As a choir we enjoy singing together but we also enjoy being sociable together, and what better way to do that than to go away for a singing weekend! This is what we did in Sheffield in September. But why Sheffield and how did it all arise?
Well our talented Musical Director, like many musicians, has a portfolio of workplaces, and in addition to being MD of Reading A440 choir, Lucy was MD for the Abbeydale Singers based in Sheffield. Although the pattern of her rehearsal schedules was disrupted by Covid, her regular working week included a rehearsal for Abbeydale Singers each Thursday. Both choirs have won awards at previous Cheltenham Festivals, so being of a similar standard Lucy suggested we arrange a joint concert.
There are several keen hill walkers in A440 choir so the suggestion that we might go to the Peak District for a weekend was greeted with enthusiasm! There was some discussion about potential dates but even with over 6 months notice it was clear that some choir members would not be able to go whichever date was chosen. So a joint concert was planned in Ecclesall church late one Saturday afternoon with rehearsal shortly beforehand.
There was then a need to organise how A440 Choir would get there, where we might stay and what else we might do over the weekend!
A quick survey of the choir proved that arranging for us to travel together in a coach was not going to work. Some were free to travel north during the day on Friday, but others were not able to come until the evening or following morning, and several would like to fit in other visits to family or friends one or other side of the weekend. That decided It seemed best to encourage lift shares for those who were travelling at the same times, and it all worked out in that we all got there and all got back. (I am grateful to two choir members who each gave me a lift one way each!)
Arranging where to stay involved a bit of a scout round for local accommodation. which we then plotted out on a location map with a view to each travelling group making their own bookings. Most of the choices were good or OK, but one was in a converted student accommodation block which was subject to some noise! (Sorry!)
Eating together is important, so for those travelling up during the day on Friday we tried to book one large table. This proved impossible to do online so we booked as two separate sequentially timed groups and only linked the bookings with revised numbers and desire to be seated close together during the Friday afternoon! Miller and Carter looked after us well and a good time was had by all!
For Saturday morning a rendezvous for a walk in the Peak District was arranged at the Fox House in Hathersage. We were spared being rained upon (the very wet weather previously forecast for the weekend had hit us on the way up on the Friday!) The walk ended back in the pub car park where coffee was available.
We had time to change into concert clothes before going to All Saints Ecclesall church. Abbeydale singers were finishing rehearsal of their items as we arrived. We had some introductions before rehearsing our joint items.
The concert at 5pm was attended by an audience of about 80 and this included several under 16s. Both choirs sung well with a varied programme and mixture of voices, and we really raised the roof with Parry’s “I was glad.”
After the concert Abbeydale singers had arranged a pea and pie supper and a barn dance in Hallam Community Hall. As if by magic everyone made the transfer round the hills of Sheffield, there having been suitable places to change from concert dress to dancing clothes in the church! Many of us southerners had not experienced a true Yorkshire Pea and Pie supper with Hendersons sauce before, and it was a super supper! (The second helping of pie impaired the dancing agility of some!)
During an interval in the dancing there was some impromptu community singing with pieces both choirs knew. There was an opportunity to thank Abbeydale for their welcome and hospitality. It was to be the last concert when Lucy was Abbeydale’s MD as her maternity leave was due to start shortly, so some of the gifts to her from both choirs were baby shower related! Once the dancing concluded we dispersed to our various accommodations.
Well what are we to do on Sunday?
We had a dream sometime in April. “It would be nice to do some singing, but not stressful and not too formal. It would be nice to find somewhere we could sing preferably with a nice acoustic and then after singing, have a meal together and then perhaps go for a walk.”
Several different contacts were explored and very happily things fell completely into place to fulfil the dream despite several suggestions that would not work. (We thought we might try to sing in Sheffield Cathedral but the only time they could suggest was when we were needed in Ecclesall!
One of our choir members has a relation by marriage of a lady who leads the Stannington Community Choir. They rehearse in a Unitarian Chapel which happened to not being used that Sunday! The chapel had a truly interesting position as it is perched on the side of the valley below the road and out of sight of most of the rest of the old village. This reflects its disestablished status as it had to be built “out of sight” of the parish church! Inside there were pews and panels and pulpit and small organ and a pleasant acoustic to sing in.
So we were invited to join them on the Sunday morning and after a cup of coffee they sang some of their music to us and we replied with some of our repertoire. We then learned about the traditions of singing carols slightly differently in each village. Each have their own carol books (although historically it was an oral tradition) and who sings what in each village is covered by closely guarded customs where solos are passed down within families. The choir had arranged a buffet lunch to follow and this was to be held in the associated hall across the road. There followed a slight hiccup in that this hall had unknowingly been booked during the morning for a celebration service for an elderly church member. Fortunately they were drawing to a close by the time we had done our carolling, and as we arrived at the cutting of a birthday cake, we were able to raise a rousing chorus of Happy Birthday to a nono-genarian!
After lunch there was a short walk towards Dungworth where we stopped off at a local attraction – Our Cow Molly Dairy at Hilltop – which is a local milk producer, but also runs an Ice Cream parlour! We did our bit to support the local economy before walking back to the Unitarian Chapel and from thence went our various ways.
So on the Sunday we did pretty well, and our dreams came true!
I think it is fair to say that everyone enjoyed the chance to spend time together with other choir members.
Written by Clive C, Bass
