DIVA VOCES is a Dublin-based female voice choir founded in 2006.
Our founder and first musical director was Liz Powell who fostered an ethos of friendliness, fun and mutual support. There was also an emphasis on social engagement and on supporting women artists and musicians whenever possible. We have a commitment to support diversity in the choir; diversity of sexuality, class and of race, of married and single women and of those working within and outside the home.
In 2011 we performed in a concert for International Women’s Day as well as for The Dawn Chorus. In March 2016, we sang at the Waking the Feminists’ second public meeting in Liberty Hall Dublin. We have also participated in Mental Health Week, since it has been shown that joining a choir is one of the best ways to recover in times of adversity, to raise spirits and to increase well-being.
In 2012, Liz handed the baton to Ruaidhrí Ó Dálaigh. Under his musical direction, the choir expanded greatly in numbers, diversity of repertoire and continued our tradition of doing a Christmas and a Spring concert. We also performed a piece composed for the choir by one of our members, Marianne Lee and were commissioned to record a piece of sacred music written by a sister of the La Retraite religious order.
DIVA VOCES have also entered and been successful in a number of choir competitions. In 2010 we went to New Ross choral festival, coming second in the Female Voice competition and fourth in the Sacred Music section of the competition. In 2015, when Ruaidhrí was musical director, the choir entered the Navan Choral Festival, winning the Female Voice Choir competition and coming third in the Sacred Music section.
In Autumn 2017, Duncan Brickenden took over as musical director. We are now almost 60 women strong, and still cherishing our tradition of increasing musicianship while having great fun.
During Duncan’s first term as director, we held both a Winter and a Christmas Carol Concert in 2017, and we plan a series of concerts for 2018.
Under Duncan’s direction, Diva Voces recently achieved first place in two competitions at the 2018 Limerick Choral Festival – Best Community Choir and Best Gospel Choir.
In keeping with our policy of supporting women artists, we have commissioned a piece from Georgia Johnson, based on the poetry of the renowned poet Paula Meehan, which we will be performing during our Spring Concert in 2018.
Diva Voces Choir 