Okay, so what the hell happened to 2017? I know it is supposed to be an age thing, that the older you get the quicker time seems to fly by, but blimey Charlie, the last twelve months seem to have galloped by at a rate of knots and as Norman Hockley reminds me all too regularly, there has been a distinct lack of blogs.
Too true Norman, alas. I won't make the mistake of pledging to post more, but fingers crossed for a more prolific 2018?
Now, I'm not generally the type of person to make lots of new year resolutions as invariably they are binned by January the second. But this time around, I did pledge to do one thing in particular and that is to rejoin the Loughborough Male Voice Choir! 'Hoorah' I hear you cry? Well, I must admit that it's not until you sing a traditional male voice choir piece after a long break that you realise just how you miss it. At the end of their 50th Anniversary Gala concert last October, past members in the audience were invited to join the choir 'onstage' to sing that male voice choir classic, Gwahoddiad. This particular piece just so happens to be my all time favourite and that 'Amen' finale particularly sends shivers down the spine every time, so I found it impossible to turn down. Perhaps it was Chris Hills' cunning plan to get some of us former members to reconsider? If it was, it certainly did the trick in my case.
It must be about two years now since I took a break from the LMVC for many reasons, but I've certainly not been idle singing-wise since then. I've been singing regularly with Caroline Sharpe Singers, dabbled with slightly ill-fated Per Sempre (soon to be resurrected - watch this space!) and even flirted briefly with the Christchurch Gilbert & Sullivan Society's production of The Sorcerer. But there's nowt like Gwahoddiad to make you realise what you have been missing.
And then there's Norman Hockley. Regularly chastising me for my lack of blog output, he has also been trying to persuade me to rejoin LMVC. Such a move has been there in the back of my mind for a while but you see, there's Norman's jokes to consider. Every Saturday morning I have the 'pleasure' if that is indeed the word, of being the audience for Norman's weekly joke. Hilarious as they invariably are, can I really subject myself to more of the same on Thursday too?
What the hell, last Thursday I went along to their first rehearsal of 2018. Good timing as it turned out as the choir was to be starting to get to grips with their new 'core' set of pieces for this year - some brand new and some that were to be revived after being so long submerged in the back catalogue archive that only John Holt is likely to remember them!
I must say, it was nice to be back and to be welcomed back so warmly. Thanks chaps! There are quite a few new faces to get to know, as well as reacquaint myself with the others. And, there are a few new items of clothing required too. There appears to be LMVC sweatshirts and polo shirts to be had, as well as a new blazer to be purchased. I think I still have my LMVC badge somewhere, if I can only remember where I put it......? I'd better get my act together as there's a gig coming up fairly quickly!
It looks like it is going to be a busy year of singing with CSS, LMVC, a potential Purple Angel charity gig in March and the Annual Pupils Concert on May 26th. I've even been threatened by Caroline with a Trinity Grade 6 singing exam at some point in 2018, just so that I don't get too bored. As if?
So may I say Happy New Year to one and all and look forward to many more singing blogs as we plod through 2018. As ever, spread the word re this ol' blog, both the above choirs and singing in general. Let me finish for now with a plug for the Loughborough Male Voice Choirs Annual 'Men - Learn to Sing Harmony' course, starting on Thursday 11th January 2018, to be held at Trinity Methodist Church Centre. Clich HERE for details! If you have, or know anyone else who has always fancied having a bash at singing but were too shy to try, then point them in our direction. Who knows, you could end up writing a blog about it all like this one!
See you next time!
Cheers, Alyn.
It must be about two years now since I took a break from the LMVC for many reasons, but I've certainly not been idle singing-wise since then. I've been singing regularly with Caroline Sharpe Singers, dabbled with slightly ill-fated Per Sempre (soon to be resurrected - watch this space!) and even flirted briefly with the Christchurch Gilbert & Sullivan Society's production of The Sorcerer. But there's nowt like Gwahoddiad to make you realise what you have been missing.
And then there's Norman Hockley. Regularly chastising me for my lack of blog output, he has also been trying to persuade me to rejoin LMVC. Such a move has been there in the back of my mind for a while but you see, there's Norman's jokes to consider. Every Saturday morning I have the 'pleasure' if that is indeed the word, of being the audience for Norman's weekly joke. Hilarious as they invariably are, can I really subject myself to more of the same on Thursday too?
What the hell, last Thursday I went along to their first rehearsal of 2018. Good timing as it turned out as the choir was to be starting to get to grips with their new 'core' set of pieces for this year - some brand new and some that were to be revived after being so long submerged in the back catalogue archive that only John Holt is likely to remember them!
I must say, it was nice to be back and to be welcomed back so warmly. Thanks chaps! There are quite a few new faces to get to know, as well as reacquaint myself with the others. And, there are a few new items of clothing required too. There appears to be LMVC sweatshirts and polo shirts to be had, as well as a new blazer to be purchased. I think I still have my LMVC badge somewhere, if I can only remember where I put it......? I'd better get my act together as there's a gig coming up fairly quickly!
It looks like it is going to be a busy year of singing with CSS, LMVC, a potential Purple Angel charity gig in March and the Annual Pupils Concert on May 26th. I've even been threatened by Caroline with a Trinity Grade 6 singing exam at some point in 2018, just so that I don't get too bored. As if?
So may I say Happy New Year to one and all and look forward to many more singing blogs as we plod through 2018. As ever, spread the word re this ol' blog, both the above choirs and singing in general. Let me finish for now with a plug for the Loughborough Male Voice Choirs Annual 'Men - Learn to Sing Harmony' course, starting on Thursday 11th January 2018, to be held at Trinity Methodist Church Centre. Clich HERE for details! If you have, or know anyone else who has always fancied having a bash at singing but were too shy to try, then point them in our direction. Who knows, you could end up writing a blog about it all like this one!
See you next time!
Cheers, Alyn.
