Wishful Singing is an ensemble made up of five classically trained female singers with crystal-clear voices. They perform a wide variety of musical styles with great passion and expression, from compositions of the renaissance and baroque to folk music and close harmony. They also love to sing contemporary repertoire by composers such as Kate Moore, Joey Roukens and Steven Kamperman.
Over the past few years the ensemble has enchanted its audiences with the timeless beauty of Gregorian chant. Reading the original manuscripts, Wishful Singing performed Missa and Vespers in Mysterium. In 2018 they released their CD In Mysterium.
Wishful Singing’s aim is to give meaning and voice to those things that inspire and move them. In doing so, the ensemble makes use of the unique power of vocal music, in which poetry and composition connect and sublimate into something new.
Wishful Singing regularly performs at Dutch concert halls like the Royal Concertgebouw in Amsterdam and at festivals like November Music and the Cello Biennale Amsterdam. They have sung in Japan, the United States, Germany, Spain, Estonia and Italy, and have performed at prestigious international festivals, such as the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival.
Since the Covid-19 measures went into effect in 2020, Wishful Singing has organised various online activities to maintain their connection with their audience. In 2020, they reached more than 6000 participants with two online courses teaching Gregorian chant singing, and an online sing-along Advent calendar, KerstVerlichting. In 2021, they launched Zing je Sterk (‘Sing for health’), a programme in which people with long covid self-manage their recovery through singing and breathing exercises. As of now, this course has had more than 2000 participants. The project has continued further, now including patients who are dealing with or recovering from cancer and people with chronic or long-term illnesses.
Anne-Christine Wemekamp, first soprano
Maria Goetze, second soprano
Marleen van Os, mezzo soprano
Stella Brüggen, first contralto
Marjolein Stots, second contralto
Wishful Singing radiates with spontaneity and youthful zest. They have a beautiful colour to their well blended voices and show high level of discipline in their performances. Wishful Singing engages the audience with charm and a love for the music that they sing.
Mariss Jansons, former Chief Conductor Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
