Read what one of our newer members has experienced in his first year …

Happy Birthday Formby Choral Society, sixty years young and with no sign of cliquishness or dusty stifling traditions that I’ve experienced more than once over the years elsewhere! David, our musical director does not treat us as his musical army to be commanded. Rather, everything is collaborative, suggested and agreed. 

I’m a newcomer just this year. I feel thoroughly welcomed especially given that I still struggle at times with reading music, despite having tried to for at least fifty years now.

Oh my, the Bach St John’s Passion, was so difficult to learn especially when compared to his St Matthew Passion. And yet,now, I and others in the audience and choir are still getting goosebumps recalling the extraordinary tenderness and barely controlled emotion of our singing of the ‘Sleep Well’ chorus: simply a beautiful gentle lullaby. That mood near the end of the work contrasted so much with the chaos, power, anger and edginess that Bach expressed in the earlier crowd choruses calling for the death of Jesus. 

What a difference then, our songs on midsummer’s night. Having first collaborated over two years, we sang a lovely and challenging first performance of the new Summer Song’ composed by Formby High School pupils, delivered together with their graceful interpretive dance. The pupils thought we did well and they did well too. Then, more summery music from the 1300’s to the contemporary. Harp, guitar and singing of love, partings, yearnings, dancing and the joys of sunshine flowers and woods. It’s maybe best not to describe the goings-on in the fields of barley. So, fa la la la la to that I say! For goodness sake, that chap Delius gave us basses another 76 fa-las to sing in his ‘Summer Song’. The pupils sang extracts from Sondheim’s ‘In the woods’ Then there was Elgar, Haydn, Brahms, Morley, Bob Chilcott and others, including Anonymous. Altogether a feast of happy joyous music. Of course and inevitably , in his eightieth year we had to sing John Rutter’s ‘The music’s always there with you’. And yes, when singing in choirs, it blooming well absolutely is.

Our next concert is now only seven days away. We’re still polishing, but Faure’s Requiem and his Cantique de Jean Racine already sound sublime. Personally, I’m most looking forward  to singing the Missa Pastoril by Nunes Garcia. I’d never heard of it before. It’s a simply glorious, joyous, and catchy work that should be performed much more often that it is. 

Then, before we know it, it will be Christmas Carols. I’ve no doubt there will some well-loved ones but I know we’ll be given some challenges to overcome, no doubt with more goose-bumpy results.

Little wonder then that this Society is over a hundred strong after sixty years.

NH – bass

COME AND SING WITH US!

We:

• Meet on Wednesay evenings during term time.  Still at school / university? – no problem – we finish promptly at 9.30pm.
• Any singer aged 16 – 24 is NOT asked to pay any subscription. In other words young singers can be full singing members of FCS for FREE!
• Can help you to read music – just by doing it
• Have around 100 members from all walks of life
• Love singing a wide range of choral music
• Have other musical and social activities as well as our concerts

Contact us by phone or email as below, to find out when you could visit us. We try not to invite people when we are close to a concert as things get a bit hectic!

Venue: Holy Trinity Church Hall, Rosemary Lane, Formby, L37

If you are already convinced, ask for an application form and send it back … it will be online HERE shortly.

No strings attached – after a four week trial period we will discuss how you are settling in and, if all is well, invite you to become a member. There might be a very informal audition, so David can judge which voice part you are, if you’re not entirely sure – but it is certainly nothing to get stressed about!

Phone Alison (Membership Secretary) if you have any questions about joining the Choir: 07903 388433‬

There is a Young Person’s Bursary available, which provides some support for the member’s musical education. The application form for that will also appear HERE shortly.