VIRTUAL CHOIR: LICHFIELD GOSPEL CHOIR SINGS ‘Total Praise’
‘Total Praise’ was recorded by members of Lichfield Gospel Choir in their own homes in March 2021.
Words & Music: Richard Smallwood・ Musical Director: Themba Mvula・ Assistant Musical Director: Gabriella Liandu・Piano: Themba Mvula・Audio Production: Themba Mvula・Video and Post Production: Tug Wilson.
About the Choir
a lively, joyful gospel choir with over 100 members and a repertoire which embraces African, gospel & soulful music.
Our music director is Themba Mvula, OUR ASSOCIATE MUSIC DIRECTOR IS GABRIELLA LIANDU.
Lichfield Gospel Choir is a captivating, joyful choir with over 100 members and a repertoire which embraces African, gospel and soulful music. Led by Themba Mvula, music director since our inception in 2010, and Gabriella Liandu, who joined as associate music director in 2020, we are constantly evolving and revel in taking on new challenges, singing everything from Nigerian lullabies to Primal Scream.
With an infectious joy and a huge sense of community at the heart of everything we do, our ethos is to create a space where each member can participate equally, regardless of ability, and we learn all our music aurally. In recognition of his inspirational and dedicated leadership, which ensured our choir continued to thrive through the pandemic, Themba Mvula was shortlisted for both a Making Music award and, together with the choir, a Royal Philharmonic Society award in 2021.
Lichfield Gospel Choir began as a series of workshops led by Birmingham-based acapella quintet, Black Voices, for the 2009 Lichfield Festival. The project was such a success that a permanent choir was formed and we haven’t looked back since!
Lichfield Gospel Choir is a registered charity, no. 1153553.
Themba Mvula
Our Music Director is Themba Mvula. Born and raised in Zambia, Themba enjoyed a rich musical upbringing and began singing and playing keyboard at an early age. He moved to the UK at age eleven and took every musical opportunity available to him. He went on to sing with the National Youth Choir of Wales and it was this experience that fostered his deep love of choral music and made him want to pursue music more seriously. He studied at Birmingham Conservatoire where he performed operatic and classical repertoire, while outside of college he enjoyed performing gospel, jazz, rock and other styles of music. On graduating he devoted much of his time to teaching singing in schools, conducting choirs and leading vocal workshops. He also joined Ex Cathedra and sang with them for a number of years, while continuing to develop his solo career. He is passionate about helping people find confidence with singing and specialises in teaching music by ear. His educational and community work has included projects with Birmingham Opera Company, Birmingham Hippodrome, English National Opera, Ex Cathedra Education, and the National Children’s Choir of Great Britain.
Gabriella Liandu
Gabriella Liandu joined us as our Associate Music Director in 2020. Gabriella is a Zambian-Scottish singer and creative, passionate about versatility and malleability of the voice. She takes her roots in performing within the Opera world. She recently completed a Masters in Jazz, following the completion of her Vocal and Operatic studies, at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. Being raised in the Middle East, her strong cultural upbringing and eclectic background is reflected through her artistry and style as a writer and performer. Her experience covers a wide range of genres with repertoire expanding from Early Classical to Choral, Modern Jazz and more. She made her Jazz debut at Cheltenham Jazz Festival 2021 and has since formed her own quintet, performing original works and arrangements to sold out crowds. Her performance work also involves touring with Ex Cathedra as a Graduate Scholar and frequent soloist. Off-stage, she delivers workshops and singing lessons, alongside working with Birmingham Opera Company, Welsh National Opera, Vache Baroque Festival and Music of Life in music making and opera taster sessions, through outreach in West Midlands communities and beyond.
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