Last December the Chorus & Orchestra celebrated its tenth anniversary year. Ten years ago we gave our debut concert at West Ham Parish Church (the home of the Chorus) with a performance of Bach's Christmas Oratorio. The Chorus then had twenty three singers! Now, ten years on, our numbers have swelled to forty seven, the audiences have swelled up to four hundred plus, and with it the reputation of one of Newham's musical success stories.
So what's the secret? It's probably hard to define although there are a couple of measurable features. First, of course, there are no auditions, Jon Cullen (the Director) doesn't believe in them. He is convinced that anyone can learn to enjoy singing, no matter how demanding the piece and, given time, encouragement and lots of support from some very experienced singers in the chorus (no one in this choir is ever going to look down and say, you mean you've never sung before!). The choir is a real community organization. All are welcome, everyone achieves success at their own level. The second thing is that what you see is what we are! Some choirs almost double their size on the day of a concert with loads of extra singers brought in. The Chorus is the Chorus. Extra singers are never brought in, the choir on the stage is the choir that rehearse every Tuesday. The third thing is fun. It's true to say that the choir enjoy the music and not endure it. Rehearsals are always fun (nearly) and the chorus has a raging social life. This extends from after rehearsal visits to the pub and includes socials and parties throughout the year. One of the Chorus highlights is the weekend away. This year we are going to Pilgrim's Hall, near Uckfield in Sussex, to rehearse, relax and socialize.