OTLEY SINGERS
Otley
Women Singers actually because there've
been no men in the choir for the last 8 years
and all the songs we've learnt in that time have been arranged for women's voices.
In hope of shortening the waiting list, Lesley and Gilly started a new women's choir in November '09 - details here.
What we look like
(20 of us, plus Lesley & Gilly, at the Sage in Gateshead, National Street Choir Festival 2006):
and all the songs we've learnt in that time have been arranged for women's voices.
We
meet 7.30-9.30pm
on
term-time
Tuesdays
at
the Aged
People's
Welfare Centre in Otley
(it's
just the venue - our age-range is 30-80 and we'd welcome women younger
and older than this).
There are 45 members and 25-35 at each session. We pay £16 each per half-term, which covers MD fees, room hire and hot drinks in the break. There are no auditions to join but there's usually a waiting-list because choir members voted to limit the numbers. If you're interested in joining, please use the form at the bottom of this page.
Our musical directors are Lesley Lear and Gilly Fordham who've provided the arrangements for about three-quarters of our repertoire - suggestions of songs to be arranged for us are always welcome. Two of our members also compose for the choir. We're given written music for almost all the songs that we learn but there's absolutely no need to be able to read it: some of us can read music, some take the opportunity offered to learn at least the rudiments, and some read just the words and learn the music solely by ear.
We usually perform at the National Street Choir Festival in the summer and once in December. A small group of us looks after the money and other administrative necessities, leaving our weekly sessions meeting-free (apart from the statutory AGM) for everyone to have a good sing with a friendly group of women, which is what the choir is for.
There are 45 members and 25-35 at each session. We pay £16 each per half-term, which covers MD fees, room hire and hot drinks in the break. There are no auditions to join but there's usually a waiting-list because choir members voted to limit the numbers. If you're interested in joining, please use the form at the bottom of this page.
Our musical directors are Lesley Lear and Gilly Fordham who've provided the arrangements for about three-quarters of our repertoire - suggestions of songs to be arranged for us are always welcome. Two of our members also compose for the choir. We're given written music for almost all the songs that we learn but there's absolutely no need to be able to read it: some of us can read music, some take the opportunity offered to learn at least the rudiments, and some read just the words and learn the music solely by ear.
We usually perform at the National Street Choir Festival in the summer and once in December. A small group of us looks after the money and other administrative necessities, leaving our weekly sessions meeting-free (apart from the statutory AGM) for everyone to have a good sing with a friendly group of women, which is what the choir is for.
In hope of shortening the waiting list, Lesley and Gilly started a new women's choir in November '09 - details here.
What we look like
(20 of us, plus Lesley & Gilly, at the Sage in Gateshead, National Street Choir Festival 2006):
What we sound like
(extracts from recent recordings made at our regular sessions):
| Black
Muddy River by the Grateful Dead arranged by Harriet Wood |
| Deep
Peace Gaelic Blessing, music written & arranged by Gilly Fordham |
| Lean on
Me by Bill Withers, arranged by Lesley Lear |
| Time poem by Valerie Bloom music written & arranged by Kathleen Illingworth of the Otley Singers |
| Some of these
arrangements are
available
from Primrose Music |
| Contact
Otley
Singers |
| Other
local
choirs: Bradford
Voices
/
Leeds
People's Choir
/
Silsden
Singers |
| Otley
Singers, West
Yorkshire, UK |
|
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