The Voice Project Choir: 

Norfolk & Norwich Festival 2015 Taster Session

Tuesday 17th February 2015

7.30pm

Friends Meeting House, Upper Goat Lane, Norwich NR2 1EW

01603 624854

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Open call for singers to taster for new Norfolk & Norwich Festival project

The Voice Project Choir, winners of EDP People’s Choice at the Norfolk Arts Awards in both 2013 and 2014, are inviting anyone who would like to try singing to a no obligation taster session. The Norwich based choir, who have performed at many international music festivals are recruiting new members for their exciting new commission to be performed at this year’s Norfolk & Norwich Festival. Recent incarnations of the choir have seen membership grow to almost 150 voices.

For this year’s performance they are creating The Astronomy Choir to perform ‘The Observatory’ – an exploration of humankind’s relationship with space – and our gradual attempts to understand and explore it with the poetic, the scientific and the musical. Weightlessness, distance, the unknown, infinity and astronomical geometry inspire this new co-commission from the Norfolk & Norwich Festival and The Voice Project which will be performed in and around the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts in the May Festival.

Music for the performances will be specially composed by Orlando Gough, Karen Wimhurst and Voice Project Co-Director Jonathan Baker, and and set to the metaphysical poetry of George Herbert and unbroadcast bulletins about the Moon landing mission of Apollo 11.

The choir is totally open access, there are no auditions and first timers are positively welcomed. The age range runs from 18 to 80 and the choir is created from beginners, experienced performers, and everyone in between. ‘Most people are far more musical than they think, and singing regularly in a group can really lift your spirits. Many join time and time again, extolling the relaxing and therapeutic values of singing in such uplifting surroundings, while others prefer to dip in for selected projects. I really cannot stress enough that absolutely everyone of whatever ability or experience is very welcome, no-one is judged in any way and we especially welcome first timers’ said co-director Sian Croose.

One recent recruit added ‘I had never sung in a choir before, and was quite nervous about airing my voice in public for the first time … but Sian and Jon created such an incredibly supportive, fun, engaging, and non-judgmental atmosphere during weekly practice that any fears I had about being a novice faded rapidly away. The setting and choreography for the performance itself added to the excitement and reward of being part of the Voice Project. More please!’

There is a no commitment ‘taster’ evening at on Tuesday 17 February at 7.30pm at The Friends Meeting House, Upper Goat Lane. Prospective singers can just turn up on the night or get further information and reserve a place at www.voiceproject.co.uk

Previous works by The Voice Project Choir have gone on to be performed at The Queen Elizabeth Hall London, Sage Gateshead, and at Normandy’s ‘Jazz Sous Les Pommiers’ Festival. The choir has been featured on BBC 1, BBC Radio 4 and BBC Radio 3 and primetime TV in France.

The Norfolk & Norwich Festival runs from 8-24 May and the full programme will be revealed by Artistic Director William Galinsky on 25 February 2015.

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