The year started well for The Improvisers Choir, winning the Nonclassical Battle of the Bands back in January. This occasion saw them team up with the formidable Peter Wiegold and his amazing band at Club Inégales, Euston. Peter has been on a wonderfully rich, varied and successful musical journey: From Durham University to the Guildhall; from Birmingham Contemporary Music Ensemble to working with numerous international ensembles around the world, he has a portfolio most comp

It was a beautiful sun filled Sunday in June and the Crouch End festival was in full swing. One of our first gigs as a choir was at the festival last year and it was good to be back, this time with a little more experience and a few more gigs under our belts. This year we would be playing two gigs during the festival, another at the Meadow Orchard Project in Crouch End and at a street party in Inderwick Road. It was TOC on tour! We had a strong setlist, comprised of all the v

A brief but heavy downpour had flooded our usual venue, Earl Haig Hall, so this week’s choir rehearsal was promptly moved to Jenni’s loft apartment in Crouch End. Being the location of numerous Vocal Tai Chi workshops, many of us felt quite at home singing or, more broadly speaking, vocalising in Jenni’s home. This week brought yet another challenge! In groups of three we were to spontaneously come up with fresh pieces, unprepared, unplanned and unconducted! A rotation was de

Cleveland Watkiss is a singer with a huge wealth and diversity of experience. Despite his many different collaborations and projects he is still primarily regarded as a Jazz vocalist, due to the improvisatory nature of his solo work. However, he has moved beyond Jazz into a much wider sound world, drawing from all the different threads of his past. This world is where he and both TIC and TOC met for this latest Club Vocale. First Set: TOC & Cleveland As a member of TOC I had

Three weeks after my introduction to the Improvised Choir, I was once again in Jenni Roditi's loft apartment with its stunning view of Alexandra Palace. All ten singers were present for their final practice and dress rehearsal performance after six weeks of experimentation and exploration. The burgeoning rapport that I witnessed three weeks ago now seemed to have developed into an harmonious accord, these individuals now expressing themselves and their voices confidently and

TIC – The Improvisers’ Choir – Rehearsal 3 In Jenni Roditi’s stunning loft apartment, light streaming in through the windows that are three sides of the space, seven unique individuals entered one by one to greet Jenni. “The warming up is done! The bonding is done! Now it’s time to get down to it!” These were some of Jenni’s first words to the group as they commenced their third rehearsal. The singers were encouraged to accept their present state; to honour their history of s