by Stephanie Manning
Reposted with the permission of Oberlin Conservatory
For Barnaby Smith, putting a concert program together is like cooking a three-course meal.
“You want the audience to come and have the starter, the main, and the dessert,” the countertenor says. “It’s like they’re having a nice dinner party while meeting the eight people on stage.”
As the Artistic Director of VOCES8, Smith curates those “dinner parties” for the renowned British vocal ensemble. And he has plenty of music choices to pick from. The a capella group is known for their genre-spanning repertoire — and they’re also celebrating their 20th anniversary this year. Both of those ideas come to the forefront in the program that they’ll bring to Oberlin’s Finney Chapel on October 28 as part of the Artist Recital Series.
“It’s got everything from Renaissance polyphony to jazz and pop songs,” Smith says. “There’s a little bit of something for everyone — Simon and Garfunkel, a few madrigals, and a bit of Bach and Elgar.”
That 20th anniversary program is just one of the options VOCES8 will present as they cross the U.S. on their upcoming three-week tour. Their other setlists include one about sacred music, one featuring music about the stars, and even one for the U.S.A.’s 250th anniversary. “ We’ll sing about 100 to 120 different pieces on tour, so it keeps it fresh and interesting for us as well,” Smith says.
While in Oberlin, the octet will work with the Oberlin College Choir, first by workshopping a piece and then by inviting them on stage for a portion of the concert. Interacting with young singers “is something we love to do,” Smith says. The students “can feel the presence of the professional singers around them, and I think that’s a great opportunity for them to grow.”
VOCES8 is currently doing some growing as well. Earlier this year, soprano Andrea Haines announced that she would be leaving after 17 years with the group. “The first soprano is a bit like the striker in soccer — they have such a visible place on the team from the audience’s perspective,” Smith says. “So it’s going to be a really interesting change.”
During the resulting audition process, hundreds of applicants were eventually narrowed down to a selection of finalists, who all came to London to sing trial concerts with the group. “ Everyone’s always like, ‘Oh, you have to replace the person who’s leaving.’ But we try not to look at it like that,” Smith says. “We try to look for a really interesting person, with a really interesting voice, who’s a really interesting musician.”
Ultimately, the group hired Savannah Porter, an American soprano who grew up in Fort Worth, Texas. “She’s unbelievably versatile,” Smith says, praising her high notes in particular. “She could sing Wicked. She could sing Allegri’s Miserere. She could be a pop diva.”
Although Haines won’t sing her final concert with VOCES8 until the end of 2025, Porter will be the one to join the group on their upcoming U.S. tour. Smith says that so far, Porter’s performances with the group have all been warmly received.
“Once a change of personnel has happened, everyone on stage feels a palpable relief that people still enjoy VOCES8 with a new lineup. So we’re looking forward to showing off Savannah to all of you.”
Smith, Porter, and the other six members of VOCES8 will get to introduce themselves to the Oberlin audience directly when they speak from the Finney Chapel stage. That personal touch has become one of the hallmarks of the group’s programs.
“ The greatest thing about singing is that it’s human to human interaction,” Smith says. “So it’s really nice that we get to communicate with the audience through the medium of speech as well. It really develops a personal relationship, and that means they can be more engaged with us as singers.”
While Smith is proud of the octet’s work as recording artists, he has a particular appreciation for the in-person concert experience they offer. “When you come to a VOCES8 concert, you meet all the individuals, and we try to create a show which showcases everyone for their strengths,” he says. “You’re getting a kaleidoscope of different styles and different personalities. Hopefully there’ll be a time for everybody to have a little cry and also a time for everybody to have a bit of a laugh. It’ll be an entertaining evening.”
