Choir Scoop Top Award in Herefordshire Competition
A Pembridge choir, which was only formed on 15th January, has exceeded the expectations of its founding Musical Director, Hayley Osborne. Hayley shares with us the vision she had for the choir and the amazing story so far.
Will Anyone Come?
“I had no idea if anyone, except for a few friends, would turn up. That first night I was so nervous, but when I arrived there was already someone waiting! By 7 pm 22 people had filtered in. I introduced myself, talked about my vision, why I wanted to set it up, about my background in music, that it was a pop choir, and that I’d like to enter them into the Hereford Performing Arts Competition in March! The faces looking back at me at that final statement were of disbelief! I explained that we wouldn’t place, they would only have been together for 6 weeks by the time of the competition, but that I’d like them to do it for the experience of how it feels to perform. We did some warmups and sang “Stand by Me” without any direction, so I could just hear what they sounded like and ensure that they could hear each other.”
“I had written an Accappella version of Bastille’s “Pompeii” and we started to work on it within six weeks of the competition. Most of the choir hadn’t even heard of Bastille! I came home that night on a high and created two WhatsApp groups, one for chatting, and one for scores and announcements. The next piece I created was a mash-up of Lorde’s “Solar Power” and George Michael’s “Freedom”. I posted the original tracks on the groups for them to listen to, following the disclosure of not knowing Bastille.”
“I met one of the older members between rehearsals. She was worried, she couldn’t even imagine herself singing the two tracks I had posted. I reassured her saying “I bet last week you couldn’t imagine singing Bastille, but you are.”
Storming the Bastille
“On Friday 8th March, 32 nervous but happy members performed at St Nicholas Church, Hereford, as part of the Choir of Any Age category. We were up against three well-established choirs, who have been singing together for a long time. Love To Sing was phenomenal! They sang their hearts out. The reception and applause they received was a reward in itself.”
Once all the choirs had performed, it was time for the adjudication by a well-known and much-respected judge. The feedback given to Love to Sing was OUTSTANDING! The comments included:-
- Good confident part singing.
- Excellent articulation.
- Good sense of pitch throughout.
- Good use of dynamics and build-up.
The judge concluded with “This is a lovely choir with so much to offer, your enthusiasm was priceless, and I cannot wait to see what the future holds when you have produced this after only six weeks. “
It’s GOLD!
Everyone was happy, waiting anxiously for the marks to be awarded. The Judge announced she’d awarded two Silvers and a Gold. Love to Sing – GOLD!!! You can imagine the shrieks of joy from the choir! In fact, for Hayley, it’s still sinking in.
Back at Home
On Sunday 24th March Pembridge had a chance to hear the Love to Sing Community Choir at the New Inn 40th anniversary celebrations. They were great, as was their Musical Director Hayley Osborne, who in her “This Girl Loves to Sing” guise entertained the crowds with an outstanding range of popular songs.
The choir is now 36-strong and includes men and women of all ages. It’s open to new members and will next meet at Pembridge Primary School on 8th April. Sessions are 7 pm to 8.30 pm every Monday in term time. £4 per person.
Kay Ingram
