This month Kirsty has not-one-but-TWO guests in the Vox Pop studio; firstly Natural Voice choir leader Jo Foster drops in to chat choral inspiration and Celyn Hind introduces her Natural Voice Network lullaby project. We’ll hear music from both these guests, as well as Algerian Welsh fusion desert blues, political metaphor from Jo Freya and Barry Coope, a Ukrainian prayer, a zinging spot of Glee style aca-pop – …and much more! Kirsty blends song, spoken word and a spot of meandering banter together to create an eclectic hour of harmonic celebration for your delectation and delight!

This month Kirsty is in conversation with musician and scholar Dave Camlin and theatre maker and researcher Flo Brady. The trio will be talking (among other things) academic a cappella and the science of singing together. Musical highlights this month include a stirring from Bob Marley, a pearl from Oysterband and of course some Georgian yodelling! Kirsty will also be remembering the magnificent musical legacies of Norma Waterson, Sianed Jones and Rowan Godel.

The theme for December’s show is ‘Seasons of Love’- a year in the life of Vox Pop Choir Community Radio Show! Kirsty takes you on a ‘best of’ whistle stop tour of 2021, featuring a most venerable guest list: Boff Whalley, Helen Chadwick, the Resistance Revival Chorus, Mahdia Daulne, Vyvienne Long, Deborah Roberts and BREMF, Aneesa Chaudhry and Rainbow Chorus, Juliet Russell, Ellen Muriel, Fran Andre, Molara Awen and The Choir With No Name! So please join Kirsty and guests as she reviews this most unusual year of Rooming and Zooming and socially distanced singing – together and apart.

This month Kirsty chats with Alex Proctor from the Choir With No Name – a fantastic national choir for those who have experienced homelessness. We’ll hear the Choir’s arrangement of This is me from The Greatest Showman and some highlights from their most recent live Christmas concert at Brighton Dome.

July’s Vox Pop is our (early) Pride special, featuring an extended interview with the Musical Director of Brighton’s very own Rainbow Chorus, Annesa Chaudhry. Kirsty will be chatting to Aneesa about all matters choral, thriving and surviving the last year on Zoom and Aneesa will be telling us all about her new Presenting with Confidence course.

June’s Vox Pop Choir community radio show features a cornucopia of harmonic joy, including Early Metal fusion, South African harmony, French vocal funk, sun-kissed, souly gospel and much more!
Kirsty’s special guest this month is the Artistic Director of Brighton Early Music Festival, Deborah Roberts. Kirsty and Deborah discuss ‘What IS Early Music’, pagan song cycles, the ecology of song and singing outdoors  – and share a healthy moment of venting spleen regarding the Government’s treatment of community singers!

May’s episode feature’s music by our special guest Irish cellist and composer, and Hullabaloo Quire collaborator Vyvienne Long, as well as Euro pop from Benny Sings, contemporary American shape note from John Mark Harrison, Canadian doo-wop and protest song fusion from Dominique Fils-Aimé, classic gospel from The Joubert Singers, and Columbian harmony from Marta Gomez – just another harmony-fest from Vox Pop HQ!!

April’s show is a Zap Mama special and features an interview with Zap Mama’s Mahdia (Anita) Daulne. Kirsty and Mahdia are also joined by Zap Mama aficionado and community musician Carol Shephard.

March’s edition of Vox Pop features an extended interview with Anna Rose Menken and Brooke Williams from the Resistance Revival Chorus in the United States. This choir was formed, initially, as part of the first Women’s March in Washington in 2017, they rehearsed at Harry Belafonte’s studios, has performed with a whole host of incredible artists, and continues to achieve groundbreaking choral activism.
This is a really inspirational interview, in which Anna Rose, Brooke and Kirsty talk about all of the above, as well as the Street Choirs movement here in the UK, the structural differences and similarities of choirs on each side of the pond and the Natural Voice Network.
Kirsty plays a selection of the Resistance Revival Chorus’ music, much from their new album, This Joy. She is also joined by folk singer Lucy Ward, fellow choir leader Sophia Efthimou and shares a surreal moment with Michael Kemp about the music of compost!

February’s Vox Pop features an interview with song and theatre maker Helen Chadwick. Helen and Kirsty are long time collaborators and chums, and they chat about all matters choral, including Helen’s early work, the origins of Sing for Water and Helen and Kirsty’s Spring workshop next month.

The first Vox Pop show of 2021 kicks off with a fabulous interview with Boff Whalley – song writer for Commoners Choir and founding member of Chumbawamba. Kirsty and Boff chat about their choral projects that got them through 2020, singing about taxidermy, the Santa Claus Army, conducting together in different time zones at the Street Choirs Festival in Brighton in 2018, and clapping – and singing – for the carers. 

Unsurprisingly, this month’s show features lots of choral treats from Commoners Choir, as well as a spot of Chumbawamba – and also features music Tribeqa, Electralane, David Bowie, Karine Polwart and Oi Musica, and the interview is generously supported by Bobby McFerrin, Brian Eno, Steve Reich, Crass and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir!

December’s Vox Pop Choir Community Radioshow features an extended conversation with song maker and choral director Ali Burns. Kirsty and Ali are long time buddies and colleagues, and this vibrant discussion explores all things choral – from the craft of song writing to fantasy festivals, community projects and keeping choirs alive on zoom.

In November’s edition of Vox Pop Kirsty chat with long time friend and collaborator Carol Shephard. Carol is based in Swansea. She runs C’est la Vie choir, Swansea’s Singing for Lung Health group, and offers yoga and mediation workshops for all ages.

O’Hooley and Tidow, The Beach Boys & our very own Kirsty Martin are just some of the artists featured in this month’s cornucopia of harmonic delicacies.

This month’s show takes a different turn as we have a special feature running through the thread of the whole show! 

Vox Pop presenter and Hullabaloo Musical Director Kirsty Martin welcomes our guests  – Jane Bayly, Maude Davey, Anni Davey and Karen Hadfield from the Australian vocal theatre quartet Crying in Public Places. 

Kirsty spends a leisurely hour chatting via Zoom with these wonderful and witty artists and hearing some of their music, and you’ll also hear what Hullabaloo Community Quire is up to this autumn from Kirsty and her co-presenter Paul Diello.

All music this month is by Crying in Public Places and can be found on Spotify.

August’s edition features tracks from The London Bulgarian Choir, Wovoka Gentle, Le Choeur Voyageur and more.
There is also an interview with Stephen Clift  – Director of the Sidney de Haan institute for research in arts and health.

July’s edition explores some of the stunning vocal music used in the recent Hulu series Devs, shown on BBC2 – including music by The Beacon Sound Choir, Low, The Hilliard Ensemble, Finnish musician Suvi Eeva Aikas and Crosby Stills and Nash.
In the spoken word feature this month choir members reflect upon a term of singing via Zoom and what the future may bring for our singers.

Another gorgeous choral cornucopia of sound as we settle into lockdown! This month’s show features music from Zap Mama, Prelude. Camille and Holly Near and includes two epic interviews with Natural Voice Choir Leaders Fran Andre and Gitika Partington. Don’t miss it!

Kirsty and Paul bring you mesmeric choral music from Phillip Glass, Choral Cross Fade feature focuses on a Carter Family classic, and Paul presents a special feature on Bjork. Plus a beautiful piece by Hulla member Col Scott on American alt folk band The Roches. This month’s choral classic is a Pete Seeger anthem. 

Harmony rich music with a choral bend – from Imogen Heap to Carl Orff! This month’s show welcomes a new feature – Choral Cross Fade – which explores a particular song’s journey through different interpretations and arrangements over the years. As well as this we have an interview with local performer and facilitator Adrienne Thomas, and Paul Diello and Kirsty Martin chatting all things choral!