After numerous thwarted performance activites in 2024 due to weather extremes, it has been fabulous to have achieved two happy events this year already. A perfect way to celebrate our esteemed leader's 'big' birthday in early Spring - we couldn't possibly comment on how many years Pete Linnett!
The flood water returned to the Somerset Levels super early in the last months of 2023 and those who enjoy walking along the River Parrett at Langport found this flooded path on many an occasion! Indeed South Somerset as a whole faced flooding earlier than might be expected and these have continued into early 2024.
We are a hardy and resourceful bunch who will find ways and means to keep singing going, no matter what the challenges. This is just as well, as our main festive sing for 2023 was at Coates English Willow Christmas Fayre - bang in the middle of the Somerset Levels at the end of a particularly water logged week. Even though we missed our practice session before, Pete and 35 of us meandered around the muddy roads that were open to be able to sing the set we had been practicing over the autumn and winter weeks.
A bright, but cold windy day, we had a very memorable warm up in one of the willow weaving sheds - yes those are willow coffins that you can see in the background!
Our 30 minute set included rendtions of new songs that Pete had been recently teaching us and much festive songs that we have sung for some years. We had particularly enjoyed learning 'Row On' with words that orginate from a 19th century book - 'Songs the Whalemen Sang' - melody by Tim Laycock and arranged by Pete Linnett. The High Ham version of While Shepherds Watched their Flocks ended our festive set - which was just as well as it takes a fair bit of energy to get through this fast moving arrangement!
It's hard to imagine that we are already in August and enjoying our summer break from weekly practice sessions. After two of the strangest summers that most of us can recall, it has been fabulous to get back to doing all that we love this year - well at least, all we could physically fit in! Our choir has so enjoyed getting back to performance haunts of times past, starting with Kingsbury Episcopi May Festival - and what a beautiful day we had for our sing at Kingsbury Episcopi Methodist Church - welcomed by the lovely Edwin Gutteridge.
And so the heat of the summer of 2022 continued into autumn and even when the flood waters rose in and around Langport, the mild weather continued longer than we could have reasonably expected. We had many bright and sunny days until well into December and the moors in and around Langport looked particularly scenic.
Starting to learn songs for our Christmas set on mild autumn evenings, the possibility wintery weather felt a lifetime away. Perhaps Pete's revival of this cult 1973 song by Roy Wood had a part to play in bringing an early drop of snow to Somerset that caught many unawares!
By the time we performed this and other festive songs at our Family and Friends social in mid December, that snow had disappeared as quickly as it had arrived. We greatly enjoyed singing our Christmas set all the same, our first indoors performance in Langport since 2019. How blessed we felt by this happy evening in the Langport Arms Ballroom after three lean years and we are so grateful to Pete for keeping us going throughout. Long may our happy choir continue and we greatly look forward to raising our voices together throughout 2023.
The arrival of spring and summer 2022 has brought a whirlwind of activity for all and after two years of confinement, the possibilities for connecting with others have been a joy, albeit a touch exhausting at times! The choir has kept moving forward through the highs of singing together, the lows of infections and the challenges of extreme weather. We attended and performed at the rescheduled Bristol Choirs Convention in April, singing with Pete's Chard and Lyme choirs. We also gave a performance at the Drayton Jubilee Fete in June despite an untimely downpour and needing to run for cover!
At our final practice session we had been polishing off our set for an end of term summer event, due to take place outside Tesco in Langport the following Monday, looking to raise much needed funds for a new library at Huish Episcopi Primary School and for publicity for the choir over the summer.
Returning to our practice sessions on a hot and steamy September evening, it was impossible to imagine that we would ever be cold again! Now in the depths of winter with Chrismas behind us, the winter lights that continue to twinkle in the main street in Langport gives a very warming welcome.
And here we are on that first balmy autumn evening sampling a bit of DIY social distanced singing for size in our new practice space. To hear each others voices again in real time was just fabulous, albeit a little less clearly than before. A cappella singing is very much about team work and how each of us sings as individuals is very connected to the hearing the wider group.
The title of one of the first songs we learnt with our leader Pete was very fitting for our singing return. Written by Gary Bonner & Alan Gordon, Happy Together was first recorded by The Turtles in 1967. While it's words do have sad undertones, this song's catchy and upbeat tune made it much fun to learn and sing.
As the colder days and dark nights began, our return to Christmas carols commenced. With tunes more often firmly entrenched from a young age, learning harmony parts for carols can take a bit of doing. Our set this year included the one of the oldest Christmas carols, While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks by Night was based around a poem written by Poet Laureate - Nahum Tate in 1652 - the only Christmas hymn authorised to be sung by the Anglican Church before 1700.
Our Christmas performance for 2021 came around at speed and supported by Tescos in Langport, our musical director Pete Linnett led our fun and festive sing in front of the store. We were also delighted to raise £167 for Langport & Huish Episcopi Youth Group towards creating their amazing summer street flags. We are so grateful to Pete for making our performance happen and helping us to end our singing year on a very happy note, despite all the challenges.
So as we tentatively approach 2022 and a new year of raising our voices, we wish all who love to sing harmonious hours in the weeks and months ahead. Some things take a little time to get going again in the winter months, however, as many will agree, they are very much worth waiting for.
The vibrant fluttery flags have returned to Langport in 2021 and with them has come many blue sky Spring and Summer days. This colourful and creative Summer spectical by Langport & Huish Youth Group has brightened the main street in Langport for many summers and to see their return this year was so very welcome.
