The Choir


Our choir master is called Jaimie.
He has a 28 inch waist, looks about 14 and has all the energy of a small nuclear power station.
He was also delightfully friendly.
I was sat with the three other bass singers in the male section as various ladies in the sopranos gave me thumbs up and encouraging smiles.
There were around thirty of us. The youngest a nurse in her twenties who lives in one of the tiny cottages in  Trelawnyd , stood next to me. She remembered that I had been kind to her the day she moved to the village. " Hello John the dogs " she whispered as the song sheets were handed out
She seems one of those incredibly warm characters with a big heart.

I quickly had to learn the bass lines to Labi Siffre's Something Inside So Strong which the ever bouncy Jamie demonstrated to each of the vocal groups .
It was all rather challenging but a wonderfully enjoyable experience.

We went on with a terribly hard Czech folk tune Okolo Hradisca with several of the choir waving at me to say they were sorry for the "baptism  of fire" ( they had all sang it before) but it certainly didn't put me off as the harmonies suddenly came together in front of a somewhat manic Jamie.

As I packed up to leave, he came over briefly to ask if I was coming back
" You have a good singing voice!" He told me,
And I suddenly felt a tiny bit tearful
But I had already made my decision within two minutes of entering the choir room
" See you next Tuesday!" I told him with a big smile

73 comments:

  1. well now, isn't that nice! go back!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Excellent. Fire is cleansing too.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Next stop, the X Factor when the moisturiser will have been well worth the effort !
    Sounds like a wonderful experience .... I loved singing in a choir ..... hairs on the back if your neck and all that ! XXXX

    ReplyDelete
  4. You can feel tearful when somebody's nice to you. Glad it was such an uplifting experience for you.x

    ReplyDelete
  5. Singing!? Uplifting..energising..therapeutic..
    You can practice in the kitchen with your dogs as an audience! You can practice in the field for Irene and the horses...in fact you can sing almost anywhere you like! X

    ReplyDelete
  6. So pleased for you something uplifting to look forward to on a weekly basis John.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have work, Samaritans now the choir, more things to add to the list me think

      Delete
    2. The Walking Dead returns in oct too!

      Delete
  7. Good for you John!!! You will be a whole person again.. I promise.....Hugs! deb

    ReplyDelete
  8. Nothing lifts the spirits like singing! I first heard the song "Something Inside So Strong" many years ago on an album by the gay a cappella group, The Flirtations. Love it!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Well well . .
    Such a happy note to hear . . .
    you’ll be going back again next Tuesday . . .

    ReplyDelete
  10. Are you going to stay there then John? Hope it is possible.xxx

    ReplyDelete
  11. Sarah Jones9:43 pm

    Brilliant xx

    ReplyDelete
  12. Singing is so good for the soul! I always feel happier after a good sing (not sure anyone in earshot feels the same, mind...)

    ReplyDelete
  13. Wonderful that your first meeting with them was that stirring and encouraging!Can't say how glad I am that you went and will return.-Mary

    ReplyDelete
  14. Good for you. I would love to do the same but with my voice I am always put in the back row and told to lip-sync.
    Peter

    ReplyDelete
  15. Ooh, you're a bass - you'll be much in demand. I have sung in a choir for many years, it's been my salvation in times of trouble and a source of great joy. While you're singing, you can't think about anything else, and the good feelings last for a long time after. It's been proven that singing is good for your health. Glad you have joined.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I loved the way we didn't need music, just the choir master showing us what to sing

      Delete
  16. Years ago I belonged to a choir called 'The Brighton Girls Choir'. I still sing those songs today (in private, lol) I've never forgotten all of the words. More videos please. lovely
    Briony
    x

    ReplyDelete
  17. See you next tuesday ....John I was waiting for a punchline !! I think you will fit right in..xx

    ReplyDelete
  18. Glad you enjoyed the evening. Singing is so good for the soul and the choir sound like a nice bunch.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Great news! Onward and upward. I can see a corner in sight.

    ReplyDelete
  20. The choir crew sound fantastic! I can't wait for your performances! Everyone seems pretty cool! I'm glad you had a good time and are going back for more. You sound happy, and that's a good thing. Cheers!

    Does your choir take requests? How about a classic song that defines and exemplifies who the proud British people are:

    Wannabe

    You can be Sexy Spice. Sorry, you wear flip flops, so you can't be Posh. But your running with the horses (and sassy sheep) and your tumbling act on the fences means you can also be Sporty Spice.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Anonymous10:58 pm

    You're deserving of compliments, people being nice to you, etc. No need for tears. Carol in Philadelphia

    ReplyDelete
  22. Singing is a happy experience and will bring you joy.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Omg. You Are not going back!!!!! See you next training day,,,

    ReplyDelete
  24. There is something so wonderful about being part of a musical group, especially when it all comes together. A bass, then. I'm so pleased for you. Have you been in a choir before? -Jenn

    ReplyDelete
  25. Yay! Couldn't ask for a better post :)

    ReplyDelete
  26. So glad you are going back :)

    ReplyDelete
  27. A big YeeHaw from Tucson !

    cheers, parsnip and badger

    ReplyDelete
  28. Lovely news. So pleased you enjoyed it. And the choir will also be delighted as basses are rare, let alone good ones like you.Michelle in Wellington NZ xx

    ReplyDelete
  29. I'm so pleased for you, John the dogs! New friends and local ones are great.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Anonymous3:15 am

    You really said See u next Tuesday! . Laughing. Wonder you were not banned!. Laughing x
    Kirriex

    ReplyDelete
  31. Barbara Anne3:31 am

    Perfect for you and you're perfect for the choir.

    How sweet it is!

    ReplyDelete
  32. Well done John. Choral singing has a wonderful feel good effect. It lifts the spirit.

    ReplyDelete
  33. does the mens choir have dvds they sell?

    ReplyDelete
  34. John the Dogs, how lovely.

    ReplyDelete
  35. Must have been fate that presented you with that particular Labbi Siffre song at this time. Could hardly have been more appropriate.

    ReplyDelete
  36. Good for you, you will love it and have already begun to make new friends. I can imagine you singing while dog walking x

    ReplyDelete
  37. That's another tick then - every tick negates a cross John. Well done.

    ReplyDelete
  38. Wonderful. Nothing like singing with people, it's the epitome of what is good about humanity. <3

    ReplyDelete
  39. 'John the dogs'. How fantastic and so terribly Welsh. I love it.

    ReplyDelete
  40. Wonderful news! Something to look forward to and a chance to make new friends too! x

    ReplyDelete
  41. So excited for you (and wish I had the voice)! You do realize that if you attend choir every week, you too will have a 28-inch waist. It's a well-known fact. I wouldn't lie.

    ReplyDelete
  42. It sounds like you've found 'your people' or maybe yet another group of your people. ♥️

    ReplyDelete
  43. New friends and new adventures sounds like it is going to bring some joy to your week.

    ReplyDelete
  44. Delighted you clicked with the choir, they are lucky to have you !

    ReplyDelete
  45. Onward and upward my lovely. Recovery is made of small steps. Well done xx

    ReplyDelete
  46. Sing out dear John - great for them and really nice for you.
    Share more videos later please. I love a good choir, and the Welsh do it so well.

    ReplyDelete
  47. Good for you and as others have said it's good for the spirit.

    ReplyDelete
  48. Just what the doctor ordered. Music soothes the soul and lifts the spirits. That may be the most platitudes I have ever used in a row.

    ReplyDelete
  49. This post made me happy! I love your spirit John Gray

    ReplyDelete
  50. This post had a spark of happy in it. Good on you, John the Dogs. It was brave of you to go. Congratulations for taking a step.

    ReplyDelete
  51. Happy for you John, hope you continue with it.

    ReplyDelete
  52. That is wonderful. After 30 years of not thinking I could sing I went on a course and discovered I could. Never looked back. It can transform your mood like no business.

    ReplyDelete
  53. Your wonderful post made me miss choir which restarts after the summer break in September. We too have sung Okolo. Singing really lifts the spirits, I knew you would love it.

    ReplyDelete
  54. It sounds like this will become a very enjoyable weekly outing for you. How nice to have a compliment on your singing on your first day, too!

    ReplyDelete
  55. Thank for your very good article! i always enjoy & read the post you are sharing!

    ดูหนังออนไลน์

    ReplyDelete
  56. I think I may live my fantasy of singing in a choir vicariously through you, John. If you don't mind 'a tag-along', that is.

    ReplyDelete

I love all comments Except abusive ones from arseholes