Spotlighting Singers: From Chorister to Early Music Soloist

Spotlighting Singers: From Chorister to Early Music Soloist


Singers do amazing things — and we spotlight them. Here’s an article about a singer who was a chorister but found a way to become the new star with some very old and very unusual music in England. Be sure to click on the link to listen to her sing. More power to her for being creative and determined in developing her performing career. AND… we’d like to publish what you are doing to build your career. Just email mark.stoddard@csmusic.net and tell him what you’re doing. He’ll let you know how to be published.


I first heard Olivia Hunt sing through convening an ad hoc choir to premiere a mass setting that I’d written at St. Asaph Cathedral on the Sunday after Christmas, 2012. I was immediately struck by her accuracy, purity of sound and the colour in her voice. Upon hearing her solo with a chamber choir a couple of months later, I decided she was definitely someone I wished to work with.

After performing concerts together from 2013 to 2016 with Olivia appearing as the guest soloist in the recording of my “Requiem” with the Choir of Selwyn College, Cambridge for Regent Records, she suggested founding an early music ensemble. Olivia’s infectious enthusiasm for this genre was impossible to refuse, so we set about co-founding Ensemble 1677, in memory of the Italian soprano and composer, Barbara Strozzi.

Olivia’s mantra was always to have fun; singing and performing had to be enjoyable, whilst still maintaining a very professional approach and always preparing works thoroughly. Olivia once said to me: “You approach performances as a professional musician who does this for a living; I sing because it’s fun and I enjoy doing it.

I continually learn much from her about the whole ethos of performance. For me, our rehearsals have always been the most enjoyable part of working together; divided almost equally between attention to detail and laughter, it’s a fine example of how a strong friendship contributes to the success of the result.

Having formerly been Head Chorister at Chester Cathedral and a finalist in the BBC’s “Young Chorister of the Year” competition, Olivia had much exposure working as a soloist, but within the confines of the choir stalls. Now that she was able to do her own thing, her overall priority was to take the snob factor away from classical music to make it accessible to a wider range of people.

We were fortunate to be able to recruit some talented local musicians to join our early music project and our launch concert took place at Pantasaph Friary in North Wales December 2016. Following this, we gave 20 concerts in 2017 either with the ensemble or as a duo: these included staging Purcell’s “Dido and Aeneas” in conjunction with the St. Asaph Choral Society and professional soloists. Olivia and I undertook a short tour of the South West of England, incorporating venues such as Truro and Bristol Cathedrals and St. Michael’s Mount.

Unfortunately, towards the end of 2017 we had to disband the idea of an ensemble as our members had become so busy in other areas of life, but Olivia and I decided to continue working as a duo and to see where that took us. We had several broadcasts on the BBC’s “Introducing” scheme and towards the end of the summer of 2017 a donation from two generous benefactors allowed us to start planning a CD recording which would be Olivia’s first solo disc.

Upon hearing about our plans, Willowhayne Records approached us and said that they would like our recording to be released on their label which would then be distributed internationally by Naxos Global Logistics. We decided to include a broad selection of music, starting with a focus on early music and culminating with later works by Vaughan-Williams, Quilter, Gershwin and myself.

Our disc, “Musick to Heare” was recorded at the Universities of Bangor and Southampton and released in November 2018. It is available as a digital download as well as in regular CD format. The title is taken from Shakespeare’s Sonnet no. 8, which I set to music for Olivia in 2014 and forms part of the CD programme.

Our most recent performance was at the London International Exhibition of Early Music. We have also just completed recording a second disc for Willowhayne in St. Asaph Cathedral with harpist, Bethan Griffiths (a postgraduate at the Royal Academy of Music) and violinist, Xander Croft (an undergraduate at the Royal Northern College of Music) for release in 2019. This disc strays from our usual repertoire, containing compositions by Karg-Elert, Boulanger, Boellmann and myself for various combinations of instruments as well as some organ solos. However, it continues our commitment to give talented up and coming musicians opportunities at the start of their professional careers wherever we can.

Olivia has continued singing lessons and has also received coaching from Dame Emma Kirkby. As the recipient of the 2018 Sickle Foundation Award from the Worshipful Livery Company of Wales for services to Welsh music, she has been able to gain financial support for these lessons whilst working in the Equine and Health Care sectors.

For further information, our website www.hhclassicalduo.weebly.com can be consulted, or we can be contacted via hhclassicalduo@gmail.com

Our CD is available for purchase from www.willowhaynerecords.com
John Hoskings

John Hosking is a freelance organist, composer and conductor, and Acting Director of Music at Holy Trinity, Southport in England having just finished 14 years as Assistant Director of Music at St. Asaph Cathedral. He has over 30 choral works published by the Chichester Music Press and his compositions appear on several commercial CDs. As a recitalist he has given over 20 recitals at Westminster Abbey as well as solo concerts in Notre-Dame Cathedral, Paris, and Washington National Cathedral.