Who we are

Yes, we sing to change the world. After 25 years we’re still ringing out for justice and freedom, here in the UK’s ‘steel city’. We can raise the roof with a rousing Internationale, listen here. And we like to think we can still rock the streets to radical rhythms from across the world.

Activities in 2011 included the Anti-Cuts demos in London, see here and here and supporting Sheffield events to celebrate the British contribution to the fight against fascism in Spain 75 years ago, see here.

Our grateful thanks to the wonderful Palestinian musician Mona Zeidan for the open workshop she did with us on 18 February, giving us a chance to learn more Arabic songs to sing in solidarity with her people.

Our big project for 2012 - Cuban choir to the UK

Following another inspiring trip to the choral festival in Santiago de Cuba in 2009, we will are thrilled to soon be hosting Camerata Vocal Música Áurea, a musically stunning 16-member choir from there. They are visiting the UK 15 June-19 July. Sheffield City Council and the University of Sheffield have issued official invitations, and they will be working with local schools, holding workshops for community choirs, and performing at the Crucible, Winter Gardens, the Cathedral, and Firth Hall at the University of Sheffield. Fellow choirs in Edinburgh, Leeds, Bradford, Nottingham and York will also host them for workshops and performances, and they will perform on Friday 13 July at Street Choirs Festival in Bury, and at the Bolivar Hall in London on 10 July, hosted by the Music Fund for Cuba. Thanks to everyone for donations and fund-raising, we are well over half way to achieving our budget. But we need more. If you would like to donate, please go to: www.justgiving.com/VocesdeCuba Too see the full schedule plus links to the Aurea choir on YouTube, please visit: www.vocesdecuba.co.uk. Or be in touch via: info@vocesdecuba.co.uk

Musical Directors

September 2011 we gave a big welcome to our new MD, Janet Wood. We can only repeat our immense thanks to our two previous MDs, Emer McKay and Val Regan, who gave us so much over the past decade and more. Profiles of all can be found here
We are looking for another MD to job share with Janet. If you are interested, please contact our Secretary for more information: RuthHodgkinson@phonecoop.coop.

Our choir has always been active in supporting local, national and international campaigns on human rights, justice, equality, and the environment. We fully support Amnesty International, and each year we host a card-writing evening to send greetings and messages to prisoners of conscience. One of our songs, ‘Under the Stars’ written for us by Ali Burns, provides a harmonised backdrop while a member reads out from the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights. We performed this several times in Spanish on our trip to Cuba, and it was received enthusiastically by our audiences there. Watch this here. Last 10 December, International Human Rights Day, we performed it at Sheffield Town Hall, as part of the Acts of Memory series of recitations across the UK. www.actsofmemory.net