert performances. Tickets sold through third-party platforms such as wegottickets.com.
3. Concert-direct CD Sales: CDs sold directly at concerts, including bundle options for customers attending live performances.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Mastersingers is a private vocal ensemble offering live concert performances in a unique 12-voice format (four female and eight male voices in SATTBB voicing) supported by piano, drums, and double bass. The group sells recorded music albums on CD and via iTunes, and accepts bookings for private events, charity functions, and church services primarily across the UK and occasionally in Europe. Repertoire spans medieval French carols through contemporary pop arrangements, with most original works composed and arranged in-house by members.

Product overview

The Mastersingers is a vocal ensemble consisting of four female and eight male voices in a unique SSATTBB voicing, performing live concerts and producing recorded albums. The group's portfolio includes seven distinct albums (Softly, Beautiful Music Dangerous Rhythm, Love's Redeeming Work, Rhapsody, Here To Stay, Mastersingers Live, and Wolcum Yole), available for purchase as CDs or digital downloads via iTunes. Their live performance services offer booking for concerts at venues including churches, charity events, and private functions, with performances typically scheduled on the 2nd Saturday of each month during term-time.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Softly The Mastersingers' debut solo album recorded at Abbey Road Studios, featuring vocal performances across jazz standards and traditional songs.
• Beautiful Music, Dangerous Rhythm Album recorded at Abbey Road Studios featuring arrangements including 'All You Were And All You Are', 'Harry', 'The Pirates Of Penzance', and 'Swing Low Sweet Chariot'.
• Love's Redeeming Work Is Done Album featuring the music of Sir Malcolm Williamson, Master of the Queen's Musick, recorded at St Catharine's College, Cambridge, including pieces like 'Procession of Palms' and 'Agnus Dei'.
• Rhapsody Album recorded at Abbey Road Studios featuring tracks such as 'A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square' and 'Psalm 57'.
• Here To Stay Album recorded at Parr Street Studios, Liverpool, featuring tracks including 'Across The Skies', 'Ain't Misbehavin', 'Our Love Is Here To Stay', 'The Rose', and 'The Voice'.
• Mastersingers Live (21st Anniversary) Live album celebrating 21 years since the ladies joined the men, recorded during milestone concerts at St Paul's Hall at the University of Huddersfield, featuring tracks like 'Take The A Train', 'Three Times A Lady', and 'Beati Quorum Via'.
• Wolcum Yole Christmas album featuring festive tracks including 'Jingle Bells', 'Santa Baby', 'Unto Us IS Born A Son', and 'The First Noel'.
• Concert Performance Services Live concert performances for events including charity functions, church services, and private functions, featuring the group's unique SATTBB vocal format with piano, drums, and double bass accompaniment.

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Morgan MusiccoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMusic business operated by James Morgan, who is also a member and Director/Writer/Arranger for The Mastersingers. Morgan Music handles CD sales and booking inquiries for the group, including the 21st Anniversary concert ticket sales.
• Alan Simmons MusiccoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMusic business operated by Alan Simmons, founder and former director of The Mastersingers. Alan Simmons Music is linked as an associate, facilitating music services and connections.
• Concert DirectionminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorConcert direction service that represents and promotes The Mastersingers for bookings and performances through concertdirection.com/mastersingers.
• Ken DoddminorOthersThe Mastersingers provided backing vocals for Ken Dodd as a recording and backing ensemble early in their history.
• Cleo LaineminorOthersThe Mastersingers provided backing vocals for Cleo Laine as part of their recording and backing ensemble work.
• Roger WhittakerminorOthersThe Mastersingers provided backing vocals for Roger Whittaker during their career as a recording ensemble.
• Howard KeeleminorOthersThe Mastersingers provided backing vocals for Howard Keele as part of their work as a male voice backing ensemble.
• BBCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Mastersingers have appeared regularly on BBC Radio 2, the Daily Service (BBC Radio 4), and BBC's Songs of Praise. They performed at BBC Proms Live events in Manchester.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• The Sixteen: UK choir and vocal ensemble with extensive recording catalogue and touring schedule across sacred and secular repertoire. Comparable as a UK-rooted vocal group with album releases and a structured booking/management operation.
• The Tallis Scholars: UK vocal ensemble with a deep recording catalogue at Gimell Records and regular international touring. Comparable as a small UK-based vocal group whose business model is built on recordings plus concert appearances.
• Stile Antico: British vocal ensemble with a substantial discography and international concert schedule. Comparable as a small UK vocal ensemble combining albums, live performances, and classical/early-music repertoire.
• The King's Singers: UK-based professional vocal ensemble with a long recording catalogue and international touring schedule. Directly comparable as a small UK vocal group that records albums and books live performances, though at a much larger professional scale.
• Tenebrae: Professional UK chamber choir with international touring, regular BBC recordings, and a substantial discography. Overlaps with The Mastersingers on choral recordings, BBC exposure, and live concert bookings.
• VOCES8: British vocal ensemble (eight voices) producing albums, performing concerts worldwide, and active on social media. Same performing-and-recording model as The Mastersingers, with comparable repertoire breadth across classical and contemporary.

Regional players

• Holme Valley Singers: Local choral group founded and directed by James W. Morgan, co-director of The Mastersingers. Direct organisational overlap and serves the same West Yorkshire community with live choral performances.
• Huddersfield Choral Society: Major amateur choral society based in Huddersfield, sharing the same hometown and overlapping member base (Jon Sims membership cited). Comparable as a regional choral performance entity serving the same local audience.
• Huddersfield Men's Voices: Male-voice choir in Huddersfield led by James W. Morgan. Comparable as a regional choral group sharing leadership with The Mastersingers and serving a similar Northern England concert audience.

Broad incumbents

• BBC Singers: BBC's full-time professional chamber choir, with broadcast recordings and live performances. Overlaps The Mastersingers' BBC-exposure and choral repertoire space at much greater scale and resource depth.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/mastersingersuk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mastersingers

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Mastersingers