Friday, April 24, 2009

Friday, April 24, 2009

Photo call Thursday May 7th
2pm - 4pm, United Reformed Church, Bath

Have a “good afternoon” with the Good Afternoon Choir

MORE and more people are joining choirs and taking up singing as a hobby. There are rock choirs, work choirs and community choirs, but sadly, many older people whose choir has been the centre of their social life for years have to face the fact that as their voices age, the choir they love just may not want them anymore.

A new singing project in Bath could change all that.

Bath Choir leader Grenville Jones knows first hand about the huge new interest in singing. The BBC's Last Choir Standing had a major affect on the resurgence of interest in singing and his own Bath Male Choir achieved top five status on the 2008 programme; a remarkable achievement for a group of men who only formed in 2007.

Many of the members had no previous choir experience yet Bath Male Choir, now with over 90 members, is in huge demand for concerts across the UK.
 
Grenville is also the founder of a charity called Golden-Oldies, which has attracted worldwide attention. ”Goldies”, as it has become affectionally known, provides fun rock and roll singing sessions in community homes for isolated and lonely people and is having a profound effect on people’s lives. In 16 months it has progressed from 5 weekly singing sessions in Bath to over 50 across the west of England.
 
Grenville’s next project will start in Bath next Thursday (May 7th). The Good Afternoon Choir will be just that, an open Choir with no auditions for retired and unemployed people. Everyone will be welcome with the accent on harmony singing and, in Grenville’s words:
 
“Everything from Alleluia to Abba!”
 
He explains:
 
“I have conducted many choirs and have been faced with the unpleasant task of re-auditioning older choir members, an experience shared by fellow conductors across the UK. Many elderly choir members have belonged to their choir for most of their life. It has become the bedrock of their social world, their friendships and in many cases the way they enjoy holidays through singing tours abroad. Then they are told that their voice is not good enough any more, a devastating thing to hear.
 
“In Latvia there are a series of retirement choirs which singers move on to when they reach 70. Then there is no unpleasantness or bad feeling involved. The Good Afternoon Choir in Bath is a pilot and I hope the concept will take off across the whole of the United Kingdom.
 
“People will be able to travel to their choir rehearsal during the daytime, making use of free bus passes. They will not have to be concerned about dark nights and evening parking charges, and they will be home in time to enjoy the 6 o’clock news. But this will not be an inferior group musically, it will be group of singers who work to achieve a high standard and entertain its audiences.
 
“Another unique aspect of the Good Afternoon Choirs will be singing in five-part harmony. As well as the traditional soprano, alto, tenor and bass lines, we will introduce the opportunity to simply sing the melody line. This means that anyone who has no previous singing experience can sing the tune to their heart’s content. There will also be social trips and opportunities to meet up with other Good Afternoon Choirs.”
 
Uniquely, The Good Afternoon Choir project in Bath will link in with the Bath Spa University, which has a strong reputation for music excellence. Young music degree students will be given the opportunity to act as trainee conductors of the Good Afternoon Choirs.

An X-Factor-type audition will take place in May to pick the two students who will work with the choir for the next 12 months. This will conclude with a concert in Bath with each student conducting one half of the performance.

The first meeting of the choir is at the United Reformed Church, Argyle Street Bath from 2 – 4pm on Thursday May 7th. Everyone is welcome.

Have a good afternoon and sing with the Good Afternoon Choir.

For more information please contact Grenville or Nikki on 01761 472468 or visit www.goodafternoonchoir.org