Jane Barkess
Librarian & Soprano
A friend and I decided we would like to join a local choir as we used to be members of the St Julies’s Singers (a choir of mainly ‘old girls’) at Notre Dame School, Manchester, which I had joined because of my friend who was the real “old girl”. Sadly that choir had folded years before – but as we missed singing in a choir, we started to look for a local choir we could join. We found information about Ramsbottom Choral Society and Concert Orchestra as well about another local choir. Having tried out both choirs, we decided that Ramsbottom was the one for us. We decided to give it a go as it appeared that we did not have to do an audition, which made it less scary to join. The Choir made us very welcome and we enjoyed singing the wonderful choral works such as Stainers’s Crucifixion and Rutter’s Magnificat in those first years after we joined.
When the previous Librarian resigned from her role after many years of service, somehow another fellow soprano and I fell into the role and shared this position for the choir for many years. As well as being my “job-share” librarian, Kathy also became my singing partner and we have had great fun together, meeting to practice in times of panic. By coincidence we had both been at school together and although we did not know each other well then it has been a joy to make such a good friend. I am still looking after the books along with another member of the choir and I enjoy this as a way of getting to know all our singers better.
I recall I used to be on the back row, which rather suited me, but somehow over the years I have gradually moved forward and am now on the second row or even first row, which could be a little scary, but I am now used to it and surrounded by super singers, so all is well.
We have sung in many different venues, and have always stayed true to our name, in that we have always sung at least two magnificent choral works every year. The opportunity to learn these pieces has been so special. I have learnt and sung music I had not heard before, and perhaps would not have listened to, and choir has opened my life to wonderful music and moments of sheer joy, when it all goes well and the music soars above.
Singing is said to be very good for you, mentally and physically. Everyone can do it and there are choirs to suit all tastes. I now also sing in Rossendale Memory Choir which is to help people with dementia, Parkinson’s disease or had a stroke. This has become another highlight of my week as everyone has such a jolly time and I can see how much good it also does for the members with the illness, as well as their carers.
Ramsbottom Choral Society and Concert Orchestra has such a friendly and happy choir and we always make new members feel welcome and help them to settle in. When I joined in 1994 I could not read music at all, just some basic theory from when I was a child (“Every Good Boy Deserves Favour”), so I would learn by ear, which I still do today, in the main. I did go to singing lessons for a while after I had been in the choir for a couple of years as I wanted to do better and I enjoyed this very much and even sang a small solo, as a result of my teacher encouraging me to try (although I still didn’t learn to read music even with her!).
I am now fortunate enough to be in our smaller group ‘Andantino’ which is such good fun. When we meet to rehearse we gather round the piano to rehearse our songs. It is such a sociable event and again has given me the chance to sing and love music I may never have considered even listening too.
From a small and nervous start, I know I have learned more about how to sing and would encourage anyone who thinks ‘I would love to sing a big choral piece’ – just come along and try.
Mrs Margaret Whittaker
First Soprano
“I joined the Society in 1984, shortly after Barry took over as Conductor. It has been one of my great pleasures of the last thirty years, to sing with the Society both in choir and our Andantino Ensemble; also to be secretary for many years.
We have had the opportunity to learn a very varied repertoire-often challenging Choir Orchestra and Conductor alike.
We all support each other in rehearsal and concerts, feeling a sense of achievement when performances are appreciated by our audiences. Many friendships have been forged over the years.
Our Society thrives because our Musical Director, Barry Sugden is fully committed to the Society, his patience and musical abilities mean he has what is needed to cope with Choir, Orchestra, Soloists and all that entails.”
Carol Kaye
Alto
“I have been in the Choir for 24 years and I am a member of the Andantino Group. ‘Andantino’ is made up of four Soprano’s, four Alto’s and approximately four or five tenors and basses. We started singing Madrigals and more secular types of music, but we now have quite a varied repertoire. We practise at Barry’s on Tuesday evenings and our concerts have been performed at various locations around the area, including Bury Parish Church .
Andantino have partnered Tooti Flooti (a semi-professional woodwind group) and played a number of concerts with them.
I thoroughly enjoyed singing at the Albert Hall in a Bolton Masonic Charity Concert in 2013, where we raised £5000 for Charity. We had previously done two other Masonic Charity ‘Grand Operatic Concerts’ in Bolton at the Civic Hall, with six professional Opera Singers in 2004/5.”
Peter and Celia Scanlon
Bass & Alto and also Andantino Members
Peter and Celia had sung with Hoylake Choral Society but their move to Bury and starting a family meant
that singing and other
social events were stalled for many years. When Peter was forty two, his midlife crisis event was to start to learn to play the trumpet. At the same time, their son was taking clarinet lessons from Carolyn who played in the Ramsbottom Orchestra and she suggested that he take his new skills along to the orchestra.
Unfortunately he then discovered that orchestral trumpet players were expected to transpose parts at sight so that they were playing in the right key. Discussing this, Barry suggested he join the choir, especially as the current work being rehearsed had no trumpet part, Peter then persuaded Celia that singing on Friday evenings was the perfect way to wind down after a busy week at work and they both joined in 1995 which was the year that the choir and orchestra performed Stainer’s “Crucifixtion” and Rutter’s “Magnificat”.
Sheila
Soprano
“I took early retirement in 2004 with the intention of spending some time helping to look after my baby grandaughter, and also, having a bit more time, take up some new hobbies.
I knew that I perhaps needed to take a small step first and so I asked my friend Janet if I could go along to choir practise with her”. She readily agreed, and so in February 2006 I nervously went along to my first choir rehearsal with Ramsbottom Choral Society.
I needn’t have worried. Straight away everyone was so friendly and welcoming, and from that very first rehearsal I felt a part of the choir.
I was delighted when Barry said he was happy for me to take part in the concert, just five weeks later. Again I was very nervous, but my fellow sopranos took me under their wing.
This experience gave me confidence to go out to do the other things that I had planned to do in retirement. Not all at once but a step at a time: and that’s the good news!
Twelve years on and I am still a regular member, learning new skills and enjoying singing, with lovely people in this very friendly and supportive Society. I am so glad that I plucked up courage to ask Janet if I could accompany her on that cold February night.”
Robert
Bass Chorus
Treasurer
“I started singing Bass in the chorus in 1985, my wife had already been singing from the previous year.
We had moved to Manchester from Aberdeen, as my father had sold the family business to a company based in Manchester and wanted a depot in Aberdeen as I was already in the office keeping the books.
I was asked if could move to the head office in Manchester as Accounts Manager.
In 1997 I became the Treasurer for the Society and still manage the accounts to-day.
Anne Sugden
Soprano & Secretary
I joined Ramsbottom Choral Society in 1987, a few years after my husband became the Musical Director and had formed the Concert Orchestra.
I have sung in choirs all my life., through grammar school, as a music student at Bretton Hall Teacher Training College and Bradford Festival Choral Society with conductors such as Sir Charles Groves and Sir David Willcocks. When we moved to Bury, I first joined Bury Choral Society. Throughout my singing career I have been in large choirs and small madrigal ensembles, as an alto, a second soprano and for most of my singing career, as a first soprano. Before joining Ramsbottom Choral Society I had sung most of the major choral repertoire including one of the first performances of Britten’s War Requiem, and Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms with Bradford Festival Choral Society.
Since that time, I have continued to enjoy learning new music and revisiting old favourites in Ramsbottom Choral Society.
I am a founder member of the Andantino Singers which was originally a semi-chorus group within the main choir with an interest initially as a madrigal group. It now has a wide-ranging repertoire from madrigals to popular light music.
The choral society and concert orchestra is a very welcoming and friendly group of people and I have made many good friends there.
We give performances to a very high standard and it is always a pleasure to perform with our own orchestra, which is a fairly unique feature among most choral societies such as ours.
We have a very loyal supportive audience who enjoy the wide style of music that we present throughout the year.
I have been the secretary of the society since 2008