Hello again, everyone.
Thought I'd write another little something on a happier note this time.
You may have seen the TV Series 'The Choir - Unsung Town' on BBC2 a while back.
The Real Life Series focused on the residents of South Oxhey, a large council estate south of Watford and Gareth Malone's attemps to form a choir from its residents. I've lived in South Oxhey for 30 odd years, and while it's had its problems and even now is far from perfect, to me it's home and it always will be.
I wanted to put into words what the choir means to me, and there's no better medium than my little old bloggykins.
I've played guitar for many years, done the usual gigs on stage in front of 200 or so people, and I have a huge and varied music collection. Music is a passion of mine, it really is. Funny then that until I saw the TV series, I never even gave singing in a choir a thought. I popped along to a rehearsal that SOC holds every Tuesday in what is my old Primary School assembly hall, and I'm so glad I did.
So what does it do for a man?
The opportunity to meet various likeminded folk is always a bonus, you can probably tell that I'm not backward in coming forward! Most of all it fills a person with confidence. You have to let your inhibitions go, and not be frightened of making mistakes in front of lots of people. It teaches discipline, patience, new languages, posture, breathing, teamwork, and restores your pride. It also opens up a world of music and various styles that otherwise you may never have given a second glance.
Inhibition is the enemy of creativity and success. I've been fortunate to have met so many new people who accepted me immediately as part of what feels like an extended family. I now socialise with people who live two minutes away from me who, until September, I didn't even know existed. Rehearsal night is something to look forward to, because I get to see my new friends and catch up, have a good old chinwag and a giggle. I don't care how daft I look sitting in my car at traffic lights practicing our material over and over again. Choir has allowed me the privilege to perform at Watford Colusseum in front of an audience of over 1,000 people. At Easter we are going to sound absolutely amazing in the undeniable majesty of St Albans Abbey. It truly does open up a whole new world.
We are lucky in that Gareth Malone, our illustrious choirmaster, decided to stay with us after the TV series was finished, and he's still here today. He is a true inspiration to us all. His love for music and choral singing shines through in everything he does. Clearly Gareth is an extremely talented, dedicated man who has a personality so infectious that we can't help but do what he asks of us to the very best of our ability. He's also a self-effacing kind of bloke, and I know he'd hate for me to say so, but I feel indebted to him for making everything just seem a bit more worthwhile.
If you get the opportunity, join a choir. I promise you'll love it.
No comments:
Post a Comment