The Campion Quartet has been in existence since 1997 and in that time a number of singers have come and gone. The only founder member still singing with the quartet is Chris Phillips. But the quartet members not only change with time but according to availability and knowledge of the music to be sung, so you can see different lineups for different events.

People always ask us why "Campion", and the answer takes us back to a pizzeria in Rome's historic centre, one Sunday in July 1997. Four members of the Rome-based choir 'The New Chamber Singers' (Andrew Cochlin, Chris Phillips, Marjorie Corner and Philippa Millward) had just sung for the first time as a quartet. We had sung the morning service at Rome's Anglican church 'All Saints', in via del Babuino. We were lunching to celebrate the birth of the quartet. But what was it to be called? We tried various ideas, without success, until someone suggested making an acronym from our initials. As none of our surnames started with vowels, we chose first names, and the only euphonious name that can be constructed from A, C, M and P was "camp", and the "Camp Quartet" might give people the wrong idea! Then we remembered that we had, that morning, sung an anthem by Thomas Campion. We had a name.

Whoever are the singers, the ethos of the quartet is always to try to give the quartet as wide a repertoire as possible. We love music of all types, and enjoy singing the theme from a children's cartoon just as much as a Latin mass.

We also try to sing as wide a variety of events as possible:

We have sung:

  • Holy Communion and Choral Evensong at All Saints Church, via del Babuino
  • Various ecumenical events, hosted at various churches including San Paolo Fuori le Mura and Santa Maria Sopra Minerva
  • Mass at the Messa degli Artisti
  • The British Embassy Christmas party
  • Christmas carols at Babington's Tea Rooms, Piazza di Spagna
  • Concerts in Rome, mostly at All Saints
  • Concerts in Sacrofano, just outside Rome
  • The Nine Lessons and Carols Christmas service at All Saints
  • Weddings
  • Anglican Choral Evensong at the Catholic basilica of St. Paul's Outside The Walls, Rome, which was broadcast worldwide on the Vatican's Telepace TV channel
  • On tour in Provence, France, singing concerts and masses
  • Educational concerts at Santa Maria in Montesanto
  • Christmas carol concerts at the British Council
  • British Embassy receptions
  • For BBC radio 2's Sunday program of religious music from around the Anglican world
  • Various concerts in Rome and the Lazio and Umbrian countryside
  • In private homes, turning a dinner party into a very special occasion