Sweet Harmony

When Issy Pott started the vocal ensemble, Esprimo Consort in 2019, she couldn’t have predicted where the journey would take her.

 

On Saturday, 21^st March, she will preside as artistic director over the performance of Handel’s Messiah at The Church of St Cross in Winchester. Alongside Issy and the rest of Esprimo Consort will be 15 singers and six instrumentalists from LWC, together with the world-renowned Hanover Band – a period instrument ensemble.

 

Issy founded Esprimo Consort as a development project for fellow former students of the Hampshire Music Service and Peter Symonds College. The idea behind the ensemble was simply to keep young people singing during university holidays.

 

Seven years later and Esprimo is embarking upon one of its most ambitious projects yet – culminating in a performance likely to live on in the memory for years to come.

 

“This project speaks to Esprimo’s roots,” Miss Pott explains. “We were founded to keep young singers engaged in classical music long after they had left compulsory education. Many of us first sang together when we were a similar age to the LWC students that we’re working with now and we hope they continue singing into adulthood too.”

 

Issy makes a valid point. Whilst access to singing is prevalent in early years’ education, this traditionally tails off as young people progress through the system. LWC happily bucks the trend of findings from a recent survey of teachers in England, which suggests that over half of state secondary schools don’t sing together in assembly and more than a third do not have a choir. This is despite scientific evidence to suggest that singing stimulates brain development in young people, whilst releasing feel-good hormones such as oxytocin and endorphins. Group singing in particular fosters a strong sense of confidence, community and emotional regulation.

 

“We’re passionate about opening doors to young people to get involved in singing,” Issy continues. “What better way to do this than with one of the greatest pieces of choral and orchestral music ever written: Handel’s Messiah.”

 

“This is a shared artistic experience. It’s about raising musical standards, yes – but just as importantly, it is about mentorship, aspiration and showing young people what is possible when talent is nurtured seriously and kindly.”

— Issy Pott

 

Since September, a group of students and staff from LWC have been attending regular rehearsals with Issy and LWC’s Director of Music, Aaron Parker as part of an outreach project. “They are working incredibly hard to put this performance on,” reveals Issy. “We’ve also been fortunate to have incredible support from LWC’s peripatetic teachers such as Christian White as rehearsal accompanist. There have also been two weekend workshops when The Hanover Band and Esprimo’s conductor for this project, Luke Saint have also joined us. The real highlights for me have been seeing confidence, ensemble skills and sightreading ability come on in leaps and bounds among the students.”

 

The Messiah project brings together some unique opportunities for the students involved. Being at the heart of a work of this scale is rare for young singers – demanding musical discipline, emotional engagement and collaboration. Performing and rehearsing alongside experienced adult professional musicians gives students a glimpse of how it feels to play a central role in music-making of this kind.

 

The once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to perform at a venue which pre-dates the signing of the Magna Carta also isn’t lost on those taking part. The building of The Church of St Cross began in 1135 but wasn’t fully completed for another 200 years. It boasts walls of over a metre in thickness and has been described as a ‘Norman cathedral in miniature’. The church is nestled within the grounds of the Hospital of St Cross – one of England’s oldest continuing almshouses, surrounded by water meadows along the banks of the River Itchen.

 

“This is a shared artistic experience,” Issy concludes. “It’s about raising musical standards, yes – but just as importantly, it is about mentorship, aspiration and showing young people what is possible when talent is nurtured seriously and kindly.”

 

The Messiah project is yet another example of LWC seeking to widen the worlds of its students by offering unique experiences. This one is guaranteed to elevate more than purely musical notes.

 

Handel’s Messiah by Esprimo, in collaboration with Lord Wandsworth College and The Hanover Band, takes place at The Church of St Cross in Winchester on Saturday, 21^st March from 7pm. Tickets are priced from £10.

 

Photo Credit: dineanddivine.com