New choir!

Today saw the first performance of 'Dean Close Voices', Dean Close School's new community choir. Dean Close is renowned for the quality of its choral singing, but over the years, opportunities for those who want to 'sing for fun' have been less readily available. It is such a pleasure therefore that my initial group of 20 or so singers took to the stage at the school's Half Term concert this morning.

Singing a lovely arrangement of 'Somewhere Only We Know' by Mark De Lisser, the choir, a number of which had sung previously in Dean Close Preparatory School's Chamber Choir, gave a heartfelt performance and I was delighted with the way they sang out in front of their peers. Not an easy thing if you're not used to it! 

Next week, I am looking forward to two days working with Gloucestershire Youth Choir as part of their tutor team, alongside my colleagues and good friends Catherine Perfect and Hannah Davey. The course will be focusing on the massed performance of a new piece by Philip Harper entitled 'A Shakespearean Triptych' which will be performed on Monday 14th November in the Royal Albert Hall as part of Music For Youth. This is a joint venture with other music services, but we are hoping to have around 140 young singers join us for the course which will also feature a couple of pieces in preparation for Gloucestershire Music's Christmas Concert.

Even more excitingly, I shall be in St Albans next weekend leading a workshop for the first UK Choir Festival. My session will be the first main session and will be working on the importance of blend and balance. Members of my choirs back home have been my guinea pigs for this and I'm really pleased with how some of the activities and examples are shaping up in the lead up to what will be a lively, practical session.

That's all for now!