In its 10 years of choral performance, VOX has proved that a synthesis of the sacred and the secular reliably appeals to a broad spectrum of taste – which no doubt explains its decade-long survival and success, reckons BEVERLEY BROMMERT in conversation with Vox founder/director of the 35 strong ensemble, John Woodland (pictured left) :
“VOX grew out of the legacy of Dr Barry Smith, when he retired in 2015 after leading the St George’s Singers for 50 years; we aspired to build on that foundation, enriching and expanding it with some fresh takes on the established tradition.”
He wryly admits that this undertaking has been challenging at times, requiring a delicate balance between many things, such as maintaining discipline while keeping an open mind to innovative suggestions – “In other words, to be a benevolent dictator!”)
Another challenge is to optimise the number of singers, since too many participants would weaken team spirit, while too few could create problems in the event of no available understudies when a key performer might not be able to appear at short notice. Somewhere between 30 and 35 seems an acceptable compromise.
Coming to the matter of celebrations planned for this tenth birthday, there is an impressive array to reflect the inclusive diversity of the VOX repertoire.
A full programme ahead
After participating in the UCT Summer School programme in January with ear-enchanting works by Arvo Pärt and John Taverner, then mentoring young choral conductors in mid-March in a spirit of altruism, VOX will present what Woodland terms a “sonic oasis” in the hurly-burly of urban life: Eternity in an Hour.
In this concert, choral singing and organ combine to evoke the meditative season of Lent; music from 400 years ago to the present day serves as a conduit for spiritual unity enriching churchgoers and agnostics alike, performed in the warm intimacy of St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church. Says Woodland: “Audiences willing to be challenged will be well rewarded, for example in the magnificent release of tension in the climactic ‘arch’ of Messiaen’s organ composition after navigating the thorny chromatic territory preceding it…”
Other composers featured in Eternity in an Hour include Glass, Britten, Lotti, Part, Rutter and Vaughan Williams, among others.
April brings VOX Cape Town to Artscape Opera House for an afternoon of celebrating Fine Music Radio’s 30th birthday in a fundraising gala concert. June has the ensemble performing in a uniquely innovative event under the McClean Dome of the South African Astronomical Observatory on the winter solstice. Music by Herschel (who discovered the planet Uranus) and the maiden rendition of a mass by Martin Watt will accompany communion with the cosmos as the starry mid-winter sky is contemplated above the dome.
The hope-fuelled transition from winter to spring is conveyed as art meets nature. Woodland remarks approvingly on the acoustic quality of this unusual venue, which seats a maximum of 40, necessitating three performances on the day/evening to accommodate more patrons.
A key event in this year-long feast of celebrations is the VOX 10th Birthday Broadcast on Fine Music Radio at end of July, a two-hour long airing of the group’s favourite recordings from the past decade, titled Music Among Friends. This is intended to draw together the entire community of VOX fans, including those now residing overseas as well as locals at home.
Even more memorable as a milestone-marker will be Choral Pilgrimage in the City on St Cecilia’s Day, 22 November: a peripatetic event of note as the members of VOX perform Britten’s a cappella Hymn to St Cecilia in triple commemoration. They honour the patron saint of music, the anniversary of Britten’s birth, and…the first decade of VOX’s existence
Among the multiple venues of this pilgrimage will be the Youngblood Gallery, where VOX had its first performance ten years ago. A fitting culmination for comprehensive celebration.
Eternity in an Hour will take place Wednesday 26 March 2025 at 7pm in St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church. Tickets via Quicket.
Who: VOX Cape Town choral collective
WS
