Hampshire Community Choir Festival Event Summary \| Photos \| Workshop Leaders \| Charities Event Summary The first ever Hampshire Community Choirs' Festival took place on Saturday 11 June at St Swithuns School in Winchester. What a day it was! Fun, uplifting, instructive, sociable and moving are some of the adjectives one might ascribe to the first Hampshire Community Choirs Festival. From the perspective of one of the Sub-Committee members organising the Festival, it was all we hoped it would be and perhaps more. It was quite a shock to see 330 people queuing at the registration desk at 10.00am, even though we knew how many of you were coming, but that process went pretty smoothly and when all the voices lifted in song for the first time, it was a wonderful moment! We chose the four workshop leaders for their diversity; in style and speciality too and I have to say I particularly appreciated Carolyn’s help in keeping my voice going for the whole day and Elena’s amazing infectious energy. The sun shone at lunchtime which enabled our choristers to mingle and meet each other – I imagine a lot of email addresses and phone numbers were swapped then and a whole new network of community choir friendships have been born. What a great thought. For those choirs, large and small, who braved the stage and performed for the rest of us, bravo! You were all fabulous, in your very different ways. A special accolade must go to Allende, for being gutsy enough to sing their song in public for the first time with so few choir members – well done to you all, it was really good. I cannot believe that anyone who joined in the “big sing” which closed the Festival could have failed to experience the spiny shiver that I did when over 300 voices were raised in glorious harmony. Was it all perfect? No, of course not and we understand that there were things that could have been done better or changed. On the day, some of the songs in the workshops were quite difficult and we certainly understand now that the microphone is a useful tool when addressing that number of people! No doubt you had your own ideas for improvements. But as we were working on a concept with no blueprint which involved over 9 months of planning, consulting, meetings, lists, questions, tons of emails and a ream of printing, we were pleased with the results and from an early scan of your survey forms, you were too. As a celebration of community choirs singing, I venture to suggest that it did what it said on the tin. Will we do it again? Who knows, watch this space!! Catherine Hahn, Member of the Organising Committee Go back to Top Photos Steve Gapper, a member of Winchester Community Choir took loads of photos during the day. Select this link to remind yourself of the day. Go back to Top Workshop Leaders Lester Simpson. Lester is a member of Coope, Boyes and Simpson – “kings of unaccompanied harmonies” (The Guardian). He is also an excellent soloist and a terrific workshop leader. Helen Porter. Helen is a singer, voice coach, composer and theatre director. Her composition work has been performed at Salisbury Festival and Chard Festival of Women in Music. She teaches jazz singing at Bath Spa University. Carolyn Robson. Carolyn has been described as having “a voice to die for”. She is also a superb musical educator, known for her work with the Voices Foundation, as well as for her singing with ace harmony trio Craig Morgan Robson. Elena Winch. To describe Elena as dynamic is a bit of an understatement! She has a vast repertoire of world music: Celtic, Georgian, African, Cuban, French, Polynesian, Maori - you name it, she probably sings it! After the inspiring and exhilarating session she ran for Winchester Community Choir, we couldn't wait to get her back. Go back to Top Charities benefitting from the event Having finally added up all of the proceeds and the out goings, we are pleased to announce that we will be donating £1,000 to each of the nominated charities to Winchester Basics Bank and Southampton and Winchester Visitor Association Go back to Top
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Hampshire Community Choir Festival

Event Summary | Photos | Workshop Leaders | Charities

Event Summary

The first ever Hampshire Community Choirs' Festival took place on Saturday 11 June at St Swithuns School in Winchester.

What a day it was! Fun, uplifting, instructive, sociable and moving are some of the adjectives one might ascribe to the first Hampshire Community Choirs Festival. From the perspective of one of the Sub-Committee members organising the Festival, it was all we hoped it would be and perhaps more.

It was quite a shock to see 330 people queuing at the registration desk at 10.00am, even though we knew how many of you were coming, but that process went pretty smoothly and when all the voices lifted in song for the first time, it was a wonderful moment!

We chose the four workshop leaders for their diversity; in style and speciality too and I have to say I particularly appreciated Carolyn’s help in keeping my voice going for the whole day and Elena’s amazing infectious energy.

The sun shone at lunchtime which enabled our choristers to mingle and meet each other – I imagine a lot of email addresses and phone numbers were swapped then and a whole new network of community choir friendships have been born. What a great thought.

For those choirs, large and small, who braved the stage and performed for the rest of us, bravo! You were all fabulous, in your very different ways. A special accolade must go to Allende, for being gutsy enough to sing their song in public for the first time with so few choir members – well done to you all, it was really good. I cannot believe that anyone who joined in the “big sing” which closed the Festival could have failed to experience the spiny shiver that I did when over 300 voices were raised in glorious harmony.

Was it all perfect? No, of course not and we understand that there were things that could have been done better or changed. On the day, some of the songs in the workshops were quite difficult and we certainly understand now that the microphone is a useful tool when addressing that number of people! No doubt you had your own ideas for improvements. But as we were working on a concept with no blueprint which involved over 9 months of planning, consulting, meetings, lists, questions, tons of emails and a ream of printing, we were pleased with the results and from an early scan of your survey forms, you were too. As a celebration of community choirs singing, I venture to suggest that it did what it said on the tin. Will we do it again? Who knows, watch this space!!

Catherine Hahn, Member of the Organising Committee

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Photos

Steve Gapper, a member of Winchester Community Choir took loads of photos during the day. Select this link to remind yourself of the day.

Go back to Top

Workshop Leaders

Lester Simpson. Lester is a member of Coope, Boyes and Simpson – “kings of unaccompanied harmonies” (The Guardian). He is also an excellent soloist and a terrific workshop leader.

Helen Porter. Helen is a singer, voice coach, composer and theatre director. Her composition work has been performed at Salisbury Festival and Chard Festival of Women in Music. She teaches jazz singing at Bath Spa University.

Carolyn Robson. Carolyn has been described as having “a voice to die for”. She is also a superb musical educator, known for her work with the Voices Foundation, as well as for her singing with ace harmony trio Craig Morgan Robson.

Elena Winch. To describe Elena as dynamic is a bit of an understatement! She has a vast repertoire of world music: Celtic, Georgian, African, Cuban, French, Polynesian, Maori - you name it, she probably sings it! After the inspiring and exhilarating session she ran for Winchester Community Choir, we couldn't wait to get her back.

Go back to Top

Charities benefitting from the event

Having finally added up all of the proceeds and the out goings, we are pleased to announce that we will be donating £1,000 to each of the nominated charities to Winchester Basics Bank and Southampton and Winchester Visitor Association

Go back to Top