Here come the girls!

Vivace is a small singing group for girls aged 15-18 and rehearses on Fridays at 5pm, an hour before the Youth Choir rehearsal. The group sing a varied repertoire, and learn music in three or four parts. Vivace started around a year ago, and in recent months has given several performances, both in masses and in concerts. They also feature on the Nottingham Cathedral Music YouTube Channel.

​Here are some thoughts from the members themselves, and from Youth Choir Director, Ellie Martin, who leads the group:

  For me, Vivace has been an opportunity to connect with other singers and learn to sing independently. Singing a cappella and without a conductor have been significant challenges for me, but having the support of the other singers has helped me to greatly improve my confidence in my abilities. The Youth Choir has allowed me to work as part of a larger group of singers, and learn to better understand how to sing harmony parts. Vivace has furthered this, with the songs we sing often being one to a part. I have most enjoyed performing in concerts with Vivace, as they give us a goal to work towards and encourage us to work harder as a collective.
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- Àine, who is going to York University in September to study Music.

I have been part of Vivace since it first started, and it has been a great experience. The group has really helped me to develop my confidence in singing in front of other people and the fact that we usually only have one or two people to a part means that there is nowhere to hide. I have also found it very helpful for improving my sight singing skills and my ability to work together with others in a choir; we have often sung pieces a cappella and/or without a conductor, which has meant that we've had to listen to each other a lot more. Being part of Vivace has definitely been a challenge at times, but it has also been very enjoyable and rewarding.

​- Joanna, who is hoping to go to University of Birmingham to study Natural Sciences in September.

  Being in Vivace has really improved my aural and sight-reading skills, as well as helping me make new friends and introducing me to so many new and different styles of music. I have really benefitted from being in the group, and in the year I have spent singing with them, I have 
  improved dramatically as a singer and musician. I will definitely miss the group when I leave! 
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- Hester, who is going to Newcastle University to study Music in September.

Youth Choir has given me the chance to be part of a group of all ages which can sometimes be fun and sometimes challenging. Vivace means I can develop my musical skills even more but still in a group. My singing has definitely improved and I’ve really enjoyed the singing at performances and evening masses. 
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- Niamh, who is the youngest member of the group and currently studying for GCSEs. 

 Vivace has been a really enjoyable part of my singing at Nottingham Cathedral. I’ve particularly enjoyed singing a diverse range of music and the challenge of singing without a conductor. I’ve formed close friendships with the older girls in the choir and I’m looking forward to singing in Lourdes with them. Vivace and the Cathedral Choirs have given me a wonderful opportunity, as a young Catholic, to participate in the life of the Church. Vivace has been a really important part of my musical development and the skills, experience and confidence I’ve gained from my involvement with this group, and with music at the Cathedral, will be invaluable when I begin my studies at conservatoire in September.
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- Catherine, who is going to the Royal Northern College of Music in September to study cello performance.

  Vivace started when Ellie wanted to challenge us older girls from youth choir with more advanced repertoire. In the beginning we didn't know what to call ourselves but we thought it should be musical so we thought of a word which could describe us all, which is 'lively!’ Vivace is the Italian musical term for lively. I have gained a lot from this group. My sight singing has improved greatly, which was a huge challenge for me, but working as a group we support each other in rehearsals. One of my favourite experiences was performing at Lincoln Cathedral where us girls performed two beautiful songs - one with a conductor and one without, which is another skill we have gained by listening to each other and to how everyone's voices work. I am looking forward to what else we have yet to achieve, especially when we go on tour with the Youth Choir and Cathedral Choir.

- Roísín, who is hoping to go to Northampton University in September do a BA (Honours) in Acting. 

  I initially started this group in order to address the large age range in the Youth Choir (age 7-18). I wanted the older girls in the choir to have more of a challenge, and it was important that they had a sense of ownership of the group, which is why they named it themselves (after much deliberation!). The girls all still sing in Youth Choir, and some of them sing in Cathedral Choir as well.

  When Vivace first started, we would learn some simple arrangements of traditional spirituals. The music was mainly learnt by ear, which was out of their comfort zone. This was to encourage the girls to actively listen to each other and to engage fully with the music. Since the formation of the group less than a year ago, the girls have made immense progress, not only in terms of their intonation, singing tone, confidence and sight reading skills, but also in their ability to connect with each other musically and to sing sensitively as a group rather than as a collection of solo singers. They are now able to tackle and perform very challenging a capella music, such as Rebecca Clarke’s Ave Maria and Matthew Larkin’s Adam lay ybounden. The music they learn is always in three or four parts, meaning we only have one or two singers on a part. 

  The girls are also extremely helpful in Youth Choir rehearsals and masses, acting as mentors for the younger members and supporting them with their singing and navigation of sheet music. It has also been inspiring for the younger members of the Youth Choir to watch Vivace perform in masses / concerts, such as Carols by Candlelight or the recent Youth Choir concert in Lincoln Cathedral.

  Sadly, five of the six members of Vivace will leave us at the end of the Summer term, as they are moving away for university. We are hopeful that Vivace will continue, with other Youth Choir members moving up to join this group. 

  I will miss our leavers very much next year; it has been an absolute pleasure working with such lovely, conscientious students, and I’ve particularly enjoyed seeing how their friendships have developed over the past year. I wish them the very best at university and in all their musical endeavours. They are welcome to come back and sing with us at the Cathedral any time!

- Ellie (Youth Choir Director)