HCS Voices (2019)

When I left CSI:Halifax I had joined Louise's Singing for Fun Group and the Awesome Choir of Rock to keep singing and broaden my experience. Louise Curtis and Laura Morrell are both talented and experienced music makers and so those aims were readily met. They were both constrained to some extent by the very nature of the groups that they were leading. Robert Arwyn's Benedictus would have gone down a storm at The Awesome Choir of Rock for example! Still, I missed the slightly more diverse music and a more theory driven and traditional choral approach. Lynn Meredith at CSI had covered an enormous range of genres from Greenday to Rutter, Billy Joel to Karl Jenkins. I liked that mix and the 'it's a good sing' approach.

When I saw mention of a new choir in the Creative Kirklees newsletter in Autumn 2019 it caught my attention. This was linked to the acclaimed Huddersfield Choral Society but didn’t require audition nor expectation of sight reading from score. The rehearsals didn’t clash with my other singing groups but would require ending my guitar development via Kirklees Musica. I decided to go for it and joined.

The Autumn season was tremendous fun and ended with the choirs inaugural Christmas concert that was great to be part of and was well received. Our choral director, Abi Kitching, was a breath of fresh air, musically talented but totally grounded and people focussed. The support team were equally friendly and I even reacquainted with former colleague Tim Wilkes who turned out to be the choir’s pianist. Roll on January!

In January we started working on the Jazz / Traditional African fusion Zimbe collection. We we're really looking forward to performing this and linking up again with the Castle Hill Quintet that had so successfully supported that first concert.

Then of course the pandemic hit and our plans changed. As with Singing for Fun, rehearsals moved online using Zoom. We managed to cover an awful lot of styles during our online era and the sessions were a very welcome and at times hilarious distraction during lockdown.

In person rehearsals and then in turn concerts resumed 18 months later in September 2021. Sadly, not for myself as I was a carer and shielding a vulnerable person. In Jan 2023 that remained the case but circumstances have changed and I have now rejoined and started reheasals with the new choral director, Laura Bailie. It felt strange to be back in person but rewarding to again experience that feeling that only comes from group singing. An early bonus experience of being back was the Vocal Workshop held at The Venue, Huddersfield.

The two Christmas 2023 concerts were excellent with sharing the stage with HCS, HCS Youth and Black Dyke Band another landmark experience.

In our March 2024 concert I refamilarised with two John Rutter's arrangements that I had performed previously with CSI:Halifax, 'I will sing the Spirit' and 'Steal Away'. The rest of the Feel The Spirit collection was new to me as were our two musical theatre pieces, 'From Now On' ~ Greatest Showman and 'Hail Holy Queen' ~ Sister Act. The surprise inclusion was 'Dead Skunk' by Loudon Wainwright III.

Our June 2024 Concert programme comprised a wide range of songs from many genres. I'm very readily drawn to Soul / Folk Rock songs like 'Sitting on The Dock of The Bay and 'Bridge Over Troubles Water'. However, to my surprise, the two songs that I felt most memorable were the choral classic Bruckner's 'Locus Iste' and Eric Whitacre's 'Sing Gently'. This concert marked the end of the choir's first five years. Sadly, we also saw the retirement of one of the key initiators and organisers, Angus Pogson. I feel that the choir marked the occasion well in recognition of his huge efforts, he will certainly be missed! Also, we may be a Bass voice down!

In September 2024 I decided to pass upon the opportunity to rehearse Christmas Carols over next four calendar months and take a break from HCS Voices. I chose instead to sing with the Soul Choir and undertake some further vocals training with Laura Morrell's Sing Pop workshops. Jools Holland says 'Play what you like and like what you play' so I applied that principle to singing!