2011/12
Karen writes:
2011–12 has been a truly momentous and magical year for Voicebeat. We have been especially busy in 2012, which is entirely appropriate, being the run up to our long anticipated Tenth Anniversary Celebrations. Our fame has spread, and numbers have increased sufficiently that we can fulfil many more engagements, some at very short notice. Requests to sing have come out of the blue, and other opportunities have arisen through the efforts or contacts of our members. There is a very committed core of singers in Voicebeat, and we have a very able and willing leader in Harry, who has generally enthused us and chivvied us along so we have hardly a moment! The funny thing is that the dedicated core of singers changes constantly, sometimes almost in waves. In the past year we have welcomed many newcomers and said many farewells, yet the group maintains an identity. Last session friends from Australia, Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Poland, Sweden, U.S.A. and Zimbabwe have sung with Voicebeat. Many singers stay in touch on their travels, and recall their time in Voicebeat with some affection.
Our whirlwind year includes: singing at the Glasgow Destitution Network’s presentation on its work with asylum seekers; our second weekend at Craufurdland Castle in October - hurriedly arranged before the imminent departure of Chatelaine Sandra and Kevin; hosting Folk Carols in the Pub - on 17 December for the first time and very successfully in The Dram, followed incidentally by record attendance at our Christmas Party. New Year found us in some very grand company at Govanhill Baths, when on 4th February we revived protest songs at the opening of a Wellbeing Centre; International Women’s Day with Garterstitch on 8th March at the Old Hairdressers, a paid engagement at the Bengali Performing Arts Festival in the Eastwood Theatre, opening “Tread Lightly” - a UNA landmine awareness/fundraising event at Oran Mor, and celebrating Earth Hour in a conservation event at St Margaret’s Newlands - all of these in March alone. April brought an interesting and innovative collaboration with artist Steven Anderson working on a sound project for the Glasgow International Festival of Visual Arts, where we were able to demonstrate our own ideas on the possibilities of singing across the Clyde between Riverside and Govan, culminating in a splendid day complete with human megaphone and songs on the Govan Ferry. Did I mention a fleeting appearance on BBC Newsnight of three windswept Voicebeaters singing “A Keelie Macolay”? Iinvolvement with Streetland this year was seeing and cheering Govanhill Voices, the little singing group launched by Harry and Jane Bentley especially for the festival, and we did enjoy their workshop in Govanhill Baths. The year culminated in our second Voicebeat Concert on 22nd June, once more courtesy of St Silas Church. This time however we were part of Scottish Refugee Week, featuring in their Programme, and raised much needed funds for the Glasgow Destitution Network, providing asylum seekers with bus tickets. Special guests at this concert were the Waverley Care choir Voice of Hope, led by our former Musical Director Frances Hume, and their exuberant performance was enjoyed by all. July found nineteen singers gather for a residential weekend at Wiston Lodge in Lanarkshire. We thoroughly enjoyed the accommodation, were blessed by good weather, and Anastazia did a splendid photo-shoot in the grounds. Last but not least was a five minute engagement at The Evening Times Community Champion Awards Ceremony on 16th August, an opportunity to promote local talent, and our photo duly appeared in the report.
During 2011–12 we had 36 regular rehearsals, two recording sessions in Knightswood Congregational Church, two catch-up sessions in Kelvinside Hillhead Church, (our venue on three public holidays), a workshop for Folk Carols in the Pub at Hillhead Baptist Church, and two other workshops at The Annexe formed part of our ambitious termly programme. Gameli and Cecilia Tordzro of Pan-African Arts led a Ghanaian drumming and singing evening in February, and Alyana Galyana treated us to Bulgarian song and dance in May. All workshops and extra sessions were well supported, and attendance at four summer meetings in August at St Peter’s Partick was also good. We even revived the tradition of Voicebeat walks with a day trip to Luss, for a picnic, a wander, and an opportunity to sing – to an unexpected audience – in the beautiful Church. All meetings have been rounded off very nicely in a hostelry, and the Loch Lomond Arms was no exception. Membership and attendance of Voicebeat continued to grow, between 12 and 30 on any evening. 59 people paid £2 membership fee at some point, 34 in Autumn term, 45 in Spring term, and 37 in Summer term, and 23 of these were members of longstanding. An additional 21 people signed the contacts sheet but did not attend regularly, and there were other visitors. Around 24 singers from 2010-11 did not return, for reasons mostly connected with work patterns and moving on. We continue to fit happily and cosily in Milligan Hall, our regular room upstairs at The Annexe, and maintain cordial relations with the staff here, and our contacts at all our alternative venues have been most helpful during the past year. I would like to thank Harry, Jane Bentley, and Maggie for leading us, the committee for a lot of great ideas, all of which have been brought quickly to fruition, Lucie for helping Harry realise his South Side vision in Govanhill, and the members old and new who have been so enthusiastic about everything we have done this year. It is most rewarding to be part of such an incredible group experience!
2011–12 has been a truly momentous and magical year for Voicebeat. We have been especially busy in 2012, which is entirely appropriate, being the run up to our long anticipated Tenth Anniversary Celebrations. Our fame has spread, and numbers have increased sufficiently that we can fulfil many more engagements, some at very short notice. Requests to sing have come out of the blue, and other opportunities have arisen through the efforts or contacts of our members. There is a very committed core of singers in Voicebeat, and we have a very able and willing leader in Harry, who has generally enthused us and chivvied us along so we have hardly a moment! The funny thing is that the dedicated core of singers changes constantly, sometimes almost in waves. In the past year we have welcomed many newcomers and said many farewells, yet the group maintains an identity. Last session friends from Australia, Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Poland, Sweden, U.S.A. and Zimbabwe have sung with Voicebeat. Many singers stay in touch on their travels, and recall their time in Voicebeat with some affection.
Our whirlwind year includes: singing at the Glasgow Destitution Network’s presentation on its work with asylum seekers; our second weekend at Craufurdland Castle in October - hurriedly arranged before the imminent departure of Chatelaine Sandra and Kevin; hosting Folk Carols in the Pub - on 17 December for the first time and very successfully in The Dram, followed incidentally by record attendance at our Christmas Party. New Year found us in some very grand company at Govanhill Baths, when on 4th February we revived protest songs at the opening of a Wellbeing Centre; International Women’s Day with Garterstitch on 8th March at the Old Hairdressers, a paid engagement at the Bengali Performing Arts Festival in the Eastwood Theatre, opening “Tread Lightly” - a UNA landmine awareness/fundraising event at Oran Mor, and celebrating Earth Hour in a conservation event at St Margaret’s Newlands - all of these in March alone. April brought an interesting and innovative collaboration with artist Steven Anderson working on a sound project for the Glasgow International Festival of Visual Arts, where we were able to demonstrate our own ideas on the possibilities of singing across the Clyde between Riverside and Govan, culminating in a splendid day complete with human megaphone and songs on the Govan Ferry. Did I mention a fleeting appearance on BBC Newsnight of three windswept Voicebeaters singing “A Keelie Macolay”? Iinvolvement with Streetland this year was seeing and cheering Govanhill Voices, the little singing group launched by Harry and Jane Bentley especially for the festival, and we did enjoy their workshop in Govanhill Baths. The year culminated in our second Voicebeat Concert on 22nd June, once more courtesy of St Silas Church. This time however we were part of Scottish Refugee Week, featuring in their Programme, and raised much needed funds for the Glasgow Destitution Network, providing asylum seekers with bus tickets. Special guests at this concert were the Waverley Care choir Voice of Hope, led by our former Musical Director Frances Hume, and their exuberant performance was enjoyed by all. July found nineteen singers gather for a residential weekend at Wiston Lodge in Lanarkshire. We thoroughly enjoyed the accommodation, were blessed by good weather, and Anastazia did a splendid photo-shoot in the grounds. Last but not least was a five minute engagement at The Evening Times Community Champion Awards Ceremony on 16th August, an opportunity to promote local talent, and our photo duly appeared in the report.
During 2011–12 we had 36 regular rehearsals, two recording sessions in Knightswood Congregational Church, two catch-up sessions in Kelvinside Hillhead Church, (our venue on three public holidays), a workshop for Folk Carols in the Pub at Hillhead Baptist Church, and two other workshops at The Annexe formed part of our ambitious termly programme. Gameli and Cecilia Tordzro of Pan-African Arts led a Ghanaian drumming and singing evening in February, and Alyana Galyana treated us to Bulgarian song and dance in May. All workshops and extra sessions were well supported, and attendance at four summer meetings in August at St Peter’s Partick was also good. We even revived the tradition of Voicebeat walks with a day trip to Luss, for a picnic, a wander, and an opportunity to sing – to an unexpected audience – in the beautiful Church. All meetings have been rounded off very nicely in a hostelry, and the Loch Lomond Arms was no exception. Membership and attendance of Voicebeat continued to grow, between 12 and 30 on any evening. 59 people paid £2 membership fee at some point, 34 in Autumn term, 45 in Spring term, and 37 in Summer term, and 23 of these were members of longstanding. An additional 21 people signed the contacts sheet but did not attend regularly, and there were other visitors. Around 24 singers from 2010-11 did not return, for reasons mostly connected with work patterns and moving on. We continue to fit happily and cosily in Milligan Hall, our regular room upstairs at The Annexe, and maintain cordial relations with the staff here, and our contacts at all our alternative venues have been most helpful during the past year. I would like to thank Harry, Jane Bentley, and Maggie for leading us, the committee for a lot of great ideas, all of which have been brought quickly to fruition, Lucie for helping Harry realise his South Side vision in Govanhill, and the members old and new who have been so enthusiastic about everything we have done this year. It is most rewarding to be part of such an incredible group experience!
