Joanna Forbes L'Estrange

Joanna Forbes L'Estrange (born 1971)[1] is a British singer, composer and choir director.

Joanna Forbes L'Estrange
Background information
Birth nameJoanna Lucy Forbes
Born1971 (age 51–52)
GenresA cappella, classical, jazz, choral, contemporary, film
Occupation(s)Musician
Instrument(s)Soprano, composer, conducting
Years active1997–present
Websitewww.joannaforbeslestrange.com

Background

She is the granddaughter of the Scottish viola player and arranger Watson Forbes and daughter of the composer and emeritus university music professor Sebastian Forbes, both of whom are listed in The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians.[2][3] She is married to the composer, arranger and jazz multi-instrumentalist Alexander L'Estrange.[4]

Career

Singer

Joanna Forbes L’Estrange's career began with the A cappella vocal group The Swingle Singers as soprano and musical director. From 1998 until 2004 she led the group in concerts in North America, South America, Asia, Europe and Australasia. She appeared in three contemporary operas at Teatro alla Scala, Milan, and at Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. She worked with musicians including the late Ward Swingle and Maestro Luciano Berio, whose orchestral work Sinfonia (Berio) she performs with orchestras worldwide.

As a soloist, she specialises in contemporary crossover music including Mass in Blue by Will Todd (recorded in 2019 for Convivium Records) and Sacred Concert (Ellington).[5][6] She sings jazz with L’Estranges in the Night,[7] the duo she co-founded with Alexander L'Estrange.

As an ensemble singer, she sings with London-based, professional vocal ensembles including London Voices - directed by Ben Parry (musician), Tonus Peregrinus (vocal ensemble) - directed by Antony Pitts[8] and Synergy Vocals - directed by Micaela Haslam, performing Minimal music by Steve Reich and John Adams (composer).[9] She has recorded over twenty CDs with Tenebrae (choir), directed by Nigel Short (singer).[10] She records film soundtrack at London's Abbey Road Studios. Her voice features on the soundtrack to the Wes Anderson 2021 film The French Dispatch in a duet with Jarvis Cocker.

Composer

Joanna Forbes L’Estrange is "one of the Royal School of Church Music’s best-selling composers".[11] She was commissioned to compose an anthem to mark the coronation of King Charles III in May 2023.[12][13] The mountains shall bring peace, a setting of Psalm 72 and Psalm 149, was performed by choirs throughout the world.[14]

Choir director

Joanna Forbes L’Estrange founded, and for five years directed, AQUILA, the all-female vocal group of St John’s College, Cambridge.[15] She has been a guest conductor for the National Youth Girls Choir and Choir of the Earth. In 2018, she organised and conducted the first all-female recording session at Abbey Road Studios, recording her song Twenty-first-century Woman.[16] She was a judge on the Sky 1 series Sing: Ultimate A Cappella.[17]

References
  1. "Joanna Forbes L'Estrange". RSCM Music Direct. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
  2. "Watson Forbes". The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music.
  3. "Sebastian Forbes". The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music.
  4. "Toby L'Estrange speed-reader". Evening Standard. 28 July 2016.
  5. "Choir commemorates founder with 25th anniversary concert in Upton". Malvern Gazette. 9 February 2017.
  6. "Jazz grooves in York Minster on May 16". York Press. 16 April 2015.
  7. "L'Estranges in the Night". Pizza Express Live. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
  8. "Joanna L'Estrange". UK Choir Festival.
  9. "Tour Diaries – Page 2 –". Synergy Vocals. 3 November 2012.
  10. "'Love came down at Christmas' by Alexander L'Estrange". BBC Music Magazine.
  11. "RSCM best-selling composers". RSCM.
  12. "Rhinegold Publications". Rhinegold. 26 September 2023.
  13. "Thousands to 'Sing for the King' in celebration of King Charles III's coronation". Sight Magazine.
  14. "Coronation.gov.uk". Coronation.gov.uk.
  15. "Exciting Music-Making at St John's Cambridge!". Choir Schools Association. 18 March 2018.
  16. "International Women's Day - 'Twenty-first-century Woman Song'". Abbey Road.
  17. "Inaugural performances from female a cappella group and College jazz band taking place at St John's". St John's - St John's College, Cambridge.
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