The Singing Estate is a four-part constructed documentary series made by North One Television for Five and FiveArts Cities in the UK, shot from January 2006 to April 2006 and transmitted from 11 June to 2 July 2006.
On the Blackbird Leys estate, in Oxford, conductor Ivor Setterfield auditioned 140 hopeful amateur singers, eventually picking 40 for 'Ivor's Choir' as they were then known.
After the choir line-up was finalised, with some singers held in reserve, they began their public career with a performance of "The Wild Rover" at an Oxford United home game.
In subsequent programmes they learned new pieces including Carl Orff's Carmina Burana; visited Italy, where they sang "'O sole mio" with Italian tenor Franco Malapena; held a marquee concert in Blackbird Leys (singing Handel's Hallelujah chorus); travelled to Liverpool, where they rehearsed with a full orchestra for the first time and finally went to London for the big performance of Carmina Burana alongside a youth choir.
On 14 January 2007, the choir took part in Oxford Sings, a day-long workshop and performance of the Hallelujah chorus with approximately 400 other singers from around Oxfordshire.