🌹 🎶Eggciting Spring Singing🎶🌹 In in my beginning is my end....in my end is my beginning... TS Eliot, Four Quartets Life is full of circles .. and eggs.. of life, death and rebirth. In many Creation Myth the universe hatches from a big cosmic egg often accompanied by a big bang, abracadabra or ohm. The eggs offered to Goddess Eostre are the pagan grandchickens of Easter Eggs and eggs are served at Pesach/ Passover. Many cultures celebrate New Year around March Equinox/ April and the zodiac calendar reboots with Aries the Ram. It's time for the Tarot Fool to pack a knapsack and wanders off along new paths, whistling a joyful song and stumbling across wild wisdoms. Here in the UK, the golden daffodils trumpet the promise of spring emerging: "here comes the sun, little darling." So in tune with all that, it's an auspicious time for spring cleaning, peaceful endings and new beginnings - and there's always a song to help us along the way.
🌹 🎶A Songful Farewell 🎶🌹 Huge thanks to all the singers and teams at: * Heart & Lung Songs 3 weeks ago I foolishly abseiled down a 13-storey hotel for St George's Hospital Charity - video and blog below. Your amazingly generous donations will support cardiac and respiratory patients to continue singing with Leslie Ann Lewis hosted generously by Rev Prof June Boyce Tillman and team. * St Christopher's Hospice Community Choirhas sadly now closed. As the saying goes those who wish to sing always find a song - and members continue to sing in other corners of our beautifully connected singing world.
🌹 🎶 Spring Singings 🎶🌹 Do come and put a singing spring in your step: * Roaring Roses - inviting experienced singers to come and ROAR! * New Choir Term begins 17th April with lots of new songs! * Breathe Harmony NHS & MyCool Singers Spring Concert - 22nd April, 7.30pm * Sing for the Earth - 30th April - a special afternoon of song for the planet * Midsummer Melodies - Thursday22nd June, 7.30pm delighting to be offering a concert as part of Wandsworth Arts Fringe at All Saints Tooting.
Wishing all you chickies a lovely Easter/ Passover/ Springtime from all us chickies at Welcome Choir
🌹 🎶Welcome Choir🎶🌹 Warm, welcoming lively choir who laugh as much as they sing! Thursdays 7.00-8.30pm, St John the Evangelist, Sylvan Road, SE19 2RX First session free, then pay by term. Facebook Page
🌹 🎶BLG MindWellbeing Choir🎶🌹 Led by Musical Directors Sarah Fisher & Katie Rose Tuesdays 2.30-4pm, Azelia Hall, 258 Croydon Road, Beckenham, BR3 4DA
🌹 🎶 Carers Support Centre Choir🎶🌹 Sing & Shine - Singing Respite Sessions for Carers. Weds 10.30-11.45am, Carers Support Centre, 24 George Street, CR0 1PG Free for Croydon Carers More information
🌹 🎶 Caterham Community Choir 🎶🌹 Co-Directed by Sarah Fisher & Katie Rose Tuesdays 7-9pm, de Stafford School, Burntwood Lane, CR3 5YX Facebook Page
🌹 🎶 HeartSong🎶🌹 Happy heartwarming harmonies with Cardiac Friends & Co. Bi-monthly Singing on Fridays 2-4pm, Holwell Village Hall, Pirton Lane, SG5 3S
Roaring Roses Are you ready to ROAR? Calling spirited singers to join a dynamic new ensemble celebrating the power and beauty of song. Energising workshops to hone vocal skills and build a richly varied repertoire ready to perform in beautiful, resonant spaces with lots of lion-hearted creative camaraderie. If you're passionate about vocal music, love performing, have an excellent ear for harmony and pick up fast by ear and/or read music do get in touch
Sing for the Earth Sunday 30th April 2-5pm, St John the Evangelist, Sylvan Rd SE19 2RX Join the Global Chorus to sing Resolution Song and other Planet Loving Songs In honour of Earth Day (22nd April) we will be taking a singing stand for our beautiful planet. We will learn, sing and take a video of Resolution Song which has been sung by thousands of people in over 100 countries including artists such as Annie Lennox and KT Tunstall as a demonstration of global unity and the will to act now to protect our planet. Check out the inspiring Videos at Planet Resolution Plus enjoying other earth-loving songs in good company. £15 - do ask if you need a concession Info and bookings: katie@therosewindow.org
🌹 🎶 Vocal Revolution Claim the joy, power and magic of your voice & creative expression. Bespoke coaching to bring on a revolution in your creative world. For singers, songwriters & speakers and creatives on a mission...
“Mind-blowing session. Love exploring how voice can express truth, embody a vision, bring presence to conversations and so much more.” - Jini Reddy, Writer
“Shuffle your heels back over the edge and lean back, like you’re sitting in a chair” - possibly the most terrifying instructions I’ve ever received.There is no chair and I’m basically sitting backwards into thin air, suspended by a baby harness 13 storeys up on the top of Pelican Hotel.I’m trussed up to a metal gateway, a kaleidoscopic tapestry of London Town spinning around me in splinters of sunlight.Reassuringly, St George’s Hospital and a cemetery lie immediately below, the exit route off the planet clearly mapped out. “Legs where have you gone…?” I take a big belly breath to see if I can summons them back. “The rope has got you, can you feel that?” instructorAndy is utterly cool, calm and crystal clear. Yes I can, and somehow it’s enough to reassure me that I can lean back and take my first staggery steps over the edge and down the side of the building. “You’ll start off walking and then you’ll be bouncing…” Oh. Right.Bouncing requires coordinating my legs - but they’re flailing around like a mad spider and not working as a team right now.The voices of cheering friends reach me on the breeze and I make a determined effort to bring both feet onto the wall. Boing!!!..after a few spidery bounces, I realise I’m boinging towards the sharp edge of the hotel - a sandy yellow line splicing the bright blue sky like a long stretch of beach at the wrong angle.I steer myself back and manage a few more boings before suddenly the wall disappears and I seem to have twirled round.I have no idea what to do, so I let the rope rush through my hands and slide down to earth, which is mercifully much closer than I think - it’s done! “Are you ok?” the welcoming party say as they unclip the ropes. “Yes, I think so!” I stutter as I collapse laughing against the wall.Then there’s celebratory photos and hugs with Rose who, as an aerialist, was absolutely the right person to accompany me on this crazy adventure and the courageous ladies from Red Thread, a youthwork charity working within A&E, who went over before me. I’m sent off to remove my harness - one of the least flattering things I’ve ever worn, given that the bottom half looks like a big pair of frontless pants.I almost fall over as the lady from Big Bang Promotions releases me, saying that “twirling is normal, especially if you’re a bit lighter.”From start to finish everyone has been incredibly supportive and made it feel like it was safe, possible and yes, actually normal to walk backwards over the edge of a high rise.I do a wobbly victory dance with the super friendly charity volunteers, one of whom reflects “it’s mad that we have to do this to get a ward in a hospital.”They wave me off with a certificate, charity goodie bag and lots of smiles.Back outside I’m warmly greeted by staff and volunteers, and just about manage to string some sentences together.Sitting down for a recovery cuppa with Rose, I’m shocked to discover I was only gone half an hour and the actual abseil only two and a half minutes - it felt like forever!!
🌹 🎶 THANKYOU!
So far three days of brave abseilers have raised a whopping £59k - let’s send this over the edge of £60k. Thanks to everyone who cheered me on and donated - together we’ve raised £1050 - WOWZERS! There’s still time to donate here: JustGiving Page. Thanks to all the staff and volunteers at St George’s Hospital Charity for making Abseil for George’s such a great experience.Thanks to Rose for coming along and taking videos and photos.Official photos: Hannah Halaska. Three cheers for the Paddy’s Day lucky leprechauns for bringing out the sunshine.
🌹 🎶HEART & LUNG SONGS
My fundraising is dedicated to the Heart & Lung Songs Group, founded by the Respiratory Physio Team at St George’s, which enables cardiac and respiratory patients to access the wellbeing benefits of singing.Since August 2015, I’ve had the honour of leading this very special, caring group who’ve sung their way through the ups and downs of life, including a pandemic.Thanks to the support of St George’s Hospital Charity, Rev Prof June Boyce Tillman and team at All Saints Tooting, the group will continue to sing together with a wonderful new leader Leslie Anne Lewis.
Warmly inviting you to join us at two events at All Saints Tootingas part of Wandsworth Arts Fringe Community Choir Concert - 17th June, 6-8pm - Heart & Lung Songs will be joining other local choirs. Midsummer Melodies Concert - 22nd June 7.30pm - an uplifting evening of song with Katie Rose & friends
