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St Peter’s College Choir collaborates on new recording by internationally acclaimed artist Manika Kaur
22 September 2026
A new choral collaboration
The Choir of St Peter’s College has collaborated on a new recording released by internationally acclaimed Sikh devotional and Kirtan artist, Manika Kaur. The Choir provided the backing vocals to all four tracks of One Voice, an EP blending traditional Sikh Kirtan with elements of contemporary world music. The collaboration came about through St Peter’s alumnus and Choir supporter, Haarjeev Kandhari (Philosophy, Politics and Economics, 1993), who introduced the Choir to Kaur, his wife. One Voice was released on 16 August 2026 and is available on all major streaming platforms.
Quintin Beer, Director of Music at St Peter’s College, said of the collaboration,
‘It was a privilege to work with Manika on this recording with our own College Choir. Her music carries a joyously spiritual message, and it was wonderful for our students to lend their voices to something so different from our usual repertoire. It’s a reminder of how far choral singing can travel and how versatile our musicians at St Peter’s can be. We're grateful to Haarjeev for bringing us together and delighted the album is now out in the world.’
Manika Kaur said,
‘Working with the St Peter’s College Choir of Oxford University was genuinely such a smooth, professional and brilliant experience.
I asked a great deal of them to sing in multiple languages, to transition quickly in and out of those languages as they wove through four musically complex pieces, and to understand the build and progression of each section. On top of that, we had a full day of recording, starting early in the morning, with the ambitious aim of recording the entire EP in a single day.
It was a lot to ask, and they approached it all with positivity, grace, openness and complete professionalism.
That was equally true of the live performance. Having them perform on stage with me, they brought such charisma and sincerity to the music, the project and the lyrics, embracing the weaving together of multiple languages with real sensitivity and commitment.
I couldn’t recommend them more highly. I am incredibly grateful to have had them as part of this project, which has been deeply meaningful to me. Their contribution helped bring everything together so beautifully, both in the studio and on stage.’
About the St Peter’s College Choir
The Choir of St Peter’s College is a mixed-voice choir comprising around 25 auditioned students. It has an established reputation in Oxford, and further afield, for its choral excellence, diverse repertoire and collegiality. In 2025, the Choir released its latest album, Fresh stone: Music by Piers Connor Kennedy, featuring original, never-before-recorded works written for the Choir during alumnus Kennedy’s tenure as Associate Composer (2022-2023), in addition to works composed during his time as a student at St Peter’s College and throughout his subsequent career. You can hear the Choir on Sundays and Thursdays during term time at our Chapel services, and on our Chapel YouTube channel.