Lyyra | Photo: John Glaser Photography

Standing alone on a trail of the Camino de Santiago in Spain, I came across VOCES8’s call for auditions for a new upper voice ensemble. For me, it felt like fate. Barnaby Smith’s (founder and artistic director of VOCES8) words – seeking those who ‘want to live out their lives through their music’ – spoke directly to something I had been searching for, but did not consciously know. I now, with deep gratitude and awe, write this as a member of that hoped-for ensemble, Lyyra.

When Lyyra launched at our premiere performance in February of 2024, we knew we were stepping into uncharted territory. An acapella ensemble of six women's voices is already quite unique, but one that is composed of singers from all over the US that have never met nor sung together? A very new kind of project. Reflecting on our first year, I’m struck by how much we’ve grown – not only as individual musicians but as a cohesive, dynamic team.

From our first rehearsals in Houston, it became quickly clear that trust in each other was to become central to our success. With a goal of not only diverse repertoire selection, but authentic performances in each genre, it was critical to lean on the expertise of each singer’s training.  For those of us with roots in classical choral and operatic training, singing in a pop or jazz style required rethinking how we shape our instruments. For those who already understand those contemporary styles, learning how to create a classical sound and phrase was a new journey as well. Each of us has been a teacher and a student in rehearsal, which has only served to bond us even further.  

Along the way, we’ve discovered that the chemistry in the rehearsal room is as important as the music on the page. Whose sense of humor keeps us optimistic when something is not quite tuning? Who can summarise an artistic conversation to find the common ground? Who has the talent of reminding us to think less technically, and remember the meaning of the text? Answering these questions as a team has been a true joy.

'This first year has been a whirlwind of learning and growth, far beyond what I envisioned during that first audition'

This beautiful and intimate work we’ve done so far in rehearsal is laying the foundation for Lyyra’s emerging debut into the American and European music markets. Conversations of repertoire are constant and evolving, with the vision being the weaving of Western choral tradition and contemporary styles. We hope to blur and blend the two into an emotionally cohesive and relevant program. Lyyra’s audience should come to expect a program that surprises with its authentically performed variety, but also clearly portrays an emotional point of view. This is not only important for our current audiences, but our future supporters that we interact with in our education work.   

Lyyra is hopping onto the educational mission already established by the VOCES8 Foundation, both US and UK. In the US, choral music is alive and well in the public school system. Choir classes are often curricular and expose students to high level music making in the daily school environment. Lyyra has had the privilege of visiting these classrooms all across the country already: In Seattle, we collaborated with the Northwest Girls Choir in both a workshop on creative improvisation and a performance together. As one of the impactful collaborations for many of us, we saw the burgeoning creativity and artistic spirits of these students in such a tender and special way.

We hope to show such students and educators in the US a successful model of a versatile all-treble ensemble. Often, upper voice ensembles are relegated to a lower status beneath the mixed SATB group, for a variety of reasons; both understandable and perhaps only through tradition. It has been so fulfilling to perform and interact with these treble ensembles and empower them to be proud and powerful with their music-making. We also aim to show students that their journey with vocal music doesn’t have to end with high school graduation; whether it’s joining a collegiate ensemble, singing in a community volunteer choir, or auditioning for the number of professional choral ensembles in US cities.

Looking ahead, our vision for Lyyra is clear: we want to redefine what an all-treble ensemble can be. We aim to connect with audiences who might never have experienced choral music before – or whose experience is limited to stylised media depictions of college acapella. This first year has been a whirlwind of learning and growth, far beyond what I envisioned during that first audition. I can’t wait to see how the six of us continue our vision to shape the future of treble ensemble singing.

Lyyra is at Kings Place for its UK debut on Friday 24 January. ​​kingsplace.co.uk

Note: In this article, the term 'treble' is used in the American sense, referring to higher voices in general. In the UK, 'treble' often specifically denotes boys' voices.