Singing Day 2020
The first event of our spring season was our annual Singing Day on 15 February, when we welcomed singers from across the region to a most enjoyable day led, once again, by our good friend Keith Orrell, director of the William Byrd Singers of Manchester and the Liverpool Welsh Choral, and Vocal Projects Leader for Wigan Borough.
With his trademark ebullience and good humour, Keith took us through the delightful Songs and Sonnets from Shakespeare by the blind jazz pianist George Shearing, encouraging us to ‘feel the rhyhthm’ and coaching us in some very useful voice production techniques along the way.
Our warmest thanks to Keith, to our excellent accompanist Robert Woods, whom we were delighted to welcome back for a second time, and to bass player Sophie Sully, who lent her expertise to add a suitably ‘jazzy’ flavour to our performance at the end of the day.
Thanks also to all who helped by baking cakes, selling books and making teas and coffees throughout the day, and to Wilmslow Wells for Africa for providing delicious soup at lunchtime. And finally, to all of you who came to sing. We hope to see you again for a special Singing Day to be held as part of the Barnby Choir’s 75th-anniversary celebrations! Details to be announced.
