A choir from Harrogate has performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival for the first time, just three years after it was formed.

Sixty members of The Stray Notes travelled to the famous festival to give two performances in historic venues.

They performed in the early afternoon on Sunday at St Giles’s Cathedral on the Royal Mile, before moving on to Canongate Kirk later on.

Choir director Liz Linfoot said:

“It was really fabulous. We were excited, but we didn’t know what to expect.

“The two venues were beautiful. St Giles’s was a really big audience and they were so positive – we got some lovely feedback.

“Then Canongate Kirk was a bit smaller and felt very different, but again the acoustics were beautiful.”

The choir performed a wide variety of music, from a Bon Jovi medley to gospel and choral songs. They finished the concerts with Hey Jude, which got the audiences joining in, and One Day More from Les Miserables.

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The performances were the most prestigious yet for the choir, which formed in September 2019 but was unable to give concerts during the covid pandemic.

Since then, members have been able to travel to perform in Manchester and Liverpool, and are looking forward to getting on the road more in the future. Liz said:

“The choir just love going to difference places together – it’s a really sociable group.

“The idea of the Fringe was a suggestion from a choir member. We try to give them the opportunity to make suggestions so everyone feels like it’s their choir.

“We went up early so we had time for a meal out together and even a silent disco! Some people saw some shows and others just wandered around the city.”

The Stray Notes will be performing in Harrogate’s Valley Gardens on Sunday, September 4 from 2pm, before its autumn term begins that week.

Liz said it welcomes new members and it particularly keen to hear from anyone with a lower voice. It is offering the first term’s membership free to tenor and bass singers.

Members do not need to be able to read music and previous experience in a choir is not necessary. if two singers join from the same household, the second gets their membership half price.

Members of a Harrogate choir were left devastated when they were dropped by Barry Manilow just hours before they were due to perform with him.

Love Pop Choir was all set to sing It’s A Miracle and Let Freedom Ring with the American superstar at the First Direct Arena on Saturday.

But about two hours before they were due on stage they were told they were no longer required due to a late change of schedule.

Barry came out and apologised but some singers were in tears at the news after spending four weeks rehearsing feverishly. Many of their friends and families had brought tickets especially for the occasion.

The choir members were allowed to go on stage straight after they received the news to sing their songs alone and received complimentary tickets to the show.

Lauren Elliott, who owns the choir, said:

“Everybody was devastated. They had put so much effort and work into it.

“People were really struggling to sing and in floods of tears so it wasn’t our best sound but I’m proud of everyone for being so brave and singing on that stage anyway.

“It’s a shame they never heard us beforehand because we sounded fab when we were all happy and excited. Maybe if they had they would have changed their minds.”

Ms Elliott has written to Barry’s team asking if he will make a contribution to a fundraising venture it’s doing for Leeds Hospitals Charity.

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The choir have been raising funds ahead of the British Transplant Games in Leeds next month. Saturday’s performance was due to be the climax of a 100 hours of fundraising singing.

Donations van be made here.

A pop choir from Harrogate has been chosen to perform alongside Barry Manilow on his UK tour next week.

Love Pop Choir will sing It’s A Miracle and Let Freedom Ring with the American superstar at the First Direct Arena on June 25.

Lauren Elliott, who owns the choir, said the all-female group was giddy at the prospect of sharing a stage with Barry. She said:

“I can’t believe how many Barry fans we have in the choir. It’s been full-on hysteria since we got the news!”

Douglas Hallenbeck, the Manilow tour choir coordinator, approached Ms Elliott by email.

At first she thought it was a wind-up and almost deleted the message before she discovered it was genuine.

Lauren Elliott (centre) with her two choir directors.

Thirty-four members of the choir, which has had to bring in some male voices at Barry’s request, will be on stage in front of more than 10,000 fans. Ms Elliott said:

“We are beyond excited at this amazing opportunity.

“My only wish is that choir numbers were not limited, as I would love to have included every single lady from all our groups in Harrogate, Cookridge, Roundhay, Otley, Ilkley and Saltaire. They are all fabulous!”.

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Love Pop Choir, which meets on Thursday evenings at Harrogate Rossett School, sings pop songs from the 1960s onwards, but especially 1980s numbers. No experience is required.

Asked why so many choirs have sprung up lately, Ms Elliott said:

“It doesn’t matter how good your day is, when you go to choir you always come away feeling really good.”

Love Pop Choir will also be singing at The British Transplant Games gala at the Royal Armouries in Leeds on July 31.

The choir is fundraising for The Leeds Children’s Transplant Team’s Charity by completing 100 hours of singing by the date of the gala event. Donations can be made here.

Love Pop Choir performing at Harlow Carr.

A Harrogate choir has been staying covid-safe by holding singing sessions in a multi-storey car park.

The All Together Now Community Choir had to halt its usual gatherings when the UK went into lockdown in March last year.

Since September the choir has been using the unconventional rehearsal space, on the 10th floor of the multi-storey car park on Tower Street.

Passers-by may have heard the group performing every Monday from 7pm.

The group has been able to pull off its rehearsals by keeping the group to a maximum of 30 and social distancing.

The rehearsals were put on hold in November and the start of this year due to the full national lockdowns, but the group is now back on track and hoping to do its first live performance back in September this year.

The group said the space is a success so far so has no intention of moving back indoors until September at the earliest.

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Choir leader Chris Kemp said;

“The past year has been tough on people’s mental health, so the choir is something we can do to help people’s spirits. Singing releases endorphins that really do make people happy.”

Mr Kemp leads three other choirs in Yorkshire in Skipton, Baildon and Bingley.

Each one performs choir versions of popular music, such as The Killers, Queen and Rag and Bone Man.

Have you heard the voices coming from the car park?