Viva Voce Singers will travel from Norwich to sing at our Evensong services on 23 & 24 August. Music Director Jody James shares a little about the choir as well as an insight into their repertoire.
Can you tell us about Viva Voce, how long has the choir been running?
“Viva Voce Singers is a chamber choir based in Norwich. It was formed in 1991 under the name Norfolk Pro Musica and then at some point over the years became Viva Voce Singers.
“I’ve been Music Director of the choir since 2005, taking it on a couple of years after finishing university. But before that I sang soprano in the choir, during my gap year, when it was conducted by Australian musician Christie Anderson. It was lovely to return in a different role some years later. I feel I’ve grown up with Viva in a way, as it’s been a constant in my life through many changes such as getting married and having my children.
How often do you come together to rehearse and perform?
“We rehearse weekly during term time giving one or two concerts each term, mainly in Norfolk. Typically, each year several of these are in Norwich, with some further afield, say on the Norfolk coast. In many ways St Peter Mancroft Church in Norwich, where I am Director of Music, feels like our ‘home’ venue. We have concerts coming up there in November and December.
“We often give concerts to help local charities raise funds. Each year at Christmas we perform a Christmas concert for MAP, an information, advice, counselling and support organisation which does excellent work with young people across Norfolk and Waveney.
“Previous cathedral weekend visits have included Christchurch Oxford, Southwark and Rochester, and we have also sung for services at Norwich and St Edmundsbury cathedrals.
Can you share what you love most about working with the choir and what makes Viva Voce special?
“I enjoy the choir’s openness to singing a wide repertoire. Whether we’re doing an early mass setting, a Victorian partsong, a challenging piece of contemporary music or an arrangement of something from musical theatre the singers will tackle it with enthusiasm. Over recent years we have explored a lot of music by women composers which has been really rewarding. Viva is also a friendly and welcoming group.
“I’m excited to be visiting Chelmsford Cathedral at last, as we’ve never sung there, and I’ve never actually been! My colleague the Vicar of St Peter Mancroft, Edward Carter, was previously Canon Theologian at Chelmsford and we’ve also had a Choral Scholar who was a former Chelmsford Chorister, so it will be good to visit at last.”
Can you give us an idea of your repertoire, and whether you have adapted this for your visit to Chelmsford?
“The music we will sing over the weekend includes Victoria’s ‘Missa O quam gloriosum’ which we performed a year or so ago at the wonderful Binham Priory. Most of the other music we will be preparing especially for our visit, including Peter Aston’s St Andrew’s Service, which is special to me as Peter was one of my advisors when I was an undergraduate at UEA.
“One of our anthems is by James Whitbourn, whose music we will be further exploring in the Autumn”
Viva Voice Singers will singing at our Evensong services on the 23 and 24 August.