I didn't join the choir at first when I started secondary school. It actually took me over three years since I was so anxious and it was a new environment. However, I instantly felt at ease with the choir and since joining have performed in at least ten concerts alongside them. We just presented a concert at school that was all classical. It was one of the most difficult events we have ever participated in, purely due to the difficulty of the music. This year, the music department showed no mercy! But in the end, it was unquestionably worthwhile.

Our choir is an all female choir, and it is split into three parts: sopranos, mezzos and altos. Also for this concert we had a select ensemble made up of (yours truly) and members of each section who had learnt other pieces of the movement (Fauré’s Requiem) that we would be performing. It was the first time that we have had a select ensemble for a concert, and I felt very honoured to have been selected. 

Some of these pieces we had been rehearsing for a long time, since before the summer break and others we learnt within an hour. for those who joined they had to pick up six weeks worth of work in under 2 weeks. I was watching some of them and they weren’t doing too badly, which left me pleasantly surprised. If it were me at that age having to pick things up that quickly, it would’ve been a disaster!

Singing with backing tracks. We don’t ever do this. I don’t like it. We are going on tour next week so are trying to replicate what it would be like. It is a strange thing not having a pianist there with you however we managed and got our heads around some of the stranger parts of the recordings. One of the recordings cut out a section of the piece and we only found out the rehearsal before the concert, so we had to find a brand new backing track.

We all performed in the concert, and it went really well. One of my fellow choristers, Laura Piekarz said that,” It was a beautiful, spiritual event that filled everyone’s hearts with joy.”

This is undoubtedly my favourite concert that I have ever been a part of. The music was not only great to sing but to listen to and the audience really enjoyed it as well, giving us all many compliments at the end.