January 23, 2024

Jonathan Howard announces his departure

I’ve often thought that being in The King’s Singers is like being at a great party. I also believe that the key to having the best time at any party is not to stay too late. Leave while it’s still amazing - often by sneaking out the back door (I am British, after all) - and you’ll have the most extraordinary memories. It’s for this reason that I’ve decided to move on from my role in The King’s Singers at the end of 2024, after over fourteen seasons of very happy music-making, travel and friendship.

It was a dream to become the group’s bass in October 2010. I began without a driving licence, and I can now reverse a minivan. I initially had one passport and now have three. I can sleep in (almost) any hotel bed, and on (almost) any mode of transport at any time of day. I’ve met many of my closest friends, either on the road or through work at home. I’ve also performed on lots of the world’s greatest stages, worked with some of the world’s best musicians, and have seen places I never dreamed I’d see - from Kosovo to the Faroe Islands, South Korea to South Africa, and New Zealand to Yellowknife, in the Northwest Territories of Canada. Thankfully, we’ve still got a year to go before I bid my final farewell, and I look forward to seeing more extraordinary places, as well as friends and fans across the world as we embark on an amazing year of touring.

As the great Winnie the Pooh once said, “how lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” I feel so honoured that such a significant portion of my life so far has been in service of a group with a purpose - of bringing people together in joy through singing - that matters so deeply to me. My hope is that I will continue to serve this mission in my future life: as a programmer, broadcaster, presenter and performer. I am thankful to my core for my five current, brilliant colleagues, and to their five predecessors before them, for tolerating me daily; for our fans, our strongest source of inspiration and motivation; and for all our wonderful managers, agents, publicists and presenters, past and present, who work tirelessly to make being a King’s Singer a more fulfilling job that I could have ever imagined.

In short, thank you. I will leave with the happiest memories and enormous gratitude.