On the approach of their 20th Anniversary, Voices, the City of Derby Girls’ Choir are showing no signs of slowing down. An award-winning, independent chamber choir, welcoming all girls aged 13 years and over from across the Midlands, Voices is one of the most established youth choirs in the region. These girls sing it all: from madrigals to musicals, sacred to secular, jazz to pop, and old to new, the Voices’ repertoire demonstrates an all-encompassing appreciation of all genres.
Performing regularly at the VoiceBox and across Derby, Voices also pack up their song sheets every summer and hit the road for a European tour. Rayburn Tours has enjoyed a long-standing relationship with the choir, helping directors, Ann and Colin Miller, create many memorable tour experiences.
Over the last few years, Voices have performed in a variety of esteemed venues across Europe, including Cologne Cathedral, Notre Dame, St Mark’s Basilica, Barcelona Cathedral and at the Last Post Ceremony at the Menin Gate, to name a few. Having just returned from their 12th Rayburn Concert Tour, the girls have added Santa Maria dei Ricci Church in Florence to their long list of impressive European performance venues.
Voices are warmly received everywhere they go. From their recent invitation to perform for the second time at the Menin Gate, after their valued contribution to the ceremony in 2011, to the acknowledgment of the Archbishop of York after last year’s performance at York Minister, Voices are frequently showered with praise and rightly so!
Having opened its doors to hundreds of choral enthusiasts over the years, Voices nurtures young talent whilst encouraging a sense of community and inspiring a shared passion for choral singing. It provides young girls in the Midlands with the opportunity to perform outside of Derby, not only in venues across the UK but internationally. Voices’ sister choir, ChorAlchemy (a mixed voice SATB youth choir welcoming young male and female singers), has also toured internationally with Rayburn Tours since 2010. As well as providing its members with the opportunity to sing in a number of exciting venues worldwide, Voices also gives choral conducting coaching to the singers, helping to form the choral forces of the future.
After 20 years of constant dedication to Voices, Ann Miller is stepping down as choral director and will be handing over the title to the very capable and experience hands of Dan Miller. We would like to say a personal thanks to Ann for being such a pleasure to work with over the years and we would like to acknowledge her and her husband, Colin, for their profound contribution to the choral landscape of Derby.
Rayburn Tours have developed a particularly special connection with Voices, owing to the company’s personal history with the choral group: Director, Katie Boyden, was trained to sing by the Voices choral director, Ann Miller, and Concert Tours Consultant, Jo Matthews, has sung with the choir for more than ten years. This shared love of choral music has provided the foundations for a long-standing and productive working relationship built on mutual respect.
Congratulations to the choir for reaching such an impressive milestone and best wishes to Dan Miller as he takes on the role as choral director. With next year’s tour in its planning stage, Voices, the City of Derby Girls’ Choir look forward to their 13th Rayburn Concert Tour!