The Hutton All Saints church 700th anniversary concert was a magnificent spectacle with a special musical programme, full of musical quality and talent. It was an honour for Bra-vissima to take part in this extraordinary commemoration.
Money was also raised for the life changing charity I Got Shoes
#singing #choralsinging #anniversary
Sing for Joy
After several relaxing days taking in the sights and sounds of Bordighera, the day of our second and final concert came swiftly upon us. After the triumph that was our Sing for Peace concert our confidence levels and expectations were sky high. This was greatly helped by a wonderful encounter some of us had with a Bordighera native who graciously interrupted a small choir dinner a day later at a local restaurant. Like an excited teenager meeting their favourite girl group, we were serenaded in a mixture of broken English and Italian and pronounced hand gestures as to how inspired she was by our performance. It appeared at this very moment that Bra-vissima were now local celebrities to be sought out and praised – if this is what Adele feels like .. honestly… we’ll take it.
It had become blatantly clear to all of us as the days passed between one concert and the next what an enormous amount of organisation had gone into this trip. None of us would have gotten here without months of dedication and hard work from our choir’s committee and our Italian co-ordinator Giovanna Garzia. The smooth well organised itinerary allowed for our off days to be filled with relaxing beach visits, people watching care of Bordighera’s many cafes, ice cream eating, day trips to Monte Carlo, and the Bordighera’s local market. Indeed, in the hours leading up to our final concert many of us could be found sunning ourselves by the hotel pool.
Our first concert, Sing for Peace had a focused religious programme made up of British, American and Canadian composers. The composers for our final concert Sing for Joy comprised of a similar nationality makeup, this time however the programme was more secular in nature.
During the afternoon of the day of our Sing for Joy concert, we donned our choir uniform once more and headed off via taxi to Vallebona, a small commune and medieval village located on a hillside and made up of narrow alleyways, squares and dark corners. A stoic choir member (thanks Jane!) volunteered herself to be the last to leave one of the main hotels to make sure everyone had gotten out of the pool.
We were dropped off at the main square and access point to the village and caught sight of the welcome board which without the need for translation was clearly all about Bra-vissima. With time to take in a drink at one of the few restaurants in Vallebona, it dawned on us that the 13th century tower just visible from our vantage point above us, and where the parish church was located, was up the hill and would require some deft and carefully placed footwork on an ascending path made up of ancient well-worn cobbles.
With the help of a local who drove a small 3-wheel van up the hill, we all reached the parish church intact. After a successful rehearsal we were shown to our ‘green’ room where we could change and ablut. Forget the coffee bar, air conditioning and wonky organ (see Sing for Peace blog); this time our tiny ‘green’ space was located just behind the church altar filled with hymn books, the church organ and various bits of old and broken furniture. The loo was located up a cramped spiral staircase to the right of the altar. It looked like a set from Oliver Twist -health and safety be damned. It was an extraordinary and indelible sight, totally in keeping with the medieval setting. We could not stop smiling.
The concert went well – we sang beautifully and the significant audience in attendance beamed throughout, with some holding their breath for sure. The end brought about rapturous applause, alongside hugs and copious handshaking. This was a jubilant choir tour where choir and audiences alike felt a sense of wonder, elation, excitement and enormous satisfaction. This tour is a special moment in our choir’s history – we will never forget it. The power of music and singing has changed lives – ours and the townsfolk of Bordighera.
Jo Clarke
Sing for Peace
After years of waiting, months of musical and singing preparation, and weeks of growing excitement and anticipation, a large contingent of Bra-vissima’s singers descended into the northern Italian town of Bordighera for a weeklong choir tour.
Greeted by a plume of glorious heat and humidity on arrival in Nice airport, Bra-vissima were, within the space of 50 minutes driven through three separate countries -France, Monaco, and Italy. In a flash and disembarked like Phileas Fogg out of a taxi, we first caught glimpse of the town we would call home for the next week.
With no rest for the wicked, we joined other friends who had arrived earlier to attend a vital rehearsal in a space which had its own coffee bar and machine (sooo Italian) and an electric organ which had opposing keyboards to what was expected. A quick brain and hand switch by our experienced organist Stephen allowed for a first-rate rehearsal.
The next morning, after the night before, which many of us spent by the sea, in an evening of shared friendship and food, Bra-vissima caught sight for the first time the church which would host our Sing for Peace concert. The heat and the need for plan Bs followed us in from the sunlight into the relative darkness of the sanctuary, for a second and final rehearsal. Arrangements around heat management, altar restrictions and the lack of a vital organist mirror led to some amazing ‘off the cuff’ decisions by our musical director, Julia Wilson-James, alongside the stoic help of our Italian co-ordinator Giovanna.We didn’t just plan B it – we went directly to plan Z.
Unlike in the UK, church concerts in Italy are almost always free events; and so, we didn’t know if we would be singing to just a man and his dog, or to a few, or too many. However after another excellent rehearsal, we didn’t much care. The buzz was beginning to rise in all of us as we realised what an enormous privilege this was going to be.
At nightfall and returning to the church in good time for the concert, we took shelter once again from the roasting evening heat in the same rehearsal space with the coffee bar and wonky organ. Walking past the coffee machine (probably in slow motion) many of us would have dearly wished for a trained barista to pop their head up with a smile and a wink and offering us all ‘caffè freddo’ to cool down with.
As the time passed, patiently waiting for the concert to begin, our Bra-vissima scouts were giving us frequent reports on the number of people that were slowly entering the church. There was no going back, with apparently more than a man and his dog now present.
Appropriately suited and booted (sandalled), and in formation,we entered the church from a side entrance, taking in for the first time the full house that awaited us. The doors at the front of the church were open, and the darkness of the night provided an ethereal backdrop to the twinkling yellow and silver lights set within the church in an array of enormous chandeliers.
From the moment we started to sing, accompanied by the organ punctuating the space with its powerful, floaty sound, the audience was clearly enraptured. Those assembled, and the many people who were drawn in (sometimes only) briefly from the night by the sound of our singing, added to the cavernous space, with their smiles and tears; their mouths agape, chests clutched – our audience wore their hearts on their sleeves and it was a glorious sight to see.
Jo Clarke
On Saturday 29th June Bra-vissima Choir brought the joy of song and music making to an audience at Hutton and Shenfield Union Church. This summer concert was in aid of St Francis’ Hospice and it was wonderful to have a representative of the organisation in attendance.
A varied programme of choral arrangements of traditional songs, poetry and contemporary pieces reflected the many ways in which music can bring joy to us all and a moment of respite from busy and sometimes stressful lives.
As a choir we all relish our weekly rehearsal as a time to escape and experience the joy of singing together and it is therefore a privilege to be able to share this with a wider audience at concerts throughout the year. This summer concert was certainly no exception.
We are now looking forward to a summer of music making together as we prepare to sing at Chelmsford Cathedral in early August and in Italy later that month.
No small thanks go to our musical director, Julia Wilson-James, for her time and commitment to challenging us to sing a wide repertoire of beautiful and varied choral music and instilling in us her joy and passion for music making!
Jennifer Milne
Brentwood Cathedral – Saturday 23 March 2024
In this time of dreadful wars and uncertainty, we wanted to sing a concert full of peace and gentleness to show the kinder side of humanity. All the music was chosen to reflect these sentiments and hopefully to give us all an evening of respite from all the sadness and worry in our beautiful world.
Choir in rehearsal:
Photographs by Jo Clarke
The Christmas spirit was well and truly upon us this past Saturday when Bra-vissima performed its annual Christmas concert to an audience filled with family, friends, and supporters. Our broad programme included a selection of pieces from The Manchester Carols, a festive suite of music and singing which celebrates the birth of Jesus. Themes highlighting human endeavour, the divine made human, love for home and community brought home to us all the stark parallels to the many tensions and numerous conflicts that the world is facing today. A moving experience for all, bolstered by a violin and flute solo, a recorder duet and piano accompanist.
The second half, as is customary brought a lighter side to Christmas with renditions of Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer and a world premiere of The Twelve Dogs of Christmas – a humorous take on ‘The Twelve Days of..’ with rather a lot of canines involved. We were delighted to welcome a group of bell ringers who brought a whole new level of festive cheer to proceedings by accompanying the choir in This Endris Night and performing a Festive Round piece which made us all go Christmas fuzzy inside. With the end of the year fast approaching, we presented representatives of our chosen charity for 2023, Barrow Farm a cheque for £1750.00, an amount graciously accepted; and Bra-vissima are now the proud sponsors of Nicco, a Harlinger pony.
Of course none of what we achieved on Saturday would have been possible without our leader in chief Julia Wilson-James who continues to push us so deftly to greater vocal heights – her enthusiasm, dedication, kindness, and patience is an inspiration to us all. To the choir’s committee, ticket sellers, bar staff, mulled wine stirrers, clearer uppers – to our friends, family and many supporters – Merry Christmas everyone.
For observant Christians Sunday is a day of worship and rest. On Sunday 22nd October, the Sunday nearest to St Cedd’s day, the honour was ours to support Chelmsford Cathedral and its parishioners in their worship; but there was to be little rest for us. For Bra-vissima this was to be a day of singing. After days of rain and gloomy skies, a bright blue azure greeted us as we ventured at 9 am into the Cathedral and on into the Song School. A smooth rehearsal for the Choral Eucharist was had, but our brief time in the Cathedral space for practise was tempered by the hustle and bustle caused by parishioners who were partaking in the obligatory tea, coffee and cake after an earlier service. It wasn’t the low constant murmur that interrupted our thoughts and concentration, but the growing feeling that a cuppa would do very nicely right now.
After the service we were greeted with distant smiles and cordial nods alongside a plethora of kind words on our singing rendered by clergy and parishioners alike. It set us up well for the Choral Evensong, not withstanding the now obligatory disturbance at our Cathedral rehearsal in the early afternoon, this time by a distant hoover. The Evensong went without a hitch, and with the sound of our voices along side the words of prayer reverberating around the vast cavity of the cathedral it made for yet another notable day, our knowledge of St Cedd also gratefully enhanced.
Jo Clarke
Dear Friends
I have just had an amazing weekend as a follower of Ladies Choir, Bra-vissima.
They were singing at the Cathedral of St Edmundsbury under the leadership of Musical Director Julia Wilson James and accompanied by Stephen King.
The music was beautiful, especially the haunting ‘Be Still and Know I am Near You’ by Michael Neaum.
If you would like the opportunity of hearing the choir, they will be at Chelmsford Cathedral on Sunday 22nd October.
Please join them!
Jean Newsum
Photo Credit: Sue Hughes
Bra-vissima held its summer concert last weekend at St Peter’s Church in Hutton. In the midst of beautiful summer weather, the church was full and an appreciative audience joined us in a glorious concert of varied light music.
This concert was in aid of our 2023 charity of the year, Barrow Farm Riding and Carriage Driving for the Disabled. Martin Burchett spoke about the inspirational work they do and how appreciative they are of any donations to support their work.
We were incredibly lucky to have a guest appearance from Colin Paris on the Double Bass for a number of pieces including two arrangements of Bach pieces.
Special thanks also to Isabella Borg for her flitting as a wood sprite during The Family Tree and distributing leaves to the audience.
Our thanks also to the wonderful Hilary Khoo for her accompaniment and also to Amy Hollingsworth on percussion.
Finally the audience joined the choir for strawberries and cream, washed down with a glass or two of Pimms – a staple for our summer concerts!
by Sue Williams
Image by: Sarah Hardy
Today Bra-vissima took part in the Big Help Out as part of the Coronation weekend celebration. We were invited to the Lordship Tea rooms in Writtle to sing in support of our chosen charity of the year – Barrow Farm Riding and Carriage Driving for the Disabled.
Armed with folding chairs, a gazebo and a silent prayer or two for the weather to hold, we gathered and sang together for our King, our community and nation, on what had been a momentous weekend.
Of course in true British tradition the wind started to whip up as soon as we began our performance, the pegs that had been placed so carefully on our musical director’s stand stood firm for a while, but in truth only held the music in place for several minutes before the music took flight and floated about as our singing rang out against the low chatter of those present, the murmur of several dogs, children of various ages and the fluttering of numerous Union Jacks.
Having rehearsed so diligently for many weeks in preparation, Bra-vissima are a choral group not afraid to change it up and go to plan B. The instruction of the day was to sing beautifully (but against the wonder that is the British weather) AND sing loudly.
Jo Clarke
