Accord Singers
latest newsWelcome!
We are a small (16 member), mixed chamber choir based in West Yorkshire. We sing short, unaccompanied works ranging from medieval to modern and encompassing sacred and secular, folk, traditional and part-songs and 20th century popular music.
Christmas 2009 and on into 2010
Check out the 'Upcoming events' page for details of our Christmas programme (Chantry Chapel, Wakefield and Upper Denby) and of two concerts confirmed for 2010 (Elland, Horbury).
In addition, we also have further concerts planned - one in aid of the NSPCC and one to help raise funds for St John's church, Rastrick. Please check back for more news as we have it. Merry Christmas!
Chantry Chapel Fundraising Concert
On Friday 16 May at 7:30, the Accord Singers are giving a concert in aid of Wakefield's historic Chantry Chapel - one of only four bridge chapels in the country. Lead from the roof has been stolen and funds are needed to carry out repairs. Our programme will include folk songs and music about the sea, as well as some 16th century church music. One of these pieces, the Agnus Dei from Byrd's 4-part Mass, is one of the most sublime choral works.
The concert is to take place in Westgate Chapel, Wakefield (next to Westgate Station). £5 per head. No need to book. Please come and support if you can.
2008 programme
The upcoming page has been updated with details of performances that we have confirmed for this year
These include
- the Byrd Four Part Mass to be sung liturgically at St Patricks RC Church, Huddersfield in April.
- a concert in aid of the Chantry Chapel, Wakefield in May
- our traditional Christmas concerts, also at the Chantry Chapel
Also on our calendar this year is a return trip to Amersfoort to see, and perform with, Chantatouille.
Meanwhile we're settling in to our new, albeit temporary, rehearsal space in Lindley, Huddersfield after our much-loved home for umpteen years sadly closed.
Spare us a tenor?
Terrible pun aside, are there any tenors out there interested in joining us? Please contact us for more information.
Stop Press News
Following the despicable vandalism that left the Chantry Chapel without lead on it's roof, we are sadly unable to use the chapel for our planned Christmas concerts.
The Sunday afternoon concert is cancelled but the Tuesday evening one will go ahead at a different venue - Wakefield Westgate Unitarian Chapel. Sunday tickets will be valid for this event.
Those who cannot attend on Tuesday 18th can contact Kate Taylor (Tel 01924 372748) for a refund or could perhaps consider the ticket price a donation to the Friends of Chantry Chapel. It sounds like they're going to need it.
Evensong at Upper Denby Church on Sunday 16th December is of course unaffected by the events at the Chantry. All are welcome to this service. No tickets are required.
Autumn / Winter 2007
The concert (advertised below) at Denby Dale features music by Alec Rowley, George Gershwin, Thomas Tallis and Ralph Vaughan Williams, as well as devotional music by Stravinsky, Britten and Palestrina, and other secular items, not forgetting the recent addition to our playlist of flute solos by Sally Dover. Readings will explore various aspects of "The Sea", echoing the theme of several of the songs.
Then the choir will begin preparations for its annual Christmas concerts at the Chantry Chapel, Wakefield - well worth a visit if only to see the building and experience the buzz of anticipation that these events engender. Dates for your diary are Sunday 16 December at 3:00pm, repeated Tuesday 18 December at 7:30pm; tickets available, price £5 each, from Kate Taylor on 01924-372748.
Also on Sunday 16 December The Accord will take part in the service of Nine Lessons and Carols at Upper Denby Church, commencing at 6:30pm (no booking required/donations to the church).
Looking further ahead The Accord are contemplating their second excursion to Holland in the Autumn of 2008 as guests of Chantatouille, our "twin" choir located in Amersfoort. We look forward to meeting them again, enjoying the same incomparable hospitality and uniting in song and camaraderie.
Denby Dale concert
Three in One concert
Catching up: Christmas 2006
The Christmas Season is always a musically busy one for the Accord Singers, 2006 seemingly more so than ever. It began in early December when we were invited to sing for the Inner Wheel at Sandal in Wakefield. The ladies made a generous donation which was split between Wakefield and Kirkwood Hospice.
Our longstanding association with the Chantry Chapel was continued with two concerts of Christmas music and readings, marking the end of a year long celebration of the Chapel's 650th anniversary. As is also now a usual event, the Accord Singers performed at Upper Denby Church, giving musical accompaniment to the traditional Christmas service.
It's always a busy time, but all those carols really get the festive juices flowing.
Catching up: Chantatouille visit
Hard to believe it's almost a year since Chantatouille and the Accord Singers enjoyed their third collaboration and harder still to believe it's taken until now to write about it.
A fine weekend was had by all. The Dutch choir was welcomed at the National Mining Museum before taking up the hospitality of their hosts and then being royally catered for at Shelagh's (one of our sopranos) house.
Some last minute rehearsals preceded the two concerts at Horbury and Emley. Both performances were well attended and enjoyed by both choirs and audiences alike.
After Saturday’s concert both choirs, and even some of the audience, enjoyed a fantastic hot buffet put on by The 3 J’s catering team (Jane, Jacky & Jan) at Chris & Jan’s, whose neighbours were treated to an impromptu bilingual concert until the early hours.
The grand finale of the weekend was a Ceilidh (and another mammoth catering operation) where we discovered that being a splendid conductor does not necessarily mean you can dance.
The main recollections of the event were those of enjoyable excesses - music, food, wine, laughter and renewed friendships. The choirs have already made tentative plans to repeat the Accord trip to Amersfoort in May 2008 - maybe we'd best start rehearsing now?
Thanks to Margaret (another of our sopranos) for highlighting this extract from the Accord's Health and Safety Rules, which she found after the event - reproduced here for your information
All singing and hosting members will be obliged to read and sign a copy of the Rules - Health and Safety –Visits - Choral handbook before May 25th. This outlines the duties expected of hosts in an easy to memorise 78 section format.
In particular your attention is drawn to:
sec2 [3] iv: Food
“ no visitor shall go for longer than 2hrs 10 mins without a 2 course meal. After 3 hrs 15 mins a 3 course meal, with alcohol, shall be available, whether the guest wishes it or not, and shall be offered repeatedly until the guest is replete, or ill [whichsoever shall be the sooner].”Sec 24 [7] iii: Medical Attention
“All visitors shall be in possession of suitable insurance for the duration of the trip. It is an added condition that, where there are more than 3 visitors to any venue, 2 fully qualified medical personnel shall be in attendance, not including the host.”It is essential that this condition is fully observed in order to comply with our public liability policy from www.crashbangwallop-claims-R-us.com.
Further advice can be obtained from the choir’s solicitors Sue, Grabbit and Runne for a small fee [not reclaimable from choir funds - H. Harris,Treas.].
Evidence of the alleged qualifications of any choir member should be sought directly from that person. It is inadvisable to rely on small cloth badges, whether attached to items of uniform or not.
No liability is accepted by Accord Singers PLC for claims resulting from medical advice given in Dutch, English or any other language.
It would be advisable to make available to your guests a copy of “English and Scottish Country Dancing for Foreigners” by Hamish and Dougal [to be read before they’ll have had their tea, or instead of it]. This slim volume is obtainable from all good booksellers. The edition with an additional section on Irish Step Dancing is only available by mail order from Kiely –Smith Promotions.
Tulips and White Roses
Chamber choirs from the Netherlands and West Yorkshire − emblematically the flowers of the title − will meet again on Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th May to present joint concerts in Horbury and Emley.
This will be their third collaboration since the two groups first made contact via the internet. Chantatouille, who are based in the beautiful and historic city of Amersfoort (about 50km east of Amsterdam), found the website of the Accord Singers, a group well-known in the Huddersfield/Wakefield area, with a view to extending their knowledge of British Choral music through collaboration. The initial contact led to a first visit to this country in 2002. Musically and personally the two groups established an enthusiastic rapport. Thus in 2004 the Accord paid a return visit to Amersfoort. Visiting choir members and their companions are accommodated in the homes of their hosts and this year it is again the turn of Chantatouille to hop across the Channel to enjoy some Yorkshire hospitality, though the ‘home’ choir will have their work cut out to match the warm and generous reception they were given in Holland.
Chantatouille is the larger of the two ensembles. What started as a small singing group is now a renowned mixed choir of 24 which has built a repertoire ranging from medieval to contemporary choral works. Since its early days conductor Karel Smit has guided the choir in the art of transforming music scores into captivating performances. Over the years Chantatouille has given several a capella concerts but they have also performed with chamber orchestras, eg. Fauré’s Requiem, and several Bach pieces. Other memorable presentations have included accompanying a Spanish Dancing group and a saxophone ensemble; short operas such as Purcell’s King Arthur and Banchieri’s Madrigal Comedy; and Der Lindberghflug (The Lindbergh Flight) by Kurt Weill and Bertold Brecht in a musical-style setting.
The Accord Singers were established in 1994 by their musical director, Graham Sorrell. There are 16 of them, including half a dozen or so of the original members. The range of their repertoire is similar to Chantatouille’s, but includes folk tunes and popular songs by Porter, Gershwin, and other great 20th century American composers. They invariably sing unaccompanied and have a strong bias towards ‘church’ music. For many years thay have performed a Christmas concert in Wakefield’s Chantry Chapel of seasonal music interspersed with short readings. Their efforts, provided free of charge, have raised sizeable sums for local charities.
Local charities hope to benefit again from the two concerts scheduled for later this month, which will also include ‘solo’ items by either choir and a couple of pieces performed jointly.
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