2013 has been a busy year for me. My ladies choir, The Pewsey Belles, has gone from strength to strength and performed more concerts this year than ever before. Next year, they have an even great challenge of performing a number of concerts by themselves starting on 25 January 2014 in Collingbourne Dulcis Church and then later in the year we will be going on tour to Cornwall. I have also been involved with various other choirs throughout the year including the Malmesbury Music Academy Choir, and more recently as accompanist for the Invitation Theatre Company and the Choir of Christ Church in Bath.
Next year I will be expanding my choir work by forming 2 brand new choirs within the Wiltshire NHS and I’m currently exploring the idea of helping out with a Military Wives choir in Innsworth. The first of my new choirs is a Staff Choir at the Great Western Hospital in Swindon. This was formed out of a conversation with one of the ladies in the Pewsey Belles who works at the GWH and the idea has so far been met with a positive response. Of course the biggest challenge working with Hospital staff will be shift patterns and co-ordinating the diaries of the medical staff. Only time will tell whether this proves to be a workable idea, but I do hope so as I have great plans for this choir particularly in terms of fundraising events.
The other NHS choir is going to be at the CCG in Devizes. I was put forward to run this choir by my good friend Jemma Brown who runs and directs TITCo. The plan for this choir is to run it at lunchtimes. I think it will be slightly easier in terms of not having to work around shift patterns but whether people are prepared to give up their lunch hour to sing in a choir remains to be seen! However, I believe that if you don’t try then nothing will ever happen.
My next choir concert is with the Pewsey Belles at the church of St Andrew’s in Collingbourne Ducis on Saturday 25 January 2014 at 7.30pm.