ABOUT SWEET SOUND CHOIR
The MK Sweet Sound Choir was created to take part in the 250th Anniversary Commemorations of the Hymn Amazing Grace, written by John Newton in Olney in 1772.
Craig was approached by the organisers to see if something locally could be founded, as there was no Gospel Choir as such in the vicinity. Some online adverts were sent out, auditions were held and the choir made its first official performance at the AG250 Celebration in July 2022. There are around 45 current members and our future engagements include performing alongside the Chineke Orchestra in a brand new commission by Roddy Williams at the Wavendon Stables in July 2023 again for the AG250 project. Parts of the piece will also be presented by 250 singers at another MK event.
Craig Mcleish
Conductor
Craig McLeish has been involved in choral music since the age of 7 when we he auditioned to become a chorister at St Paul’s Cathedral London.
He was part of a historic change in the musical life of the Cathedral since his time coincided with the arrival of Barry Rose as Director of the Choir.
While he was there Craig began composing and some of his pieces are still in the library to this day. He was Head chorister in 1977 for the Queen’s Silver Jubilee and took part in many broadcasts and recordings.
After studying at York University and the Guildhall he became a freelance singer and music copyist and arranger. This led to him becoming Director of Music for the Methodist MAYC Orchestra and Singers in 1992. During his time there they appeared on many BBC Songs of Praise programmes, and this brought Craig into working with some of the country’s leading gospel and worship artists such as the Kingdom Choir, Noel Robinson, David and Carrie Grant, Noel Richards and Matt Redman, for whom Craig wrote string arrangements on a number of albums.
Songs of Praise kept Craig on as a regular conductor and arranger and he was MD for various Celebrity Specials such as Mavis Staples, Candy Staton, Rick Wakeman and Paul Jones.
Since the year 2000 he has been Musical Director of Young Voices, bringing together school choirs in all the UK’s Arenas to sing with well known artists such as Beverley Knight, Alexandra Burke, Tony Hadley, and Connie Talbot. He also directs Community Choirs in and around Milton Keynes and the Mk Sweet Sound Choir is his latest most exciting project.
Previous Achievements
08/01/2023 - As a choir we have had an exciting experience to feature on Songs of Praise, we sung our version of 'Amazing Grace' to celebrate the 250th birthday of the song, written by John Newton. We sung in the St Peters & St Pauls church, a church in the village of Olney where John Newton wrote the song.