Harrogate Male Voice Choir returns after two-year absence

Harrogate Male Voice Choir returned on Saturday evening for its first performance in two years.

The choir has existed since October 1969 but members were forced to practice over Zoom during the pandemic.

Members performed at a charity event at St. Mary’s Church, Boston Spa in aid of Martin House Children’s Hospice. They raised £1,050 for the charity.

The choir sang renditions of Amazing Grace, Bring Him Home and In Flanders Fields, among others.

It was the debut of the choir’s new musical director Richard Kay, who has been a member of York Philharmonic Male Voice Choir since 2002. He also sang a range of songs solo during the evening.

Choir member Lawrie Coulthard said:

“It was a wonderful experience for both the choir and audience.

“This was the first time for some years that our performance included solo items – the audience really enjoyed them!”

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Ripon Choral Society returns with Verdi’s Requiem

Ripon Choral Society will perform Verdi’s Requiem in its first live performance for 20 months.

The music was chosen because it fits the theme of remembrance, which the concert has adopted to honour the victims of covid.

Musical director John Dunford said:

“In choosing music for our return to rehearsals, I was conscious of the great loss of life, nationally, across the world, and from within our own membership.”

“The Verdi Requiem is a monumental, moving and theatrical work and few choral works capture the imagination like it.”

The 140-member choir will make its return at Ripon Cathedral on Saturday, November 13.

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The soloists include Samantha Hay (soprano), Anna Burford (mezzo-soprano), Gareth Daffyd Morris (tenor) and D’Arcy Bleiker (bass), accompanied by Orchestra D’Amici.

The choir welcomes anyone to its evening rehearsals at St John’s Church in Sharow, near Ripon, every Wednesday from 7.30pm to 9pm.

Dunford said:

“I am convinced there are a lot of people who think this is not for them and I am even more convinced they would love what we do if they gave us and themselves a chance to experience it.

“This requires time and is not instant, particularly if you have not done this sort of singing before, but it can all be learnt.”

The concert will start at 7.30pm. Tickets cost £23 for reserved seating or £20 for unreserved.

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Dame Emma Kirkby to sing at Bach masterpiece in Harrogate

World renowned soprano Dame Emma Kirkby will be one of the soloists at a performance of J S Bach’s Mass in B minor in Harrogate next month.

The event will take place at at St Peter’s Church on October 8.

The combined choirs of St Peter’s Church and Vocalis chamber choir will be joined by the Harrogate Bach Players.

The other soloists include James Micklethwaite, Aoife O’Connell, Emma Stannard, and Andrew Greenan.

Dame Kirkby, who started as an amateur singer, was awarded the Queen’s Medal for Music in 2011.

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John Longstaff, director of music at St Peter’s, has organised the performance.

He said:

“it’s a wonderful and very difficult piece of music, extremely joyous and celebratory at times.

“I’ve loved it all my life but never had the opportunity to direct it and to perform it with the line-up of soloists and orchestral players who we have joining us, is a dream come true.”

Tickets cost £15. Call 07425161425 for more information.

Music-loving Knaresborough couple nominated for choir award

A Knaresborough choir has sung the praises of two married members worked hard over the last 18 months to keep morale high.

Julie and John Bradbury-Sharp have been members of the Knot Another Choir since it started in 2012.

When the pandemic began the choir were forced to move onto Zoom for rehearsals but Mr and Mrs Bradbury-Sharp were determined to do more for their fellow singers.

The pair started a weekly bulletin that kept the choir up to date on any news and included profiles on individual members.

As a computer programmer Mr Bradbury-Sharp made sure all their zoom sessions ran smoothly and purchased equipment to record sessions for those unable to attend or without wifi.

Mrs Bradbury-Sharp became the point of contact for all members reaching out to several individually.

In the award application some members who had to shield or lived alone said her messages made them feel like they weren’t alone.

Their enthusiasm did not go unnoticed two fellow members decided to nominate the pair for a Hero Award.

The whole choir during rehearsals at Harrogate Railway AFC this summer.

In his testimonial, committee member Will Eastwood said:

“The covid restrictions have significantly impacted my already poor mental health. Without the massive amount of effort and determination shown by John and Julie, I would have lost my one connection with the outside world.”

Run by Making Music, a membership organisation with more than 3,500 music groups, the award celebrates those who have gone the extra mile.

Mr and Mrs Bradbury-Sharp are up against four other nominees.

Julie Bradbury-Sharp said:

“We knew we wanted to keep going and stay in touch so we did all we could to make sure everyone felt connected.

“This award was a huge surprise, John started crying after reading the testimonials.”

Their hard work hasn’t just been during the past 18 months, when John had a heart attack a few years ago he only took one week off from choir.

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The choir is currently on a three week break from rehearsals but is set to return next month with a record 90 members. It has had to open a waiting list due to its new-found popularity.

The members range from 20 to over 70.

Sing it loud! Knaresborough choir returns tomorrow night

A Knaresborough community choir will sing live for the first time this year tomorrow night after making last minute arrangements to beat new lockdown rules.

Numerous choirs in the Harrogate district were looking forward to meeting face-to-face again after restrictions eased on May 17.

But government guidance changed at the last minute to say amateur choirs in England could only gather in groups of up to six people indoors.

Knot Another Choir in Knaresborough, which has up to 80 singers in normal times performing pop songs from the 1960s onwards, was faced with having to cancel its return to the town’s Trinity Church Hall after months of Zoom singing.

But after some frantic calls around the district, Julie Bradbury-Sharp, a trustee of the choir and its events coordinator, managed to secure the use of a marquee at Harrogate Railway Athletic FC‘s ground, which is classed as outdoors and therefore able to accommodate the group.

Craig Lees, Knot Another Choir

Craig Lees, Knot Another Choir’s musical director.

Ms Bradbury-Sharp said:

“When I discovered the rules had changed I wanted to cry. I felt so upset, not only for myself but for members as well.

“It’s uplifting to sing in a choir. Not being able to do so has mental health implications — some people who come live on their own and love singing in the choir.

“I’m just over the moon that we are back.”

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Ms Bradbury-Sharp alerted Harrogate and Knaresborough Conservative MP Andrew Jones to the plight of choirs.

Mr Jones raised the issue in a parliamentary debate about covid yesterday, urging the government to resume as soon as possible “indoor gatherings for groups such as community choirs, and other events that bring people together”.

The first song on Knot Another Choir’s list for tomorrow night is Simply the Best by Tina Turner. Ms Bradbury-Sharp said:

“It’s a rousing song to let everybody know we are back!”

Bishop Monkton choir goes viral with lockdown take on 1960s hit

A Bishop Monkton choir group has gone viral with their lockdown twist on the 1960s Petula Clark hit ‘Downtown’.

The group leader of Bishop Monkton Singing for Fun group, Angie Archbold, set her members the task of re-writing a verse for the tune they renamed ‘Lockdown’.

A couple of members took on the challenge, but one by Pauline Beecroft stood out to members. Pauline was inspired by the new restrictions and ways of life coronavirus has forced upon us.

One of her re-written verses goes:

Walks in the countryside are not to be missed when we are all stuck in LOCKDOWN.You’ll notice things you never thought could exist, embracing everything – LOCKDOWN.

Traffic noise is non-existent, some say ‘more’s the pity’, No pollution anywhere, they’ve sanitised our city.

Now wash your hands! Remember your personal space!

We can forget touching noses, our eyes and our face, While in – LOCKDOWN

Furlough will rescue you – LOCKDOWN. Zoom meetings welcome you – LOCKDOWN

Bishop Monkton choir

During one of the choir’s zoom rehearsals.

Pauline and Angie have since appeared on BBC Look North, Radio York and BBC 5 live to talk about the ‘Lockdown’ re-write challenge.

The choir is now trying to get in touch with Petula Clark, who originally sang the song, to ask her what she thinks of their version.

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The group have been meeting online once a week since April last year. One of the organisers, Colin Philpott, said it has meant some older members of the village can now join in.

“It’s a good example of keeping in touch. We had a number of members who acquired iPads to take part. It’s great fun, we meet every Thursday and sing songs from the 1940s right through to today.”

 

Persimmon Homes submits plans to demolish Ripon Cathedral Choir School

Persimmon Homes has submitted plans to demolish the former site of Ripon Cathedral Choir School and build 12 apartments.

The housebuilding company originally received permission to convert the building on Whitcliffe Lane into flats and build 105 more homes in the vicinity.

But it now claims the historic building, which was home to Ripon Cathedral Choir School until 2012, is not “structurally sound” and should be rebuilt in a “like for like” manner.

A Persimmon report found significant fire damage, cracks in supporting walls and decay in the roof structure. The company said its original plans to convert the building would therefore put its workforce and future home-buyers at risk.

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Harrogate Borough Council granted planning permission to redevelop the site in February 2019. The council’s deadline for comments on the revised application is September 21.

The building was originally constructed as a late 19th Century grandstand. It was converted in the early 20th century into two semi-detached dwellings, then extended for use as a school.

Ripon Cathedral Choir School began using the site in 1960 until it closed in 2012. It had planned to merge with a local preparatory school but this fell through.

Its closure left Ripon Cathedral choir without a dedicated space to rehearse. The choir now rehearses in a former burial vault but the £6 million extension of the cathedral is intended to provide it with a new home.

Knaresborough choir tunes up for talent competition

The members of Knot Another Choir in Knaresborough have been shortlisted for the local talent show after continuing to rehearse during the pandemic via video.

Prior to coronavirus the choir had plans to put on a charity concert for Yorkshire Cancer Research. Instead it has entered ‘Knaresborough’s Got Talent’ with a rendition of the Beatles song ‘With a little from my friends’.

Rehearsals have remained similar to those face to face, with choir leader Craig Lees committed to maintaining a high level of performance.

Choir leader, Craig Lees, said:

“From very early on in the pandemic it was clear to me that we had to find a way to stay connected, to foster positivity and try our best to feel normal in such an abnormal time.

Our online rehearsals have provided us a place to sing, laugh and get to know each other on a deeper level than we ever could during our usual manic rehearsal schedule. We have all battled through this together, and will continue to do so until such a time that we can all sing together in the same room.”

The talent videos will be released on feva festival’s Facebook page from Friday with the public deciding the winner.

The Knaresborough choir rely on fundraising to put on their performances and continue rehearsing, grants allow them to continue during the pandemic.

The choir is excited to return to face to face rehearsals but is unable to confirm when this can be.

The 89 members aged from 24 to 93 began bulletins which included member profiles to encourage everyone to connect during lockdown.

Committee member, Julie Bradbury-Sharp, said:

“When we were told we had to lockdown it was difficult, but we started doing zoom sessions to keep it going. Its not the same as in our rehearsal room and giving someone a hug but we made it work.

“I think we’re a long way off being able to be in the same room again. There’s a lot of people in our choir who get a lot out of our rehearsals, and we want them to know we are still going!”

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The other acts shortlisted for Knaresborough’s Got Talent are:

WATCH: St Aidan’s choir go virtual performing an uplifting song by Yorkshire songwriter

St Aidan’s CoE High School in Harrogate has created a virtual performance of “King of Kings” by Yorkshire songwriter Jarrod Cooper.

The uplifting production includes 64 current and former members of the St Aidan’s chamber choir.

A spokesperson from the school told the Stray Ferret:

” During the extraordinary locked-down days of April 2020, we have decided to create a virtual choir performance to the hugely popular worship song. “King of Kings” features regularly in our collective worship at St Aidan’s and is truly an Aidan’s Anthem! “

“The virtual choir members stretch as far back as 2002 and have answered the call for them to submit their own video and audio tracks. The resulting mix is a heart-warming, uplifting collaboration for these uncertain times by St Aidan’s musicians across the years and locations .”