Love Soul’s back, tell your friends!
Saturday 21st August marked the return of Love Soul Choir to public performances. Some 532 days since we last sang to a real-life audience, it was safe to say that we were eager to get singing again. Throughout the lockdowns and multiple periods of uncertainty around singing groups getting back together, our leader Dan kept the lights on, maintained virtual sessions, and enabled us to learn at least half a dozen songs before our glorious return to in-person rehearsals in May.
In perfect Love Soul style, we came back with a bang as one of 12 choirs performing over a weekend at none other than the Tower of London. This, of course, required an early start, various modes of transport, face masks, antibacterial hand-gel, and a healthy dose of pre-performance excited nerves. The event was dreamt up by MD Brunch – a haven for all choir leaders and musical directors – and was part of a wider initiative called Project Get Singing in a bid to get information out to choirs on singing safely in a pandemic world, and encourage people to get singing again, knowing of the numerous benefits that group singing has.
I have been singing with Love Soul Choir for five years now and the anticipatory fizzing in my stomach prior to a performance never goes away. There’s nothing quite like getting up and singing to crowd of strangers, not knowing if they’ll get involved or speechlessly stare at you but doing it anyway. This event was no different and we were treated with smiling passers-by, members of the other choirs cheering, and the incredible MD Brunch team dancing along with us.
Our nerves soon disappeared as we got into our groove and sang in different locations within the grounds. We performed by the White Tower, the Wharf overlooking the River Thames and Tower Bridge, and in the moat where thousands of ceramic poppies had been seen a few years earlier to commemorate the centenaries of both the outbreak and the end of WWI. To be singing somewhere with such a rich history coupled with an incredible reception was the best return to performing that we could hope for. We were also able to take a peek at The Crown Jewels and watch the changing of the sentries.
Happily, this is just the start of a busy and much-needed Autumn and Winter season for Love Soul Choir, but what a start it was!
Joh Foster
(Southampton Member)
If you’d like to apply for an audition with Love Soul Choir, please visit the audition page on our website. Once you’ve sent your application to us, we’ll be in touch within a couple of days to schedule the time and place of your audition.
