Wednesday 15 July 2009

day seven.one

a huge and mighty congratulations to the Lichfield Festival Chorus for a spectacular second year. They have been working once a fortnight for the last two months learning a full programme of traditional and contemporary Gospel music via the aural tradition led mainly by Celia and Shereece of Black Voices and Colin Anderson, and last night they sang their hearts out. Dressed in the colours of the Festival's sunshine barcode, and aged between 7 and 80, they excelled yet again. Is this really the only intergenerational choir in the UK?
Really great to have all of Black Voices here again after their sell out show in 2006. Thanks too to Peter Daley and Sarah Colman for their valuable roles last night (Sarah of course was here last year with The Passion).
It appears we may have created a moster as well - the word is the legacy will be a Lichfield Gospel Choir that will continue meeting and performing after this year's festival.

2 comments:

Tony Piper said...

It was an amazing experience to be in this year's choir. The Black Voices crew and Sara Coleman truly took us out of our comfort zone by insisting that we learn and perform without written music, something that many of us haven't done since primary school. Needless to say, they had faith in us long before we did! Each of the leaders had a very different style but they all brought abundant energy, infectious enthusiasm and a genuine smile to every rehearsal. The performance was exhilarating - for singers and audience alike - and the sheer joy I experienced will stay with me for years to come.

Huge thanks to everyone who made it possible: in forming and nurturing the Lichfield Festival Chorus you've created something very special in our community.

Richard Hawley said...

thanks very much for your comments Tony. I'm delighted that you were stretched out of your comfort zone yet rose to the challenge and performed everything from memory. bring on year three...