"Laurel has great energy on stage and in rehearsals. She’s an amazing allrounder: singer, conductor and instrumentalist. She can do it all."
Gareth Malone, TV Choirmaster
SINGER
Laurel has performed with many professional choirs in London, for example, London Contemporary Orchestra, Echo Vocal Ensemble, London Choral Sinfonia, St Martin-in-the-Field's Voices, National Portrait Gallery Choir, and St Paul’s Cathedral Consort.
She has toured the UK and made several TV and radio appearances with Gareth Malone's Voices, most recently as a lead vocalist on his Singalong-a-Gareth tour in 2022, has performed in Europe with acapella group Apollo5, and sang with The Rolling Stones in 2012 at the 02 as part of the choir for "You Can't Always Get What You Want".
Laurel has completed internationally renowned chamber choir The Sixteen’s training programme, Genesis Sixteen, and studied Music at the University of Nottingham. Growing up in Kent she benefited from Kent Youth Choirs training, played in Ashford Youth Jazz Orchestra, and learnt to play several instruments in her Mum's folk band.
Laurel is known for her versatility in both classical and pop styles, with her upper vocals having a unique and ethereal sound, whilst she maintains presence and expression in her lower range. She can sight-read music fluently or learn by ear, is used to memorising parts quickly for professional performance. She is also experienced at studio and home recording.
MUSICAL DIRECTOR
Laurel Neighbour is an accomplished, versatile, and dynamic Musical Director and singer with a passion for sharing music-making with others.
She is in demand due to her musical leadership, thorough knowledge of the voice, and extensive performance experience. Laurel also brings her sense of fun, creative play, and humour to all groups she works with.
Laurel has been working with choirs in London since 2012, currently leading the Note-orious Community Choir, Kings College London Staff Choir, and London Youth Choir North East. She was Musical Director of the London Humanist Choir for ten years, Assistant Musical Director for St John of Jerusalem Festival Chorus, she completed an Apprenticeship with Royal Opera House Thurrock Community Chorus in 2018.
In 2015 she conducted choirs singing the French and Italian national anthems at Twickenham stadium for the Rugby World Cup, made her conducting debut at the BBC Proms in September 2019, leading one of eight choirs in John Luther Adams' In the Name of the Earth, and conducted Brahms' Ein Deutsches Requiem with Wokingham Choral Society in 2022.
Laurel channels her passion for getting everyone singing through her work as a singing teacher, especially with younger voices. She believes that music should be a core part of every child’s education. She has held posts as Project Director for Dartford Choral Outreach, and currently enjoys working as an education workshop leader for Voces8, as a Choral Practioner with Voices Foundation, and teaching Curriculum Music for Southwark Music Service.
She continues to study conducting with the Association of British Choral Directors, and worked for several years for Music in Offices. She is committed to diversifying choral music programmes and aims to platform music by composers from all backgrounds.
In her spare time, Laurel can be seen pedalling on her purple Peugeot racing bike, Polly, around south London.
