Katie writes: “2025 got off to an exciting start, as I and three of my Tenebrae colleagues – Anna Semple, Tom Robson and Jimmy Holliday – travelled to Hong Kong. We were to spend a week collaborating with NOĒMA choir under the direction of Sanders Lau, culminating in a concert at the Tsuen Wan Town Hall in a programme of English 20th Century works including Parry’s Songs of Farewell, Britten’s Hymn to St Cecilia and Howells’ Requiem. In addition, we each took on two workshops with different Secondary School and University choirs, and one joint workshop with a demonstrating choir which was observed by an audience of singers and choir leaders from Hong Kong and neighbouring Macau.
During our rehearsals with NOĒMA, my Tenebrae colleagues and I took sectional rehearsals, working on a high standard of detail, before getting together as a group to continue. We focused on ensemble singing skills: blending voices; the importance of every element of a word (diphthongs in particular!) and a phrase and how to convey the full meaning of a text as well as individual words; how to breathe and start a phrase together without the need of a conductor; how to finish phrases together; and how to use good singing technique to create all of these things. All of the ‘Tenebrae Effect’, in fact, and there was a lot of talk about the importance of listening! It was fascinating to be involved in this process with singers for whom English is not their native language, and certainly made us think a lot about how we approach choral texts. Many ‘cans of worms’ were opened, as we discussed pronunciation of certain sounds – should it be ‘perfictnesse’ or perfectnesse?! Should it be ‘righteiousness’ or ‘righcheiousness?!
Photo Credit: Calvin Sit
I was impressed and humbled by the desire of the young workshop students to learn, and their amazing focus and energy throughout a demanding session. The collective sense of achievement at the end of the sessions was really special, and I found it incredibly rewarding. Singing and making music is such a gift, and is so beneficial for us as individuals and as a collective. On a personal level, it made me realise anew how much I enjoy working with young people, and how much we, as experienced professional singers, can bring to inspire them. A particular highlight was being mobbed by dozens of students after one workshop, and being bombarded with questions – to know you have clearly given them things to think about is great!
Photo Credit: Calvin Sit
We worked hard, but we also had plenty of time to explore Hong Kong. The four of us took the Peak Tram up to Victoria Peak on Hong Kong Island and walked the trail around the Peak. The views across the city – the beautiful natural harbour and the incredible amount of skyscrapers – are breathtaking. Anna and I took the metro to Repulse Bay, paddled in the South China Sea and visited a Buddhist Temple on the beach, which was amazing! We all took the boat back from Hong Kong Island one evening, to view the incredible skyline lit up at night. I took a walk along the Avenue of Stars, and was very pleased to find Jackie Chan’s handprints! We also sampled plenty of local cuisine – on the first night we were treated to a Michelin-starred Cantonese dinner in our hotel restaurant, and on the last night we were taken to a local restaurant with all of our NOĒMA colleagues where we had a celebratory dinner. The hotel breakfast was legendary (I miss the pancakes…) and Cantonese steamed custard buns became a favourite!
All in all, it was a fantastic trip. It was wonderful to meet and sing with our colleagues and friends in NOĒMA, and to work with the student choirs, and everywhere we went people couldn’t have been more welcoming. We all very much hope to be able to do more workshops and collaborations in the future, and to use our choral and vocal knowledge to inspire more people to create great music.”