“A pair of woolly tights under your trousers, thick socks, a thermal vest and a black cardie and you’ll be absolutely fine…”
This was the no nonsense advice I got from Sheila (who has been in the Reading A440 choir since its inception) in preparation for my first ever concert in the cavernous (and cold) Reading Minster on Saturday 17th December 2022.
Performing is not all just glamour, I learnt – it is actually glamour plus layers.
I don’t think it was coincidence that I had been placed between Sheila and Mary for the carol concert that icy December day. Having not sung in a choir since my youth, I was incredibly grateful to have their vocals to follow when my own rusty sight reading fell short, and for their ever-present humour and warm encouragement.
Keeping to the same places in rehearsals means that we are always in the front row – where, I now know, you simply cannot hide. But in spite of this I haven’t yet been pulled up for repeatedly losing my place, or loudly singing completely the wrong line with gay abandon. I’ll admit I may have been shot the occasional mildly disapproving look by our conductor when caught having a bit of banter – but I’m not the only one. And as it happens, being in a proper grown up choir with likeminded people is actually fun. I really do wishI had tried it sooner.
And of course, fun aside, there’s something incredible about being part of a collective, working together to create something beautiful that exists only in that moment. Your vocal part makes no sense at all on its own – but it is essential. There’s no competing in a choir; no standing out. The aim is to blend together seamlessly and to move as one. Every person is a cog, interlocking with the others, intensely attuned to them but independently driven. One false start (or missed beat or note) has the power to throw the whole mechanism out.
Science has told us for years that singing is good for you – that it lowers stress and promotes wellbeing. But singing in a choir (especially a really good one) does even more than that. It fosters a spirit of community, with a shared goal. It brings you into the moment and intensely sharpens your focus. It takes you away from your woes or your niggling worries. It harks back to the values of past eras when perhaps, as humans, we were closer to our real selves than we are today. And it lifts your heart and soul.
So how did I feel about my first carol concert with this fabulous choir? I do remember noticing the smiles and appreciation of the audience as we breathed new beauty into familiar Christmas refrains. I vaguely recall my feet going numb from the cold. But mostly I remember how my spirit soared, and danced above me, high up in that packed out vaulted church. Now, maybe I’m being fanciful, but I’m pretty sure it wasn’t alone. There were a whole bunch of sopranos, altos, tenors and basses up there too.
So here we are now, in 2023. More choir experiences await. Concerts and competitions up and down the country are on their way. I have twelve songs to learn (for me, from scratch) over the next month – a challenge, but in a good way. And when we, once again, end the year on a high in the Minster, with those beautifully arranged carols, I, for one, intend to be there.
In full ski wear, mind.
Written by Supriya, Alto
Image credits: Wokingham Today
