A milestone anniversary year highlights rare Renaissance polyphony, a special August 9 concert, and a new fundraising initiative to preserve historic choral traditions.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 2026) – The Suspicious Cheese Lords (SCL), Washington, D.C.’s all-male early music vocal ensemble, proudly announces its 30th anniversary. Founded in 1996, the ensemble has built a reputation for bringing unknown and rarely performed Renaissance polyphony to light through live performances and world-premiere recordings.
Over the past three decades, the Suspicious Cheese Lords have remained dedicated to their core artistic vision: uncovering and sharing musical gems from the Renaissance. The 30th anniversary season reflects both this rich legacy and an exciting step forward, anchored by a signature summer performance, a community-driven crowdfunding campaign, and a renewed commitment to rediscovering forgotten musical gems.
The festivities kick off this summer with a 30th anniversary concert on Sunday, August 9, 2026, at Annunciation Catholic Church in Washington, D.C. To ensure the ensemble can continue its mission of bringing rarely-heard music to light, SCL is simultaneously launching a $30,000 fundraising campaign running through August 2027. Supporting the ensemble’s newly-created Special Projects Fund, the campaign will fuel their sixth world-premiere album of previously-unrecorded works and expand their touring footprint after their European debut last summer in Normandy, France.
“Reaching 30 years is an incredible milestone for the Suspicious Cheese Lords,” said Clifton “Skip” West III, Founder and President of the ensemble. “It’s a moment to honor the generations of singers and listeners who have built this community, while also securing our future. Our music making has always been about connection—connecting past to present, and singer to audience. This milestone season, starting with our August concert and our anniversary fundraising efforts, celebrates that enduring bond and invites everyone to be a part of our next chapter.”
The 30th Anniversary Concert
August 9, 2026 | 5:00 PM | Annunciation Catholic Church (Washington, D.C.) | Event Link
The Suspicious Cheese Lords celebrate three decades of music-making with a program featuring signature pieces from their 30-year history. This performance will feature some of our favorite pieces, showcasing the rich, blended textures and emotional warmth that define the group’s signature sound, welcoming back alumni singers from the last three decades for select pieces. Presented as part of the Catherine and Mary Roth Concert Series. No admission charge, free-will offerings will be received. Plenty of free parking, entrance ramp, and elevator.Reception to follow in the Parish Center.
The 30th Anniversary Fundraising Campaign
In tandem with the landmark anniversary season, the Suspicious Cheese Lords are launching a $30,000 fundraising endeavor to support the ensemble’s long-term artistic vision. This campaign directly funds the group’s Special Projects Fund, driving new recording productions and touring. By participating in the campaign, donors can directly sustain the group’s mission to keep early choral music thriving, vibrant, and accessible in the nation’s capital and beyond. Explore here
About The Suspicious Cheese Lords:
Founded in 1996 in Washington, D.C., The Suspicious Cheese Lords broaden the global repertoire and audience for choral music by rediscovering forgotten works, breathing new life into familiar pieces, and presenting original compositions. Specializing in early music, this unique brotherhood of voices offers interpretations that are both academically informed and accessible to all, bringing the beauty of music from every era to contemporary listeners.
The Suspicious Cheese Lords have performed at major venues including the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the National Gallery of Art, and Washington National Cathedral. They have appeared in concert series and educational programs from the Midwest to the Atlantic Seaboard, including two fringe performances at the Boston Early Music Festival. In the summer of 2025, they toured Normandy, France, with performances at Mont-Saint-Michel and L’Abbaye de La Lucerne.
The Cheese Lords have released five world-premiere recordings. Their most recent album, Illumina Oculos Meos: Sacred Music by Palestrina and de Silva, features previously-unrecorded works such as Illumina oculos meos by Andreas de Silva, Palestrina’s radiant Missa Illumina oculos meos, and Francesco Soriano’s double-choir Laetare Jerusalem. Their recordings have been featured on nationwide radio broadcasts, including Harmonia Early Music and Robert Aubry Davis’ Millennium of Music.
