This is an overview of the eclectic range of works sung by Vox Holloway since 2009. Concert titles shown as links will take you to more information about the works and performance.
RECENT WORKS
2025
Spring
VOX HOLLOWAY – THE SONGS OF RANDY NEWMAN
ST LUKE’S HOLLOWAY February 15 2025
Since Vox began, we have celebrated the music of songwriters and performers such as The Kinks, Clara Sanabras, Johnny Cash, Nina Simone, Monica Vasconcelos and many others.
Sometimes in complete performances of albums or in compilations of favourite songs – but always in new arrangements for soloists choir and band by Harvey Brough.
Now we turn the spotlight on Randy Newman, one of the most unusual of the great American singer songwriters. His family are a Hollywood musical dynasty – Alfred, Emil, Lionel, Thomas Newman were all film music composers.
Randy began his career as a songwriter for hire in the Brill Building (alongside Carole King, Mike Stoller, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil) knocking out pop songs for more (or less) established artists to perform.
He then began to write and record his own songs, releasing a string of 11 albums between 1968 and 2017.
His first single was the American football based Golden Gridiron Boy – an unlikely shot at the charts from this bespectacled artist, whose featured look was more geography teacher than rock star.
Unlike most singer songwriters who wear their hearts prominently on their sleeves, Randy Newman often wrote in character – his songs feature a rogue’s gallery of dodgy types, ordinary joes, sleaze-balls, (even the voice of a slave trader in Sail Away), giving many of his songs a determinedly edgy atmosphere which can unsettle the listener. He has said that he has never written a song for (to) a specific person, although admitting that one of his most touching songs I Miss You was written for his first wife, after leaving her for his second marriage.
His songs can be acerbic but also hysterically funny – You’re Dead is an ode to a washed out rock star who still insists on treading the boards. Short People, a song that is very funny to some, caused huge offence among the diminutive sector of American society, but can be read as a parody of racism.
We won’t perform all of the songs mentioned here, (for legal reasons) but we will sing a fabulous selection of Randy Newman’s oeuvre, an array of songs which range from exquisitely touching to hilariously offensive (often at his own expense) with all shades in between.
With Dan Moriyama – Piano
Mike Outram – Guitar
Dan Copeland – Voice
Arranged and directed by Harvey Brough
VOX HOLLOWAY SALUTES THE SPECIALS
THE ALEXANDRA PALACE THEATRE April 12 2025
Jerry Dammers has written some amazing and very influential songs. He has given us permission to perform their third album. Their first album was revolutionary – the group was a black and white mix – and the songs were heavily influenced by ska and reggae. Their second album reflects Jerry’s interest in muzak and was equally successful.
For me, the third album is the best of all – in spite of the original group having broken up, with the Fun Boy Three leaving after More Specials.
It’s called In The Studio (ironically because they spent over two years making it). It has a wealth of fine songs – the only one that was a chart success was Free Nelson Mandela, a hugely important part of the campaign for his release. The other songs are equally strong and varied, touching on themes that were important to Jerry in 1984 and still resonate today – about racism, social issues, mental instability – they are musically very sophisticated (with some humour in them) – singing these songs will be a powerful experience.
Summer
Requiem in Blue
Harvey Brough
Sinfonia Smith Square, Westminster
Saturday July 19 2025
Written in 1998 in memory of his brother Lester, Requiem in Blue is perhaps the best known and most performed of Harvey Brough’s choral oeuvre. Like all his compositions, the Requiem mixes together different and unusual genres for a choral piece. Although based firmly in the tradition of the Latin classical Mass, it mixes together adult and childrens voices with plainsong, folk song, early music influences and jazz improvisation, to dazzling effect.
It has been performed over 100 times all over the UK and in Europe, including venues such as the Barbican, St Johns Smith Square, Cadogan Hall, Union Chapel, (London) – Ely Cathedral, Portsmouth Cathedral, Bath Abbey, Great St Mary’s, Cambridge and The Usher Hall, Edinburgh. And by many schools, including Christ’s Hospital, Dulwich College, Uppingham, Oundle, Clifton College, City of London School.
Many outstanding musicians have performed in the piece and in the CD recording, including Liane Carroll, Jacqui Dankworth, Natacha Atlas, Gerard Presencer, Mike Outram, Alec Dankworth, Julian Siegel, Winston Clifford, Andy Hamill, Tom Arthurs and James Maddren.
The Pie Jesu and the final movement, Lux Aeterna feature words from Spoonface Steinberg by Lee Hall (writer of Billy Elliot) – like all of Requiem in Blue, this last movement, although rooted in a Christian tradition is a powerful plea for universal redemption.
Vox Holloway will perform with Harvey’s band of musicians and soloists Charles Daniels and Maurice Wren, conducted by the composer.
Remarkably, the soloists in Requiem in Blue are Kate Brook and Emily Dankworth, both of whom performed as youngsters in the work’s premiere in Eye Church, Suffolk.
Other pieces in the programme are Valete in Pace (Brough), commissioned for the 60th anniversary of DDay, and Five Mystical Songs (Vaughan Williams).
IRR – International Record Review
Requiem in Blue SMU603 Smudged Discs
Brough
Requiem in Blue – Valete in Pace – i carry your heart
Natacha Atlas (voice) Liane Carroll (voice and piano) Clara Sanabras (voice/arch lute/baroque guitar) Mark Le Brocq (tenor) Blaze Kidron (voice) Tom Arthurs, Gerard Presencer (flugelhorns) Mike Outram (electric guitar)
Hills Road Sixth Form College Chamber Choir
Choir of Clare College, Cambridge
Harvey Brough Tenor and Conductor (Requiem in Blue)
Andrew Parrott Conductor (Valete in Pace)
Tim Brown Conductor (i carry your heart)
I’ve heard a lot about the success of Harvey Brough’s Requiem in Blue, which was written in memory of his older brother, but this is the first time I’ve actually heard it. That success it seems to me, on the basis of this excellent recording, entirely deserved. Brough mixes, as he himself notes, all kinds of music about which he cares and with which he has been involved professionally, so it is in that sense a cross-over work, but since there is a guiding hand and brain in charge of the process, its coherence is guaranteed.
The opening movement brings together Irish folk-song, some outstanding jazz work from Gerard Presencer – it made me think of Terence Blanchard’s powerful A Tale of God’s Will (A Requiem for Katrina) – and a choral setting of the ‘Introit and Kyrie’ of the Latin Requiem. the second continues the scheme but also brings in, over a insistent setting of the ‘Offertorium’ gospel music (Sometimes I feel like a motherless child) and children singing the grim round Old Abram Brown is dead and gone. The ‘Sanctus’ really tugs at the heart strings, with the children’s choir intervening with an affecting rendition of Flow gently Sweet Afton, before breaking down into a cadenza for drumkit. The ‘Benedictus’ similarly breaks down, with sanctus bells, jazz trumpet and children introducing a hypnotically reiterated ‘Hosanna in excelsis’, and mysterious strummings that introduce the ‘Agnus Dei’, which creates its own private world of grief even while being a public celebration. The divided quality of the work is most evident in the following ‘Pie Jesu’, in which the children reiterate the latin text, imploring God to give rest to the departed, while soloists sing a text from Lee Hall’s Spoonface Steinberg, which states unambiguously that ‘all of us will end up being one – and that is nothing – and it is endless’ and a verse from the Book of Revelation but then returns again to a plea for eternal rest. ‘In paradisum’ the penultimate movement, powerfully brings back the opening folk-song, its last verse to end in a blaze of consolatory glory. The concluding ‘Lux aeterna’ has over its choral setting of the Latin another text from Hall, most movingly recited by Blaze Kidron.
All is not over, however, because the disc also contains the impressive choral-orchestral cycle Valete in Pace, again to words by Hall and the anthem-like cummings setting i carry your heart. Both make use of more sophisticated choral writing than the Requiem which is intended for different kinds of performance circumstances, but both evince the same qualities of immediate emotional appeal, unashamed melodic lushness and episodes of strong rhythmic drive. Highly recommended. Ivan Moody
2024
Vox Salutes The Special AKA – In The Studio
Saturday 17th February – St. Luke’s Holloway – 19.30
This concert is a continuation of a Vox Holloway tradition – we have done many concerts where we highlight the work of the great songwriters and album makers. We have performed arrangements of entire albums The Beatles’ Sgt Pepper, The Kinks’ The Village Green Preservation Society and have performed albums by Clara Sanabras and Monica Vasconcelos with them as lead soloists and their musicians as our band.
Our salute this time is to The Special AKA – the Specials third album, a superb collection of sophisticated pop songs primarily written by Jerry Dammers, covering topics such as freedom – Free Nelson Mandela, conflict – War Crimes, racism – If you have a Racist Friend, loneliness and urban tension – The Bright Lights/The Lonely Crowd.
These serious themes are leavened by the upbeat nature of the music (with ska, reggae and lounge influences) and the humour of a song like What I like most about you is your girlfriend.
Our band and soloist include some of the UK’s finest jazz and reggae artists – Julian Siegel (sax), Harry Brown (trombone), Byron Wallen (trumpet) and Liam Dunachie (piano) with Wills Morgan (solo voice).
Harvey Brough (who was at school with Jerry Dammers and has worked with him over the years) is writing new arrangements for the mighty Vox Holloway and we promise an uplifting and uproarious evening.
Doors open at 6.45pm for a 7.30pm start. Bar open before the concert and at the interval.
The Sun Does Shine
Hackney Empire – 23rd March 19.30
In June 1988, Anthony Ray Hinton was convicted by an Alabama court of two murders he did not commit, in one of the most shockingly cynical miscarriages of justice in US history. He spent the next 28 years on Death Row, before all charges were dropped and he was released.
The Sun Does Shine is a powerful new musical work by Harvey Brough, with words by Justin Butcher, inspired by the autobiography Hinton wrote about his long fight to prove his innocence. It is both a journey into the heart of darkness and an astonishing story of friendship, resilience and hope. After two sold-out preview performances, it arrives at Hackney Empire with the approval of Hinton himself, who now campaigns for others betrayed by the criminal justice system.
This remarkable story has urgent relevance to us in the UK today. It confronts racism and the inbuilt injustices that keep prisoners locked up for years, while making a powerful case for compassion, a sense of humour, and the possibility of redemption.
Presented by Vox Holloway and Arts Council England.
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Summer 2024
Summer Term – The Village Green Preservation Society and Arthur (the decline and fall of the British Empire)Next term will start on Tuesday April 23rd, 19.30 at St. Luke’s West Holloway. That first session will be part introduction to the project, part social, do invite friends along to try out Vox at that first session. We will perform the two Ray Davies and the Kinks Albums which we last did in Shoreditch Town Hall in 2020 – The Village Green Preservation Society and Arthur (the decline and fall of the British Empire). Some of you will remember these brilliant songs – if they are new to you, you have a treat in store – they are by turns hilarious, insightful, political, human – and really fun music to sing. We are beyond thrilled to perform these on Saturday July 27th in the centre of the Kinks’ stomping ground – the Alexandra Palace Theatre, an absolutely magical venue. That’s also a big venue, we hope to fill it (900 seats). Details will soon be up on their website. Do let your friends know.
Autumn Term – Benjamin Britten A Ceremony of Carols, Harvey Brough Now we are ( ) Six
| Dear Vox and friends of Vox, We hope you are all enjoying your summer. Autumn is approaching and we are planning another really exciting term, totally different music again from last term. It’s a repeat of a previous programme, though with new material added. A chance for the altos and sopranos to revisit Benjamin Britten’s masterpiece A Ceremony of Carols and the tenors and basses to revisit my new piece Now we are ( ) Six (settings of A A Milne poems). Also Britten’s remarkable cantata Rejoice in the Lamb plus two pieces we haven’t sung before Shepherd Carol and Carry her over the water. Harvey is rearranging King John’s Christmas for the whole choir to sing (it was just T+B last time), an enchanting poem and one of the best things he has ever written. I will also write some new settings of AA Milne from When We Were Very Young for the whole choir and perhaps two special guests. If you sang in the programme before, you will find new things to discover by revisiting it. If not (and if you don’t know the Britten pieces), it’s a treat in store. The concert is on Saturday November 30th at St James’s Piccadilly. We start rehearsals on Tuesday September 3rd. Some of the audio aids are already up and we will send you the link and the password when you sign up. We look forward to seeing you all soon. Vox Holloway |
2023
SPRING – SCREENING OF BETWEEN THE BARS
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
SPRING – LOST & FOUND
The Foundling Hospital, established in 1739, was based in Coram Fields until the 1920s and many thousands of ‘abandoned’ children grew up in its care. It attracted artists and musicians as patrons, including George Frideric Handel, who staged many benefit concerts there, one of which featured his Foundling Hospital Anthem.
Harvey Brough was inspired to write his own anthem, A Particulare Care, after visiting the Foundling Museum and reading a note left in 1758 by Florella Burney’s mother which read, ‘Pray let particulare care be taken of this child, as it will be called for again’. This work asks how there can be such poverty ‘in a rich and fruitful land’.
A Fairy Dream was composed in 2009. Harvey interspersed movements from Purcell’s 1692 masque, The Fairy Queen, with new compositions for children in a work that continues to explore the themes of loss and hope – with an added touch of fairy magic.
A Particulare Care was first performed by Vox Holloway in 2012. It is even more relevant today, with poverty and social inequality affecting so many children and families. Refugee families are amongst the most desperate. This concert will raise funds for the work of Safe Passage, an organisation that champions the rights of refugees and displaced people, including child refugees, who are particularly vulnerable.
Vox Holloway, under it’s Director, Harvey Brough, regularly commissions and performs new work, often with a social message. St James’ Church Piccadilly is renowned for its strong commitment both to the arts and to social justice. Soloists: Eloise Irving, Christina Gill, Wills Morgan and Maurice Wren with a Baroque orchestra led by Peter Hanson.
SUMMER – SUMMER SPECTACULAR
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
AUTUMN – Faure Requiem and the Prophet
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
ARCHIVE
2022
Spring
February THE SUN DOES SHINE
Harvey Brough , Libretto Justin Butcher WORLD PREMIERE
April EVERYTHING MUST CHANGE – SONGS OF LIBERATION AND TRANSFORMATION
Classics from Kurt Weill, Nina Simone, Sheryl Crow, in new settings by Harvey Brough – LIVE PREMIERE
Summer – BRAZILIAN PROMISE
Songs by Monica Vasconcelos – Arranged by Harvey Brough
Autumn – THE SUN DOES SHINE
Harvey Brough , Libretto Justin Butcher
Christmas – A CEREMONY OF CAROLS, REJOICE IN THE LAMB, NOW WE ARE () SIX
Benjamin Britten and Harvey Brough WORLD PREMIERE
2021
Spring – VIRTUAL VOX – EVERYTHING MUST CHANGE
Songs of liberation and transformation, arranged by Harvey Brough WORLD PREMIERE
Summer – VIRTUAL VOX/VOX HOLLOWAY – REQUIEM IN BLUE
Harvey Brough
Autumn – FREEDOM SONG
Music by Harvey Brough, lyrics by Justin Butcher – Hackney Empire
Christmas – SING CHRISTMAS WITH VOX
2020
Spring
February – THE VILLAGE GREEN APPRECIATION SOCIETY
Kinks – arranged by Harvey Brough – Shoreditch Town Hall
March – VIRTUAL VOX- FREEDOM SONG
Music by Harvey Brough, lyrics by Justin Butcher
Summer – VIRTUAL VOX – SPRING INTO SUMMER
Songs by Liane Carroll arranged by Harvey Brough
Autumn – VIRTUAL VOX – SGT. PEPPER
Arranged by Harvey Brough
2019
Spring
February – SGT. PEPPER SINGALONG
arranged by Harvey Brough
March – FREEDOM SONG
Harvey Brough – Hackney Empire
March – A CONCERT OF TUDOR MUSIC
Byrd, Tallis, Richard Farrant – Vox Chamber Choir
Harvey Brough – Hackney Empire
Summer – THE SAO PAULO TAPES
Monica Vaconcelos
Autumn – MUSIC ON THE MIND
Harvey Brough
Christmas – SING CHRISTMAS WITH VOX
2018
Spring – THE STONY FIELD – performances at various locations
Harvey Brough WORLD PREMIERE
Harvey Brough – A live recording
Summer – SAO PAULO TAPES AND BOSSA NOVA
Monica Vasconcelos
Autumn VILLAGE GREEN PRESERVATION SOCIETY
The Kinks album in new choral arrangement by Harvey Brough WORLD PREMIERE
Winter – FAURÉ REQUIEM, INCANTATION OF EDEN
Gabriel Fauré, Harvey Brough
2017
Spring – LOST AND FOUND
Handel’s Foundling Hospital Anthem, Vivaldi’s Gloria and A Particulare Care by Harvey Brough
Summer SUMER IS ICUMEN IN
A sparkling selection of music from Medieval to Gothic to Jazz.
Autumn – SGT. PEPPER
Christmas – BELLS OF PARADISE
2016
Spring – A HUM ABOUT MINE EARS – at the Barbican Centre
Clara Sanabras; A Hum about Mine Ears, 2016
Summer – THE YEAR OF JUBILEE
Harvey Brough; The Year of Jubilee, 2016
Winter – VOX HOLLOWAY CHRISTMAS CONCERT
Christmas Music through the ages and from around the world, 2016
2015
Spring – ONA’S FLOOD
Harvey Brough; Ona’s Flood 2ND PERFORMANCE, The City in the Sea PREMIERE
Summer – A TIME TO DANCE AND A TIME TO MOURN
Purcell; Funeral Sentences, My Beloved Spake, Jehovah quam multi sunt, Sound the Trumpet.
Harvey Brough; A Fairy Dream, A Particulare Care
Winter – MUSIC ON THE MIND
Harvey Brough; Music on the Mind PREMIERE
2014
February – Valentine’s Concert
Easter – THIS WORLD AND THE NEXT
Fauré – Requiem NEW ARRANGEMENT, Cantique de Jean Racine. Britten; Rejoice in the Lamb, Harvey Brough – Incantation of Eden PREMIERE
Summer – FROM HARMONY
Handel – Ode for St Cecilia’s Day,Haydn Missa Sancti Nicolai,Vaughan Williams – Serenade to Music
Winter – FIVE LOVE – 5th Anniversary Concert
Ben Okafor – Songs in the theme of love PREMIERE, Harvey Brough – Requiem in Blue
2013
Spring – YEAR OF JUBILEE
Harvey Brough; The Year of Jubilee PREMIERE
Summer – THE PROPHET
Harvey Brough; The Prophet 2nd PERFORMANCE; Adolesce PREMIERE
Winter – SONGS OF EXILE
Clara Sanabras ; Songs Of Exile 2nd PERFORMANCE, Keland, Butcher, Brough; Cry Palestine PREMIERE
2012
Spring – LOST AND FOUND
Handel; Foundling Anthem, Harvey Brough; A Particulare Care PREMIERE; Vivaldi; Gloria.
Sir Richard Cloudesley Memorial Concert,St Mary’s Upper Street Islington July 2012; Handel; Foundling Anthem, Harvey Brough; A Particulare Care
Summer – THECLA
Harvey Brough; Thecla 2nd PERFORMANCE, Linguis PREMIERE
Winter – AT THE TURNING OF THE YEAR
Folk Concert PREMIERE
2011
Spring – VESPERS
Rachmaninov; Vespers
Winter – LAND OF DREAMS
Songs of the Americas, North and South PREMIERE, Ramirez; Misa Criolla NEW ARRANGEMENT
2010
Easter – REQUIEM IN BLUE
Harvey Brough; Requiem in Blue
Summer- 150 YEARS of SONG
English Choral Music
Winter – CHORUS OF LIGHT
Tavener; ExMaria Virgine , Heat and Light Arrangements PREMIERE
2009
Winter – THE MESSIAH
Handel; The Messiah
Vox Holloway 