Busy Weekend

Yes, indeed, what a lot we did the weekend 13-15 December 2024.

Brockholes  

 

Several of us trooped up to the wild-life centre, Brockholes, near Preston to join Blackburn People’s Choir and Gathered Voices to sing at the Winter Fayre and for the lighting of the Christmas tree on Friday 13 December. .

We entered the Fayre through a tunnel of lights and a barrel organ played Christmas tunes.  We even managed to sign along to a couple of them on the way out: Feliz Navidad and Oh Come All Ye Faithful.   

As usual we enjoyed singing with other choirs.

The Fayre was full of artisan stalls selling all sorts of carefully crafted handmade items. Not that we had much time to look: we had a whole repertoire to get through, including all the old favourites.

The wild-life trusts do much important work in looking after nature and confronting climate change so it was good to be able to support them   

 

Memorial Service Manchester Crematorium

This was the first time a service like that had been held at Manchester Crematorium. There have been similar events at other venues in the past. People, who have lost a loved one recently and in some cases longer ago, are invited to attend and during the service leave a message on the Christmas tree.

We sang the first verse of Once in Royal David’s City and then the congregation joined us on the other verses. We sang along with the congregation on the other hymns. We ‘performed’ Silent Night and, at the organisers’ request, Holly Jolly. The latter perhaps serves to remind us that this was a celebration of life as well as a service of remembrance.

The service was just the right length and touching without being heavy. 

 

Singing on the Bee Network 

 

Oh, yes, there we were singing on the Metrolink trams. We mainly circled round between Deansgate  and Cornbrook. Note the lovely yellow Santa hats.  

Our repertoire consisted of Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer, White Christmas (not the four voices version – we sang in unison), The Twelve Days of Christmas, Holly Jolly and Carol of the Bells. We did manage to sing the latter two in parts.  

“They must have rehearsed that for days,” we heard someone say of Carol of the Bells. Yes and no. Most of us in the group have been singing that for several years but probably have to relearn it every Christmas.

We had a welcome pit-stop at the Costa at Media City where we enjoyed our favourite beverages, mince pies and other cakes and pastries. It gave us the opportunity to get to know the organisers a little better.

Could we tempt them to join?

“We work hard but we have a lot of fun,” we explained. “See you 7 pm on 7 January at Go Church?”         

As we got out of the tram at St Peter’s Square at one point someone who had been at the memorial service the day before recognised us. Fame at last?

Our finale was on Platform B at Piccadilly where we gave our final rendition of Holly Jolly.