Does the prospect of organising an arts festival seem daunting? From artist liaising to budgeting for venue costs, it could be the kind of feat that a small community organisation would feel unable to undertake. There is, however, a different way of doing things and it is here that Voices Yorkshire leads the way, proving that with an online self-sign-up system, arts groups and local businesses can team up together and make the magic happen.
This year sees the beginning of a new Yorkshire-wide choral festival, led by the Yorkshire College of Music & Drama (YCMD). The college is a charitable trust, aiming to introduce musical experiences to as many people in the Yorkshire community as possible. Run by volunteers and trustees, the YCMD relies on the generosity of venues and businesses, as well as participation from partner choirs. The trust also engages with local Leeds primary schools, dementia homes and other centres, through outreach activities or the supply of music tutors and instruments.
Tim Knight is the principal of the YCMD, directing the activities of the college. He explains: ‘The college provides the opportunity to all sections of society, irrespective of ability, to enjoy the experience of playing music, singing or conducting. It provides music for all with no barriers. The college is a registered charity and is not part of the academic world’.
High ambitions
The Voices Yorkshire festival initiative hopes to attract choirs and audiences from a large cross-section of society and bring them together through regular events and activities. In addition, every other year the festival will hold a celebratory gala concert at a venue in Yorkshire, inviting choirs to perform who represent the diversity, depth and variety of styles from around the region. Variety is one of Knight's priorities: ‘It is important that Voices Yorkshire recognises the 21st-century choirs that are as diverse as the population of the county. That must be reflected in the performances that carry the Voices Yorkshire name.’ The first gala concert of its kind is being held in September this year at the Leeds Town Hall, meaning the events hosted and promoted by the Voices Yorkshire brand also act as publicity showcases which build momentum towards the big, biennial concert.
‘The line-up is fantastic,’ says Knight of this year's gala. ‘We are delighted that the Dishforth Military Wives Choir, the Leeds Male Voice Choir, Daytones Harmony Barbershop Chorus and Leeds Contemporary Singers will all be performing. There has been a brand-new piece composed by a Yorkshire composer, specifically for the concert with all the choirs performing it for the first time at the Leeds Town Hall.’
One of the exceptional choirs that will be appearing at the gala concert on 14 September is Paul's Signing Choir. The group is made up of D/deaf and hard of hearing members, and even with a couple of hearing dogs! The choir participated in a recent festival event and gave a memorable performance, instructing the audience to sign ‘Moon River’. ‘It was a wonderful sight to see the old, young, families, shopkeepers, traffic wardens, everyone, all enjoying the new experience of signing,’ says Knight.
Building a legacy
A rapt audience at the Leeds Corn Exchange
Plans are in place for the next gala concert in 2021, meanwhile the YCMD is busy putting together a constant calendar of events. Across the county, all year round, the festival includes regular ‘Sing Days’, an all-day rotation of choirs singing 45-minute slots in some inventive locations. The nature of Voices Yorkshire's ethos has meant utilising venues which are frequented by a variety of people from Yorkshire and beyond. Sing Days are a testament as to how much a community responds to choral singing – even in the bustling city centre of Leeds, people enjoy seeing their local community reflected through performance.
‘The attendance was tremendous,’ states Knight, talking about the initial Sing Days. ‘So much so, that one of the venues, the iconic Leeds Corn Exchange, asked us to go back with some more choirs, which of course, we did. We followed up with a Sing Day in the Huddersfield Art Gallery and there are more coming up over the next few months in York, Helmsley, Castle Howard and Sheffield. What has been really rewarding is the fantastic reaction of the crowds that have stumbled across our choirs while they were out shopping or visiting a café. They stayed and often joined in. And, invariably, the choirs all stayed to listen to the other choirs performing. Choral stayed to listen to rock, gospel listened to community, an LGBT choir listened to a Georgian choir – brilliant!’ It's a win-win situation for the audience and performers alike. Performers have enjoyed the experience and have felt the support of the local community with equal enthusiasm. The Gay Abandon choir, performing alongside the Great Yorkshire Chorus for the Sing Day at the Marks and Spencer in Pudsey, has expressed that its singers cannot wait to team up with Voices Yorkshire again in future because the Sing Day, in two words, was ‘absolutely fab’!
Communal singing has been at the heart of humanity for centuries. Meeting up to sing together has a social value, and there is no training required in order to be part of a community choir. Aside from the scientific research proving singing to be uplifting as an activity, it is the inclusive nature of community choirs which makes it a great foundation for a community festival. All ‘shapes, sizes, genres and styles’ in Yorkshire are eligible to sign up to the movement, providing that the Voices Yorkshire logo is used on promotional material. This logo thereby unites a cross-section of the entire county through music-making and, through promoting a variety of events under the banner of Voices Yorkshire, there will be an increased awareness of access to music in Yorkshire and its positive impact. The festival is an all-hands-on-deck approach, as the YCMD promotes and hosts events while choirs across Yorkshire spread the word about the initiative through their own performances. It goes to show that it's not all about having a huge budget for a venue or stage and lighting rig, it's about people power, with local people and businesses relying on each other for mutual gain and growth in the community, creating a unique and organic festival.
‘We didn't have a clue as to how many choirs would join in with the Voices Yorkshire initiative – there may have been none or just a handful; in reality, we have been overwhelmed, and delighted, with the response,’ states the YCMD.
Choirs are able to visit voicesyorkshire.co.uk and register online. Voices Yorkshire is a non-profit-making initiative and through ticket sales for the gala concert, profits will be put back into kick-starting next year's Voices Yorkshire activities.
