‘THE ONLY THING BETTER THAN SINGING IS “MOOR” SINGING!’ Thank you, Ella Fitzgerald… from Kari McGowan

t started with a single, unexpected voice. I was working with a man with learning difficulties who in three years had not spoken in the group. He would smileI shyly, occasionally laugh, but mostly work with great industry at whatever activity I devised. We were laughing together one morning when, unprompted, he started to sing! Following a stunned silence, everyone cheered, joined in and the atmosphere was transformed. Driving home to one evening after a day of Shape Note (Sacred Harp) singing in Oxford – 14 hours after leaving home and 80 songs later – I marvelled at my renewed energy and sense of well- being. And so I decided to look into what group singing opportunities exist around , particularly choirs. The diverse choices available reflect the many reasons people sing. Small, informal PHOTOGRAPH ROBIN TILLEY Moor Harmony house groups such as Cheriton Bishop’s ‘Folkus’ provide a space for individuals community, it helps to strengthen the read music, the learning curve was steep. to enjoy singing together, without the bonds of those who belong to it.’ Lessons were learned – the first being a pressure of performance. Non-auditioning In the four Beacon Villages on fixed rehearsal evening, the second being community choirs abound with inspiring Dartmoor’s northern edge can be found that ‘a mix of people requires a wide Musical Directors and broad repertoires a monthly folk club, a Shanty group, a repertoire and just because someone loves singing for pure enjoyment as well as Christmas Carol Service choir and Moor to sing a Haydn mass does not mean they public performance. Add to this the Harmony, a South Zeal based choir. Living won’t enjoy “Moon River”!’ A third lesson performance-oriented auditioning choirs in the village, it was the obvious place to was delegation and a committee was and a picture emerges of a lively and varied find out how a choir might originate and formed, coincident with the arrival of a singing community around Dartmoor. develop an identity. very experienced singer able to advise and I asked Plymouth-born teacher and Musical Director Jeremy McKnight share her wide repertoire. composer Ewen Sinclair, whose piece for described how a village newcomer with ‘The Choir’ became Moor Harmony, small orchestra and Celtic harp ‘Tales of choral experience felt ‘a gaping hole’ in retaining the principle of being open to the Moorland IV – Journey to Yellowmead local activities and placed an ad in the anyone with most of the core members Down’ is inspired by his Princetown home, village magazine suggesting that ‘anyone remaining. The 25 members participated for his thoughts on group singing. interested in forming a choir’ should in one of the choir’s most ambitious ‘Music is undoubtedly powerful; turn up in the local pub. A house with a performances, Karl Jenkins’ ‘The it talks to us all yet it also facilitates piano was found, six interested people Armed Man: A Mass for Peace’. Their communication in deep, profound ways. increased to 10, squashed in a tiny living achievements include a recording of 14 Participants of music-making groups room while Jeremy, an accomplished ‘Ave Verums’, including one of Jeremy’s dedicate time and energy to enhance pianist, was conscripted to ‘note bash’ own composing, a celebration of the their musicianship, but the most notable until someone ‘turned up’ to lead the American Songbook, English Sacred Choral benefits are surprisingly extra-musical. group. Sixteen years later, he is resigned music and the occasional competition entry ‘Participants begin to associate to the role, numbers increased and an ‘A choir that plays together stays themselves with the ideals of the group alternative venue found – a conservatory together!’ Jeremy observes, and their and develop family-like bonds which in turn – the ‘South Zeal Conservatoire!’ With singing year includes the summer barbecue, empower the community as performances experience varying from semi professional Christmas dinner, a performance in South are staged... music is the right of the whole to the inexperienced enthusiast, unable to Zeal’s tiny church during Open Gardens, a

DARTMOOR 57 PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF HARMONY DARTMOOR Dartmoor Harmony ambitious programme directed by operatic tenor Julian Jensen. Whiddon Community Choir has a core membership yet welcomes visitors. Tedburn St Mary Community Choir, ‘a choir which sings and acts from the heart’ will tackle any style of music, concerned with enjoyment, commitment TIM WATKINS PHOTOGRAPHY PHOTOGRAPH TIM WATKINS The Lost Sound – A cappella chorus and fundraising. carol concert and a larger work biannually. having a strong folk influence using Totnes-based a cappella choir Glorious Moretonhampstead-based Dartmoor contemporary arrangements of traditional Chorus is directed by Helen Yeomans who Harmony came together in 2013. Bee tunes interspersed with pop and gospel. is involved in running the ‘Rise Up Singing Denning realised serendipitously that she The choir performed local composer Chris Camp’ at Hembury Woods, Buckfastleigh had the gift to lead singing groups. It Hoban’s song ‘The Old Lych Way’ included in Juy 2016. ‘Singing for all’ is how the was people’s response to her songs, her in their short film dramatising the history network of Community Choirs, The Big way of teaching and communicating that of the medieval ‘corpse road’ crossing from Noise Chorus describes itself, with groups prompted her to create choirs. Bee is very Bellever to . Dartmoor National in Ashburton, Exeter and Torbay. Dunsford alive to the importance of the sense of Park will feature the film on its website. Singers is a non-auditioning choir of around community singing can create and her Chris has arranged his pieces for the 50 members whose aim is to enjoy making three choirs (Moretonhampstead, Bovey choir, having been ‘so impressed by… the music, taking on diverse and challenging Tracey and Ashburton) meet together for musicality of the performances’, by the pieces while fundraising for charity. Moretonhampstead Music Day. Part of the achievement of ‘a warm blended sound’ There has probably never been an Natural Voice network, she is committed where ‘not a single voice stood out from easier time to find a choir to suit you to singing by ear, a very inclusive approach their peers’. either as a singer or audience member! designed to remove the fear of not feeling These three very different choirs Search online for these and many more able to ’read’ a musical score. ‘The songs represent a tiny sample of the many Dartmoor choirs. ■ I choose have to speak to me. I can’t singing opportunities around Dartmoor. teach songs I don’t enjoy. I tend to go for Chagford Singers is a small, non- Ashburton Community Choir powerful songs with meaning. They have auditioning choir with a professional 07980 680052 to be vibrant and uplifting and get us Musical Director, Christopher Fletcher, Chagford Singers 01647 231450 dancing... or make us weep. We have to MD of the Plymouth Philharmonic, widely Dartmoor Harmony 07958 083493 be standing and if possible, move with the regarded for his open choral workshops. Dunsford Singers 01647 252519 music. My biggest passion is harmonies. The Chagford-based Unity Gospel Ewen Sinclair I love seeing people’s faces when the Choir draws members from a wide area www.evermoonmusicstudio.com harmonies start. I love seeing people make surrounding Okehampton which itself Folkus Cheriton Bishop 01647 281110 connections through regularly meeting to has several choirs, including the Lost Sound Chorus 01364 643105 sing.’ Bee is keen that shyer newcomers established Okehampton Choral Society Moor Harmony 01837 840005 are not intimidated and she asks her and the new, vibrant Okehampton Mount Kelly Choral Society singers to ‘blend your voices so you can’t Singers, directed by Kelly Young, 01822 616702 hear yourself’. She quotes William James, performing their first concert on 18 Okehampton Singers 07932 241623 ‘I don't sing because I'm happy; I'm happy December in aid of Devon Air Ambulance. Tedburn Community Choir because I sing.’ Bridget Ansell directs the auditioning 01647 231450 Based in Buckfastleigh, ‘The Lost Ashburton Singers and also leads the The Big Noise Chorus 01392 275444 Sound’ is a 30-strong auditioned amateur Widecome Singers Community Choir Unity Gospel Choir 07967 364593 a cappella choir. Musical Director and whose varied repertoire includes the newly West Devon Folk Choir (Wren Music, singing teacher Sandra Smith trains discovered ‘Widecome Carol’. The small Okehampton) 01837 53754 members in vocal techniques including Ashburton Community Choir enjoy a Whiddon Community Choir singing in small ensembles. They describe relaxed singing of music ‘fun, interesting [email protected] themselves as ‘Multi-layered, textural and beautiful’. choirs include Widecome Singers 01364 631238 and innovative’. Their material is eclectic, the Mount Kelly Choral Society with an

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