Author: Teignmouth Sings

Teignmouth Sings were in full voice at our Summer Charity Concert, singing to an appreciative audience. We began the evening with one of our new pieces ‘We’re the Choir’, which introduces each section to the audience in a humorous way.

We performed other new songs learnt this year, including Motown hit ‘I Heard it Through the Grapevine’ and Billy Joel’s ‘And so it Goes’. Another new song, adopted by Hibernian football fans as their anthem, was The Proclaimers’ ‘Sunshine on Leith’. Given the applause, these were all enjoyed by the audience!

Our evening’s programme included some of ours – and the audience’s – favourites. The Andrew Lloyd Webber medley always proves to be a popular choice, as does ‘The Rhythm of Life’. Within the programme, each of the sections sang a piece of their choosing. The altos reprised ‘The Rose’, singing acapella this time. The soprano section sang a three part harmony version of ‘Thank You for the Music’, while the Tenors and Basses sang ‘Fly Me to the Moon’.

On this occasion, two local charities benefitted from our performance: Assist Teignbridge and Teign Heartbeat. Representatives from the charities attended the concert, and explained about the work they do in the local area. We were pleased to have raised a wonderful £1400 in total, each charity receiving £700.

A wonderful evening was had by all and we extend thanks to anyone who helped to make it such a great success.

Having sung at the Pavilions a few times in recent years, Teignmouth Sings was pleased to participate in the Gala Concerts, held on the last weekend of March.

We opened with ‘One’, from the musical ‘A Chorus Line’, which was well received by the audience, This song tests the choir’s diction, since it contains some fast, tricky lines! The set continued with Disney’s ‘Beauty and the Beast’ and an Irving Berlin medley. We then sang an arrangement of ‘Whistle Down the Wind’, which we first sang at our own 10th Anniversary Concert, in July 2019. An acapella piece, the classic ‘I Say a Little Prayer’ followed. The final item for our set, and for the concert itself, was one of ours and the audience’s favourites: a medley of Andrew Lloyd Webber pieces, culminating in a rousing extract from ‘Phantom of the Opera’.

The whole weekend was a great celebration for the Pavilions. We are looking forward to returning to this wonderful venue for our Charity Summer Concert on Saturday 18th July.

What a cracking Christmas concert at St Michael’s! The church was full, with about 250 in the audience, who were treated to a wonderful afternoon of festive music.

The choir opened the concert with a new piece, ‘Fruitcake’; a humorous song showcasing each section in turn. Another new piece, ‘Riu, Riu, Chiu’ was sung to close the concert, which includes an extract of the recognisable ‘God Rest You, Merry Gentlemen’. This song certainly tested our Spanish pronunciation!

Each section performed a song, and all were enjoyed by the audience. The Sopranos reprised another version of ‘God Rest You, Merry Gentlemen’ in the upbeat ‘Tidings of Comfort and Joy’.  The Altos sang a two part harmony of ‘Calypso Carol’; a well known traditional carol, which had the audience clapping along. The lighthearted choice of the Tenors and Basses ‘Must be Santa’ was enjoyed by all.

We welcomed Jeannette Osmond, from ‘Volunteering in Health’, a local charity benefitting from the concert. She spoke to the audience about the work of the charity within the local commiunity. Jeannette had also, very kindly, brought along a teddy bear as a draw prize. The concert raised a fantastic £1700, including the exit collection raising an amazing £390!

Comments from the audience after the performance were very complimentary,  and emails received reflected the following: “…we thoroughly enjoyed the concert. It was quite simply the best ever. Each concert has seen the choir perform better than before. Well done to one and all!”

Click on the link below to watch a short recording of the choir singing ‘Mary, Did You Know?’ (uploaded to facebook by Viv Wilson) https://www.facebook.com/reel/1102238145192490

Our recent Summer Charity Concert at the Pavilions proved to be a wonderful occasion. This was one of our main events of the year, raising funds on this occasion for Rowcroft Hospice. A fantastic £1441 was raised, which will be put to good use straight away.

Many comments praising Teignmouth Sings were received, including the following from Rowcroft Hospice representative, Alison:

‘What a fabulous evening it was at the Pavilions last night.  The concert was brilliant and it was evident so much work had been put into learning the music and the brilliant harmonies.

Thank you so much for choosing to support Rowcroft – it is because of the support we get from people like you that we can continue to provide the very best compassionate care to patients across Teignbridge, Torbay and the South Hams.’

Alison also composed this poem as a thank you to the choir, which says so much. She cleverly mentions a number of our songs within it:

 Thank You, Teignmouth Sings!

With voices bright as fields of gold,
You warmed our hearts, both young and old.
From “Summertime” to shining stars,
You lit the stage — The Pavilions was ours!

You sang of love we all could feel,
With harmonies that had such zeal.
“He Ain’t Heavy” made us sigh,
And “Buttercup” just made us high (on joy!).

You fed the birds and filled the air
With melodies beyond compare.
And Rowcroft’s hearts were touched that night—
You turned your tunes into pure light.

So here’s our thanks, with cheer and song,
For lifting spirits all night long.
You sang, you gave, you did your part—
With every note, you warmed a heart.

Many thanks to everyone involved in the concert, including all those singing, our talented accompanist, Roger, and our brilliant MD, Lydia.

On the evening of Saturday 31st May, we welcomed members of Penzance Orpheus Ladies Choir to St Michael’s. A year on from initial enquiries, members of Teignmouth Sings were about to participate in their first joint concert with another choir.

The ladies from Penzance opened the show, with the Irish folk song ‘Carrickfergus’, and continued with ‘Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree’ and Slovakian lullaby ‘Dobru Noc’ and more. Teignmouth Sings then sang it’s first set of four songs, beginning with ‘All that Jazz’ from the musical Chicago, and ending with ‘Hakuna Matata’ from The Lion King. The two choirs then closed the first half with a beautiful rendition of ‘Hallelujah’.

The second half followed the same format; the Penzance choir opening with the unofficial anthem of Cornwall: ‘Hail to the Homeland’. They closed their set with ‘This Little Light of Mine’. Teignmouth Sings began with Elton John’s ‘I’m Still Standing’, and ending with ‘The Rhythm of Life’ from Sweet Charity. Both choirs then closed the concert, singing an acapella version of ‘Something Inside So Strong’ by Labi Siffre.

The performance raised a fantastic £872 for Cancer Research UK, and thanks must be given to everyone involved in any way. Feedback from our audience recognises the effort of both choirs in their achievements. Comments include:

‘What a great evening! I felt very honoured to sit in the audience for a change and hear what our choir actually sounds like, and what a great sound it was. The harmonies worked so well which we don’t get to hear in choir practice. As you said the Penzance choir made a lovely contrast and hopefully they all enjoyed the evening.

I was aware of the happiness our choir creates with lots of energy and smiling faces and I think Lydia and Roger have a lot to do with that!’

‘The diction [of Teignmouth Sings] was a particular bonus and their enthusiasm was a joy to hear.  So, well done to everyone…

The visiting choir added something to the evening giving a different take on choir performances and enjoyed it judging by the comments of their supporters.

So, thank you to everyone for giving me a very pleasurable evening something very much appreciated by me.’

‘Huge congratulations for the superb musical direction… I just loved Lydia’s ebb & flow, her waves of sound, the way pace and strength and subtlety were blended so well. So smooth and yet so sharp/precise – a masterclass in choir performance. Loved her controlled yet relaxed relationship with both choir and audience… the energy and joy which the whole choir brought to the evening was so infectious.

Mention should be made of the incredible consistency and sheer professionalism of Roger’s accompaniment. Magnificent support.’

Wow! What a fabulous start to the festive season! For the first time at a Christmas performance, we had a sell out well in advance of the day. Luckily, we were able to accommodate a few more people on the door. There were around 200 in our audience.

The afternoon concert included a range of Christmas music, including two new pieces: ‘Fairytale of New York’ and the beautiful and emotive ‘Mary, Did You Know?’. We opened with an alternative version of ‘Jingle Bells’; a tricky piece to learn, but which set the festive atmosphere for the performance.

Each section performed a song of their choosing, and all were enjoyed by the audience. The Sopranos was a song made famous by Judy Garland in 1949: ‘Merry Christmas’ composed by Fred Spielman. The Altos sang ‘Rocking Around the Christmas Tree’ while the Tenors and Basses version of ‘Stop the Cavalry’ added jollity to the afternoon with some unexpected kazoo accompaniment!

We welcomed representatives from the two local charities benefitting from the concert. Paul Harrion, from The Cave Project*, and Mike Melville-Shreeve (one of our tenors), from the Teignmouth Mutual Aid Community Larder*, informed us of the work they do. We raised just over £1200 from the performance, which is an amazing total! Both charities have received an equal share (over £600 each) of the funds raised.

Comments from the audience after the performance were very complimentary, and emails received included: “It really was a belter of an event. The singing was exquisite and the whole show was incredibly well presented. A triumph!” and “You all gave a wonderful performance… The singing was beautiful…  it is always such a joy to see Lydia’s infectious enthusiasm – and listen to Roger’s fingers flying across those keys – both such amazing and accomplished musicians… Thank you, thank you, thank you – all of you…”

*Each have their own Facebook page, if you wish to find out more. ‘The Cave’ meets at the Old Quay Warehouse, Teignmouth, and ‘Teignmouth Mutual Aid Community Larder’ work out of Bitton House on Wednesdays.

“Wow!” “What an amazing concert!” “You get better year on year!”… These were among the comments made by the audience watching our Charity Summer Concert at the Pavilions, in aid of the RNLI.

Teignmouth Sings rehearsed long and hard for the evening’s performance. The whole concert was of such a great standard. The mix of pieces ensured that all tastes were covered, beginning with the ever popular ‘Oliver’ medley, and closing with the encore, ‘Something’s Coming/Tonight’ from West Side Story. These sandwiched a fabulous choice of music, from ‘Hakuna Matata’ to ‘World in Union’ and ‘Hello Dolly’.

Sections songs showed how accomplished the singers are in the choir. Tenors and Basses presented ‘The Bare Necessities’, Altos sang ‘Both Sides Now’ beautifully, and the Sopranos ‘Dream a Little Dream’ was excellent.

The performance, a sell-out, was enjoyed by all. Wendy, one of the RNLI representatives who attended, spoke to the audience about the charity, before the second act commenced. The RNLI also organised a raffle on the evening, and a bucket collection. These, along with the proceeds from the concert, and a generous anonymous donation, raised a brilliant £1232 for the charity.

Thanks go to everyone involved, particularly to Lydia, our MD, and our accompanist, Roger, who both work extremely hard and make a great team. Well done all!

Our penultimate number of the evening: ‘Hello Dolly’

What a wonderful way to celebrate the festive season! With all tickets sold for our Charity Christmas Concert, and more still paying on the door, we sang to a full church.

The afternoon concert included a variety of Christmas music, from traditional carols to modern pieces. There were a few opportunities for the audience to join in too!

New pieces learnt for this concert were two beautiful songs: ‘Still, Still, Still’ and ‘Suo Gan’. These were particularly enjoyed by the audience.

Each section performed their own piece; all very different and well sung. The Altos song was ‘The Colours of Christmas’ by John Rutter, the Tenors and Basses reprised their ‘African Noel’ and the Sopranos sang the lighthearted ‘Holiday Tango’.

The concert ended with ‘O Holy Night’ as an encore; one of the choir’s favourite pieces.

We welcomed Councillor David Cox, representing HITS, who told us all more about the charity which was benefitting from the concert.  St Michael’s Church also shared the more than £1100 raised, so each received over £550.

Thank you to everyone who took part and to Lydia and Roger for their continued support.

Following our successful concert last year at the Pavilions, our return visit for Summer Charity Concert, in aid of CHSW, was another wonderful evening. 

With all tickets sold, we were thrilled to hear the many compliments from our audience: “This has been your best show yet”, “…singing with such enthusiasm”, “You obviously all enjoy singing”, “Absolutely brilliant!”

Our set list included a combination of newer songs alongside old favourites. Our opening number, ‘Chattanooga Choo Choo’ set us off to a great start. Newly learnt songs such as ‘Dancing in the Street’ and the ‘Mary Poppins’  medley resulted in rapturous applause.

The performance provided the opportunity for each of the different sections to sing a song of their choice. The Altos sang ‘A Thousand Years’,  the Sopranos, a medley of two songs: ‘My Fair Ladies’, while the Tenors and Basses sang ‘Under the Boardwalk’.

This performance was much appreciated by the audience. A fantastic £1015.19 was raised from ticket sales, raffle and a door collection for CHSW. We were pleased that Daniela Hopkins from CHSW attended the concert, and explained more about the charity to the audience.

Thanks go to everyone involved in putting on our concert, especially MD Lydia and accompanist Roger.

Click to listen to some highlights from the concert:

Fiddler on the Roof Medley:

Sway:

Mr Sandman:

Andrew Lloyd Webber Medley:

What a fantastic first performance of 2023 for Teignmouth Sings! From the entry into the marquee, to the end of the performance, the reception from the audience was very positive.

One of those watching was very impressed and took time to include these comments in an email:

“The choir was enthusiastic and organised from the moment they walked in and I was delighted when some of the audience applauded their arrival.

Next, the first number sang, (Chattanooga Choo Choo) was a brilliant choice for an opening song. It set the pace and tone for all that followed. It was sung well and it’s upbeat and loud – so it reached those in the back row of the audience. The rest of the choice of music was bright and cheerful and was sung so very well. Finishing on The Phantom was absolutely the best choice as it brought the house down and several audience members to their feet.”

Many other compliments from the audience were paid to individual choir members, MD Lydia and accompanist, Roger. The enthusiasm of the choir was evident in their singing and smiles! A great preview for the choir’s Summer Concert on 8th July.

Thank you to everyone involved in the performance. Well done to all!