A visit from ReChoired 19-22 October 2017

Enjoying good food and good company

It was quite fabulous that Greater Manchester did its best trick: it poured with rain and we got quite damp. No problem. It can be exactly the same in Copenhagen. We all say: no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing.  So we set off for Ordsall Hall in raincoats and with umbrellas. Quite fabulous too that these lovely people stayed just on the edge of the Ordsall estate where it all began for the Ordsall A Cappella Singers.

ReChoired sing both a cappella and accompanied. They have 22 members. Their repertoire includes jazz, gospel, pop, motown, soul and well-known Danish songs. Conductor Peter Bom often arranges the songs for them.

They came to sing and be with us from 19 to 21 October. 

Yes, we became tour guides. One of our lovely sopranos, Helen Taylor, coordinated all of this beautifully and they quickly felt at home. Others chipped in and helped with the guided tours, tea, lunch, directions and much more. Thanks to everyone who helped make this a smooth and fun trip.

Ordsall Hall was a-buzz with a school group, another big party and ourselves. Yet we also spoke of what the acoustics were like, where we stood to sing and how we "closed down" the hall before it was restored. You have to know about Lowry if you come to Salford and Lowry gives us a good impression of what the old Salford was about. It was too wet for a walk around the sculpture trails that gives the full story of the Ship Canal but we had a good view of the Manchester United Stadium, the Imperial War Museum and the canal itself from the Lowry.

We also toured the city centre on Friday, getting very wet but having a great time anyway - ReChoired were particularly taken with the Town Hall, which was described as ‘magical’ and led to much 'bee-spotting’ around the rest of the tour. We also spent time at the Central Library, Royal Exchange Theatre (for a coffee and cake break naturally, and to get dry before going out in the rain again!) and the Cathedral, ending up with lunch in the Corn Exchange. 

We thoroughly introduced ReChoired to the Manchester tram network, which delighted them as Copenhagen ‘only’ has buses, underground trains and ferry boats between islands. They were steadfastly cheerful in the teeth of Storm Brian and very generous with their appreciation of our own music. 

Yes, quite right that they saw Salford first. Quite right too that we introduced them to some of the bars: Elnecot on Thursday and Kro Bar on Friday. Then there was http://www.refugemcr.co.uk/ after Kro closed. Vapiano was the venue for a meal on Saturday evening, followed by The Briton’s Protection  where ReChoired delighted everyone in the pub with a mini concert and then, after they collected some new Canadian fans who were in Manchester for a music convention, they went on to Via. 

We might have even said that we offered them a tour of the local churches: St Ninian's for our rehearsal on Friday, St Peter's Chaplaincy for our joint concert also on Friday and Brunswick Church for our joint workshop. Did this tour bring miracles? A ReChoired voice that was lost came back in St Ninian's. Some fabulous sounds happened in St Peter's. There were more good sounds the next day in Brunswick and a delicious spread, including freshly made pizza, for lunch, all of which seemed to come from nowhere. Maybe it was the hot tea, the enthusiasm of both choirs and that uncanny way that those sorts of meals always work. Maybe those are miracles anyway.  

Rehearsing together at St Ninian's

Of course the music was the main point. ReChoired brought along a delightful repertoire.  It was great to sing Kiss From a Rose with them and have them join us for One Day Like This at the concert.

Singing together the next day was really special. We enjoyed two slightly different warm-ups form Jeff and Peter. Jeff taught us (Everything I Do) I Do It for You, arranged by Kirby Shaw with whom we are so familiar and Peter introduced us to Riverside, his evocative arrangement of an Agnes Obel song. Then it was time for Christmas songs with bright arrangements of Sleigh Ride and Jingle Bells. Both directors emphasised brightness, communication and finishing off phrases together.     

Sure, there are differences between the two choirs. ReChoired auditions, we don't. Their average age is lower than ours. They deliberately keep quite small whereas now we are quite big. Actually, though, as always with these international exchanges, there is more that is similar than is different. Goodness, we even both rehearse on a Tuesday evening and have cake in the break. Naturally we all love to sing and we both benefit from a musical director who is strict but motivating and has a great sense of humour.     
  

ReChoired perform for us at our workshop

Our workshop finished with a lovely surprise. We were presented with copies of ReChoired's CD. I'm listening to it as I write.   

A lovely occasion all round.         

                                   

 

Manchester is Here 15 June 2016

The Green Room is actually wood-panelled and sports a three-dimensional frieze. There is old furniture that you’re asked not to sit on. We have a quick walk on and sing a few extracts in the main event room. Most of our rehearsal is in this lovely room, used most of the time as a committee room, I believe. It sounds and feels good; and so it should – this building is after all part of Chetam’s School of Music, and accustomed to music. 

This music school, situated on Long Millgate, one the oldest parts of Manchester and very near to the cathedral, says Manchester loud and clear. So it’s a fitting place for this event, Manchester is Here,  that remembers the bombing of the Arndale Centre exactly twenty years ago. It follows on from a day-long symposium that celebrates Manchester’s survival and regrowth after the bomb and looks towards devolution.     

So, we feel very privileged to be part of this event. We’re just a little nervous. This is so important. We have to keep quiet in the Oak-Panelled Room – noise travels easily. We whisper like mice.

Those nerves are useful. Just enough to keep us on form but not enough to cripple. We open with Wonderful World, then sing a closing set – Can You Feel the Love, Here There Everywhere, Over the Rainbow, Somewhere and of course On a Day like This. It all goes smoothly. Of course it does. This building cherishes music.

The audience is appreciative and one young lady is particularly enthusiastic. “I used to lead a choir,” she says, later as we meet in the hospitality area, “so I know what you’re up to.”

“Aren’t you in a choir now?” we ask.

She isn’t. We recommend that she should change that situation. She agrees to do something about it.

We leave with a delightful souvenir. We’re each given a copy of  ANew Manchester Alphabet, a snapshot of Manchester in 2015. This has been put together by The Manchester Writing School, part of Manchester Metropolitan University, who also arranged the symposium. The volume also includes Roger Oldham’s original A Manchester Alphabet.     

A lovely evening all told.         

DEBRA’s Manchester Gala Dinner, The Palace Hotel

The entrance hall reminds you of the reception area of a great old-fashioned bank. Hardly surprising. It used to be the office of the Refuge Assurance Company. It’s fascinates the visitor to Manchester anyway and is a distinctive presence on Oxford Road with its striking 66 metre tower. It is a Grad II listed red-brick building. It’s even more intriguing inside and a little scary: once you’ve left the reception area would you ever find your way out again?

When we first arrived for our sound check and to try out the stage, there were still ladders up to the ceiling, speakers and mics being wired up and technicians working hard. But when we came back just over an hour later, ready to perform, the room was transformed. Images of light butterflies were projected on to the walls, generous candles burned in impressive candlesticks and the guests had started arriving in their elegant evening dress.   

DEBRA is a national charity that supports individuals and Families affected by EB – a genetic condition that causes painful skin blistering. It’s heart-breaking to see little children wrapped in bandages, with angry blisters visible on their faces. It’s even more harrowing to read of their stringent daily routines. Suddenly all of those hours of rehearsal, of learning songs in our own time and the hard work on the night seemed like the least we could do. We hope we helped somehow. We feel proud that we were part of the “live entertainment” mentioned in the posters.

“They’re going to sing you a few love songs,” said the mc. And that we did – in the widest sense of the word “love”. Included in the evening’s performance were Love is the Sweetest Thing, Let’s Do It, The Way We Were, Soul Wind, Wasma, Deep River, Joshua, Kiss the Girl, Wonderful World  and of course the two where we accompanied Megan, Longer and Imagine.    

After our performance ended, we were able to relax with a drink, listen to the after-dinner speeches and watch the bids steadily going up in the silent auction. We hope DEBRA did well at this Gala Dinner that celebrated 35 years of caring.          

In the bath again

Yes, we were invited again to sing at the Victoria Baths, Manchester. This lovely building is being brought back to life and this time there was actually water in one of the pools. It felt a little chilly there: we have been spoilt by the recent fine summer. And as only one of the pools was filled we were again able to sing in the bath. There were a lot of people there, perhaps enticed to something indoors as the weather outside was so cold. And we soon warmed up because singing always helps there as well.  

We had ample time to rehearse today in the room in the basement, which the people at the Victoria Baths made available for us. We had a good long warm-up session and even though we were here to perform we still learnt something new. We must sing from the front of our faces, not in our throats.

We visited some old favourites: Deep River, I Think it’s Going to Rain Today, Imagine, Soul Wind, Wonderful World, Memories, Kiss the Girl, Blue Sky, and newer but now firmed up The Long and Winding Road and Longer. One we’ve known for a while, but still find tricky - Let’s Do It – was fun to do today. Once it becomes fun you know you’re winning.

Did I imagine it or was our actual performance better this time? Did we tell the story? Did we look the part? I was aware of us pulling together even more than normal.

The audience was great and no doubt that helped. They clapped really loudly. It’s nice to be appreciated when you’re actually enjoying yourself.  

We did of course again sample the excellent cake in the friendly tea room. Once more the pretty windows let in a charming light even though it was such a dull day.

Thank you Victoria Baths, for having us