Join the Cecilia singathon

JANET Coxwell and the Cecilia Consort are on a mission to get us all singing again, writes Fiona Bennett.

Three lockdowns have prevented choir rehearsals and concerts from taking place, but thankfully the internet is filled with wonderful recordings of enthusiastic singers still making music through the magic of Zoom.

The choir’s celebratory 30th anniversary recording has had to be postponed, but they are hopeful it will happen soon and they’re planning to enlist the talents of local musician and sound engineer Dominic Rae, a former Cheam pupil, which is why Cecilia Consort chair Lucy Makin is trying to raise funds for the project. “A group of six Cecilians sang carols outside St Nic’s Church just before Christmas and we have already raised £200, which is marvellous” says Lucy. “But to bolster the funds, we’re planning a Sing-A-Thon over Zoom on what would have been the date of our spring concert, March 6.

“We’re hoping members of Newbury Chamber, Newbury Choral and the Spring Festival choirs will join us to create a virtual chain of singing, between 9am and 5pm.”

Any money raised will be matched by the Greenham Trust and this will help the choir realise their dream of recording some of their favourite tunes for posterity, in celebration of three decades of music making. You don’t need to be a classical chorister to join in, but anything other than a solo performance should abide by the government distancing guidelines. “The Cecilians are very excited about this idea and we’re hoping our musical director Janet and maybe even a few of her professional pals, might join us too.”

If you would rather listen and watch, you’ll be more than welcome too.

Local choir members will be contacted to take part, but if you’d like to join in, as a singer or audience member, please contact Lucy on: makin_lucy@ hotmail.com or 07834 363820.

The Cecilia Consort is also looking to recruit a few more tenors and basses, so please make contact if you’re interested: www.ceciliaconsort.org.uk