A Cappella, Cake and a Tudor Hall: Ordsall Hall, 23 June 2015

Summer seems to have come at last. We gather outside and sit surrounded by luscious flower-beds. The wine has been delivered. We’ve brought along our tea-making kit. Mysterious packages containing good old A Cappella cake start arriving. We’re in for a treat. 

Our own flowers are there too, carefully looked after by new flower girl Barbara.

“Those who get here early get the best,” she says.

I manage to procure one that has two butterflies. Two butterflies!

“A quick warm up and a little run through then back out for photos,” says Jeff. Outside he climbs on to the wall. “Get into a space. Spread out a little more.”   

We’re framed by lavender.

Victoria Baths, Sunday 6 June 2015

There’s nothing quite like singing in the bath and that’s what we did again this week. The acoustics in this lovely old building are just brilliant. Especially when you’re in at the deep end of the Males 1^st Class. No, I don’t mean our two basses, our two male tenors and Jeff, though they did very well, of course. I mean we sang from inside the Male 1^st Class swimming pool – though there was no water in it this time. 

In the deep end - Males 1st Class

It’s especially good when you start off with Viva la Musica! What a fantastic echo. There’s another choir up there on the ceiling, isn’t there, surely? Cheek! Copying us …

Dunham Massey on the first evening of summer? 3 June 2015

Would it happen? Would it be too windy? Could enough of us get there? Or get there early enough? Would it be wet? Would we have on audience?  

We got there. Enough of us. On time. And the summer seemed to have come at last. The warm evening brought us an audience.  

On a fine summer evening in June the garden of Dunham Massey is one of the pleasantest places to be. Especially if you’re singing with a bunch of people you know well and with whom you’ve sung before. Especially if the birds join in – or were they competing? And especially if there are a group of really nice people who listen as they enjoy the gardens. 

Some of our lovely altos. A choir in a garden.  

Civic Sunday – singing for the Ceremonial Mayor of Salford 31 May 2015

By 9.30 we are all gathered in St Clements Church Ordsall and Salford Quays. We’re in our home parish and in the place from where we get our name. It’s raining gently outside and it’s cold for May. Yet, as we’re reminded later, “It’s a glorious day, despite the weather.”  

The warm-up goes well and a few folk who have arrived early are appreciative.

At ten on the dot the Mayoral party arrives and enters the church with due ceremony. Peter Dobbs looks splendid in his robes.

Singing at St Ninnian’s, Chortlon Arts Festival

A light almost-summer evening at the end of an unpredictable bank holiday Sunday. St Ninnian’s Church is half full already and they keep on coming. Chorlton Arts and probably our own Facebook page have done us proud. By the time we’ve finished our warm-up we have a more than respectable audience. Late-comers have to sneak in the side entrances to the pews.

“We have other appearances coming up. Twice at the Victoria Baths. 6 June and 7 September,” Jeff tells the audience during a break between songs.

“We’re from there!” cry a group of folk half way back on our right. Indeed they are. We recognise our old friends from that lovely building, though today they’re not wearing tier name badges.  

And of course, we mustn’t forget Buxton. 25 July. Details here. We normally have a great day. Why not come and join us?    

We work through our repertoire and bring out in public for the first time Bring Him Home and Viva la Musica! All goes well. Singing in churches seems to suit us and naturally we include Deep River, Joshua and Kum Bah Yah.

An interval gives us a chance to mingle with our audience over tea and biscuits. Tea, cake and biscuits are a hallmark of the Ordsall A Cappella Singers and tonight is not different. We do recognise some family and friends. As well, though, there are some mystery guests. What motivated them to come, we wonder. Will they come again? We hope so.

There is cake, too, backstage, kindly donated to the choir. Thank you so much. You have the measure of us!

Thanks to St Ninnian’s, Chorlton Arts festival, and all choir members for a great evening.  

       

A Day at The Manchester Amateur Choral Competition

The Royal Northern College of Music is quiet at 8.40 on the first Sunday of February. A few dedicated students make their way to practice rooms. The folk who are arranging this great event quietly set up. The café looks as if it might open any minute. 

Early Sunday morning at the RNCM

It’s not quiet for long, though. Coaches start pulling up outside. The choirs start arriving. The café opens. There’s a buzz as the chatter gets louder and louder and we start to swap notes with other choirs.

The choirs line up to take their turn in practising walking on and off the stage. It takes quite some organisation to put all of the morning choirs through their paces. At last, though, we’re all done and the day begins in earnest.     

It’s always a fun day. There’s the excitement of waiting for your slot and then giving your performance. It’s interesting to see what other groups get up to. And yes, we get to hear some great singing.

We can probably safely say that we found some common ground with every single choir we watched and we probably learnt something from them too. 

Last performance of the year – Football Museum with mulled wine and mince pies

What did I say yesterday? We’re more secure now and usually have at least three for each part? Ah. An early start at 5.30, some terrible weather conditions that caused equally terrible traffic and a few sore throats and coughs reduced us to one soprano and two female tenors. At first at least. Then a few more folk arrived and we had a respectable three or four for each part. A certain temporary male tenor who has also been known to sing bass and even soprano was very welcome and kept us in check. Well he has to keep us all in check anyway. That’s his job.  

All in purple and black with added tinsel and hats.