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For Bra-vissima we always want to perform to the best of our abilities- every Thursday night we bring our A game during rehearsal – we ‘talk the talk’ (we sing the.. ummm ok that doesn’t really work 🤪).
But sometimes we also like to ‘walk the walk’. To mark the end of our year long support of the wonderful charity I GOT SHOES https://www.igotshoes.co.uk and the start of a new fabulous collaboration with our new charity The Noonan Syndrome Association https://www.noonansyndrome.org.uk we decided to undertake a sponsored walk on the 13th June.
As singers we recognise the importance of preparation, and this sponsored walk was no different. Ample research was undertaken by our friend Clare, noting areas of potential difficulty and the vital location of loos and cafe stops along the way. Once a decision was made on ‘the route’, short and long versions were ‘dry run’ and photographed for guidance, allowing as much inclusivity as possible. Picking the date actually turned out to be the most difficult of decisions. Choirs around the country will know all too well that picking a concert date during the summer can be like closing your eyes and putting a pin on the month of June – this event was no different.
However in the end we needn’t have worried as there were substantial ‘boots on the ground’ and sunshine ‘to boot’ on the chosen day. With a summer fete providing abundant and well timed sustenance, the sun gods were clearly on our side.
Choir members, family, friends and several very game dogs all made it through to the end – with the certain knowledge that if it all got a bit much we could rustle up a tune or two to keep our spirits up.
What started off as an excellent chance to mark new charitable beginnings and commemorate our past years efforts we ended with £1410.00 raised, and giant leaps taken by all.

Jo Clarke

On the last Sunday of June Bra-vissima performed our last concert of the season. The concert programme was varied, with a diverse range of themes and genres. The weather on the other hand was anything but – put simply – it was sunny and hot.

In the early evening with the sun streaming and the church doors open, our concert patrons came sporting sunglasses, bright and light clothing and equipped with trusty fans. St Nicholas Church is a fabulous space to sing in, and provided a wonderful setting for singers and musicians alike. We were joined by two pianos, a flute, a drum, a double bass and of course their humans, which very snuggly fit in the front of the alter.

The programme included a collection of folk songs, with several referencing the power and richness of light which on a sunny day seemed apt. The second half was a true mishmash of musical styles – including a jazz mass, nursery rhythms and several humorous songs about animals – an owl, a pussycat, a gnu and a ‘bloat’ of hippos.

Bra-vissima sang our hearts out alongside wonderful musicians, providing the perfect soundtrack to a summer evening, with happy (and hot) summer vibes, a bright and beautiful raffle and the start of a new charitable collaboration with the Noonan Syndrome Association.
https://www.noonansyndrome.org.uk

Jo Clarke

It’s been over a week since our collaborative musical performance with the Brentwood Philharmonic. The time has flown by and we in Bra-vissima in the heat and incandescence of the recent bank holiday weekend have had the opportunity to take stock of what a wonderful concert it was. This was Bra-vissima’s second partnership with the Brentwood Philharmonic and like before, the rehearsal and performance schedule was filled with enthusiasm and a passion for music making. Our Musical director Julia Wilson James led the way as always with a smile, a wink and an utter belief in our abilities. 

Concert patrons were treated to a varied programme made up of orchestral performance and choral works, combining full chorale, solos and a trio. 

One of the major works of the evening was a performance in the first half of eight of Canteloube’s Songs from the Auvergne, sung in the French dialect Auvergnat, and in stunning fashion by soloist Catherine Hobday. 

Members of Bra-vissima were treated to its performance from the unusual position of audience, and we took full advantage by providing the orchestra and soloist with a full throated standing ovation. (We needed a vocal warm up for the second half any way.)

The second half comprised of Schubert’s Mass in G, and Debussy’s Nocturnes. Two works of exquisite variation for both the orchestra and choir to execute. 

Schubert apparently composed the Mass in G in less than a week and with its 22 minute running time and set liturgical structure, Bra-vissima performed it too at a lick. This work was in stark contrast to Debussy’s lyrical and dreamlike Nocturnes. Bra-vissima’s role in Nocturnes’ third and most impressionist movement was providing a wordless sound, integral to the orchestra’s melancholic and many shifting motifs. Our voices was the shimmering sea and the song of the sirens. 

Bra-vissima and orchestra conducted by the amazing Clare O’Hanlon dealt with the juxtaposition and change up of this varied programme exceedingly well and it was indeed a challenge for all involved. 

Our role in this particular concert may very well have stretched beyond singing to that of chief cheerleader, siren and elevator of souls – yet our objective remained the same. We sang for Julia, we sang for ourselves – we sang as Bra-vissima. 

Jo Clarke

Choral singing for Bra-vissima has always been about producing a beautiful sound; but by marking International Women’s Day with a concert performance made up of a repertoire of female composers, a female conductor and accompanist, we delved further into what it means to be a woman – and like an onion our concert revealed many layers.

For centuries, women’s voices have been sidelined in music composition and leadership; but by performing works by female composers past and present, we helped reclaim that space for them .. for us.. for all.

Choral singing in its simplest form blends the symbolic finding of one’s voice with the literal harmony of an ensemble. Unlike a solo performance, choral singing requires every voice to be heard equally to achieve balance, a perfect metaphor for equality. Our concert performance also reinforced the dedication, friendship and humility needed from all of us to persue musical excellence. This effort was matched only by our extraordinary musical director Julia Wilson-James who continues to inspire us to be the best that we can be.

Marked by a well attended audience, an excellent raffle, auction and colour coordinated cup cakes, we started our year off with a bang and a hint of female swagger.

Jo Clarke

As you can imagine Christmas is always a huge deal for choirs. As singers we get to wallow in the joy of performing carol and Christmas and favourites along side glorious festive songs and music new and old. The sparkly Christmas jumpers come out, trees are adorned with light and colour and candlelight provides a constant and appropriate backdrop to a happy and reflective season. Bra-vissima have had a wonderful year of singing experiences 2025. The highlights include performing a world premiere of a brand new requiem and singing with a full orchestra for the first time. We were welcomed back to Bury St Edmunds Cathedral and performed for the first time at Southwark Cathedral where we had an honorary new choir member in the form of Hodge the Cathedral cat. Our singing standards continue to rise and we look forward to 2026 with renewed optimism, energy and excitement for what singing adventures lie ahead. Happy New Year from everyone in Bra-vissima.

Jo Clarke

Over the past week Bra-vissima have like so many other choirs had the privilege of singing their final notes of the year surrounded by brightly coloured decorations, within sight of the Nativity, and a tree decked out with baubles, tinsel and a Christmas star. Mince pies consumed, mulled wine quaffed.

After an extraordinary and eventful year filled with joyous collaboration, our main Christmas concert, followed by (a week later) by a Nine Lessons and Carols service rounded off our year with more cherished moments punctuated by broad rousing singing and the low hum of expectation and excitement by choir and audience alike for what the days of celebration ahead will bring.

Our Christmas concert presented a diverse programme of singing, Christmas themed poems and amusing anecdotes, which entertained a packed crowd at St. Nicholas’ church, Ingrave. A cheque was also presented for £1500.00 to St. Francis Hospice for a year’s worth of Bra-vissima fundraising, providing a special and sobering interlude during the half time break.

The church housed a surprising and extraordinary acoustic which added gravitas to every element of sound produced. With a mixture of solemn, enchanting and upbeat sounds, this was a concert so enjoyed by those involved, that by the end we all collectively wanted to turn back time (as the Cher song goes) and do it all over again.

Luckily for the choir we had an opportunity to repeat some of the pieces at a Nine Lesson and Carols service a week later at St. Mary, the Virgin, Great Warley. This Christian service used lessons from the Bible to describe the fall of humanity, the promise of the Messiah and the birth of Jesus are interspersed with the singing of Christmas carols and choral anthems. Incidentally the first Nine Lessons and Carols service took place in 1880 at Truro Cathedral and was devised by Edward White Benson, the Bishop of Truro who went on to become the Archbishop of Canterbury.

The large local congregation sat quietly and still on a chilly Essex night like generations of people had done before, listening to the words being sung and spoken.

The world can sometimes feel like it is moving at the speed of light and is ever changing. Yet it is comforting to know that at this time of year especially, and for so many, the world slows and we are reminded that some things don’t change at all.

Jo Clarke