Sisters are doin' it for themselves

A new all-women choir debuts tomorrow, 8 October 2016. Gloriana, conducted by Deborah Miles Johnson, brings together forty female singers from chamber choirs and choruses across London and the south east. Their concert at St George's Church, Bloomsbury will combine established favourites such as Holst's Ave Maria for female double chorus, with new repertoire including a commission from Andrew Parnell. There will also be music by Schumann, Mendelssohn, Luzzasco Luzzaschi (who wrote music for the famous all-women vocal ensemble Concerto delle donne in Ferrara in the 16th century), Vivaldi (who wrote for the all-female choir at the Pieta in Venice) and contemporary Latvian composer Eriks Esenvalds.

Girls choirs and all-female youth choirs are relatively common, but an all women choir made up of mature voices is more unusual and it will be interesting to hear how Andrew Parnell approaches the challenge of this sonority in his new work for the choir.