Lis is a first alto, as well as being Choir Librarian, ' Viva Friends' Coordinator and a former Treasurer.
Hi, I am Lis and I sing alto in Viva and I have been with the choir since its first rehearsal in 2002. Since we became more formally organised in 2012 I have served many roles within Viva including treasurer and unofficial publicity officer. I am currently the librarian and in charge of the ‘Friends’ scheme.
I am from a musical family and as a child I dabbled with violin, piano and bassoon but it was singing that really hooked me. I think I would have been described as an ‘enthusiastic’ singer at primary school, but it was in my teens, when I began to sing alto, that I really developed my love of choral singing. An insecure second child, I was very fortunate in having the opportunity of singing in the school ‘madrigal choir’. This select choir introduced me to singing in 8 parts with just 2 or 3 people per part. And that's where I developed my sightreading skills and built my confidence in my singing ability.
Singing is such an important part of my life. I spend some time almost every day singing in some way or another, whether it is personal practice or actually attending organised rehearsals. Of course, singing is good for you in many ways; physically, socially, emotionally and mentally keeping on you on your toes, especially the standard of the type of music we sing at Viva.
I particularly love sacred music. My favourite periods are early Church music, Baroque and Renaissance music. But I do also greatly enjoy some of the late 20th and 21st Century music, with its close harmonies
After Liverpool University Choir, I sang in St Albans Bach choir and then what was the Shepshed Singers (later becoming Charnwood Voices). Over the last 30 years I have tended to choose to belong to two regular choirs, one middle-sized choir and one smaller. I have had experience of being one of 30 or 40 singing my part, but I really enjoy the smaller groups where you feel that you are really making a vital contribution! Viva is my smaller choir, although it has doubled in size since the early years.
My second choir since post-lockdown is Leicestershire Chorale. I am occasionally called upon last minute as a kind of ‘supply’ alto if another small group finds itself short. In the summer I sing in two choirs that meet up just once a year to sing in Cathedrals. This is very much ‘on the hoof stuff’ and fulfils my love of church music in context – with sung mass and many choral evensongs, the latter of which I am particularly fond. It also is good socially – I like that side of singing too and have enjoyed the Viva weekends away for that same reason.
Viva has now developed into something unrecognisable from the small group of singers who got together in 2002. All singers are now auditioned and need to be totally committed to the group. Simon is constantly introducing us to new, beautiful but challenging music and I find that very stimulating. I am never happy to rest on my laurels or aim to just ‘get by’. I am always keen to strive to do my absolute best. It's when you first get given the music, you sometimes wonder whether you will ever manage it- especially if it has unusual, discordant harmonies or it's fast and in a foreign language (and we sing in many languages). You wonder how on Earth you are ever going to manage! But with Simon’s vision, plenty of home practice and rehearsals alongside so many gifted singers, we seem to get there and our hard work is rewarded by the concerts themselves. Nothing beats that feeling of exhilaration and it can take days to come back down to earth.
Until recently, I had always sung second alto in Viva. Normally voices tend to drop as they get older, but, typically some might say, mine bucks the trend and has got slightly higher. As a result, I have recently moved to first alto. This is particularly nice for me as it means that I am now singing alongside my sister, who for the last 18 years has sung soprano but has also just moved to first alto. We now sit side by side!
There are many wonderful pieces in the next concert season and I cannot pick out just one – but I thoroughly recommend you come and find your own favourite! I am particularly looking forward to the autumn concert of 2025 where early Sixteenth Century John Taverner and late Twentieth Century John Tavener are typical examples of my favourite music periods.
Apart from singing, I work part time as a financial manager at a dentist (soon to retire) and I am involved in local church and village life, getting roped in to do the local publicity. I enjoy the countryside; love nature and particularly birdwatching. I also enjoy history, especially the really old stuff, and our holidays are really based around all those interests. I am a doting Granny and I have a long-suffering and supportive husband who has been to just about every Viva concert since it started in 2002!
I am from a musical family and as a child I dabbled with violin, piano and bassoon but it was singing that really hooked me. I think I would have been described as an ‘enthusiastic’ singer at primary school, but it was in my teens, when I began to sing alto, that I really developed my love of choral singing. An insecure second child, I was very fortunate in having the opportunity of singing in the school ‘madrigal choir’. This select choir introduced me to singing in 8 parts with just 2 or 3 people per part. And that's where I developed my sightreading skills and built my confidence in my singing ability.
Singing is such an important part of my life. I spend some time almost every day singing in some way or another, whether it is personal practice or actually attending organised rehearsals. Of course, singing is good for you in many ways; physically, socially, emotionally and mentally keeping on you on your toes, especially the standard of the type of music we sing at Viva.
I particularly love sacred music. My favourite periods are early Church music, Baroque and Renaissance music. But I do also greatly enjoy some of the late 20th and 21st Century music, with its close harmonies
After Liverpool University Choir, I sang in St Albans Bach choir and then what was the Shepshed Singers (later becoming Charnwood Voices). Over the last 30 years I have tended to choose to belong to two regular choirs, one middle-sized choir and one smaller. I have had experience of being one of 30 or 40 singing my part, but I really enjoy the smaller groups where you feel that you are really making a vital contribution! Viva is my smaller choir, although it has doubled in size since the early years.
My second choir since post-lockdown is Leicestershire Chorale. I am occasionally called upon last minute as a kind of ‘supply’ alto if another small group finds itself short. In the summer I sing in two choirs that meet up just once a year to sing in Cathedrals. This is very much ‘on the hoof stuff’ and fulfils my love of church music in context – with sung mass and many choral evensongs, the latter of which I am particularly fond. It also is good socially – I like that side of singing too and have enjoyed the Viva weekends away for that same reason.
Viva has now developed into something unrecognisable from the small group of singers who got together in 2002. All singers are now auditioned and need to be totally committed to the group. Simon is constantly introducing us to new, beautiful but challenging music and I find that very stimulating. I am never happy to rest on my laurels or aim to just ‘get by’. I am always keen to strive to do my absolute best. It's when you first get given the music, you sometimes wonder whether you will ever manage it- especially if it has unusual, discordant harmonies or it's fast and in a foreign language (and we sing in many languages). You wonder how on Earth you are ever going to manage! But with Simon’s vision, plenty of home practice and rehearsals alongside so many gifted singers, we seem to get there and our hard work is rewarded by the concerts themselves. Nothing beats that feeling of exhilaration and it can take days to come back down to earth.
Until recently, I had always sung second alto in Viva. Normally voices tend to drop as they get older, but, typically some might say, mine bucks the trend and has got slightly higher. As a result, I have recently moved to first alto. This is particularly nice for me as it means that I am now singing alongside my sister, who for the last 18 years has sung soprano but has also just moved to first alto. We now sit side by side!
There are many wonderful pieces in the next concert season and I cannot pick out just one – but I thoroughly recommend you come and find your own favourite! I am particularly looking forward to the autumn concert of 2025 where early Sixteenth Century John Taverner and late Twentieth Century John Tavener are typical examples of my favourite music periods.
Apart from singing, I work part time as a financial manager at a dentist (soon to retire) and I am involved in local church and village life, getting roped in to do the local publicity. I enjoy the countryside; love nature and particularly birdwatching. I also enjoy history, especially the really old stuff, and our holidays are really based around all those interests. I am a doting Granny and I have a long-suffering and supportive husband who has been to just about every Viva concert since it started in 2002!