Wednesday 1 May 2013

At the Royal Exchange 26 April 2013

The Royal Exchange must be one of the city’s most atmospheric buildings. If you look up you can still see the evidence of the last days’ trading. The glass dome in the middle makes the most of Manchester’s poor light and sunlight streamed in this evening to illuminate the very decorative Great Hall.
What a fantastic space for a theatre and perhaps more importantly for a choir or two to sing.
It was a nice end to the working week. We’re an amateur choir and most of us have day jobs. We kick-started our weekend by listening to another choir and then taking our turn to sing to an audience also eager for playtime. We rehearse in a low-ceilinged building. Having all that air above us was a real treat.
First number: Dance in the Street. It’s a song that worries some of us sometimes. Which may be why Jeff took us by surprise a little with it. Yet it’s always fine and bound to bring a smile to our eyes and the audience’s faces. A good one to start with. It really set the tone.  
Songs we performed included:  
Deep River
Longer
Memories
Wonderful World
They really suited the building and the time of day.  
I personally could hear every single voice. Yet some of the altos said they couldn’t hear the other parts. It was probably to do with where I was standing. I’m a tenor. Ah, the mystery of acoustics.
Some people who had never heard us before made a point of saying how much they’d enjoyed the performance. That’s great to know. We all enjoy singing, both rehearsing and performing. If people enjoy listening we have permission to carry on.  
All in all, a very satisfying evening. Thank you for having us, Royal Exchange.       

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