Summer Concert June 30th 2022
On June 30th this year Songbirds Choir performed its first public concert since December 2019 and what a lovely evening it was! After an eighteen month absence from the ‘stage’ we were keen and nervous in equal measure! One of the key purposes of this concert was to celebrate a return to singing together and in public after the Covid-19 experiences of the previous year and a half.
The first half of the concert included ‘Moon River’, ‘Psalm 23’ (The Vicar of Dibley version!) and ‘Chattanooga Choo Choo’ and the concert began with ‘Can You Feel the Love Tonight’ (from The Lion King) which became a particular favourite during Zoom choir sessions throughout lockdown. Also during the first half the audience were treated to a really entertaining piano duet performed by Jane Holyland (Songbirds accompanist) and Gillian Bindley. Just before the refreshment break we heard from Alison and Becky from the charity ‘Spectrum’, who updated us on their work (which Songbirds currently supports).
In the second half of the concert the audience was invited to sing three songs with us to acknowledge the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee - the three songs were all ‘hits’ in 1952/1953. The choir then performed a number of songs arranged by Mac Huff entitled ‘Leading Ladies’ which included such numbers as ‘Don’t Cry For Me Argentina’ and ‘The Sound of Music’.
Also in the second half Martine Burton, one of our members, read a poem about Songbirds, that she had written during lockdown and which the audience thoroughly enjoyed.
The penultimate song on the programme ‘Lean on Me’, was one chosen by members of the choir when lockdown first began. We worked on the song on Zoom and in isolation from each other for many months and we even recorded ourselves individually and then, with technical support, put all those recordings together to make one. The outcome was interesting! We were all pleased with what we had achieved but it didn’t really make us sound like a choir! Only when we finally met up last August and sang together again in the same space (a garden) did we sound, once more, like a choir. We could hear each other and make our voices blend - something you really can’t do on your own! ‘Lean on Me’ has become a very special song for our choir.
Finally, we reprised ‘Can You Feel The Love Tonight’, and invited the audience to join in. A very good ending to what was a very good concert indeed.