My first document

Dear Sponsors and Friends,

Our first season with your enthusiastic support has enabled the Chamber Choir to take musical strides that would have been impossible without you.

Thank you for believing in us, thank you for believing in our vision, and thank you for believing in our music.

Please enjoy this look back on 2022 – 2023!

We sincerely hope for your continued support as we look forward to all that is yet to come for Vox Anima Chamber Choir.

Commissioned by a consortium led by Vox Anima Chamber Choir, made possible by a legacy from Alan Dyson donated by Ann and Terry Cloke.

Premiered at the chapel of St Augustine, Tonbridge, Kent 30 October 2022

for upper voices

“In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone: Snow had fallen, snow on snow In the bleak midwinter, long ago.

Angels and archangels may have gathered there

Cherubim and seraphim thronged the air, But only His mother, in her maiden bliss Worshipped the Beloved with a kiss

What can I give Him, poor as I am?

If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb, If I were a wise man, I would do my part, Yet what I can I give him – give my heart.”

The Chamber Choir performed the World Premiere of Dan Forrest’s setting of this beautiful carol in St Peter and St Paul’s Church, Yalding, Kent on 17 December 2022

12 –

18 February 2023

Our first tour EVER – it had to be America!

First stop – guests of First Baptist Church of Christ, Macon, Georgia where we sang at their morning service:-

Even When He Is Silent – Kim Andre Arnesen

Song of Miriam – Elaine Hagenberg

Ubi Caritas – Ola Gjeilo

12 –

18 February 2023

Our first tour EVER – it had to be America!

Second stop – guests of Morningside Presbyterian Church, Georgia. We workshopped alongside members of the Church Choir, students from Mercer University Women’s Choir, and students from Garnet Chorale, University of South Carolina. It was an inspiring learning place for us, collaborating with a greater number of voices as well as working with other conductors. Each choir performed their own individual set and we then performed LUX - for upper voices - as a massed choir with the composer himself at the piano!

Song of Miriam – Elaine Hagenberg

Northern Lights – Ola Gjeilo

Suffer No Grief – Abbie Betinis

February 2023

Our first tour EVER – it had to be America!

Final stop – New York City! The finale to our incredible tour was 4 days in the Big Apple. We performed alongside and as guests of the Compostela Choir from St James’ Episcopal Church on Madison Avenue. Apart from having our own Richard Hammond-Hall accompany us, we were also joined by Jorge Avila and Elizabeth Mikhael – two outstanding musicians and dear friends of Jamie and Alex. This final tour performance of LUX left our hearts full and yearning for future occasions to share our music with an ever-expanding audience. Also on this programme was music by Ola Gjeilo, Elaine Hagenberg, Abbie Betinis, Kim Andre Arnesen, Andrea Ramsey and of course one of our all time favourite pieces –Would Like To Meet, by our Patron - Cecilia McDowall.

OUTREACH

We are committed to investing in our local community to ensure that as many people as possible have informed access to the music of today’s composers.

Jamie teaches choral scholars from St Mary’s Church, West Malling and as part of his teaching he introduces them to conducting. The Chamber Choir was delighted to be part of a conducting workshop, giving opportunities to several young scholars to stand in front of a responsive group of singers who would follow their conducting lead.

Southwark

Cathedral London 10 June 2023

We were delighted to be part of the Vox Anima London

2023 Concert Season, making our London debut in Southwark Cathedral on 10 June 2023. The Chamber Choir were also invited to join the festival choir at the same concert, singing a movement of Philip Stopford’s “Missa Deus Nobiscum” from the nave of the cathedral.

OUTREACH #2

To develop our international outreach work, we partnered with a chamber choir from Rochester, NY. We welcomed Concentus Women’s Choir into our homes and lives as the culmination of an unforgettable year of music-making for Vox Anima Chamber Choir.

As guests of Sutton Valence Choral Society, we guided Concentus through the Kent countryside, singing in ancient churches along the way.

We had two wonderful workshop sessions culminating in a joint concert in St Augustine’s Chapel at Tonbridge School. We performed Cecilia McDowall’s “Everyday Wonders: The Girl From Aleppo” (for upper voices) as well as giving the World Premiere performance of “Being Me,” a piece composed by Joanna Gill and commissioned by Vox Anima Chamber Choir for this event.

In summary, you have enabled us to:-

• Commission 2 pieces of music by prominent composers

• Perform 3 World Premieres

• Present 7 concerts

• Increase our number of sectional rehearsals

• Create educational events with young music scholars

• Collaborate with musicians from the US, both in England and in America

• Expand our repertoire

• Bring the music of living composers to an ever-growing audience

We would be thrilled if you would continue to support us as a Sponsor for our upcoming 2023 – 2024 season. We have so many plans and dreams for the Chamber Choir’s unique voice and mission, but the bottom line is, we need financial investment to pursue these goals. Since September 2023, Vox Anima Chamber Choir has been taken under the umbrella of the charity “Friends of the Vox” – this means that we can make your donation work even harder by claiming Gift Aid (if you are a UK taxpayer and tick the boxes that need ticking!).

Thank you again for your generous support, both financially and through your consistent presence at our concerts – we can’t do it without you!