Viva was founded in 2002 by a group of choristers who sought the opportunity of singing in a small a capella chamber choir and facing the challenge of forging a balanced ensemble from a small number of voices.  The choir made good progress and in 2004, entered the Leicester Music Festival, winning the Leicester Mercury Rose Bowl for best choir in the competition.  Viva remains a small chamber choir, although it has now increased numbers a little in order to be strong enough to sing works written for double choir. ​In the early years, Viva gave few concerts while its repertoire was built.
More recently, the choir’s annual programme has comprised an average of three concerts.  In 2010, the choir responded to an invitation to visit Suffolk for a singing weekend, giving a concert in Halesworth and singing Evensong in Middleton.  More recently, Viva decided to organise singing weekends away from the choir’s Loughborough base on an approximately biennial cycle.  The first such trip to Haworth in April 2013 was a great success both musically and socially.  Haworth was followed in 2015 by a wonderful weekend in Tideswell where the choir gave a concert and sang at Eucharist in the ‘Cathedral of the Peak’. In September 2016 we sang the services in Worcester Cathedral, a contribution to the Cathedral's liturgy that was very much appreciated. Then came a weekend in September 2018 when Viva was privileged to give a concert at the Church to St Endellion in Cornwall.  In September 2023, we enjoyed a weekend singing the services in Ripon Cathedral.
Viva’s repertoire ranges across the centuries and embraces both sacred and secular music in various styles.  As the choir has grown in ambition, it has begun to perform with success a variety of more difficult works for which many plaudits have been received.  Though foundation members conceived Viva la Musica as an a capella ensemble, the choir’s natural development has led it towards repertoire that includes works accompanied by piano, organ and small instrumental groups.  
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Singing for services in significant churches and cathedrals offers choirs exciting possibilities not normally explored in concert programmes.  As an addition to its range of activities, Viva is looking forward to singing cathedral Evensongs while at the same time maintaining its traditional concert diary.
Under its current Music Director Simon Lumby, Viva la Musica is developing as an ensemble and building a strong and varied repertoire.  Notice of forthcoming concerts and other engagements can be found on the Projects page of this website and on our Facebook page.  We look forward to seeing you soon!

We also now have Friends!    Friends of Viva is an organisation that exists to promote and sustain Viva in its performances and musical outreach. Please click here to find out more about this exciting opportunity.