About MK Sweet Sound Choir
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 1773.
Craig Mcleish, our Musical Director, was approached by the Cowper and Newton Museum to see if a new Milton Keynes based Gospel Choir could be formed. Online adverts were sent out, local churches were contacted and auditions were held. The choir made its first official appearance at the AG250 Celebration in July 2022. Following an amazing concert at the Stables with the Chineke Ensemble that year, the Gospel choir continued and started to be a focus for celebrating and taking gospel music all over the city and wider area.
There are currently around 40 members. Spaces in each voice group (SAT) occasionally become available.
Please get in touch here if you are interested in joining us!
Craig Mcleish
Musical Director
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. Whilst 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 they appeared on many BBC Songs of Praise episodes, 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 also wrote string arrangements on a number of albums.
Craig was a regular conductor and arranger for BBC Songs of Praise and was MD for various Celebrity Specials including 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 the thousands at UK 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: We had an exciting experience to feature on BBC's Songs of Praise. We sung our version of 'Amazing Grace' to celebrate the 250th birthday of the song, written by John Newton in St Peter & St Paul's church Olney, where John Newton wrote the hymn and where it was first sung by the congregation on 1st January 1773.
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