Black Heritage: Nigerian Soprano Annabel Joseph Ojoboh Elevates UK’s BBC Leeds’ Bantam of the Opera Choir with Artistic Excellence

By: Motolani Alake

When the Bantam of the Opera choir was formed in January 2025 as part of Bradford’s UK City of Culture celebrations, few could have predicted that one of its most defining voices would belong to a Nigerian classical soprano, Annabel Joseph Ojoboh. Her involvement has not only enriched the choir’s sound but has also proudly placed Nigerian artistry at the heart of one of the UK’s most remarkable cultural stories.

The choir, created by BBC Radio Leeds, brought together fifty Bradford City AFC fans to trade football chants for operatic arias proving how music can lift everyday voices into extraordinary spaces. In under a year, the choir has already performed across major stages, from a flash mob of Bizet’s Carmen in a Bradford shopping centre to a moving tribute at Valley Parade marking the 40th anniversary of the Bradford City fire. They have filled King’s Cross Station with song, performed Verdi’s Anvil Chorus with Opera North, collaborated with the BBC Singers and the BBC Concert Orchestra, and joined the Yorkshire Symphony Orchestra to open the new Bradford Live venue on Yorkshire Day. Their performances have been broadcast live nationally, from BBC Breakfast to The One Show, and they even sang for King Charles III during his visit to Bradford’s Cartwright Hall.

The choir’s story cannot be told without Nigerian soprano Annabel Joseph Ojoboh, whose presence has reshaped its sound and identity. As the only Black member of the Bantam of the Opera, she stands out not only for her heritage but for her artistry. Her solos have become defining moments, carrying both technical brilliance and emotional resonance. On BBC Radio 2’s Jeremy Vine Show, she introduced her voice to a nationwide audience with her solo verse of Beatles All you need is love. Flexing her sharp soprano voice, she sang the soprano solo part of Take Me Home, for HRH King Charles III on his visit to Bradford, a performance that captured the pride of a city still healing from its past. She reprised the Beatles solo at the West Yorkshire Lord Lieutenant’s Garden Party, and again with elegance alongside the Yorkshire Symphony Orchestra at the Bradford Live Yorkshire Day concert. Each time, her delivery reaffirmed her place as one of the choir’s most commanding performers.

The Bantam of the Opera reaches further than music; with members aged 18 to 91, including survivors of the 1985 fire and players from the club’s disability team, the choir represents resilience and community. Guided and supported by celebrated names like composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, soprano Lesley Garrett, and broadcaster Chris Kamara, it has bridged the worlds of sport and high culture in ways that no one could have predicted when rehearsals began.

For Annabel, this platform is more than personal achievement, it is an opportunity to represent Nigeria’s vibrant and growing classical music tradition. Her training and heritage bring a unique texture to the ensemble, blending Nigerian musical discipline with Western classical forms. Whether performing a solo at the West Yorkshire Lord Lieutenant’s Garden Party or alongside the Yorkshire Symphony Orchestra, she carries with her the excellence and resilience of Nigerian artists making an impact on the global stage.

She will once again be singing the solo part of Take Me Home, Midland Road at the BBC Radio Leeds Make a Difference Awards on 13th September 2025 at the newly reopened Bradford Live venue, a performance set to be another milestone in her journey.

The Bantam of the Opera Choir symbolizes how music can bridge cultures, communities, and genres and Annabel’s journey with the choir is a testament to the expanding influence of Nigerian musicians in classical music, and a reminder that extraordinary talent can emerge from unexpected places, uniting worlds through the power of song.