An Unforgettable Day for Encore Choirs at Wickham Festival

Encore Choirs were thrilled to make our debut at Wickham Festival on Saturday 1 August 2026, bringing together members from all four of our community choirs for one very special performance.

Singers travelled from our choirs in Wickham, Winchester, Nyewood near Petersfield and Alton to take to the festival’s Big Top Main Stage. It was a wonderful opportunity for members from across our different locations to meet, perform together and share everything that makes Encore such a welcoming musical community.

After months of preparation, individual choir rehearsals and a full joint rehearsal, we were ready to sing our hearts out in front of the Wickham Festival audience.

Bringing Four Community Choirs Together

The day began with everyone meeting at the festival site, collecting their wristbands and getting ready for the performance ahead.

With such a large group of singers taking part, there was plenty to organise! We spent time warming up together before arranging everyone into their standing positions, making sure that each member could be seen and heard from the stage.

There was a fantastic sense of excitement as the choir gathered backstage. For some members, it was their first time performing at a major music festival, while others were excited to return to a large stage alongside their Encore friends.

We were also joined by our incredible live band, featuring Alfie, Joe, Pete, Adrian and Volodymyr. Their brilliant musicianship brought another level of energy to the performance and helped make the experience even more memorable for both the choir and the audience.

A Setlist Filled With Crowd-Pleasing Songs

We opened our Wickham Festival set with a high-energy Tina Turner medley, filled with recognisable crowd-pleasers that immediately got the performance off to an exciting start.

From there, we continued with an uplifting selection of popular songs, including Viva La Vida and Pompeii.

The set then moved into some of its more emotional moments as we brought the tempo down with performances of Shallow, You’ve Got a Friend and Supermarket Flowers.

Supermarket Flowers was a particularly moving part of the performance, with the choir’s heartfelt singing bringing a few members of the audience to tears. It was a powerful reminder of how music can bring people together and communicate emotions that can sometimes be difficult to put into words.

A Special Performance From Hannah Williams

We were delighted to be joined on stage by The Voice UK finalist Hannah Williams, an internationally recognised vocalist whose work has been sampled by Jay-Z.

Hannah gave a stunning solo performance of Aretha Franklin’s Ain’t No Way, captivating the audience with her extraordinary voice.

She then joined Encore Choirs for our performance of Something Inside So Strong, creating one of the biggest and most memorable moments of the entire set.

We would also like to celebrate our two fantastic Encore soloists, Mo and Janet, who performed their solos during Something Inside So Strong with confidence, warmth and beautiful vocals. We are incredibly proud of them both.

Finishing With Hotel California

We brought our Wickham Festival debut to a close with Hotel California by the Eagles.

It was the perfect song to end the performance, giving the choir and live band one final opportunity to fill the Big Top with music. As the choir walked off stage, the band continued playing, bringing our set to a brilliant and memorable conclusion.

The reaction from the audience made all the rehearsals, preparation and organisation worthwhile. We could not have been prouder of every Encore member who stepped onto the stage and gave the performance their all.

Thank You, Wickham Festival

We would like to say a huge thank you to Wickham Festival for inviting Encore Choirs to perform and for giving our members the opportunity to be part of such a brilliant local music event.

Most importantly, thank you to every one of our incredible choir members. Your enthusiasm, commitment and amazing singing made the day so special.

From the first rehearsal to the final note, this performance showed exactly what Encore Choirs is all about: people coming together, building confidence, making friends and experiencing the joy of singing as part of a supportive community.

Join Your Local Encore Community Choir

Would you love to sing with a friendly local choir and take part in performances like Wickham Festival?

Encore Choirs welcomes adults of all abilities. There are no auditions, and you do not need to be able to read music or have any previous singing experience. You simply need to enjoy music and be ready to have fun.

We run weekly community choirs in:

• Wickham
• Winchester
• Nyewood, near Petersfield
• Alton

Come along, meet new people and discover how good singing together can make you feel.

Hit the Contact Us button to get in touch and arrange your free taster session with Encore Choirs.