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The season has reached its final chord. In two concerts we put the repertoire together and shared it with appreciative audiences. Vanessa was strict; in the first set, ‘Music from around the World’, our folders were not allowed. Mirroring her gestures and knowing left hand from right in the aboriginal greeting song, ‘Abeyo’ seemed to give some members difficulties, but no one was injured! Eileen provided her impressive ululating in ‘Bambalela’ and we were convincing in our Macedonian and Bulgarian.
We are so lucky to have Emily Renshaw-Kidd as our soloist, performing four songs of her own as well as leading some of ours. Body noises of the politest kind became important as we imitated trains with our Ssshhoooo and Tff and Chipa, chichipa. This segued into a short percussion ‘train’ - complete with whistle - and Emily leading us into: ‘I can hear the train a-comin’’, marking the start of our train-themed set.
Emily sang ‘Alto’s Lament’ which resonated with that section of the choir. (The altos DID have the tune occasionally though, notably in ‘Downeaster Alexa’ and ‘Nellie the Elephant’!) Her other solos paid tribute to ABBA, The Carpenters and John Rutter. As always our highly accomplished accompanist Stefan Catto, played for Emily and sometimes for us. Other distinguished solos came from our own Tim Offord & and David Rance.
Body percussion in the shape of enthusiastic foot stamps accompanied ‘The Wellerman’ in our set of sea related songs and finger clicks and claps appeared in our last set, ‘Beatles Classics’. Vanessa wisely avoided introducing ‘When I’m 64’ knowing various members (men) longed to yell out ‘you should so lucky!’ or ‘you wish!’
So that’s it. I doubt any of us are in the choir for the concerts. We turn up regularly for the joy. The concerts give us the opportunity to stick it all together, to share that joy, to recruit a few more members and to prove to our relations that we have learned something (Zulu, Bulgarian etc) when we disappear some Saturday afternoons.
Our members don’t just sing. They run raffles, distribute and collect our colourful scarves, serve refreshments, fold programmes, move furniture and much more besides. We are a community, a community choir, based in Adisham for over 25 years!
September will see us assemble again, with a new repertoire and Vanessa’s unfailing patience to guide us through another Eclectic year. Keeeeep singing!!
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