What a great first concert of the season at Stormont with the Mid-Ulster Carols for Christmas. A big thrill for us to be involved. It was a really enjoyable day and evening. A trip round the Christmas Markets in Belfast and then the coach dropped us right at the doors of the Big House. The concert went superbly well with great performances from the local schools and 5 pieces from our Christmas programme, culminating in a rousing rendition of Swingin' with Santa. The Christmas Spirit is well and truly flowing now!
Then we moved on to Magherafelt for a full programme at 1st Magherafelt Presbyterian Church. Another very enjoyable night. We hope all who attended enjoyed it as much as we did. Now, finally, the Burnavon in Cookstown for the last Concerts of the Season.
Thanks to Barbara Anderson and Archie Thomson for their work and help in getting the Magherafelt show set up so well. Thanks also to Harold Duncan for helping get the staging there and set up.
Eagle-eyed programme watchers may have seen the theme in the recently released Burnavon programme. Dust off your Blue Suede Shoes and get Way Down to Burnavon next April! We will then be welcoming, for the first time, the Swift Singers from Essex next May so we look forward to a big turnout to hear them and we are looking forward to singing with them. The Concert with the Swift Singers will be at Desertcreat Church on Saturday 6th May.
Roscommon 2016
The 2016 trip to Roscommon was a great weekend, augmented by fabulous weather, with a very well attended concert in the beautiful St Coman's Church.
A delegation of some 25 of the hardiest members trepidated on board a luxury coach on Friday evening to be whisked in a mere four hours to the county that was the birthplace of the first President of Ireland and four recipients of the Victoria Cross, as well as the starting point for the legendary Táin Bó Cúailnge, but I digress..
Arriving late in the evening we had a welcome supper at Gleeson's Hotel. They looked after us superbly as always. A quiet drink afterwards to help us sleep.
Our Musical Director directed a 10am start for stage assembly and rehearsal. Despite lack of microphone stands, for some reason left behind in Magherafelt, the set up was completed and rehearsal proceeded. Thereafter the group divided into shoppers and sensible people to spend the afternoon as they pleased.
Athlone Town provided a backdrop for a pleasant coffee or two while Roscommon Castle was thought by Alec to be falling down - but 'twas only a football being kicked in the grounds.
Rehearsal before St. Coman's Concert
Gleesons served up a fitting meal before the gladrags were donned and the short walk made to the Church. Andrew and Denis had by this time arrived to save the day.
The concert was excellent, greatly enjoyed by choir and audience alike, ending with a lusty rendition by all of Ireland's Call.
What an evening of song and rendition followed at the hotel, lasting until the dawn was breaking. Newcomer Donal Convery managed to hold out until the resident Last Man Standing was ready to lie down.
We bade Gleeson's farewell with Goodnight Sweetheart, sung on the patio and enjoyed, we think, by other residents and passing pedestrians. A much viewed video recording of this impromptu performance is now on the Facebook page.
We thank Gleesons, St. Coman's Church and Rev Alastair for their wonderful welcome and hospitality, We will be back!! Thanks also to Maurice Corey, our driver for the weekend with Millennium Coaches.
April/May 2016
The Spring 2016 Concerts are Just about over! The last four months of rehearsal came to a head last week with a Night at the Musicals in Burnavon. We had a marvellous concert in front of a FULL HOUSE! - the first Spring Concert full house in a long time. A million thanks to everyone who came to hear us, we hope you enjoyed it as much as we did. Especially noteworthy was the lone red Bow Tie that insinuated itself into the male voice section. This perhaps inspired the male voices to greater heights than usual.
We are delighted that Raymond Anderson has produced a DVD and CD recording of the Burnavon concert and this will shortly be available to purchase. Watch out for details of where to buy!
Three of the stars of a Night at the Musicals, Gail, Kirsty and Caroline
We were delighted to welcome Kim Ashton, the deputy Chair of Mid-Ulster Council, who took time out from her busy schedule to hear both the main choir and the Sperrin Kidz. The enthusiastic response of the full audience further added to our enjoyment of the event.
We also had a very enjoyable concert of secular and sacred music at Agherton in Portstewart on Sunday 2nd May. Sincere thanks to Peter Mitchell and all at Agherton Parish for their hospitality.
Plena Voce visit 2016
After their arrival on Thursday 5th May and a meal at their hosts homes, the Plerin visitors had a well needed restful night after their long journey over.
A trip to the Maiden City of Derry/Londonderry...
...on the warmest day of the year so far was enjoyed by all, with a tour of the Tower Museum and the City Walls, followed by a lovely meal at Timber Quay who looked after us wonderfully well.
On Friday night we had a wonderful evening at Parkanaur, where we held a joint Entente Chorale concert with the Plena Voce Chorale. The proceeds for this show went to the Smile Foundation, who organised ticket sales. They had a great response and we are delighted that the show raised a good deal of money for this worthwhile cause. Many thanks also to Marlene and her staff at Parkanaur for her help throughout the preparations for the show and on the night.
The Stage Hands Richard and Davy relax before the Parkanaur show
We would like to express our gratitude to Mid-Ulster Council for their generous financial support for the visit of Plena Voce Chorale.
Plena Voce on Derry's Walls
The View from the Choir
On Saturday the Coach carried us off the the Lakeland County to see the Belleek Pottery and the Marble Arch caves. The weather was a little less kind, but did not spoil the day.
The Plerin visitors were our guests for a grand barbecue in Cookstown Hockey Club on Saturday night. Some Gusto filled singing ended the evening, with rapturous applause regardless of the quality of delivery
Luckily the departing Plerinians did not have an early start for the airport on Sunday!
The Singing that ended the evening..
Busy 2016 Programme
This Spring Programme has seen the choir take a great step forward, with a welcome influx of very good male voices, who have certainly added to the ‘beef’ in the bass.
We welcome Plena Voce to Mid-Ulster this week, with a concert in Parkanaur Manor on Friday 6th May. We will be happy to see them again and show them a little more of our wonderful landscape and history.
The Choir will then set off for Roscommon on the weekend of 13th May, where we will sing at St. Coman's Church before letting our hair down (those of us that can) to mark the end of a long Spring season.
2015/16
Christmas 2015 saw a momentous development for the choir. Caroline Jones took on the herculean task of devising, promoting and setting up a Sperrin Kidz group. The children who joined her put on a brilliant performance as part of the Sperrin Choir Concerts at 1st Magherafelt Presbyterian Church and Burnavon. Greatly helped by the tireless Gail Evans, Caroline drew a wonderful performance from the group after just one term of practice. Caroline and Gail are also educating the group in Kodaly Principles, a musicianship scheme. This project has great potential and will hopefully be the source of many fine members of the main choir in years to come.
Thanks and Acknowledgements
The Sperrin Choir gratefully acknowledges that their project has been supported by the Workspace Group through the Workspace Community Fund. May 2016
Thursday 1st August, 2013
The first weekend in June saw the locally-based Sperrin Choir pack bags and music and set off for their annual weekend away.
This weekend has become something of an institution, representing the culmination of a year of successful concerts and affording
members some essential 'down-time' together. Already well-established friendships are deepened, the 'craic' is mighty and, as a
bonus, they perform a concert in their destination of choice. This June they wowed a most receptive audience in the town of Roscommon,
their third visit to this particular venue. Last year the weekend was spent in Donegal and plans are already afoot for the 2014 trip
which will be to Cookstown's twin-town of Plerin-sur-Mer in France. The choir has already travelled twice to France and has hosted the
French choir here in Mid-Ulster, also on two occasions.
So - if you are a singer, whether with experience of choir-singing or not, look through the rest of the site, or link to our Facebook page or Twitter page for more details of this vibrant local choir
who aim to bring great enjoyment to their audiences, whilst simultaneously gaining much personal enjoyment from their music.