Welcome to Vocal Expressions!
Introduction
MORE THAN JUST A CHOIR
For its 58 members, Vocal Expressions represents a chance to be part of something that goes far beyond a mere musical ensemble. The weekly rehearsals, the many concerts and the recording of three C.D's have opened up new horizons for the fun-loving but disciplined singers.
Catherine Williams formed the choir in January 1997 from a core of just 20 members. Enthusiasm for singing was the criterion for membership and this ethos continues today. In January 2007 the choir celebrated its 10th Anniversary with a concert in the Holmfirth Civic Hall.
CONQUERING THE UK AND BEYOND
From these humble beginnings the choir has evolved into a hard-working unit who are now accustomed to appearances in the most imposing of venues, such as Huddersfield Town Hall and The Organ Hall in L'viv, as well as being broadcast to the nation during BBC's Music Live Week. In addition they have taken their musical message to more distant parts from Llandudno to Scarborough, to St Anne's and Harrogate, where they have been received with great enthusiasm. This year around 30 choir members performed a concert, a first for an amateur choir, on the Royal Caribbean cruise liner the beautiful 'Independance of the Seas' during a 4 day cruise to Cork.
SINGING/FUNDRAISING FOR SEVERAL CHARITIES
The Choir has performed in many charity concerts around the area. These included singing for the Holme Valley Memorial Hospital in an outdoor concert on their lawn and in the Tsunami Disaster Appeal in the Huddersfield Town Hall in 2005 with several other Holme Valley choirs and brass bands. In addition to these concerts, we have helped raise monies for Yorkshire Lupus and many of our ladies donned walking boots and running shoes to enter the Huddersfield Examiner walk and run in the Great North Race for Cancer Research.
Around 20 of our members took part in a Ladies Driving Challenge day for the Macmillan Cancer fund where they were able to speed around in Fire Engines and Police cars with the blue lights flashing, reverse articulated lorries and drive grass cutters – what an experience!!! Other charities for which they have raised funds have included the Forget-Me-Not trust and the Kirklees Hospice.
SINGING IN LANGUAGES
Vocal Expressions have sung in a number of languages; Welsh, Latin, and Spanish. The latest is Ukrainian in which they were called upon to sing in July 2004 when the National Choir of Ukraine, Mriya, visited and shared a concert with them. They visited the Ukraine on a return visit in October 2005 to sing in three concerts in L'viv. The incredible welcome and the generosity of their hosts was something that touched the hearts of everyone who went. It was a truly amazing experience to be able to sing with such an experienced choir. Vocal Expressions choir was treated like royalty and shown many places that most westerners would not have seen before. They have made many friends in L'viv and hope that the strong bond between them will continue in the future.
Vocal Expressions singing with Mriya (The National Choir of Ukraine).
BROADENING HORIZONS
The choir have bookings in their 2010 diary already for concerts such as the Lupus UK National Conference at the Old Swan Hotel in Harrogate. The hard-working committee are constantly striving to find new and varied venues where Vocal Expressions may sing. An exciting time lies ahead for the choir as they grow from strength to strength: we are now in discussion regarding another cruise- to St Petersburg in 2011 on another Royal Caribean cruise liner.