Six choirs from across the Harrogate district and beyond will be joining forces – and voices – next weekend to perform together for the very first time. 

The Harrogate Community Choir Festival, at Harrogate Theatre on Saturday, March 18, will be hosted by the Stray Notes Choir and originated from an idea from the choir’s music director, Liz Linfoot. 

She said:  

“After a difficult couple of years when choirs were unable to rehearse together and weekly Zoom rehearsals were the norm, Harrogate choirs are once again thriving. This festival is intended as a celebration of singing, and the joy which comes from being part of a choir community.”

The Harrogate Community Choir Festival will feature six local community choirs showcasing some of their favourite songs in a variety of different styles. They are: the Stray Notes, Harrogate Male Voice Choir, Knot Another Choir, Love Pop Choir, Rock Choir, and the Skipton Choir.

Each choir will perform a set of four or five songs and the evening will culminate in a final song with all the choirs and the audience singing together. 

Liz added:

“The benefits of singing as part of a group are wide-ranging and scientifically proven, including supporting mental and physical health and building community.

“From shower soloists to music-reading experienced choristers, and from rock to classical music, there is a warm welcome for everyone at a choir in Harrogate.”

The choirs will be raising funds for Wellspring Therapy and Training, this year’s chosen charity of The Stray Notes Choir. Based in Starbeck, Wellspring provides affordable psychological support to people in distress and promotes good mental health through training and education.

The Harrogate Community Choir Festival will be held at Harrogate Theatre at 7pm on Saturday, March 18. Tickets for the event cost £10 (children: £5) and are available online from Harrogate Theatre.

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The stage is set for children to enjoy the limelight by performing at Ripon’s Junior Showtime.

Launched by Jill Powell, who has vast experience of helping young people to realise their artistic potential, the event will take place at Ripon Bowling Club on Friday November 25, starting at 7.30pm.

Between now and September 30, prospective performers are invited to send a video of their planned performance to her at jillyannew@gmail.com

The video should be no longer than three minutes.

Ms Powell said the aim is to provide a platform for young singers, dancers, magicians, musicians, comedians and poets, aged between six and 14, to showcase their talent.

She said:

“We are looking for 15 children who are not currently members of a performing arts group, to come forward and build their confidence with a performance in front of a friendly audience of family and friends.

“The Mayor and Mayoress of Ripon, Councillor Sid and Mrs Linda Hawke, will also be in attendance.”

Ms Powell, who has run a performing arts school and been involved in musical theatre for many years, as an actor, producer and choreographer, added:

“I have worked with young people of all abilities and know that many of them don’t know just how talented they are, until they are given the opportunity to step onto a stage.”

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.

Upsetting TV images of the war in Ukraine inspired Harrogate Grammar School sixth form student Sarah Castillo to go busking to raise money for the British Red Cross.

The 18-year-old is a regular busker in Harrogate and performs with her microphone and speaker at a spot outside Holland & Barrett on Cambridge Street.

Sarah raised an impressive £285 in a couple of hours last Saturday and is well on her way to raising her target of £500. All of the money will be donated to the Red Cross Ukraine humanitarian appeal.

She said:

“I just felt really upset watching the TV and seeing all the people suffer, they are not supposed to be experiencing things like this, especially the children, I felt like i had do something”.

Sarah likes to sing songs by Adele, The Beatles and Billie Eilish and will be back singing in Harrogate town centre from around 11am this Saturday.

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Ripon Grammar School student Izzy Kirby has won a place at a leading musical theatre college.

The 16-year-old was among the youngest students to gain a place on the highly acclaimed three-year musical theatre course at SLP (Studios La Pointe) College in Leeds.

The course, equivalent to a higher education degree, usually attracts 18-year-olds who have already achieved a foundation course qualification in technique and performance.

Izzy, who will play the role of Babette in next month’s RGS production of Beauty and the Beast, has worked hard to reach the required entry level, beginning her training at The Pauline Quirke Academy of Performing Arts in Darlington seven years ago.

For the past four years, she has attended Ripon’s Upstage Academy outside school and will play the starring role of Tracy in the performing arts school’s summer production of Hairspray.

Izzy, said:

“My first love is acting but I know that training as an all-round performer is crucial nowadays and a place at SLP will be a great grounding for a career in this industry.”

Her audition consisted of solo singing, dance classes and acting workshops.

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She was expecting to hear back two-weeks later, but received an email the next day offering her a place on the three-year diploma course.

Izzy, who is currently working towards her London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art grades 6, 7 and 8 acting qualifications, says her dream roles include Sophie in Mamma Mia, Velma in Chicago or the title role of Mary Poppins in the musical.

As well as receiving one-to-one singing lessons at SLP, she will have the opportunity to work with guest teachers, directors and choreographers.

Recent graduates have gone on to work in musicals including Wicked, Beautiful, The Lion King and Bat Out of Hell.

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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A new drama school for children will open in Ripon this weekend.

Ripon Theatre Arts has been created by Rosie Riley, an actor and graduate of the London musical theatre school, The MTA.

The school, which is for children aged six to 12, will will take place in Ripon Amateur Operatic Society’s hall on Allhallowgate on Saturdays.

Ms Riley said recent months had been “difficult” for young people and hoped her classes would help them build confidence, have fun and make friends. She added:

“We have strictly followed the government guidelines for this. However, I believe it’s really important to help the next generation get back on their feet. It’s been so difficult for all the young people being in lockdown and if we can help with any personal development, I think we have done our job of helping them get back on track with their life.

“I have been itching for a challenging project to get my teeth into and when schools were able to open, we jumped at the opportunity. We were also aware, due to another school closing, that a lot of children now had no Saturday club. I didn’t want this to happen, so here we are!”

Ms Riley, pictured here, said the time is right to open the school.

Ms Riley has over three years of teaching experience and has also performed in several off-West End theatres, as well as appearing in the Channel 4 show The Last Leg.

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Children will have to queue to maintain social distancing when they enter the building and wear face coverings while performing. Each child will be given a 2m square space to use.

To get in touch with Ms Riley, email ripontheatrearts@hotmail.com.

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 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:

• Julie Wrightson singing ‘Andante Andante’
• Kellie Reed singing ‘Heart of Stone’
• Danielle Wilson accompanied by her cousin Emma Chatto on piano