Norwich's Voice Project Offers Opportunity To Sing For 'City Of Strangers'

This year marks the 10th anniversary of Norwich's Voice Project, a unique and innovative vocal music education charity, perhaps best known for The Voice Project Choir.

In celebration of their 10 years of song, a very special concert will take place on Saturday 22 December at Norwich's St Andrews Hall. At this they will be joined by some of the guest singers and musicians who have taken part over the years - with internationally renowned saxophonist Andy Sheppard already confirmed to lead the instrumental line up.

Co-Directors Sian Croose and Jonathan Baker are inviting past and present choir members, to join in the celebratory concerts to potentially create their largest ensemble yet. Past performances have seen the choir exceed 180 members.

One of the most significant aspects of The Voice Project Choir is that it truly is open to all. A true community choir that absolutely anyone can join whether they have any experience of singing and music or not - there are no auditions and everything is taught by ear with no need to read music.

Many members of the choir join time and time again, extolling the relaxing and therapeutic values of singing, others join on a one-off basis leaving with an enhanced sense of achievement and satisfaction.

Anyone interested can simply attend the obligation free taster session on 2 October or the first rehearsal on 9 October. 'We don't have a permanent choir' said Sian Croose 'some people sign up for every project and some join for one and return at a later date. I think that flexibility helps keep everything fresh - over the years we must have had hundreds of different members'.

'We're also hoping that some of the members of the choir's we formed in Brighton and elsewhere will be able to join us' said Jonathan, 'We hope to make it a true celebration of the past 10 years and a launchpad for the next 10'.

Titled 'The Sky is Full of Light' after one of the first song's specially written for the choir by famed jazz musician Barbara Thompson, the concert will feature some of The Voice Project's favourite pieces from the past decade alongside new songs especially written for the event.

The taster session is an opportunity to meet Sian and Jonathan, sing some of the music, and hear about plans for the performances.

Since their creation in 2008, the Voice Project's unique vision of what a community choir can be has taken them to international festivals around the UK and mainland Europe. They have been featured on prime time French TV and featured on BBC Radio 3 and Radio 4. They perform annual concerts of specially commissioned music at Norfolk & Norwich Festival appearing with significant guest composers and musicians from the jazz and contemporary music fields and took their show The Arms of Sleep to this year's Brighton International Festival. Guest's have included Andy Sheppard, pianist Gwilym Simcock, Switzerland's Nik Bärtsch, Norway's Arve Henriksen and American trumpeter Jon Hassell who has also collaborated with the likes of David Bowie, Brian Eno, David Sylvian and Peter Gabriel.

For more information on the taster session, to book and for information on all Voice Project activities visit www.voiceproject.co.uk or contact info@voiceproject.co.uk

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