University of Warwick
60th Anniversary concert
Virtual Choir

In our 60th year, we’re honouring our past, celebrating our present, and looking ahead to our future. And we’re inviting our community to celebrate with us!

About The Project

We want to celebrate our musical legacy by creating a massed virtual choir of Warwick University singers, past and present. We are inviting you to be part of this exciting performance and you can even do this from the comfort of your own home!

2025 celebrates 60 years since the University of Warwick was founded, and just over 50 years since the Warwick Arts Centre was built. For decades, the University has maintained its strong history of high-quality music making and we want to celebrate this.

Two of our largest ensembles, the Chorus and Symphony Orchestra combine forces each year to put on spectacular performances in the Butterworth Hall. The Music Centre is proud to be collaborating with the amazing WorldChoir for this project so that on 7th December 2025 all current students and our wonderful alumni of the University can join us virtually for a hybrid performance of Christopher Tin’s 'Sogno di Volare' on the Butterworth Hall stage.
This is an image of composer Bob Chilcott holding a pile of vocal scores on a patchwork background of green, blues and purples.

Meet the conductor Suzzie Vango

Suzzie is thrilled to be collaborating with the WorldChoir to create this very special piece of Warwick University history with you all. Suzzie will be running the online zoom tutorials and conducting the final concert, live in the Butterworth Hall on 7th December 2025.

Passionate about the arts and choral education, her high-energy workshops and dynamic choral programmes have gained her an international reputation, working with singers of all ages, running projects in Uganda, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, China, Thailand, the USA and across Europe, with recent visits to Scotland, Ireland, France and Kenya.

In demand as a soprano, choral director and vocal coach, she directs and sings with the critically acclaimed female a cappella quintet Papagena, conducts the National Children’s Choir of Great Britain and is an adjudicator and guest conductor for many UK vocal ensembles and music festivals. Recent collaborations have seen her working with: the London Symphony Orchestra, Vache Baroque, Sing for Pleasure, Sing Ireland, ABCD and the National Youth Choirs.

Suzzie is Associate Artist at the University of Warwick, conducting the University Chorus, Chamber Choir and Vox Warwick. Her multi-award winning warm up book ‘How to Make Your Choir Sound Awesome’, written with Lucy Hollins, was published by Banks Music Publications in 2022.

How to get involved

The talented people at WorldChoir will collect all your videos and create a film to be played in sync with the live performance of the University of Warwick Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in December. Anyone who submits an entry is also entitled to a free ticket for the concert, in-person.

If you want to be part of this once-in-a-lifetime experience, then you just need to sign up below. You will be provided with all the music, learning tracks and technical help you need to produce your own video to be included in the final video.
Listen to Sogno di Volare
This is an image of Maya Angelou with the Project Heading and a quote from her poem, Human Family that reads:

Sing with us!

About the music

Christopher’s epic work ‘Sogno Di Volare’ is a celebration of human achievement and exploration. The words are a modern translation of Leonardo da Vinci's words about flight. The University of Warwick is actively involved in showcasing, studying and interpreting the work of Leonard da Vinci - particularly his love of anatomy, science and the relationship between art and sciences - so this piece in tribute of him, was an obvious choice for us.

It was originally composed as the main theme for the video game, Civilisation VI. The piece is based around the concept of exploration: both physically, in seeking out new lands, but also intellectually, in seeking out new frontiers of science, technology, and humanities.

Since its premiere in the game, 'Sogno di Volare' has been performed in its own right in venues including Cadogan Hall and the Llangollen International Musical Eistedfodd, Wales. 'Sogno di Volare' ignited a spark leading to a full oratorio, 'To Shiver The Sky', exploring the history of flight.

Key Dates

Add these dates to your diary so you don't miss a live session.

Zoom rehearsals with Suzzie:

Join us for sessions with conductor, Suzzie Vango, to help you learn your part and sing along, live, in the comfort of your own home with the other singers in your part. If you are unable to attend, these sessions will be recorded and available to watch later.

16th October and 23rd October, drop in sessions at the Warwick Arts Centre:

For those people who would like some support in recording their submissions, we will be running drop-in sessions in the Music Centre at the University of Warwick between 1700-2100 on these dates. Please email [email protected] if you would like to sign up for a slot.

 

24th October, 0:00 BST (end of day)
SUBMISSIONS CLOSE 

FAQs

  • Can I come to the performance?

    We would love you to come to the performance. It will take place on December 7th at 16:00 in the Butterworth Hall at the Warwick Arts Centre. Here is a LINK to the event: https://www.warwickartscentre.co.uk/whats-on/qgJ-eternal-echoes-university-of-warwick-symphony-orchestra-and-chorus/ The University Music Centre will be in touch with all participants of the virtual choir to let you know how to claim your free ticket for this performance.

  • I can’t record myself, can I still take part?

    Yes, of course. You can come along to one of our recording sessions at the Music Centre (Warwick Arts Centre, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL) between 17:00 - 21:00 on 16th or 23rd October where our music team will help you record your submission in our recording studio. To sign up for this please contact [email protected] .

  • I am not an experienced singer, can I still participate?

    Absolutely! You will get all the learning resources needed including a downloadable score, guide tracks, Umix and will be supported by Suzzie throughout the process, including the option to attend live online sessions. A basic music reading ability will benefit you.

  • Do I have to pay?

    No, it’s completely free as part of the University’s 60th Anniversary celebrations.