Lighting the Legend, 4 November 2016

Back again in our spiritual home, and singing just outside of where we normally rehearse, we were again pleased to take part in this yearly event. Though we now sing in a variety of places and our members come from all over Greater Manchester and even beyond, we are the Ordsall  A Cappella singers, and we owe Ordsall.

There was a magical atmosphere again as people gathered with their beautifully fashioned lanterns ready for the parade up to Ordsall Hall.

This year Lighting the Legend kickstarted a week of events celebrating Salford TUC’s 150 year anniversary.

Yes, our songs reflected that sentiment exactly:

“Until nations cease to be,

Unison in harmony.”  

And “Drops of water turn the mill, singly none”. Definitely trade union spirit in those words.

Outdoor events and Greater Manchester are always bit of a risk; it poured. But we were well equipped with umbrellas and hats and it would take more than a few drops of rain to daunt Ordsall spirit. We tried to defy the weather by also including a rendition of newly learnt Here Comes the Sun. You know what?  The rain did stop for a very brief period after that.

Something else is very clear too: Ordsall rocks.  

Great fun for the choir again. And thank you for the sandwiches, Ordsall.  

The Lying King, Lighting the Legend and Lanterns, Ordsall, 6 November 2015

“So, we follow the drum and the unicycle.”

“Yes, then when we get to the “stage” – it’s not a real, one remember - we get into our parts.”

“So, we do Kiss the Girl.”

“Yes. Then if Gail gives us the signal we can do Viva la Musica. After that we shuffle over to the left.”

“Then when we get the cue, it’s Hail Smiling Morn.” He’s just teasing, of course.

“No, Kiss the Girl. The one we’re really here for.”  Matt so almost got it right.

“No!” Now everyone is chipping in now. “Can you feel the love?” From the Lion King. But tonight we’re using it for The Lying King.

“And what was the cue again?” Jeff gets ready to write on his hand. It would be interesting to be able to read the layers and layers of song titles that have been written on that hand. It would show the history of the choir. Of all of his choirs.     

“Aaaah. Now it’s time for a sad song.”   

We warm up in the other half of the neighbourhood centre where we normally rehearse. It’s a workshop-come-store and we have to breathe in a bit as it’s busy tonight. As we exercise our voices and run through our three songs, people pass to and fro: helpers carrying saucepans of something hot, folk with fairy lights in their hair, and members of the emergency services coming in for a brew. And the lanterns, oh the lanterns.   

Soon it’s time to set off. There’s quite a buzz as we march slowly towards our venue with the drummer drumming, the clown’s car going round in circles and the lanterns gently jostling up and down. There’s an ice-cream van and a fire engine that blows bubbles as well. We feel important as the traffic has to stop to let us by.

Lanterns

Soon it’s time for us to sing. It’s never easy singing outdoors but out audience listens attentively. People watch as well from the bedroom windows of the old red bricks and from the front porches of the new-builds. We manage to add to the magic of the evening.

The time goes quickly and soon it’s the moment to continue the parade towards the fireworks. The fire engine is waiting for us.

It’s good to be able to give something to the community from which we get our name. To the community that created us in the first place.  

Singing for Joey: The People's Premiere of War Horse, 23 July 2014

Suddenly there is the unmistakable noise of a horse’s hooves behind us. We’re singing in a gallery so this might be surprising. Yet we’re kind of expecting it. A change in the expression on the faces of the sopranos and basses, and the delight in the eyes of the guests arriving confirm that he’s here. The star of the show, Joey, has come out to greet us all.  

Singing for the Mayor

Ordsall A Cappella Singers at Ordsall Hall with the new Ceremonial Mayor, Cllr Alan Clague.

A Month in Rehearsal: April 2013

Now that it’s getting slightly milder the door and the windows are open more often. On a good night, and most of them are, there are about forty of us in the room so it gets a little warm. Outside the birds compete or attempt to join in - I’ not sure which.  I often wonder what the residents of the Ordsall estate who live near to the Everyone Centre  make of this sound they hear every Tuesday evening. We hope they enjoy it and have their windows open too.  

Jeff is pushing us hard. But good. We’re ready for that. We seem to learn new songs more quickly now. We really can’t survive without working at least little between Tuesday night sessions. We’ve mastered The Long and Winding Road quite rapidly and brought it out in the recent performance at the Victoria Baths. Okay, it’s not the hardest song we’ve ever learnt but it isn’t the easiest either.

It isn’t just the singing, though. That’s almost the easy bit - we have some good voices, experienced singers and enthusiastic newcomers. We also work regularly on diction, phrasing, vowel sounds, facial expressions and presence. Every rehearsal starts anyway with the all-important breathing and voice warm up.

It pays off, this attention to detail. Our diction has been praised by judges at the Buxton Fringe and the MACC. I now notice some quite prestigious singers putting the last consonant of one word on the opening vowel of the next and it makes me cringe – then smirk. We know as well that when we brighten our eyes the singing sounds and feels better.

It is quite hard, however, when you try to remember everything at once: the words, where notes go up or down unexpectedly, to watch Jeff, to tell the story and to brighten your eyes. Jeff pulls a face and you think. Oh no, he means me. Thankfully in the break you find out that everyone had had that thought.

Ah, the breaks. News, tea and chat. And of course, Kerry’s cakes which get better and better when they were excellent to start with.

All the fun aside, rehearsals have been serious business with several new songs coming into our repertoire, some older ones being polished up and several recordings being made. Hard work. We wouldn’t be without it, though.