Going for a song
With community choirs becoming more popular and singing said to be good for the soul and everything else besides, Sue Gilson and Vicky Edwards got on song.
Sue's singalong
I love singing, I really do.
But my bursts of vocal enthusiasm are mainly confined to wobbly solos in the car, and in the kitchen when I'm peeling the spuds of stirring the soup, to an not altogether appeciative audience (teenage sons).
Community efforts are few and far between, it has to be said, with the odd O Come All Ye Faithful or We Plough the Fields and Scatter along the way.
The last time I felt the togetherness of singing in a group was at a funeral which, while very moving, was not the most upliftting of occasions.
Yet uplifting having a good old sing song most certainly is, and this has been widely reported.
Opening your lungs alongside fellow chums can not only give you a confidence and immune system boost, it can also lower blood pressure, put your brain through a work-out, aid wellbeing and alleviate depression, it has been claimed.
It is all, as they say, good.
So, with the days now short, and the SAD menace ready to sprinkle his low-mood dust on my general sunniness for the duration of the dark months, I headed for help to new community choir Another Octave.
This is lead by the irrepressible Rebecca Cooke who somehow combines just the right mix of jovality, enthusiam and expertise.
There were around ten of us (just one man) at this Monday lunchtime session in St Michael's Hall in Summersdale Road, and we kicked off with some fun exercises.
These had us 'woo-ing' and 'wah-ing' as we moved gently around the hall. The lung work-out felt equivilent to a brisk stroll, but was relaxing too, like a chanting down the forest path.
We then got down to business with Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen, a beautiful first choice.
I can't read music but I was guided by the lovely folk around me and all the squiggles on the sheet started to make sense.
The musically-trained and qualified Rebecca (28), accompanied on the piano, smiling and peering over her glasses, as we warbled on.
An evocative Scottish piece full of 'flow'r thorns' and 'banks and braes' followed, then the tricky but amusing The Shove, which we managed to sing in a four-part round.
"This piece needs perseverance and patience, both of which I lack as I get too excited," laughed Rebecca.
Near the end of the enjoyable two-hour session, we attempted another four-parter, the serene German piece Dona Nobis Pacem, which sounded really lovely, almost ethereal, and we were all chuffed.
There was a real sense of achievement, a real sense of wellbeing and a real sense of working as a team, and we wanted to do it all again.
And we all, cheesy as it may sound, stepped out into the autumnal sunshine with a smile on our face, a spring in our step and a song in our heart.
Another Octave, St Michael's Hall, Summersdale Road, Chichester, 12.30-2.30pm, is looking for new members. Men very welcome! No experience necessary.
Tel Rebecca on 01243 771974 and visit www.rebeccacookesinging.co.uk
Vicky Gets Vocal
Slightly anxious about what I'd signed up for, the welcome from members of Chichester's Get Vocal community choir couldn't have been warmer.
Comprised mostly of women (the choir would love to have some more male voices, so chaps take note), the group meets weekly during term time at Orchard Street Church between 7.30pm and 9.30pm.
Singing a range of unaccompanied songs, the emphasis is on World Music, interspersed with teacher Fiona Moore's own compositions.
Refreshingly, there is no audition to join and you don't need to able to read music, as all material is taught by ear. The only requirements for membership are enthusiasm and commitment.
Run as a committee, the collective belief is that everyone can sing and the objective is to provide a relaxed and fun atmosphere where people can enjoy singing and harmonising together.
There is no pressure to perform but the choir does work towards various concerts and performances.
On the night I popped in for a bellow, a Christmas song was being rehearsed for a concert at Chichester University, so, following a gentle warm-up, I found myself singing the lower part of a four-part harmony of an original merry ditty that created a beautiful and uplifting festive sound.
Certainly singing harmonies focuses your mind and sharpens your listening skills. In a surprisingly short amount of time I found that it became less and less difficult to pick out and sustain the harmony I'd been allocated.
Pausing for half-time coffee and biscuits I took the opportunity to chat to some of the regular attendees, all of who were full of praise and enthusiasm for the choir and teacher Fiona, who runs several community choirs and specialises in vocal skills, harmony singing and improvisation.
Back to the singing and we moved on to a new harmony, this time a chanting-type piece that had me tripping over my tongue, but that once again swelled the room with a glorious noise.
After a jazzily-improvised version of 'Happy Birthday' for choir member Jan, the session finished with rounds and some delightful ad hoc harmonies.
Accessible, informal and great fun; if you like singing original and unconventional material then Get Vocal is definitely the choir for you. You'd be better looking elsewhere, however, if it's show tunes, standards and Abba's back catalogue that floats your sing-along boat.
For more on Get Vocal visit www.getvocal-chichester.org.uk or tel 01243 533744.
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Weather for Chichester
Tuesday 29 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 12 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: West
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 13 C to 19 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: South west
