Vocal ensemble
VOCES8
Vocal ensemble
The singing of VOCES8 is impeccable in its quality of tone and balance. They bring a new dimension to the word ‘ensemble’ with meticulous timing and tuning.Gramophone Magazine
The British vocal ensemble VOCES8 is proud to inspire people through music and share the joy of singing. Touring extensively, the group performs repertoire from Renaissance polyphony to contemporary commissions and arrangements; versatility and a celebration of diverse musical expression is central to the ensemble’s performance ethos.
Andrea Haines, soprano
Molly Noon, soprano
Katie Jeffries-Harris, alto
Barnaby Smith, alto and artistic director
Blake Morgan, tenor
Euan Williamson, tenor
Christopher Moore, baritone
Jonathan Pacey, bass
The British vocal ensemble VOCES8 is proud to inspire people through music and share the joy of singing. Touring globally, the group performs an extensive repertory both in its a cappella concerts and in collaborations with leading musicians, orchestras, conductors and soloists. Versatility and a celebration of diverse musical expression are central to the ensemble’s performance and education ethos which is shared both online and in person.
VOCES8 has performed at many notable venues since its inception in 2005 including Wigmore Hall, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Cité de la Musique Paris, Vienna Konzerthaus, Tokyo Opera City, NCPA Beijing, Sydney Opera House, Mariinsky Theatre Concert Hall, Victoria Concert Hall Singapore, Palacio de Bellas Artes Mexico City amongst many others. This season they perform over 100 concerts in the UK and across Europe, in Israel and the USA – a welcome return to touring after the covid restrictions.
The group’s entrepreneurial and community spirit and its innovative approach are fostered by the Co-Founders of VOCES8, brothers Paul and Barnaby Smith. The pandemic has provided the impetus for VOCES8 to further transform its already exceptional offerings, nurturing a new audience community providing hope, resilience and a chance to engage with classical music in new ways. Pioneering initiatives include ventures such as the LIVE From London digital festivals and the VOCES8 Digital Academy.
LIVE From London was created as a specific response to the pandemic. Winning praise for its collaborative approach from artists, press and audiences around the world, the team has delivered five digital festivals to date, broadcasting 70 concerts and selling 150,000 tickets in over 75 countries. The VOCES8 Digital Academy is an online choral programme for high schools, colleges and individuals featuring live interaction with members of the ensemble, live and recorded lectures, and video resources to learn and perform music from the renaissance to today.
Alongside this online work on its own platforms VOCES8 is heard regularly on albums, international television and radio. The ensemble is a Decca Classics artist and alongside that releases projects on its own label, VOCES8 Records. The latest Decca Classics album is “Infinity” which reached the top of the classical charts on release. New projects with composers Christopher Tin, Eric Whitacre and Paul Simon are being recorded in 2022.
VOCES8 is passionate about music education and is the flagship ensemble of music charity the VOCES8 Foundation, which actively promotes ‘Music Education For All’. Engaging in a broad range of outreach work that reaches up to 40,000 people a year, the group runs an annual programme of workshops and masterclasses at the Foundation’s home in London, the VOCES8 Centre at St Anne & St Agnes Church. Dedicated to supporting promising young singers, the group awards eight annual choral scholarships through the VOCES8 Scholars initiative. These scholarships are linked to the annual Milton Abbey Summer School at which amateur singers of all ages are invited to work and perform with VOCES8. Through the separate VOCES8 USA Foundation there is another set of talented Scholars.
VOCES8 is proud to be working with Roxanna Panufnik as the group’s Composer-in-Residence, and Jim Clements as Arranger-in-Residence. The ensemble has premiered commissions from Jonathan Dove, Roxanna Panufnik, Roderick Williams, Paul Smith, Jocelyn Hagen, Melissa Dunphy, Ken Williams, Taylor Scott Davis, Alexander Levine, Alexia Sloane, Alec Roth, Ben Parry, Ola Gjeilo, Mårten Jansson, Philip Stopford, Graham Lack, Thomas Hewitt Jones and Owain Park. As ambassadors for Edition Peters the ensemble publishes educational material including the VOCES8 Method. Developed by Paul Smith, this renowned and unique teaching tool is available in four languages and adopts music to enhance development in numeracy, literacy and linguistics. Also available are anthologies of its arrangements, and an ever-expanding VOCES8 Singles range.
General Management of VOCES8 is provided by Robin Tyson at Edition Peters Artist Management.
Mesmerising album out now Read more
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"VOCES8's latest virtual festival is a heavenly, homely showcase of choral works old and new.” (The Observer) Read more
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Credit © Kaupo Kikkas (landscape)Download - 7.9 MBVOCES8 are the Rolls-Royce of British a cappella ensembles
The Arts Desk
The group is a class act
The Tablet
A perfect blend of calm contentment and soaring spirit
The Independent
Radiantly beautiful
The I Paper
... impeccable tuning, blend and rapport.
The Times (London)
The singing of VOCES8 is impeccable in its quality of tone and balance. They bring a new dimension to the word ‘ensemble’ with meticulous timing and tuning.
Gramophone Magazine
The slickest of the lot...fans of a cappella ought to hear this.
Record Review, BBC Radio 3
The GuardianIf you respond to the beauty of perfectly blended unblemished voices, this outstanding collection is for you.
France MusiqueUn voyage captivant et apaisant admirablement chanté par ces 8 musiciens. (A captivating and soothing journey admirably sung by these 8 musicians.)
Gramophone MagazineFew ensembles put a programme together quite as well as VOCES8. For a disc with broad commercial appeal, ‘Equinox’ smuggles in a good deal of musical substance.
Gramophone MagazineWith mulled wine and a slice of Stollen to hand, this warming masterpiece will definitely see me through any hivernal hardship.
Choir & Organ MagazineThematically, it's a clever concept, and is both programmed and sung with rare intelligence . . . the ensemble has a distinctive texture and the acoustics are responsive but not too bright . . . [one surprise highlight is "The Luckiest"] by pop singer Ben Folds. Magical.
The ObserverWith their vivid word-setting and lively declamation, the English texts give a slightly homespun quality to the enterprise. Well sung, there’s a striking triple canon with Latin text to finish.
Limelight Magazine, AustraliaThankfully, "Eventide" not only features some of the finest choral singing you'll hear anywhere; as far as chill albums go, it's one of the best I've heard . . . [all the performances] are without exception impeccable.
Early Music ReviewThis is a lovely collection, reflective of the composer’s eclectic talents, and beautifully performed.
Runner-up – Best Classical Album – Contemporary A Cappella Society Awards 2012
Winner – Best Classical Album – Contemporary A Cappella Society Awards 2012
MusicWeb.comThe singing is crisp and accurate … The period performance movement has demonstrated how to bring life and energy back to Bach’s choral textures, but none of the big names have produced anything that is quite as much fun as this.
Record Review, BBC Radio 3The slickest of the lot … two parts King’s Singers, three parts Swingle Singers, a dash of Bobby McFerrin and California sunshine … fans of a cappella ought to hear this, not just for the singing but the production values and Jim Clements audacious arrangements.
