Music Society: UC8 Manager

I am running to be the UC8 manager because I LOVE UC8 (!!) and I really would love to build on the amazing environment that has been created in the ensemble this year. As an auditioned ensemble, the singers in the UC8 are all incredibly passionate and talented and I have been incredibly lucky to learn from every single singer in the group this year. Being in the UC8 has been such a big part of my development as a singer and has introduced me to many amazing friends, so I would love to have the opportunity to be a bigger part of the process next year.

I would like to build an ensemble where every member feels invested in the process by providing avenues for input on concert repertoire and the way rehearsals are run. The smaller group size of UC8 means that this is very possible, allowing us to create a group where every member feels valued and responsible.

I would also love to have even more socials than what we had this year (if that’s even possible!). Being at the pub together and hanging out was such a big part of building camaraderie with the members this year, so having socials on a level equal to or even higher than what we had this year is so important to me.

Manager or not, I'm sure UC8 will continue to be the most special ensemble (not biased, obviously) and I am excited to see what the year brings!!

The opportunity to be in UC8 as their tenor 2 this year has been a phenomenal part of my first year at University; being able to sing high quality music, with high quality singers but more importantly friends has been an invaluable and memorable experience I would like to continue into second year and lead as modelled by the current UC8 Manager Nasreen Lofti Gill. As a choral singer for most of my childhood and now early adulthood, I know the importance of keeping the tradition of choral music alive -

I believe I can effectively manage the admin side of the role, such as organising concerts and venues, picking a vast range of high quality choral repetoire, communicating with other members of the music society committee, manage rehearsals but most importantly, foster a welcoming,collabborative, fun enviroment just as our manager did this year. This ensemble has been exceptionally fun and rewarding to be a part of, and having the chance to manage the next cohort of UC8, in what will hopefull be a long lineage, would be a huge honour

I would love to apply for a committee role within UC8. As someone with a deep love for consort singing and a great appreciation for choral music, I am eager to contribute both musically and organisationally to the group’s continued success.

I have held many choral director roles for consorts, chamber choirs and much larger community choirs and have organised choral concerts to fundraise for hospice charities, coordinating rehearsals, venues, publicity, programmes, and performer communication to deliver well-attended events. These experiences strengthened my organisational skills and ability to manage logistics while keeping artistic quality at the forefront. I understand the importance of balancing musical ambition, challenging repertoire and artistic vision with practical measures to ensure performances can be as polished as possible.

Musically, I have a wide knowledge of choral repertoire across Renaissance polyphony, Baroque sacred works, Romantic motets, and contemporary compositions. My particular passion lies in consort singing and I value the collaborative discipline and close listening that this demands, so I would be really enthusiastic about contributing to repertoire discussions and programme development.

I am really motivated to support UC8 in delivering high-quality performances while also prioritising the creation of an inclusive, focused, and musically rewarding environment for all members.