2015/16
Karen writes:
Here we are at the end of another summer, and the beginning of the 2016-17 Session, and my last newsletter went out in December 2015. Since the start of this year, we have had the usual round of weekly rehearsals, termly workshops and catch-up sessions, and Harry launched a series of scholarships designed to increase individual confidence in group singing, and thereby benefit and enhance our performance as a choir. We were also fortunate to have another visit to Glasgow from the very excellent Northern Harmony, our friends from Vermont. On the weekend of 26th and 27th March they gave a well attended concert in Hillhead Baptist Church and a great singing workshop in the Old Barn at Pollok Park. We learned the correct way to sweep a house, and added a new song to our repertoire! For Voicebeat it was fairly quiet on the gig front for most of the last year. Two towards the end of 2015, nothing at all early in 2016, but becoming more lively by early summer. On 29th May we enjoyed a great gig at Balvaig, a Music Festival in Strathyre, headlining for 45 minutes on stage in the big tent, and some impromptu busking in the marketplace. A lovely day for a picnic and a paddle in the burn, and all performers received vouchers towards refreshments. To Maureen and Cliff, thanks for a wonderful festival. Our other gig was Voice@theBandstand, a prestigious festival of choirs that took place on Saturday 18th June, the very day of our own concert. We were delighted to deliver a short set from our concert repertoire to a receptive audience, and for once at the Kelvingrove Bandstand it did not rain!
Voicebeat gave a splendid concert on 18th June in the Kibble Palace for both the West End Festival and the Scottish Refugee Festival, raising £513-62 for our chosen charity, Positive Action in Housing. We were fortunate once again to have a free charity let of the Kibble, courtesy of Glasgow City Council, and the costs involved in putting on the concert have again been met from Voicebeat funds. In other words, we have treated ourselves, and our audience, and created a memorable event with a great photographic record besides. It really was a beautiful evening, great weather, appreciative audience, and a lovely day altogether, following as it did the Festival of Choirs in Kelvingrove. Our thanks to Lilian for organizing pre theatre refreshments, Katrina for negotiating the hiring of the Kibble Palace, to Jackie for another splendid Tombola, to Shantiketu for the video recording of the concert, and to Harry for making it such a great performance. Thanks are due to all the choir members who helped set up and host the event. We excelled ourselves of course - our singing raised the roof and our enthusiasm and hospitality made it an evening to remember for us and a very appreciative audience - a fitting close to the year.
It was not quite the close however. One of the great things about being in Voicebeat is that we get to hear about all sorts of interesting projects, and have the chance to get involved in fascinating artistic ventures. On the last meeting of the summer term we were visited by Connor from “Team Turn”, inviting interested individuals to be part of something really exciting happening around the Govan Graving Docks and the turn of the tide on dates associated with the lunar calendar in September. Quite a number of rehearsals would be taking place over July and August leading up to three performances for singer ringers on 1st, 16th and 30th September. A group from Voicebeat has been part of this, along with folks from other choirs or none. Handmade bells have been cast for “Turn”, and these are dedicated to various community organizations in Govan. It has been inspirational to work with Naomi, Nic and the team. Incidentally Nic Green, presenter of “Turn”, recalls singing with Voicebeat at The Annexe, many moons ago.
For the first four Mondays in August we held our informal Summer Meetings. These were fairly well attended and have given a taste of Voicebeat to some potential new members. On the last Monday of August the committee held a planning meeting to prepare for the term ahead, and the forthcoming AGM, scheduled for 19th September.
On Monday 14th March we left The Annexe, not for the first but possibly the last time. Sad in a way, as it had been a home to Voicebeat since our early days. On an upbeat however we left with a bit of a party, inviting past members along, and on 4th April we began meeting in our new venue at the SDTA Studios in Park Road. We have moved about a mile, or two Subway stops, to Kelvinbridge, and have settled in very nicely here. Thanks to Tom and Lilian for smoothing the process of transition, and to the staff teams in both establishments for all their efforts on our behalf. Our new venue is in a way quite stunning, and presents new possibilities. It is available on Mondays for most weeks of the year, so we don’t have to seek alternative accommodation in the event of public holidays etc. Our Voicebeat Workshops can be held here, but not our catch up rehearsals which usually happen on another day of the week.
Our membership and attendance remains healthy and stable following the move, with some 30 on a typical evening and 20 or so throughout the summer meetings. In fact it must be growing steadily by the numbers of new folks coming along, including some who attended the summer concert, and the numbers of folk who come back whenever they can. There is potential and room for growth in our new venue, and we appreciate a good attendance week by week to cover our costs. We maintain a good core of singers who attend regularly and can sing our expanding repertoire in four parts, and in whatever language is asked of us. Harry has introduced many new songs, some from the workshops mentioned earlier, and revived some old ones too. We have sung songs from Corsica, Croatia, France, Georgia, Greece, Hawaii, Israel, Italy, Lithuania, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, USA, and from all parts of the UK including a jolly piece from Cornwall and a new favourite in the Shetland dialect. Languages include Croatian, Georgian, Greek, Latin, Lithuanian, Russian, Sotho, Ukrainian, Xhosa and Zulu. Not only that, but our membership base continues to reflect all continents, and we have had the pleasure of singing in this last year alone with folks from Australia, Cameroon, Egypt, Estonia, France, India, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Russia, Singapore, and Shetland! It has become a family affair with visiting relations made welcome, and my own grandson experiencing his first music festival in Strathyre at three months of age. It was good to see Jane at some rehearsals, and hear about her latest project growing flowers with asylum seekers. We have said farewell to several stalwarts of the choir, moving on to new career opportunities in the UK and abroad, and one of our number has been working and studying in Peru. Work patterns and family commitments have made attendance at choir difficult for some. Our little band of Mums are doing well, missing singing but appreciating news and contact. Our regulars are not only from Partick and the West End, but from all parts of Glasgow and beyond. Voicebeat continues to create something special, a lively scene, a lovely atmosphere which is very inclusive and welcoming. Opportunities for meeting, and singing, in the pub after rehearsals are appreciated, and during July we made some trips back to our old haunt, The Three Judges. Exciting things are happening on the social front, including a weekend away.
Karen Ewing, Secretary
Here we are at the end of another summer, and the beginning of the 2016-17 Session, and my last newsletter went out in December 2015. Since the start of this year, we have had the usual round of weekly rehearsals, termly workshops and catch-up sessions, and Harry launched a series of scholarships designed to increase individual confidence in group singing, and thereby benefit and enhance our performance as a choir. We were also fortunate to have another visit to Glasgow from the very excellent Northern Harmony, our friends from Vermont. On the weekend of 26th and 27th March they gave a well attended concert in Hillhead Baptist Church and a great singing workshop in the Old Barn at Pollok Park. We learned the correct way to sweep a house, and added a new song to our repertoire! For Voicebeat it was fairly quiet on the gig front for most of the last year. Two towards the end of 2015, nothing at all early in 2016, but becoming more lively by early summer. On 29th May we enjoyed a great gig at Balvaig, a Music Festival in Strathyre, headlining for 45 minutes on stage in the big tent, and some impromptu busking in the marketplace. A lovely day for a picnic and a paddle in the burn, and all performers received vouchers towards refreshments. To Maureen and Cliff, thanks for a wonderful festival. Our other gig was Voice@theBandstand, a prestigious festival of choirs that took place on Saturday 18th June, the very day of our own concert. We were delighted to deliver a short set from our concert repertoire to a receptive audience, and for once at the Kelvingrove Bandstand it did not rain!
Voicebeat gave a splendid concert on 18th June in the Kibble Palace for both the West End Festival and the Scottish Refugee Festival, raising £513-62 for our chosen charity, Positive Action in Housing. We were fortunate once again to have a free charity let of the Kibble, courtesy of Glasgow City Council, and the costs involved in putting on the concert have again been met from Voicebeat funds. In other words, we have treated ourselves, and our audience, and created a memorable event with a great photographic record besides. It really was a beautiful evening, great weather, appreciative audience, and a lovely day altogether, following as it did the Festival of Choirs in Kelvingrove. Our thanks to Lilian for organizing pre theatre refreshments, Katrina for negotiating the hiring of the Kibble Palace, to Jackie for another splendid Tombola, to Shantiketu for the video recording of the concert, and to Harry for making it such a great performance. Thanks are due to all the choir members who helped set up and host the event. We excelled ourselves of course - our singing raised the roof and our enthusiasm and hospitality made it an evening to remember for us and a very appreciative audience - a fitting close to the year.
It was not quite the close however. One of the great things about being in Voicebeat is that we get to hear about all sorts of interesting projects, and have the chance to get involved in fascinating artistic ventures. On the last meeting of the summer term we were visited by Connor from “Team Turn”, inviting interested individuals to be part of something really exciting happening around the Govan Graving Docks and the turn of the tide on dates associated with the lunar calendar in September. Quite a number of rehearsals would be taking place over July and August leading up to three performances for singer ringers on 1st, 16th and 30th September. A group from Voicebeat has been part of this, along with folks from other choirs or none. Handmade bells have been cast for “Turn”, and these are dedicated to various community organizations in Govan. It has been inspirational to work with Naomi, Nic and the team. Incidentally Nic Green, presenter of “Turn”, recalls singing with Voicebeat at The Annexe, many moons ago.
For the first four Mondays in August we held our informal Summer Meetings. These were fairly well attended and have given a taste of Voicebeat to some potential new members. On the last Monday of August the committee held a planning meeting to prepare for the term ahead, and the forthcoming AGM, scheduled for 19th September.
On Monday 14th March we left The Annexe, not for the first but possibly the last time. Sad in a way, as it had been a home to Voicebeat since our early days. On an upbeat however we left with a bit of a party, inviting past members along, and on 4th April we began meeting in our new venue at the SDTA Studios in Park Road. We have moved about a mile, or two Subway stops, to Kelvinbridge, and have settled in very nicely here. Thanks to Tom and Lilian for smoothing the process of transition, and to the staff teams in both establishments for all their efforts on our behalf. Our new venue is in a way quite stunning, and presents new possibilities. It is available on Mondays for most weeks of the year, so we don’t have to seek alternative accommodation in the event of public holidays etc. Our Voicebeat Workshops can be held here, but not our catch up rehearsals which usually happen on another day of the week.
Our membership and attendance remains healthy and stable following the move, with some 30 on a typical evening and 20 or so throughout the summer meetings. In fact it must be growing steadily by the numbers of new folks coming along, including some who attended the summer concert, and the numbers of folk who come back whenever they can. There is potential and room for growth in our new venue, and we appreciate a good attendance week by week to cover our costs. We maintain a good core of singers who attend regularly and can sing our expanding repertoire in four parts, and in whatever language is asked of us. Harry has introduced many new songs, some from the workshops mentioned earlier, and revived some old ones too. We have sung songs from Corsica, Croatia, France, Georgia, Greece, Hawaii, Israel, Italy, Lithuania, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, USA, and from all parts of the UK including a jolly piece from Cornwall and a new favourite in the Shetland dialect. Languages include Croatian, Georgian, Greek, Latin, Lithuanian, Russian, Sotho, Ukrainian, Xhosa and Zulu. Not only that, but our membership base continues to reflect all continents, and we have had the pleasure of singing in this last year alone with folks from Australia, Cameroon, Egypt, Estonia, France, India, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Russia, Singapore, and Shetland! It has become a family affair with visiting relations made welcome, and my own grandson experiencing his first music festival in Strathyre at three months of age. It was good to see Jane at some rehearsals, and hear about her latest project growing flowers with asylum seekers. We have said farewell to several stalwarts of the choir, moving on to new career opportunities in the UK and abroad, and one of our number has been working and studying in Peru. Work patterns and family commitments have made attendance at choir difficult for some. Our little band of Mums are doing well, missing singing but appreciating news and contact. Our regulars are not only from Partick and the West End, but from all parts of Glasgow and beyond. Voicebeat continues to create something special, a lively scene, a lovely atmosphere which is very inclusive and welcoming. Opportunities for meeting, and singing, in the pub after rehearsals are appreciated, and during July we made some trips back to our old haunt, The Three Judges. Exciting things are happening on the social front, including a weekend away.
Karen Ewing, Secretary
