ENKELIT IS...
Enkelit is a small, upper-voice choir concentrating on the beautiful a capella music of Finland. We are dedicated to delivering captivating performances that inspire and uplift audiences. Our distinctive blend of voices and diverse repertoire create an unforgettable musical experience for all.
The group has performed all over the north of England, as well as making two visits to the vocal music festival in Tampere in Finland and performing at the Edinburgh and Buxton Fringe festivals. Our line-up has, of course, changed significantly since 2003, with no founding members of the choir remaining, although four of us have now been part of Enkelit for over 12 years!
We meet once a month in York for a day-long rehearsal on a Sunday, and we are on the lookout for new singers who love the sound world we enjoy so much. Have a listen to our music, and get in touch if you would like to know more.
Enkelit was born in 2003, the group taking its name from the piece which inspired their creation, Enkelit, by Tella Turkka. Our repertoire is very contemporary, mostly written in the last thirty years, reflecting the ongoing renaissance in Finnish choral music.
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Our founding director, Richard Pomfret, first encountered Finnish choral music at the Tampere Vocal Music Festival in 2001. There he heard the piece Enkelit (Finnish for 'Angels'), performed by Fiori, an ensemble of seven singers for whom it was originally written. Inspired by this and other performances there, Richard became determined to form a group in Britain to perform more of the wealth of acapella upper-voice choral music from Finland.
Richard moved to Ireland in 2019, and has formed a second Finnish choir there, but once pandemic restrictions were lifted, has continued to act as founding director of Enkelit. Since 2023, he has shared leadership with singing coach, performer and composer, Mari Aino Elina, our performance director. This exciting partnership allows us to build on our history whilst adding an authentically Finnish flavour to our performances.
Richard Pomfret
Founder and Musical Director
Richard is our founding director, who first encountered Finnish choral music at the Tampere Vocal Music Festival in 2001. He moved to Ireland in 2019, and has formed a second Finnish choir there, but once pandemic restrictions were lifted, has continued to act as founding director of Enkelit.
Mari Aino Elina
Musical Director and Performance Coach
Mari is a singer-songwriter, recording artist and a CCM vocal coach originally from Lapland, Finland. Her mission is to help singers connect with their authentic, effortless voice. She has been coaching singers from all ages and abilities since 2015. She's performed in choirs, vocal ensembles, musical theatre, operas since 2001 and solo with her electro pop solo project, Aino Elina, since 2017.
Enkelit
Catherine Allen, Abi Cooper, Clare Cunningham, Alison Edwards, Margaret Fletcher, Jo Gilham, Cathy Gunningham, Jenni Lane, Lindsay Newmark, Fiona Shaw, Fiona Smith, Cath Smithson, Helen Spicer
“Enkelit choir took to the stage with their ghostly lyricism of traditional and and contemporary a capella music from Finland"
"The a capella sounds and rhythms were like fresh-fallen snow, clean and pure"
“Enkelit was definitely tingle-factor material”