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Voces8

British a cappella octet

Summary

British a cappella octet

FieldValue
nameVoces8
imageKK 00587.jpg
image_upright1.3
captionVoces8 in 2019
backgroundclassical_ensemble
originEngland
genreA cappella music
years_active–present
label
website

Voces8, styled VOCES8, is an a cappella octet from England. They have appeared internationally and made recordings of classical music, jazz, pop, and their own arrangements. Recent recordings are for Decca Classics and under their own label, Voces8 Records. Educational efforts are run by the Voces8 Foundation.

History

VOCES8 is a British vocal ensemble originally founded in 2003 and regrouped in 2005 by brothers Paul and Barnaby Smith, both former choristers of Westminster Abbey. For most of its history, the ensemble has contained two sopranos, two countertenors, two tenors, a baritone and a bass. By 2018, one of the countertenors had been replaced by a female alto.

The ensemble has a diverse repertoire, including early English and European Renaissance music, traditional folk song, classic jazz, pop, and their own arrangements. They have appeared internationally, touring especially in Europe, Asia, and North America.

LIVE from London is an online choral festival and broadcast series founded in 2020 by VOCES8 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, presenting professionally produced performances by vocal ensembles and artists from the United Kingdom and internationally, with selected participants including The Tallis Scholars, VOCES8, Take 6, I Fagiolini, London Adventist Chorale, ANÚNA, amarcord, The Aeolians, Apollo5, The King's Singers, and Stile Antico.

VOCES8 has commissioned new works from composers such as Ēriks Ešenvalds, Ola Gjeilo, Jonathan Dove, Jocelyn Hagen, Ken Burton, Roderick Williams, Alexander Levine, Roxanna Panufnik, Mårten Jansson, Ben Parry, and Christopher Tin. Jim Clements is their arranger-in-residence.

The octet won the Limelight International Artist of the Year: People's Choice award at the 2021 Limelight Awards.

Their 2022 tour programme was called Stardust, after a composition commissioned from Taylor Scott Davis.{{cite news | access-date = September 17, 2022

In June 2025 Voces8 celebrated their twentieth anniversary with the release of their album Twenty, featuring a mix of tracks from across the genres they are notable for. This was accompanied by a 20th-anniversary concert on 8th June at the Barbican Centre.

Members

Current

Current members are as follows:

  • Savannah PorterFirst soprano (2025–present)
  • Eleonora PoignantSecond soprano (2025–present)
  • Katie Jeffries-HarrisFirst alto (2018–present)
  • Barnaby SmithSecond alto/countertenor and Artistic Director (2005–present)
  • Blake MorganFirst tenor (2016–present) (On Sabbatical as of 2025 until Easter 2026)
    • Covered by Monty Charles
  • Euan WilliamsonSecond tenor (2019–present)
  • Chris MooreBaritone (2018–present)
  • Dominic CarverBass (2022–present) As of 5 January 2026, VOCES8 has announced that Eleonora Poignant will be leaving the octet for the 2026 season.

Former

The ensemble's former members are:

  • Rachel MajorFirst soprano (2005–2008)
  • Andrea HainesFirst soprano (2008–2025)
  • Catherine BackhouseSecond soprano (2005–2009)
  • Emily DickensSecond soprano (2009–2017)
  • Eleonore CockerhamSecond soprano (2017–2021)
  • Molly NoonSecond soprano (2021–2024)
  • Daniel Keating-RobertsFirst countertenor (2005–2007)
  • Chris WardleFirst countertenor (2007–2018)
  • Charles MacDougallFirst tenor (2005–2012)
  • Oliver VincentFirst tenor (2012–2016)
  • Thomas ElwinSecond tenor (2005–2006)
  • Robin BaileySecond tenor (2006–2009)
  • Robert Mingay SmithSecond tenor (2009–2013)
  • Sam DresselSecond tenor (2013–2019)
  • Baritone and founder (2005–2016)
  • Rob ClarkBaritone (2016–2018)
  • Simon WhiteleyBass (2005)
  • Greg HallamBass (2006)
  • Dingle YandellBass (2006–2015)
  • Jonathan PaceyBass (2015–2022)

Timeline

ImageSize = width:950 height:auto barincrement:30 PlotArea = left:116 bottom:72 top:06 right:10 Alignbars = justify DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy Period = from:01/01/2003 till: TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy

Colors = id:Soprano1 value:pink legend:First_Soprano id:Soprano2 value:red legend:Second_Soprano id:ACT1 value:orange legend:First_Alto/Countertenor id:ACT2 value:yellow legend:Second_Alto/Countertenor id:Tenor1 value:green legend:First_Tenor id:Tenor2 value:skyblue legend:Second_Tenor id:Baritone value:blue legend:Baritone id:Bass value:purple legend:Bass id:bars value:gray(0.95)

Legend = orientation:vertical position:bottom BackgroundColors = bars:bars ScaleMajor = increment:1 start:2003

BarData = bar:RM text:"Rachel Major" bar:AH text:"Andrea Haines" bar:SP text:"Savannah Porter" bar:CB text:"Catherine Backhouse" bar:ED text:"Emily Dickens" bar:EC text:"Eleonore Cockerham" bar:MM text:"Molly Noon" bar:EP text:"Eleonora Poignant" bar:DKS text:"Daniel Keating-Roberts" bar:CW text:"Chris Wardle" bar:KJH text:"Katie Jeffries-Harris" bar:BS text:"Barnaby Smith" bar:CM text:"Charles MacDougall" bar:OV text:"Oliver Vincent" bar:BM text:"Blake Morgan" bar:TE text:"Thomas Elwin" bar:RB text:"Robin Bailey" bar:RS text:"Robert Smith" bar:SD text:"Sam Dressel" bar:EW text:"Euan Williamson" bar:PS text:"Paul Smith" bar:RC text:"Rob Clark" bar:CHM text:"Chris Moore" bar:SW text:"Simon Whiteley" bar:GH text:"Greg Hallam" bar:DY text:"Dingle Yandell" bar:JP text:"Jonathan Pacey" bar:DC text:"Dominic Carver"

PlotData= width:11 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4) bar:RM from:01/01/2003 till:01/01/2008 color:Soprano1 bar:AH from:01/01/2008 till:01/01/2025 color:Soprano1 bar:SP from:01/01/2025 till:end color:Soprano1 bar:CB from:01/01/2003 till:01/01/2009 color:Soprano2 bar:ED from:01/01/2009 till:01/01/2017 color:Soprano2 bar:EC from:01/01/2017 till:01/01/2021 color:Soprano2 bar:MM from:01/01/2021 till:01/01/2025 color:Soprano2 bar:EP from:01/01/2025 till:end color:Soprano2 bar:DKS from:01/01/2003 till:01/01/2007 color:ACT1 bar:CW from:01/01/2007 till:01/01/2018 color:ACT1 bar:KJH from:01/01/2018 till:end color:ACT1 bar:BS from:01/01/2003 till:end color:ACT2 bar:CM from:01/01/2003 till:01/01/2012 color:Tenor1 bar:OV from:01/01/2012 till:01/01/2016 color:Tenor1 bar:BM from:01/01/2016 till:end color:Tenor1 bar:TE from:01/01/2003 till:01/01/2006 color:Tenor2 bar:RB from:01/01/2006 till:01/01/2009 color:Tenor2 bar:RS from:01/01/2009 till:01/01/2013 color:Tenor2 bar:SD from:01/01/2013 till:01/01/2019 color:Tenor2 bar:EW from:01/01/2019 till:end color:Tenor2 bar:PS from:01/01/2003 till:01/01/2016 color:Baritone bar:RC from:01/01/2016 till:01/01/2018 color:Baritone bar:CHM from:01/01/2018 till:end color:Baritone bar:SW from:01/01/2003 till:01/01/2006 color:Bass bar:GH from:01/01/2006 till:01/01/2007 color:Bass bar:DY from:01/01/2007 till:01/01/2015 color:Bass bar:JP from:01/01/2015 till:01/01/2022 color:Bass bar:DC from:01/01/2022 till:end color:Bass

Lineup

PeriodFirst SopranoSecond SopranoFirst Alto/CountertenorSecond Alto/CountertenorFirst TenorSecond TenorBaritoneBass2005–20062006–20072007–20082008–20092009–20122012–20132013–20152015–20162016–20172017–20182018–20192019–20212021–20222022–20242025–present
Rachel MajorCatherine BackhouseDaniel Keating-RobertsBarnaby SmithCharles MacDougallThomas ElwinPaul SmithSimon Whiteley
Robin BaileyGreg Hallam
Chris WardleDingle Yandell
Andrea Haines
Emily DickensRobert Smith
Oliver Vincent
Sam Dressel
Jonathan Pacey
Blake MorganRob Clark
Eleonore Cockerham
Katie Jeffries-HarrisChris Moore
Euan Williamson
Molly Noon
Dominic Carver
Savannah PorterEleonora Poignant

VOCES8 Foundation

The VOCES8 Foundation (formerly VCM Foundation) is a UK-registered charity, set up by VOCES8 founder members Paul and Barnaby Smith in 2006 to develop the ensemble's music education and outreach programmes. Awarded a Classic FM (UK) Public Choice Award at the 2020 Music & Drama Education Awards, the charity works across choral and small vocal ensemble performance and education and is based at the VOCES8 Centre at St Anne and St Agnes Church in the City of London.

Performance

Foundation artists perform around 200 concerts each year, including through online/livestreaming.

Education

Foundation artists reach up to 40,000 people a year in regular workshops and masterclasses with Music Hubs, schools and community groups. In 2015 the ensemble launched the VOCES8 Scholars Programme which provides training in performing, recording and workshop leading for 20 young singers with an interest in choral singing in the UK and USA.

In 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic they launched the VOCES8 Digital Academy featuring tutorials, exercises, learning and performing tracks and videos.

Discography

The group has recorded with Decca, Signum, and their own Voces8 Records label. As part of their 15th anniversary celebrations in 2020, the group released their project After Silence, consisting of four digital EPs.

Albums

  • Aces High (2010, Signum)
  • Bach's Motets, with the Senesino Players (2010)
  • Brahms, Bruckner, Reger (2011)
  • In the Beginning (2012)
  • Christmas (2012, Signum)
  • A Choral Tapestry (2012, Signum)
  • Where I Sleep (2014, Decca)
  • Eventide (2014, Decca)
  • Lux (2015, Decca)
  • Winter (2016, Decca)
  • Equinox (2018)
  • Enchanted Isle (2019)
  • After Silence (2020, Voces8 Records)
  • Infinity (2021, Decca)
  • Nightfall (2024)
  • Twenty (2025)

EPs

  • Voces8 EP (2019)

Collaborations

  • A Capella Collection (2012, Signum) – with other groups, marking 15 years of Signum Records
  • Choral Collection (2012, Signum) – same
  • Early Music Collection (2012, Signum) – same
  • A Purcell Collection (2014, Signum) – by Voces8 and Les Inventions
  • Psalms (2015, Signum) – works by Benedetto Marcello, Voces8 and Les Inventions
  • Ola Gjeilo (2018, Decca) – works by Ola Gjeilo and Voces8
  • Home Is (2018) – by Jacob Collier and Voces8
  • Requiem Novum (2022) – by Mårten Jansson, Voces8, Apollo5, and the Philharmonia Orchestra
  • The Lost Birds (2022) – by Christopher Tin, Voces8 and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
  • Home (2023) – with Eric Whitacre
  • Seven Psalms (2023) – with Paul Simon

Music books

  • A Cappella Songbook (2012, paperback)
  • A Cappella Songbook 2 (2018, paperback)

References

| access-date = 8 April 2020

| access-date = 8 April 2020

| access-date = 25 March 2020

| access-date = 8 April 2020

| access-date = 8 April 2020

| access-date = 25 March 2020

| access-date = 25 March 2020

| access-date = 8 April 2020

| access-date = 11 May 2020

References

  1. (1 December 2020). "What sweeter music: Online broadcast for Abbey Christmas concert".
  2. (2021). "Live from London festival announced for Christmas 2021". Classical Music.
  3. Bernard Hughes. (27 December 2020). "VOCES8 Live from London online review: part 2 – An assortment box of Christmas choral treats".
  4. "Where all roses are white".
  5. "A Whisper of Paradise from Dublin showcases ANÚNA's instantly recognisable and finely honed sound".
  6. Paget, Clive. (2021-11-23). "VOCES8 (Limelight International Artist of the Year: People's Choice)".
  7. "Twenty".
  8. "VOCES8 – Artists".
  9. "Monty Charles".
  10. (2026-01-05). "Farewell Ella".
  11. "VOCES8 concert programmes".
  12. Seymour, Claire. (July 2019). "The VOCES8 Foundation is launched at St Anne & St Agnes".
  13. "VOCES8 Foundation wins at the Music & Drama Education Awards".
  14. "Performance".
  15. "VOCES8 Scholars".
  16. (30 November 2020). "Learn from the masters of sacred music".
  17. (3 February 2014). "Eventide".
  18. "After Silence". Voces8.
  19. Manheim, James. "Equinox Review". www.allmusic.com.
  20. "VOCES8". www.deccaclassics.com.
  21. Seymour, Claire. "After Silence: VOCES8". operatoday.com.
  22. Webb, Dan. (1 December 2018). "Review: Jacob Collier – Djesse Vol. 1".
  23. "Mårten Jansson – Requiem Novum".
  24. "Christopher Tin – The Lost Birds".
Wikipedia Source

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