2024 - Wow ... what a year! Here's a wee round-up of what I (and my diary ;-) ... recall:
January saw Dawn Chorus, Levow an Bys and Songs with Spirit, Songs for the Soul in fine form, as well as 16 singers braving this year's 'Find and Explore Your Own Voice' course with Pip and Steve Lavington (of Baldrick's Plan) at Carleen Village Hall.
With Kana Kernow (Singing Cornwall) we have been delighted to welcome 4 world-class singing leaders to West Cornwall this year to share and teach their music: Dessislava Stefanova (Director of the London Bulgarian Choir) and Prof Kathy Bullock (of Kentucky, USA) for full day workshops as well as Jane Harris' Rolling Harmony and the Helen Chadwick Group for workshops and concerts. I am enormously grateful and indebted to the 'Angels' from various choirs who help me host these events in our local community and keep them affordable - artists love the welcome and engagement they meet down here and are always keen to return. 'Meur ras' one and all.
January saw Dawn Chorus, Levow an Bys and Songs with Spirit, Songs for the Soul in fine form, as well as 16 singers braving this year's 'Find and Explore Your Own Voice' course with Pip and Steve Lavington (of Baldrick's Plan) at Carleen Village Hall.
With Kana Kernow (Singing Cornwall) we have been delighted to welcome 4 world-class singing leaders to West Cornwall this year to share and teach their music: Dessislava Stefanova (Director of the London Bulgarian Choir) and Prof Kathy Bullock (of Kentucky, USA) for full day workshops as well as Jane Harris' Rolling Harmony and the Helen Chadwick Group for workshops and concerts. I am enormously grateful and indebted to the 'Angels' from various choirs who help me host these events in our local community and keep them affordable - artists love the welcome and engagement they meet down here and are always keen to return. 'Meur ras' one and all.
We enjoyed two delightful local residential singing courses at Trewidden House in the Spring and late Autumn, and I had the honour of joining Jane Harris (of Songways, Bath) to teach a weekend of singing, playing and dancing at Halsway Manor (the National Centre for Folk Arts) in October. In February we chased away the winter blues with a joyful 'Singers' Ceilidh' called by Helen Musser with Penzance Guizers - Band and Dancers.
In March I went on an extraordinary, once in a life-time trip to Capetown, South Africa to learn and sing with Xhosa composer Bongani Magatyana alongside 30+ singing leaders from the USA, UK and Canada. This turned out to be a stunning, inspiring, sometimes challenging and humbling experience singing with and alongside local choirs in townships, community centres, churches and even in Capetown Prison ... including with the Langa choir whom Levow an Bys had met and sung with in St Just in 2019. Music certainly making heartening connections around the world from our little corner of West Cornwall.
In May Levow an Bys travelled up to Okehampton for the 2nd time for a delightful day of singing and socialising with Blackdown Community Choir (co-lead by Pip and BCC conductor Claire Stronach) ... sharing songs, picnics and plenty of giggles. Some members of the inimitable 'Dawn Chorus Impromptu Breakfast Band' joined 'Bagas Hal an Tow' to play at Flora Day and some adventurous singers from Levow an Bys collaborated with artist Anna Farley to contribute to a textile artwork for the TATE (which we saw on display when we sang there in November!).
In June we had a wonderful time at our annual 'For the Joy of Singing' concert at Paul Church - now in at least it's 10th year - sharing what we have enjoyed singing this season while raising money for St Pol de Leon church and St Petroc's work to end homelessness in Cornwall ... as well as having a rather fine sing-song in the King's Arms afterwards. Levow an Bys were honoured to be invited by Kernow Voices to sing in Truro Cathedral in July and we had 3 lively, big and friendly 'Big Friendly Sings' at the end of each term to share songs we've been working on, coffee, chats and just being together.
In June we had a wonderful time at our annual 'For the Joy of Singing' concert at Paul Church - now in at least it's 10th year - sharing what we have enjoyed singing this season while raising money for St Pol de Leon church and St Petroc's work to end homelessness in Cornwall ... as well as having a rather fine sing-song in the King's Arms afterwards. Levow an Bys were honoured to be invited by Kernow Voices to sing in Truro Cathedral in July and we had 3 lively, big and friendly 'Big Friendly Sings' at the end of each term to share songs we've been working on, coffee, chats and just being together.
The summer saw some delightful community collaborations: breakfast band musicians turning out 'en masse' for the Carleen Tea Treat, and being invited to sing in the beautiful CORE building of the St Ives Community Orchard helping volunteers there write their own 'St Ives Wassail': Avalow Ryb an Mor (Apples by the Sea). We had 3 joyful 'all come ye' Summer Sings in Carleen Village Hall, as well as pilots of 'PLAY' (Collaborative Vocal Improvisaion) and S-T-R-E-T-C-H (for those who wish to challenge themselves).
However, the biggest unexpected 'adventure' of the summer was 30+ of us taking part in 'Sing for Water' up in London on the banks of the Thames (with c.500 singers from across the country). This extraordinary venture, brainchild of Helen Chadwick is now in its 20th year and has raised over £2 million for 'Wateraid' - providing fresh water to thousands of communities around the world. The Kana Kernow Posse did you all proud and thank you for your part in fundraising which meant we we're able to contribute over £1,000 to this year's total ... while having a wonderful time singing our hearts out over a gorgeous sunny weekend in the capital!
As we went into the Autumn, there were further workshops at the CORE, S-T-R-E-T-C-H became a regular thing, I started a course which will run into 2025 'Wild Voice, Solid Roots' on 'Collaborative Vocal Improvisation' studying with Briony Greenhill. Wonderful visiting choirs leaders (Hilary Coleman, Claire Stronach and Helen Chadwick) were deilghted to cover Levow an Bys and the Dawn Chorus while I was away. Dawn Chorus raised money with a 'Pinnies for Macmillan' morning (inspired by Sue Edwards) while carol workshops, carol performances, Kana Kernow events and the Big Friendly Sing raised a further £1,000+ for St Petroc's work.
In November, many of us took part and I was invited to write a chant for the march of '16 days of activism' a community movement dedicated to raising awareness to end violence against women and girls, while promoting gender equality ("We're strong, We are here and our voices are clear, We are standing together, Yes we're here, Yes we're here"). November also saw Levow an Bys do a beautiful and moving gig as part of the TATE St Ives Winter Festival singing surrounded by the vibrant textile works of Romani artist Małgorzata Mirga-Tas
Over 80 of us took part in carols workshops and this year we had a grand time 'singing out' in our local community. We were invited to sing carols at the Eden Project, Godolphin House, Godolphin Hotel and (at very short notice) had the honour of singing for the switch on of the Penzance Christmas Lights ... ending up on the front page of the Cornishman!
This year we have welcomed many new singers to our singing community, as well as - inevitably and sadly - having to say a fond farewell to some of our precious singing friends: Sheila Brough, Susan Rowe (Denton), Sue Edwards, Sue Scott and Barbara Bromley. I feel such gratitude for knowing you, treasure many fond memories and such sadness at your passing. I would also like to honour here, all the singers from our choirs who use their time and skills to spread joy and support other singing and music groups in our local community, especially at Pengarth Day Centre and 'Pitch up and Sing' and the many community gigs of the Dancing Flea Orchestra ... you know who you are - Bravo!
Whether you sing occasionally, sporadically or regularly ... I thank you all with heart and soul for enabling me to continue doing what I love by choosing to sing with me, for the gift of accompanying each other through the trials, giggles, joys and absurdities of life, keeping each other buoyant and making our precious singing community a force for good for each other and West Cornwall. I would like to to borrow my take-away from this year - from Rudolph Stanfield's song which Kathy Bullock taught at her stunning workshop ... 'I still have joy!'.
Whether you sing occasionally, sporadically or regularly ... I thank you all with heart and soul for enabling me to continue doing what I love by choosing to sing with me, for the gift of accompanying each other through the trials, giggles, joys and absurdities of life, keeping each other buoyant and making our precious singing community a force for good for each other and West Cornwall. I would like to to borrow my take-away from this year - from Rudolph Stanfield's song which Kathy Bullock taught at her stunning workshop ... 'I still have joy!'.
[An enormous thank you to everyone who's sent any of the photos featured above. It's taken me hours and I feel a bit of a dinosaur trying to find and sort pictures from various sources to reflect the range of adventures we've had ... and then I realise that I'm often missing a key image such as us all singing at an event (probably cos I'm likely out front waving my arms around and struggling with formats;-). The memory and the feeling is far more important in my book but I'm grateful for the reminders of precious moments shared (and sunshine!) ... so thank you to everyone who's helped document what we've been up to in 2024.]
I wish you good health, good company, good singing ... and more joyful adventures than we can currently imagine for the year ahead.
Thank you one an all,
With gratitude,
Pip
Thank you one an all,
With gratitude,
Pip