What started as an afterschool club for aspiring singers, now takes to the stage in some of the most renowned venues in the country. Artists Aside hears from some of the voices of Flames Collective.
“Seeing the choir perform with RAYE is mind blowing, an experience that I’ll always look back on. There was a moment at the Royal Albert Hall where I was sat in the Royal box with RAYE’s family watching the performance. All the preparation that had gone into that moment; watching it all happen before your eyes was a super proud moment, it’s almost too much to take in,” says Andy Gilbert, the Musical Director.
The London based youth choir was created to give promising singers from underrepresented groups a helping hand in chasing their dreams. The term-time rehearsals develop their skills and prepare them for a career in the industry.
Core members are aged between 14-21, with alumni returning to lend a helping hand with the larger performances.
But it has become much more than an afterschool club, having now performed on stages most artists can only dream of stepping foot on. From the Glastonbury Pyramid Stage, The Royal Albert Hall, The BRIT Awards, MTV EMAs and the O2 Arena.
The choir joined RAYE on stage at the Royal Albert Hall in 2023, from which an album was released and it received a Grammy nomination for Best Music Film. Lina Oviosa, a member of the choir, says, “That was my first concert, and I was on the stage 10-feet high, and I had school the next day. I thought, ‘Wow what is life?’
“I’m so incredibly lucky because people pray for this everyday and I’d gotten it before I’d even become an adult.”
Flames Collective contradicts the traditional image of a choir. They are young, diverse and dynamic, bringing passion to their performances. “It wakes you up, some people watch performances really passively. Then all of a sudden you hear a powerhouse choir with beautiful harmonies and dissonance. You feel the emotion, the way we’re singing words.”
Andy was introduced to RAYE, through her dad, when the choir collaborated with her younger sister, Absolutely. From there RAYE was keen to get involved.
“For someone who is 16 and was told that music is just a hobby, all of a sudden you’re getting paid to sing with one of the biggest artists,” says Lina. “After the Royal Albert Hall, I thought that will never happen again, that’s enough for me. My name is on the credits of an album, it’s on the BBC. And then she was like, let’s do it again at the O2, and then again at The BRITS.
“For her to hire a bunch of teens, I respect that decision so much. It’s a lot of trust and a lot of money. I feel like people don’t realise how much it actually cost, she spent a year’s wage on the Royal Albert Hall.”
Three years later, everyone involved is still immensely proud of what they achieved.
“They really worked hard to bring their highest level of performance and we couldn’t have been any more proud of them. For the film of the show to get a Grammy nomination was the icing on the cake,” says Kadi Foster, project support for the group.
And it is not just RAYE they have performed with, also working with Ed Sheeran, Skye Newman, Cian Ducrot and Grace Carter. Andy didn’t think this is what the choir would turn out like this, created by music charity UD, which works to champion Black music, the choir was established in 2016. Their first high profile performance was just two years later, with Jake Bugg in 2018, but it was their collaborations with RAYE that pushed them to the front of that stage.
“Sitting between the education side and the music industry is a cool space for the young people to feel that support but equally feel and know the standard and expectation to be in the group otherwise you don’t get the opportunities that come with it,” says Andy.
Lina is already releasing her own music, under the name lina sounds, and credits this to the group, “I didn’t know anything when I started, I didn’t know people had to pay to distribute their music. I didn’t know people had to acquire rights. Being in this group has taught me loads.
“It’s a really nurturing environment, and when you’re surrounded by people that believe in the dream, you start to believe in the dream.
“It is helping young people earn money in the music industry. It is so rare. That’s really changed my life because I feel like not enough people talk about the money side of music things. I feel like I wouldn’t have pursued music had it not been for RAYE, and the people in Flames Collective,” she says.
Members come to the choir from inner-city secondary schools in London. Shortly before Lina joined, UD opened the doors on Talent House, the studio and dance complex in East London, designed to create more spaces for these young people. Andy shares why its existence is so important: “It gives young people somewhere to feel safe to express themselves musically, to make friends, to develop their singing and song writing skills, and be held in account at the highest level from a professional point of view.”
Kadi says, “It’s important to offer an outlet for young people because, essentially, we’re made to be creative and it’s a muscle that will carry you anywhere you go, in any capacity. Having a creative outlet is known to increase social connection, improves wellbeing and communication and I believe young people need that now more than ever. I am really blessed to play a part in the group and watch the young people get a taste of the industry through these opportunities.”
Lina says, “When an artist gives us their song, it is their thoughts and emotions, and they’re giving it to 30 singers. We have to treat it with care, as if we’re the ones experiencing the same thing.”
The group are sometimes asked to sign an NDA before rehearsing unreleased songs – a measure of how sensitive things are at the top end of the industry, where leaks can travel quickly. Lina says, “It’s all a really cool experience but also really serious. I needed to take it seriously so everyone feels adequately surprised and enjoys the joy of RAYE’s musical universe.”
The work of Flames Collective and the trust RAYE places in these young musicians, creates a world of opportunity. It bridges an accessibility gap and creates a new generation of powerful performers. SA
Featured image via Flames Collective/Luke Dyson
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