Vox Holloway

A film by Ed Owles and Steph Beeston
Produced by Vox Holloway Community Choir

With support from Arts Council England and UK Prison Reform Trust

Between the Bars traces the journey of North London choir, Vox Holloway, as its
members tackle a new oratorio, The Sun Does Shine, by Harvey Brough with libretto
by Justin Butcher. Essentially the film is about an ordinary choir creating
extraordinary music – music that is powerful, disconcerting and uplifting. It is based
on the true story of Anthony Ray Hinton, an innocent man, who spent 30 years on
Death Row in Alabama before his release in 2015, and it is possibly the most
challenging and inspiring project that the choir has undertaken.
How to convey, through words and music, Anthony Ray’s ordeal of brutal injustice in
a context far removed from our own experience? How to sing about the horrors of a
deeply embedded racist system, as well as the redemptive power of love and
forgiveness, with conviction and integrity? How to make that story relevant to a UK
audience, such that it might challenge our own attitudes and assumptions?
The film explores how the choir met these challenges, including by reaching out to
prisoners themselves. For two years, as the project evolved, choir members wrote to
prisoners in the UK, many of whom spoke about the role music plays in helping them
cope with long-term and, in some cases, indeterminate sentences.
The insights will be of interest to artists and choirs involved in similar creative work.
But the film also touches on wider questions posed when art tackles complex social
issues such as capital punishment, racism, and long-term imprisonment, and speaks
to the role of the arts in raising awareness and helping to make change happen.
The film was made in collaboration with the UK Prison Reform Trust and Arts
Council England.
 Promo video clip (2 mins):

https://vimeo.com/834753728/23fd25cd18?share=copy

Link to the film (30 mins):

https://vimeo.com/postcodefilms/betweenthebars

Further information from Vox Holloway: voxhollowayn7@gmail.com
https://voxholloway.com/

Again we have lent an ear to those in the choir who have asked to do some classical choral repertoire. So we are performing the wonderful, timeless Fauré Requiem – a piece many of you know well. If you don’t know it, you have an absolute treat in store. We will also sing his beautiful Cantique de Jean Racine.

A Vox concert wouldn’t be Vox without something new and different however, so we will juxtapose the Fauré with a piece of mine that very few of you will know – The Prophet. We did it 10 years ago, it’s a thrilling text from the well known book by Khalil Gibran and some of the most appealing music I’ve written – spiritual, uplifting and insightful, with wonderful soloists and an excellent band. 

The venue will be St James’s Piccadilly, following our EXCELLENT concert there last Easter. A wonderful acoustic and a magnificent setting for this programme. As last time, we need to work very hard to get a good audience, it’s a very special place to perform and we should be proud to return with another very Vox Holloway mix of old and new.

We will be without Christina this term, she is busy with other projects (see her message below). We will miss her, but look forward to seeing her and working with her in the future. I’m happy to say that Rick will be with us to play and to take sectionals – I’m planning to do sectionals every week at the start of term.

We will be working hard this term on choral sound and projection of the words – the Fauré is not difficult in terms of notes, but partly because it’s so well known, it’s important that we really work on blend within each part and as a choir. Many performances of the piece are a little humdrum, we need to find the magic anew in this wonderful music. Last term, we were a little light on sopranos – do ask your soprano friends if they would like to join us for this  programme. They can write to me on my personal email (harveybrough@mac.com) for more information so I can make sure we get a good balance.

We are unlikely to be able to fit any more altos in for reasons of space. 

Tenors and basses have become really strong over the last year (I think of this as being our tacit tribute to Matt Evan Smith, who is much missed but still inspires us). We can consider taking a few more – again, ask friends who you think would love what we do, to write to me.

Term starts on Tuesday September 5th, the committee and I look forward to seeing you there – do come early so we can do all the admin before a 7 30 start.

We will also start the Chamber Choir again on Tuesday September 12th. We will do a separate programme and concert this term, do write to me if you would like to be part of it. It’s open to all members of Vox, we rehearse from 6.30 – 7.15pm before the main Vox rehearsal. There will be a seperate sub for this.

Vox Holloway Autumn Programme

Sunday November 26th
St James’s Piccadilly

Vox Holloway
Vox Holloway Players

Directed by Harvey Brough

Gabriel Fauré – Requiem in D minor
Cantique de Jean Racine

Harvey Brough – The Prophet
Incantation of Eden
Vox Holloway return to St James’s Piccadilly after their highly successful Easter 2023 appearance. They perform a programme which again mixes old and new – the Fauré Requiem, perhaps the most beloved choral piece ever, juxtaposed with Harvey Brough’s setting of The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran. 

This remarkable book is one of the best selling books of all time, translated into over 100 languages. The Prophet is in the city of Orphalese, awaiting a ship to take him home. As he waits he is asked a series of questions by the inhabitants – on Love, on Marriage, on Children, on Death. His replies form a series of  9 movements or counsels, before he vanishes into the mist.

Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone,
Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music.

Harvey

Between the Bars traces the journey of North London choir, Vox Holloway, as its members tackle a new oratorio, The Sun Does Shine, based on the true story of an innocent man who spent 30 years on Death Row in Alabama before his release in 2015. The film explores the challenges posed when art tackles complex social issues such as capital punishment, racial injustice and long term imprisonment. Over two years, as the project evolved, choir members wrote to prisoners in the UK, many of whom spoke about the role music plays in helping them cope with long and, in some case, indeterminate sentences. The film was made in collaboration with the UK Prison Reform Trust and Arts Council England.

Short Promo Film

Full Film

https://vimeo.com/811848963/5c805f5d6b

FOR ONE EVENING ONLY!

Sunday 16th July
Join us for our annual Summer Spectacular – Beatles’ albums Revolver and Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.

WE WANT YOU ALL TO SING ALONG (BUT YOU DON’T HAVE TO)
If you’d like to work with Maestro Harvey Brough to sing as part of his arrangement of Sgt Pepper, you can come along early (5.30pm to 6pm) and join our Audience Singalong Rehearsal. Word sheets will be provided and there will be time for a drink before the show starts.

THE BAND
Mr David le Page, with his ladies and gentlemen will be playing Mr D le P’s celebrated new arrangements of the Beatles’ classic albums.

THE SOLOISTS
Mr Rick Leigh and Mr Mike Outram

THE SCHEDULE
5.30pm to 6pm: The Audience Rehearsal before the Concert
With Maestro Harvey Brough for those who wish to join in with the concert singalong.
Word sheets will be provided!!

6 30 pm The Concert
Part one: The first ever performance of Maestro Harvey Brough’s Marvellous Arrangement of Beatles’ album, Revolver, from Vox Holloway.
Interval: Refreshments served in the grounds – Sweet and Savoury delights for all included in the ticket price, and a pay bar.
Part two: A complete performance of the Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band Album with Spectacular Audience Singalong

THE IMPORTANT DETAILS
The bar will be open from 6pm to 6.30pm and during the interval, serving alcoholic and non-alcoholic cold drinks. All food served at the interval included in the ticket price.
Card and cash payments accepted.
Expected end time: approximately 9pm

The Annual General Meeting for Vox Holloway will be held on Tuesday 27th June at St. Luke’s West Holloway during the rehearsal.

Vox Holloway Annual General Meeting 2023 – Invitation

Tuesday 27^th June, during rehearsal

Agenda

1.     Welcome, opening remarks and introductions. 

2.     Minutes of the last meeting.   

3.     Annual report.  

4.     Treasurer’s report. 

5.     Elections.  

6.     Any other business. 

Electees

The following committee members have come to the end of the second year and are standing for re-election:

·       Tricia Zipfel, Chair, Trustee

·       Jonathan Sedgewick, Treasurer, Trustee

·       Sheena Cruse, Secretary, Trustee

·       Caroline Millar, Trustee

Other elected Committee Members:

·       Polly Barker, Trustee, is commencing the second year of her term.

·       Lucy Watson, is commencing the second year of her term.

Would you like to join the Committee?

If you would like to stand for election to the committee, either as a Trustee or a co-opted member, or would like to talk to a committee member about it, please email voxhollowayn7@gmail.com before 20 June 2023.

2022 AGM Report and Minutes

The financial report for 2022 (1 January 2022 – 31 December 2022) and draft minutes of the AGM 2022 are available on our website.