A Cappella

This page updated: 05/01/05

 

In 1994, at the end of my first year in Cardiff University, I decided to set up a small choir for unaccompanied voices. I was basically desperate to sing in something like the choir I had sung in at school (only mixed voices instead of all-girls), and had been both surprised and dismayed to find out that there wasn’t anything really like that in the University. Or, at least, nothing like a small, quality choir for students who weren’t music students.

[It has always struck me as strange – this insistence that only people studying music as an academic subject should be encouraged (allowed is such a dramatic word) to enjoy performing classical music. It still strikes me as strange, but now I feel I’ve done my bit and I only rant about this occasionally... ; ) ]

Anyway, I was only nineteen, so had no idea that what I was proposing was impossible. This was lucky, because it meant that I went ahead and achieved it, with some help from some very special people. Paul Collins (with whom I’d sung for about four years, bitched about Boys’ Village and enjoyed the trepidatious first few weeks of University) helped me believe it was possible, and added his expert opinion to the first auditions. Michael Strong offered to be our rehearsal accompanist and got the job, along with that of tenor/baritone and Harpsichord Rock God. We salute you!

The rest, as they say (I hope) is history and the beginning of an eight-year obsession, hobby, religion and CV-enhancing bloody good time. Sadly, in April 2003, I made the insane decision to leave Cardiff and go live in Milton Keynes.  Jeepers.  Anyway, Judith (Collins) took over and the choir is still going strong; I try to make it to as many concerts as I can.  Long may they continue!

For more details about the choir as it stands at the moment and some details of its past, please go to the fabulously well-designed (by Paul Howls, not me!) web-site: http://listen.to/acg.

 

This page updated: 05/01/05