When a love of song first brought a group of choral enthusiasts together in Londonderry some 25 years ago, few would have imagined the musical journey that lay ahead.
Codetta, the prize winning choir formed in 2000, have since performed all around the world, won numerous awards and garnered global acclaim.
Now celebrating its silver anniversary, artistic director Dónal Doherty said the choir’s journey is a testament to the “talent and commitment” of its members.
“It’s really lovely to look back on the 25 years and kind of have a nice smile about what has been achieved,” he said.
“Those years have flown by but we’re already looking forward to the next 25,” he told BBC Radio Foyle’s North West Today programme.
Among the highlights of the last quarter of a century are performances at the Proms and BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year.
The choir has won the Fleischmann International Trophy, and performed alongside Barry Douglas and Camerata at Washington’s Kennedy Centre.
There is now a Codetta junior choir, for singers aged under 13 and a youth choir for Codetta’s teenage members.
Dónal Doherty says Codetta is planning now to safeguard its musical legacy [BBC]
That Codetta pathway is being developed further with plans to launch Codetta Cubs – for the youngest of members – in 2026.
It’s a summer camp for singers aged five to seven.
“Hopefully the legacy will be there for many, many years to come,” Mr Doherty said.
But being part of Codetta is about more than the music and the songs.
“It’s the friendships that are in the choir and the great memories that have been made over those years,” Mr Doherty said.
“That’s the beauty the strength and the loveliness of choral singing, it’s just people with a shared interest coming together and making great sounds together, enjoying themselves and forming those close relationships”.
Jenny O’Donnell joined Codetta in 2005.
Describing herself as “more of an instrumentalist” at that time, she said she has little option but to join with many friends being members.
“If I wanted to see my friends, I had to be in the choir. It’s just a massive part of my life. I absolutely love it.”
Many things change but Ms O’Donnell said Codetta has remained a constant.
“We need to open a Codetta crèche because there’s that many babies and children about,” she joked.
“Sometimes those babies have to come along the rehearsals… we’re so lucky to have the choir and be able to sing with our best friends.”
The choir’s 25 years, she added, shows “that music is so important to the city and the people really value it”.
Louis Fields has been singing with Codetta for the past five years, drafted in, he said, because “trying to get men to sing is sometimes a wee bit difficult”.
“I’ve loved it since I joined and all the experiences we get through Codetta by performing.”
Being able to sing at an international level while based in Derry, he said, is a great thing.
“There’s nowhere else I’d be able to do it and unfortunately it’d be one of those things I have to go to London,” he said.
Mr Fields added: “You really get to be part of something bigger. A lot of that music is sort of dying, fading away, so it’s great that we can perform it and keep it alive.”
To mark their 25 years, a series of anniversary concerts have been held.
On Friday evening, by way of homecoming, Codetta performed at Derry’s Christ Church.
The celebrations continued on Saturday as the choir hosted a gala dinner in the city, while next month Codetta will perform at the City of Derry International Choir festival, before joining with the Ulster Orchestra for a pre-Christmas concert in the city.
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