Birgitta Kenyon - WORKING WITH CHOIRS
From Directing to Mentoring and Singing Therapy, Birgitta has been extremely lucky to have a lifelong involvement in the Choral World.
The Voice Squad
“I’m gutted I’m not in the Voice Squad” - Aled Jones.
“If no choirs existed and a choir were to be started from scratch, this would be the one the young people would want to form” - Howard Goodall.
The Voice Squad is based in Bury St Edmunds, and was created by Birgitta 30 years ago out of a need for an unstuffy, flamboyant group platform for young singers. It has built a national reputation on the Choral Scene for its no-nonsense verve and skilled stage/ vocal-work which have brought the group acclaim from audiences and fans across the UK and further afield. Now flaunting well over 100 youngsters aged 3-21 it has a plethora of awards and accolades to its name...and 2021 saw the launching of the sibling groups of "Voice Squad Diss".
For further information go to www.thevoicesquad.org.uk.
Voice Squad Potted History
In 2008 The Voice Squad appeared on TV as Finalists in the BBC Radio 3 Choir of the Year competition, and in 2012 again made it to the semi-finals. They have performed on Anglia TV, and for a full morning in the Blue Peter Gardens, in addition to numerous Radio Broadcasts - including being Aled Jones’s featured Guests on his Radio 3 show “The Choir”, and Radio Suffolk’s “Children In Need” Christmas Day Broadcast.
Venues in which the Squad has performed include Snape Maltings, The Royal Albert Hall, The London Palladium, The Festival Hall, Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall, Birmingham Symphony Hall, Disneyland Paris’s Fantasy Theatre, St Edmundsbury Cathedral, The Broadway Theatre in Barking, St Mary’s Church Bury St Edmunds, The Royal Opera House, Snape Maltings, and The Apex Bury St Edmunds, among hundreds of local and regional venues in small-scale and large-scale projects.
The Voice Squad has provided “Warm-up” slots, backing vocals and feature slots with a number of leading artists, including Aled Jones, Collabro, The Kingdom Choir, G4, Blake, Laura White, The Magnets, Ruthie Henshall, the London Community Gospel Choir, and Kerry Ellis.
In addition to all the above, the Squad has raised thousands of pounds for charities - local and national - over the years, and performed over 30 full-scale musicals.
Choral Projects
Birgitta has been employed by various bodies to mentor and create new choirs. This she does solo, or with the assistance of experienced Youth Singers from “The Voice Squad”.
Choir-building projects have included:
Mentoring 3 Primary Schools in Milton Keynes, ending in a Showcase at the Milton Keynes Football Stadium Ballroom (3-month Project Funded by “Choir Of The Year”).
Mentoring 3 Middle Schools in Suffolk, ending in a Showcase at the Festival Hall
(3-month Project Funded by “Sing Up”).
Beyton Middle School, Suffolk: a term mentoring and building a new choir.
Group-singing Therapy-Style projects have included:
Singing for the Nervous, an Adult confidence-Building project based in Ipswich (Project Funded by “Sing Up”).
“A Smile And A Song”, confidence and physical technique-building for Parkinson’s Disease Sufferers in Suffolk - a series of workshops.
Week’s Course in Derry (funded by Music4Uth), working in the Disabled Childrens’ Sector.
Ruthie Henshall Carer Summer School (employed by and working with Ruthie Henshall for a week, with a showcase at DanceEast in Ipswich).
Dove Song: singing therapy sessions for those with complex needs, for the elderly with dementia, and for their carers.
The Lost Chord - singing events across the UK for the elderly with dementia.
Previous Choirs
Birgitta had the delight of working as MD to the Wattisham Military Wives for 3 years. Performances over East Anglia and Essex included an appearance with the lovely
West End Leading Lady Kerry Ellis, and high-profile appearances as guest performers at the Ipswich Regent’s “Ipswich Has Talent”, and at Ipswich Music Day in Christchurch Park, hosted by Brian Blessed and supporting Laura Wright. The Crouch End Singers were also a joy to lead for 6 years: a small but ambitious amateur adult group.
Birgitta has also depped for a number of choral groups, including the Newmarket Community Choir, the Fourth Choir (London), Tudor Rose (Suffolk) and a couple of London-based Military Wives Groups.