Category Archives: Articles

The cobwebs of winter were finally blown away as Richard Hills, Vivamus’ Accompanist and Associate Director of Music, kicked off our spring concert last Friday night with a dazzlingly fizzy rendition of Widor’s Toccata for organ. Once voted the nation’s favourite piece of wedding music by listeners of Classic FM (and still the cause ofContinue reading “A new chapter of the year: A reflective on our spring concert”

I’ve been under the weather recently. I had to take a sick day off work last week, which is rare for me. For a few days I could barely concentrate, or get a coherent sentence out. My social plans were affected, I couldn’t sleep very well, I couldn’t play the new video game I’d beenContinue reading ““There’s something going around” – singing through sickness”

I first sang a setting of the Latin Requiem – Mozart’s – as a treble in my first year at Big School. A friend remembers me singing excerpts of the loud and exciting Dies irae in the lunch queue. Nearly forty years later, as Vivamus’ performance of Duruflé’s Requiem draws near, how have my feelings towards the Requiem MassContinue reading “Mozart, Maurice and me: seeking solace in Duruflé’s Requiem”

It’s an honour and a privilege for Vivamus to be working with renowned cellist Yuki Ito for our upcoming performance of Duruflé’s Requiem. Here, he chats to us about how he first became a cellist, and what he’s looking forward to next. How did your journey into music begin? Before picking up a cello atContinue reading “Rachmaninoff, concertos, and the allure of sitting down – Q&A with cellist Yuki Ito”

I was really excited when I heard that this term, we would be singing Duruflé’s Requiem. I sang it once a long time ago, and had really fond memories of it. As I expected, I’m enjoying reminding myself of it and getting back inside the music. The sweeping melodies are elegant and touching. The harmonyContinue reading “Growing as a singer for our spring performance”

Today, 1 February 2024, is #TimeToTalkDay. It’s a campaign by the mental health charity Mind, to encourage talking about our struggles, our reactions, and how we’re really feeling. In the spirit of it being “time to talk”, I’ve decided to share how singing, especially with Vivamus, has helped my own mental health. A mental healthContinue reading “#TimeToTalkDay, diversity, and the power of singing”

It really is that most wonderful time of the year! Music is everywhere and carol concerts are in full swing. You could, of course, quite happily go to any one of them and have a good evening. But if you weren’t at St Clement Danes Church last Thursday for Vivamus at Christmas: A Ceremony ofContinue reading “Season’s greetings: A Christmas concert reflective”

Benjamin Britten composed A Ceremony of Carols on a sea voyage from the United States to England in 1942. It is an extended choral composition for Christmas originally scored for three-part children’s chorus, solo voices, and harp. The text, structured in eleven movements, is mainly in Middle English, with some Latin and Early Modern English.Continue reading “A Ceremony of Carols: a personal response on St Cecilia’s Day”

There’s just something about Christmas music. Don’t me wrong. Christmas is full of so many things to enjoy, besides music. There’s the amazing food and drink – it’s the only time of year you can get away with drinking prosecco and eating cheese all day, and no one will judge. There’s the comfortingly familiar entertainment,Continue reading “The magic of Christmas concerts”

I haven’t double-checked, but I think it was a character in a Stephen Fry book who proposed that there are people with great minds (in other words, enthusiasts), and people with great brains (in other words, experts). You don’t need to have read Fry to know that I’m an enthusiast more than an expert –Continue reading “Learning in concert: Performance as (re-)education”