Sonority Choir
Find out about the brand new all-female choir that's taking to the vibrant Sheffield music scene!
Can you tell us about the brand new Sonority Choir?
Sonority is a brand new, female voice chamber choir. It was formed by Caroline Hallam in October this year. After completing her conductor training, Caroline realised that there was gap in the choral scene in the city and decided to form a new kind of choir. Sonority aims to bring passionate singers together to explore female voice music in a collaborative way. It provides a space for its members to lead, conduct, compose, arrange and to be really creative with the idea of what a choir is.
The group aims to give female voice music, female composers and female conductors a platform. The group will encourage and nurture emerging conductors and singing leaders to expand their skills, knowledge and experience in a safe and supportive way. While putting on extraordinary, creative performances in unusual settings.
What kind of music are you rehearsing at the moment?
We are currently rehearsing music for our WORLD PREMIER! We have put together a programme which includes new, local and female composers. We are working on two gorgeous pieces arranged by Sheffield’s very own Fraser Wilson, My Lord has Come by Will Todd and a selection of pieces by German composer Winnie Brückner.
The compositions by Winnie Brückner have really inspired the group. We are rehearsing her settings of Veni, Veni Emmanuel and Stille Nacht. They have expressive melodies, lush harmonies, and moments of dramatic intensity. They are simply beautiful.
We have all got quite geeky about female voice music. There are so many beautiful pieces with such a range of colour, mood and feeling, it has been hard to narrow them down. As a group, we are looking forward to exploring more and hope that our audience will enjoy listening to them as much as we are enjoying singing them.
Do you have any venues that you're really excited to perform in?
We are looking forward to our concert When the Earth Stands Still at the Samuel Worth Chapel. The chapel is right in the middle of the General Cemetery and it is a real hidden gem. The Chapel is such a unique space and incredibly tranquil and magical.
We have been extremely lucky to have the kind support of the Sheffield General Cemetery Trust. They have helped us with rehearsal space and hosting our first ever concert. It is a really inspiring setting and we look forward to future collaborations.
Sheffield has so many exciting and unusual venues. It is full of nooks and crannies and we excited about the prospect of bringing singing to places which don’t usually have music. I believe that sound and space are interlinked and they intrinsically effect each other. I love the idea of transforming a space with sound so that the audience experiences the music in a new way and at the same time sees the surroundings in a new light. We’d love to explore concerts on trains, in caves, in warehouses, on hills, in museums, parks, living rooms. The possibilities are endless.
Your first ever concert is coming up! What can we expect from the concert?
We are hoping to create an enchanting, heartfelt, immersive experience for our audience. They will be surrounded by lush harmonies and soaring descants in the magical, candle lit Samuel Worth Chapel. Featuring some of Sheffield's top vocalists; Sonority is a fresh, bright sound. The event will be moving, uplifting and a thoroughly captivating experience.
The performance will include new, beautiful arrangements of some well-known favourites, including Stille Nacht, Veni, Veni Emmanuel and Angel Gabriel alongside some lesser known songs including the beautiful When the Earth Stands Still by Don MacDonald.
The programme celebrates new, local and female composers. We are joined by guests from the Guild of Strings performing Christmas favourites to fill you with warmth and a festive glow. All accompanied by traditional festival refreshments.
Do you have any exciting future plans coming up with Sonority Choir?
Next year we are performing a Valentines concert at the Whirlow Spirituality Centre. Another hidden chapel set in a peaceful garden on the edge of the Peak District. It is a really special place full of stillness and peace. More details of the concert can be found here…https://www.whirlowspiritualit...
We are also planning a collaboration with two of Sheffield’s top yoga teachers. Think yoga, lush harmonies, soaring descants and lots of candles. The group was worried about what they had agreed to until I explained that the singing and yoga were not simultaneous and they wouldn’t have to be singing at top G whist in a downward-dog!
If you want to find out more about the choir, please follow us on twitter, Facebook, Instagram or through our website www.sonoritychoirsheffield.wordpress.com
