SKYE singing holiday April 2011

Well, we all got there, mostly on the world famous scenic train journey from Glasgow to Mallaig, to gather in Armadale, on the Sleat peninsula in the south of Skye. We booked the Ardvasar community Hall for the week, both to sing in, also to gather, eat and hang out each evening. We were staying in some well appointed lodges up on the hill on the Clan Donald estate, overlooking the sound of Sleat, across to Knoydart.

We were a group of 25, from ages 15 all the way up to late sixties. Some had lots of singing experience, some had none. Michael was our wonderful cook for the week, cooking us superb 3 course meals each evening. We sang our hearts out every morning, took off for walks or car journeys in the afternoon to explore the spectacular scenery, returning early evening to eat, sing, and entertain ourselves.

On our last evening, we had a excellent evening sharing our songs, and cabaret acts, enjoying the talents within the group: a hilarious skit by Ani and Amie, our teenage singers, some numbers by our newly formed band, Betsy's USA dances, and Lizzie, performer and wordsmith, wrote the poem below. And we were blessed with 2 impromptu guests from France and Algeria- a student couple were walking and camping on Skye, heard the music, and were invited in to spend the evening with us, eating haggis and neeps, and joining in the singing. They spent the evening grinning from ear to ear.

Candy bedecked in hues of heather,

Conducted our choir whatever the weather

With songs from distant lands and times

Some in gaelic and some with rhymes.

Enthusing our group with her skills and grace

Harmonies flooded each voice and face

Robin with his ‘rovin’’ watchful eye

Took care of us all the island of Skye.

Michael a wizard of bread and dinner

Made us a feast, each night a winner.

For everything that you’ve done for us

Accept our gift of a rousing chorus

Members of Sounding It Out went to a Choirs Meet in Sedburgh on 11-13 June. We met up with choirs from Slovenia, Lancaster and Northumberland. We had a wonderful 2 days, singing together, eating, laughing, walking and getting to know each other. The Slovenian choir did not speak any English, and we certainly did not speak Slovenian. We nevertheless got on fine, it almost did not matter. As Shelagh said - we can't exchange a word together, but we still feel a bond because we've sung together.
The Slovenian choir is made up of 7 members of the same family- 3 sisters, 2 husbands, 1 daughter and 1 neice. They sing their traditional Slovenian folksongs. When they came to teach us a song, they found that they could not teach 1 part without the others singing at the same time. I interpreted this that singing for them came from such a natural place, that they had never analysed what they were doing, hence could not separate one part from another. So different from our culture, where those of us teaching choirs have to build up our knowledge of songs from others, books and CDs. Very few families in UK have their own repertoire of passed down songs.

St Rita Choir visit Sounding It Out

Members of Sounding It Out hosted a return visit of the St Rita Choir from Berlin last weekend. We first of all went on a walk around the resonant places of Bradford on Avon- St Mary Tory, the Saxon Church and the Tithe Barn, singing as we went. Then all 38 of us ended up in the Dandylion pub to have a delicious lunch, thanks to Shirley and Steve.
We attracted around 150 people at our joint concert on Sunday evening in Freshford village Hall. I think the highlight for me was the informal singing after the event, and of course dancing to the sounds of the Rough Street Jug Band!

Sounding It Out hosts St Rita choir from east Berlin

Sounding It Out went to Berlin last July, hosted by the St Rita Choir. We had a terrific time, and now it's the St Rita return visit. If you want to hear both choirs, come to an informal concert on Sunday 23 May at Freshford Village Hall, near Bath at 5.30pm. We will sing separately and together, then have a pot luck supper (bring food to share), gloriously entertained by the Rough Street Jug Band. Then probably followed by some spontaneous singing and fun.