Musicians of sinfonia ViVA

Helen Bishop
Clarinet

On what makes sinfonia ViVA special...

What sets sinfonia ViVA apart from other orchestras is the fact that it is not just an 'orchestra'. ViVA's flexibility allows virtually any member of society to feel embraced by the experience of making music, either as an active participant or influential listener, regardless of age, personal circumstance, or musical background.

On a typical day with sinfonia ViVA...

One of the most rewarding aspects of working with sinfonia ViVA is that there is actually no such thing as a 'typical' day. As a member of ViVA, I have not only worked as an orchestral musician and performed some of the most sublime chamber music but also played clarinet duets next to the bananas in a supermarket, recorded sounds for research into aircraft noise (not sure what they were trying to tell me about my tone!), given a concert in someone's home, worked with school children who could not otherwise have shared the experience of making music with professional musicians, and taken part in the 'Streetwise Opera' project with homeless people.

On personal fulfilment through involvement with ViVA outreach and education projects...

This was undoubtedly taking part in the BBC's Listen Up! festival for which Chris Swann and I were invited to play clarinet duets at the home of Thomas Wootton, a gentleman of some 91 years who, as a young man, had played clarinet and violin in a dance band. Our 'concert hall' was Thomas's sitting room, packed with his friends and family. No longer able to go to concerts, Thomas took great delight in sitting alongside us, following our music while we played. For Chris and I it was particularly satisfying to see our performance giving such immense pleasure, and I think that for Thomas the whole experience allowed him to be a participant in music-making once again.

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