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“From hearing just the first few notes of your favourite song, you can sense a change – an immediate uplifting of your mood… bringing ‘in the moment’ happiness as well as longer-lasting wellness.”

The pandemic and lockdown may seem like history to some, but for others the memory lingers on. This podcast on singing and wellbeing – from both listening and participating – reflects on those days and ways that music helped lighten moods.

https://whatworkswellbeing.org/resources/singing-and-choirs-whats-wellbeing-got-to-do-with-it

My musical story probably started in my genes. My paternal grandfather was a church organist for 30 or 40 years; he played at our wedding in 1970!  My maternal grandfather was gassed in World War 1 and shipped back to the UK for hospital treatment. My granny was a young voluntary nurse in the same hospital. They both happened to join in the hospital concert party! After the war they shipped off to Mildura in south east Australia, where this grandpa joined the church choir!

As a small child I was fascinated by Mum’s wind-up HMV gramophone playing Teddy Bears’ Picnic and Noddy songs. Seemed quite magical to me! BBC Schools Radio was an important resource for schools in the 1950s and 60s. Singing Together & Rhythm & Melody were a regular part of our week and craft lessons were often accompanied by Peter and The Wolf on the school record player. Our head mistress also ran the Brownies and Girl Guides which involved more singing, especially campfire songs.

Several of us also joined the church choir from about nine till leaving home for college. I grew up on a farm two miles from the village centre, so attendance entailed a lot of cycling, but in adolescence it gave me a bona fide reason to be in the village on a Friday evening!

Then a gap through college, marriage, teaching, children and Open University degree, till I joined Dunmow Singers and trips to Dunmow’s twin town in France to perform in joint concerts and enjoy French family hospitality.

Moving to Great Chishill in 1998 I discovered Royston Choral Society – and more French trips – Run by Singers singing holidays in Europe & UK, and Icknield Way Parish Choir.

For three or four years, I took my late husband to music therapy groups for people with dementia in Sawston and Saffron Walden. This last-mentioned group is sponsored by Anglia Ruskin University and Saffron Hall. It has recently been honoured with a prestigious Queen’s Award for its positive impact on people with dementia – and their companions.

Last March, I caught Covid-19 at a rehearsal along with a number of other choir members.  I thus spent 12 days self-isolating and my sore throat meant a temporary excursion down to the alto part when I Zoomed into a church service.

I listened to Radio 3 a lot and discovered some new pieces; The Darkness Is No Darkness by Judith Bingham was one I enjoyed particularly.  Unfortunately, I now have no memory of this beyond the name, which I noted down.  I was comforted to hear my husband playing his customary Bach prelude and fugue.  The Royston Choral Society concert proceeded without us and went very well.  Fortunately, we had another chance to sing the Mozart Requiem later that year.

The Darkness in No Darkness https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phsWV3m8QTI

My musical started when I was about six or seven years. Being Irish, there was a good deal of singing in our homes. It was the main means of entertainment - song, verse and dance. My father's used to sing, his favourite being Galway Bay. He also played harmonica very well, as good as Larry Adler in my opinion at the time. My greatest impression was, when I went to the wake of my mother's cousin. My mother and family were invited to the ‘Wake and High Tea’ afterwards. Just as the tea finished, mother's cousin slipped away upstairs and came back in this beautiful green satin dress and sang Amazing Grace amongst many other well-known songs. I was in awe at the sound of her beautiful voice and the confidence with which she sang. I thought, I want to do that one day.

Since the age of ten I've sung in school choirs. We had yearly summer Plain Chant competitions in churches in our county, and had a succession of wins. Our biggest claim to fame was when John O'Sullivan, conductor of The Radio Éireann Light Symphony Orchestra, came to conduct us. It was my final year in primary school and we won that year too.

I did take piano lessons but gave up after Grade 2 due to the temperament of my teacher; something I regret to this day. 

I joined our local amateur dramatic society at 15 years, mostly song and dance. I joined church choir and have been singing in church choirs mostly since then, except during my nurse training. I've been singing in our church for over 35 years and have been fortunate to have had some very influential leaders, singing some glorious motets.

In terms of my musical taste, some favourite pieces are Mozart’s Ave Verbum Corpus, Panis Angelicus, God So Loved the World by Stainer, and Be Peace on Earth by William Crotch. I’ve loved most of what we’ve done with the Royston Choral Society, including Haydn’s Creation.

I love most music apart from heavy metal. I particularly like Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Caballé, and Van Morrison, and many more!

At my funeral I’d like the hymn Be Still My Soul https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyqEq_a2qGs&t=38s

By Melissa Dell’Anno, soprano

I can’t remember a time when I didn’t love music, and from an early age I sang in every choir and musical production I could, in school and then at university, whilst also learning to play the piano and flute.

After I left university I joined The Hertfordshire Chorus for a few years, touring Italy and Austria and thoroughly enjoying the whole experience. Then I got married, moved out of Hertfordshire and started a family, and somehow I didn’t pick up singing again for many years - until we got some chickens.

Shortly after moving our new hens in, we went away for a couple of days. When we came home we found that one of our chickens was missing. We assumed that she had been taken by a fox, until I saw on our local Facebook page someone had found a chicken in her garden, and did anyone know who she belonged to? I got in touch and it transpired that our chicken had managed to fly over our back garden fence into a neighbour’s garden, so I went round to my neighbour, popped the chicken in a box and took her back home, and gave her a stern telling off.

Two days later the chicken vanished again, so I checked with my neighbour and, lo and behold, our bird was back in her garden. Another (somewhat shame-faced) expedition with the box and I brought the bird home again. The next day I was again at my neighbour’s door to collect our travelling hen, and I was desperately trying to ingratiate myself with my neighbour when I spotted a piano in her sitting room. “Oh,” I said, “do you play the piano?” She replied that she was trying to teach herself to play, and asked whether I was musical, and did I sing? (Maybe I should have spotted the manic look of a recruiter in her eyes!)

A cup of coffee later and she had me agreeing to try her choir in Biggleswade, and also our church choir. Within a few months I went from not being involved in any musical groups, to being a member of Gamlingay church choir, the Amici Singers (in Biggleswade), The Ensemble of Friends (an a cappella group based in Potton), and the Ely Octagon Singers!

Who would have thought that a hen would be responsible for renewing my love of singing, and for bringing such pleasure back into my life! We are now a few years further along and I have moved house again, but this time I made sure I found a new choir straight away; I am very happy singing with such a talented group of people who make up the Royston Choral Society. And now I know that if I ever struggle to find music again, all I need to do is get some hens!

The Royston Choral Society Christmas Concert took place just before Christmas in the St James Academy senior school and lived up to its billing as a traditional Christmas concert of carols and seasonal music.

We commenced the concert with the traditional solo of the first verse of Once in Royal David’s City which was followed by the choir and finally with audience members joining in (as best we could).

We were then treated to three pieces by the choir which were sung with hushed tones that gave the the emotion and reverence required to encapsulate the true meaning of the lyrics.

We were then introduced to the charismatic J50 brass quintet who gave accomplished performances of some more contemporary pieces, including from the world of film scores, adding some variety in between choral pieces.

The audience were thoroughly included in the concert, singing many well known and enjoyed carols throughout.

After an interval of delicious mulled wine and mince pies, the choir treated us some more! Performing pieces from Bob Chilcott and John Rutter which were uplifting and sung with clear diction. It was literally music to my ears!

A further treat from J50 awaited until we came to the traditional final big-sing of Hark the Herald Angels Sing.

The concert was a great success and I look forward to being back at Royston church when it is restored to its former glory following the devastating fire in 2018.

C.Rock

More photographs from this concert (courtesy of Sue Sanders) can be seen here.

Royston Choral Society ‘Songs of Love’ at Barkway Parish Church 29th June 2019

On the hottest day of the year so far, a large and appreciative audience gathered in the coolness of Barkway Church for Royston Choral Society’s summer concert.

The theme of the concert was ‘Love’. This was the thread woven through the musical programme but it was also an evening that celebrated a love of singing by performers and audience alike. Pianists Simon Bland and Warwick Hewson opened the evening with a compelling performance of Schubert’s Fantasia in F minor for piano duet. The performance was a journey of emotions, beautifully played showing the contrasts in the dramatic and more intimate moments. The Laurdisen Nocturnes were sung with moments of quiet reverence and some well-balanced choral harmonies. Under Andrew O’Brien's direction the choir explored an exciting range of dynamics and gave a particularly emotional rendition of ‘Sure on this shining night’.

We were then introduced to Alexander L’Estrange’s setting of songs ‘Love’s philosophy’. In these three songs we enjoyed beautiful lilting melodies and a charming performance. The blend of voices in this was excellent. Simon Bland’s sensitive accompaniment supported the choir very well.

The second half of the concert opened with Brahms’ Liebeslieder Walzer. The work is accompanied by piano duet and Simon and Warwick joined the choir to perform these. We were transformed to the Viennese ballroom for these varied songs, sung in German. The solos by Ann Hoptroff and Andrew O’Brien were a particular delight.

The conclusion of the programme was a first performance of a setting of the Welsh Lullaby Suo Gân. This was arranged by Richard Prince, a former director of RCS and now a member of the bass section. This beautiful and moving arrangement captivated the audience and included solos sensitively sung by Ann Hoptroff and Olivia Tomkins. You can view a recording of this made during the concert by Sue Sanders here. There are other photos from the concert here.

How lovely to enjoy this conclusion to the RCS 2018/19 season. Congratulations to the choir, the pianists and to Andrew O’Brien who continues to inspire the choir. The programme for 2019/20 looks challenging and exciting as this choir develops and explores more of the choral greats!

Michael Smith

Review of St John's Passion by J.S.Bach, Ashwell Church    
6th April 2019

This beautiful piece of work was undertaken by Royston Choral Society and Haileybury Choral Society. In the first part we commenced with the choir giving an accomplished opening singing in the original German text. The singing and diction was clear and built up the excitement of the opening piece with hushed tones when required and strong crescendos.

We were then introduced to the soloists including the evangelist Daniel Joy, Jesus, Lukas Kargl, alto Kate Symonds-Joy and soprano Elisabeth Weisberg. We were treated to the beautiful tones of the tenor aria performed by Matthew Keighley. East Herts Sinfonia accompanied all with accuracy and fluency. They worked well under the direction of Andrew O'Brien, the musical director.

The second part, even more challenging, we found the choir did not disappoint with their passionate cries of ‘kreuzige’ adding to the drama of the piece. We were introduced to Pilate, Philip Craven, who came through showing his desire to fulfil the will of the people.

The final large chorus of ‘Ruht Wohl’ was delivered with care and commitment and left the audience clear that this was a hugely moving and sensitive piece which underlined the tragedy of the story of the crucifixion.

The concert was well attended ( rightfully so) and we look forward to hearing these accomplished singers at future events.

A.Prosser/ P.Rock

Further pictures from the concert courtesy of Sue Sanders can be found here

Royston Choral Society put on a festive treat for their Christmas concert.

The evening began with Benjamin Britten’s ‘A Ceremony of Carols’, performed by the ladies of the chorus, starting with the traditional procession. One of Britten’s most appealing and accessible works, the singing throughout was bright, accurate and energetic, particularly impressive in the intricate 3-part canon of ‘This Little Babe’. The audience were treated to some accomplished solos and the choir was accompanied beautifully by harpist Ruth Holden.

The gentlemen returned to the chorus for the second half of the concert, which brought both old favourites and refreshing newer versions of Yuletide staples, including a lovely setting of ‘Rocking’ by one of the chorus members. The choir displayed their sensitivity and precision with some wonderful pianissimo singing in ‘Infant Holy, Infant Lowly’, and raised the roof with a joyful rendition of ‘Ding! Dong! Merrily on high’, an arrangement by Tabernacle Choir director Mack Wilberg which also gave pianist Michael Smith a chance to shine.

Audience members also had a chance to dust off their vocal chords and join in with 3 traditional carols, ensuring everyone went home filled with Christmas spirit.

Elizabeth Tattersall

The pictures from the concert, courtesy of Sue Sanders, can be found here