A garden mowing session on a warm summer’s day was interrupted by the ping of an email on my phone. Delighted for any interruption, I opened the message from Carole, the secretary for the Gillingham Singers: she was sharing a request from The Exchange in Sturminster Newton for a choir to support a professional duo that was coming to perform in October.
Would we like to put ourselves forward?
I slipped the phone back into my pocket, grateful to have some thoughts to keep me company as I finished mowing the lawn.
A bit later I contacted the rest of the committee to gauge thoughts. The choir hadn’t done anything like this before, and it would need a different approach to rehearsals to get it right.
Everyone thought it was too good an opportunity to miss, so I was tasked with making contact and expressing our desire to be considered.
A little while later my phone pinged again: “Please could I supply my number, one of the performers wanted to chat.”
What a sound
Within a few hours I found myself talking with Jem, one half of Tenors Unlimited, a duo that have toured the world, supported Sting and recently performed at the Royal Albert Hall.
No pressure then.
In fact there really wasn’t! Jem was a delight to chat to and he offered the Gillingham Singers the gig.
Over the following days we were given access to all the musical scores and rehearsal material we needed, and by the start of September we were set to go. The only pressure was time … just six weeks to get our part in the show ready.
Usually, when rehearsing a concert piece, the path you follow is clearly laid out. But with the role the choir needed to play in this particular concert, things were a bit more complex, and timings needed to be exact. The whole choir got on board, even members who were not able to make the concert joined in, and a great deal of work went into getting things right.
On the day of the concert the choir finally gathered for their sound check and a rehearsal with Jem and Paul. Under atmospheric lighting the choir burst into life during a run-through of You Raise Me Up.
Oh my word, what a sound!
The microphones helped the choir provide just the right amount of backing, and with confidence high, we continued with Barcelona, Nessun Dorma and ELO’s Mr Blue Sky. The choir also presented their own contribution, The Lamb by Sir John Tavener, who spent the last part of his life living and composing in Child Okeford.
The choir were buzzing after the rehearsal … but nothing prepared us for the wonderful concert itself, nor the positive reception to our part in proceedings later on.
It was an experience the The Gillingham Singers will remember for a very long time, and we are very grateful to Tenors Unlimited for the opportunity to perform with them. Also a big ‘thank you’ to Georgina and all the wonderful staff at The Exchange for looking after us so well.
The choir are now in full swing preparing for our concert on 14th December, 6:30pm at St Simon and St Jude’s church, Milton on Stour.
Richard Nye, musical director
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