How a Chance Encounter in the Rain Sparked the Birth of The Worthy Voices
It was one of those Bristol evenings where the rain seemed determined to test anyone who dared to leave the house. Umbrellas clashed and flopped in the wind, puddles formed faster than you could dodge them, and yet a line of music lovers stretched down the street, waiting for the London Community Gospel Choir to take the stage.
Among them stood Emma Worthy, coat pulled over her head like a makeshift hood, peering out at the line and the stage ahead. She laughed at herself for looking so ridiculous, but music had always been her world, and nothing, not even the rain, would stop her from being part of a night filled with warmth, joy, and powerful song.
Emma had been singing and performing for as long as she could remember, reading music before words and performing with orchestras and choirs across Europe while most kids were still learning their scales. She had led adult choirs to perform in venues like the Royal Albert Hall, Carnegie Hall in New York, and even Disneyland Paris, working alongside artists such as Sir Karl Jenkins. Her youth choir had performed at the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, she had been personally recommended by Gareth Malone to lead a Military Wives Choir, and she had directed specialist singing projects, including work with people living with dementia. Alongside all that, Emma had taught music and drama across North Somerset and run vocal workshops for all ages.
But tonight, she was not performing. Tonight, she was watching. Watching with her friend, Siobhan, who was stood beside her in the pouring rain. The energy of the choir, the joy in the voices around her, the way music could bring a room together, it reminded her why she had devoted her life to singing and teaching others to find their voices.
Then a voice came from behind, warm and curious:
“What brings you both here?”
It was such a simple question, but it opened a doorway.
They started talking about music, Emma’s choirs, and her years of performing and leading. Clips of her singing were shared, recordings of rehearsals, little snippets of a life built around music. Each note, each harmony, hinted at the kind of choir she had always imagined, one built on connection, joy, and inclusivity.
Then Lis spoke, almost casually, but with a spark in her eyes: “I’d love to be in a choir, something new and exciting. Come and be the musical director! Let’s make a choir!” Emma grinned under her coat, thinking how perfectly absurd it felt to be having this conversation in the pouring rain. Somehow, it also felt exactly right.
Lis encouraged her to sing right there, standing in the rain. Emma hesitated, laughing softly, but Siobhan further persuaded her to lift her voice. It wasn’t a performance, just a small, unselfconscious moment of music. Yes, she really did sing in the rain!
By the time the concert ended, the idea had already started to take shape. They added each other on Instagram, exchanging ideas and excitement. Slowly, a vision began to form, small but bright, a choir that didn’t yet exist, but felt inevitable.
Their first meeting at The Globe, Frampton Cotterell, was meant to be just a casual discussion, not a room booking. They were shown around by the barmaid who had come to take their food order. An order that took a full hour to actually get because they were talking so much. Emma remembers thinking about the art of persuasion and Lis and Siobhan had it in spades! It was incredible how easily conversation could turn into planning, and yet how natural it all felt. By the end, Emma left with the landlord’s contact card in her hand. Up until that moment, she had told herself she wasn’t going to commit to anything, but it couldn’t be helped. Everything had fallen into place, and she quietly felt that this was something worth following.
“I honestly didn’t think it would come to anything,” Emma said later. “But as everything aligned and came together at The Globe, it felt like it was meant to be.”
Lis laughed. “It’s funny to think it all started with one question. You never know which conversation will change everything. But somehow, this one did. Everything just fell into place.”
The Worthy Voices didn’t launch with auditions or a fanfare. They launched with serendipity, with conversation and laughter and a shared love of music. They are ready to turn chance into harmony and strangers into friends.
Sometimes, the most ordinary moments lead to extraordinary outcomes. For The Worthy Voices, it started with rain, a coat over a head, and a simple question:
“What brings you here?”
The Founders (left to right): Siobhan Anthony, Emma Worthy and Lis Villotti
