(OH MY GOSH - WHAT A DAY!)
SO MANY FIRSTS FOR HARROW COMMUNITY CHOIR
This is my first blog on the newly minted Harrow Community Choir website.... A work in progress
A huge thank you from me to Emma Brooks, my Co-music Director, and from Emma and me to all the choir.
The dark, the wind, the rain! Nothing stopped us. We tramped our way, in good high spirits, into the unknown this evening... In the near pitch black, with mere clip on book-reading lights attached, we sang our way through several songs at the Harrow Fireworks display, Byron Park in Wealdstone.
I'm so excited and proud for us to have done this - a new step for us as a group. What are the firsts? First gig in the dark. First gig in the rain. First gig using microphones fro the choir. First gig in the mud. First gig in front of a potential audience of hundreds, if not thousands.
Was it it perfect? Oh no. Was it well received. Oh yes! Was it fun? Immense. Was it a challenge. A huge challenge and worth the all the anxiety dreams and worrying about it. By the time today came, we had rehearsed, organised the sound system, as much as possible,... bought the reading lights (thanks AJ). All that was left was, as often is the case, to hope that the weather was merciful, that people would turn up and that we would do our best.
One of the finest examples of organised chaos as I've seen for while.
Firstly - everyone who said they would come, indeed, turned up, as well as a few extras! It was several members' first performance - and what a day to chose!
We even had someone turn up at rehearsal for the first time ever and he performed this evening with us at the gig.
We were surprised and delighted to see Janet Deci Bell, a former music director of the choir, come to see us in action. Been a long while!
So, why the serendipity in the title, serendipity being the result of a happy chance? Well, the happy chance in question was Emma chatting to Phyllis. a choir member, in Harrow, a couple of weeks ago, about the choir, how we've come on and how well we are doing... They happened to be overheard by David Silber, the organiser, producer and promoter of the Fireworks display. He introduced himself and asked if the choir would like to sing at the display... Of course we jumped at the opportunity and here we are, one serendipitous gig later.
Everyone turned up for rehearsal, which was actually very uplifting. The willingness of people to be there in hope that the show would go on despite the rain, really made us feel that we are a part of something very special.
All in all, a wonderful evening, a new milestone and a further strengthening of the bonds that hold this group together as a community within the community of Harrow.
And lovely, too the visit from Jo Sarkany, who has worked with the choir for the last two summers, now herself a student again, studying Music Therapy at the Anglia Ruskin University. Her husband and daughter met the choir for the first time, tonight.
Terry at Flash Musicals very kindly provided us with really good microphones to help set us on our next first! Thanks Terry for your generosity.
That's about it for now... Feel free to wander around the site - very basic, I know; watch this space. The Website team are doing a great job - lots more to come. And more about the team in the future.
Cheers
David Phelops
Director