About
The quality of your voices, so in synch, the resonance of sound...
caused such an emotional response.
- Josh Miller, Royal Company of Merchants
Octavoce is a multi-award-winning eight-apart vocal ensemble. Formed in 2009 in Aberdeen by students united by a love of choral music, Octavoce is now based in Edinburgh and enjoys performing across the UK.
The singers have a wealth of choral experience between them, having sung in church and cathedral choirs all over the UK, the National Youth Choirs of Scotland and Great Britain, the Aberdeen and Glasgow Chamber Choirs, and the Robin Chapel Choir (Edinburgh), amongst others. The choir comprises doctors, teachers, students and freelance musicians, many of whom sing, play and perform with other professional and amateur ensembles across the country.
Octavoce has been privileged to have been invited to sing for a variety of events and fundraisers. In September 2020, Octavoce were invited to sing in the Korkyra Baroque Festival in Croatia, however, due to the Covid-19 pandemic this was cancelled. Two years later, the choir was finally able to tour to the island of Korcula in Croatia to give the two final performances of the Festival.
Octavoce performing in Korcula Cathedral, Croatia 2022
Derry International Festival 2019
In October 2019, the choir travelled to Derry to compete in the City of Derry International Choir Festival 2019, and were delighted to win the National Mixed Voice category, as well as 2nd place in both the National Vocal Ensemble and National Pop, Jazz and Gospel categories. In the 2018 Derry Festival, Octavoce also won the National Vocal Ensemble category.
2020 proved to be a challenging year, and so the only performance was in the form of an online concert. The ensemble recorded their Christmas Carol Concert 'Octavoce At Home' which was streamed on Facebook, Youtube and this website. The concert was watched by more than 1000 people from all over the world.
Octavoce's recording of Es ist Ein Ros' entsprungen by Praetorius was broadcast on Classic FM in the run up to Christmas 2019. Octavoce’s highly popular annual candlelit Christmas concert series has been running for six years with concerts in the Black Isle and Edinburgh. Due to the success of these concerts, a third concert was added to the schedule in 2018 and 2019. The Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2018 saw another sell-out performance of music celebrating nature. During summer 2018, the choir toured to Hampshire to perform two concerts in aid of the Cameron Bespolka Trust. Both concerts were sold out, raising over £4000.
Previously, Octavoce sang for the music launch for Music at Paxton (2016); performed at the prestigious Edinburgh Festival Supper (2012); were runners up in the Brewers Fayre nationwide carol competition (2011); gave the world premiere of ‘She Walks in Beauty’ which was composed specially for Octavoce by Paul Mealor (2011); and sang at the grand opening of the Union Square shopping centre in Aberdeen (2009). Octavoce has performed at various charity events, helping to raise money for Nordoff-Robbins music therapy, Alzheimer’s Scotland, Cystic Fibrosis, the British Heart Foundation, Scottish Pensioners and Cancer Research UK.
Octavoce has recorded three CDs: A Ceremony of Carols (2017), Make The Season Bright (2017) and She Walks in Beauty (2014).
Beautiful artistic sound
- Josep Vila Casanas (conductor of Lieder Camera Chamber Choir)
