Tag: Close Harmony

Harmony, both close and global…

Post author By julesprichards
Post date November 22, 2016

A little update on the choir that I sing with. They’re a fine bunch of folk!

This year will be my 8th Christmas concert with Global Harmony in Melton.

The Christmas concert in St Mary’s Melton is always a treat for the senses and we hope this year will be similarly so. Visit the GH website to find out more!

ghchristmas2016a4 Global Harmony is a mixed a cappella World Music Choir based in Melton Mowbray, UK. We’re are enthusiastically led by Musical Director MD Liz

It’s Community Choir, a friendly and informal group who have fun singing a wide range of unaccompanied harmony songs from all over the world. We enjoy rhythms from Africa, stirring Eastern European harmonies, songs from the Southern Seas and the Americas, soulful gospel and blues to name but a few – as well as traditional folk and rock and pop from our own culture.

Close Harmony

In addition to this, the choir has a small extra group called Close Harmony.

Close Harmony is a singing group are made up of a dozen singers from the main choir again led by the ever-encouraging MD Liz.

You can see some clips of Close Harmony here:

The main choir can be found here: www.globalharmony.org.uk

And a few recordings can be found here: http://www.globalharmony.org.uk/index.php/our-music

There are a few of my other posts here: https://julesprichards.wordpress.com/?s=harmony

Tags choir, Close Harmony, global harmony

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“Time, ferry me down the river…”

Post author By julesprichards
Post date October 10, 2013
2 Comments on “Time, ferry me down the river…”

Time, ferry me down the river,
Friends carry me safely over
Life, tend me on my journey
Love call me home.
Peggy Seeger – Love Call Me Home

The act of singing releases endorphins, the brain’s “feel good” chemicals. Singing in front of and essentially with others can be even more rewarding.

Singing is arguably a primal action, to express oneself in song – pre-language. It could be said that, habitual structured language might even inhibit essential expression, feeling, thought and being.

Singing requires deeper breathing. Singing can have some of the same effects as exercise. It’s an aerobic activity: more oxygen into the blood, better circulation, helps with a “good” mood.

Many studies have found that after people take part in a singing programs, over time there are significant decreases in both anxiety and depression levels and that habitual singers find that singing plays a central role in their psychological health. Singing requires attention, it’s hard to worry about work or money or family problems when you’re actively engaged in singing.

The pre-language primal song of course was a group social activity – the war chant, the rain dance, singing down the mine, cries from the plantation, the pub singalong, traditional church singing, celebrations “happy birthday to you” – realisation that you are one of a group, identification, belonging, sharing…

In modern (or dare I say post-modern) times, yes there are many clubs, groups, and subcultures that help people to interact (the interaction between things is what makes them fecund), but the act of “really singing” goes much further towards tackling the loneliness that often comes along with our (in?)human current culture.

This week Close Harmony enjoyed an evening in Melton Library.

Close Harmony are a small singing group from Melton Mowbray, made up of members of the large a capella community choir Global Harmony.

Recordings below are recorded with a mobile-phone in the corner of the room: not ideal but you get an impression…

An Thou Were My Ain Thing:

Calon Lan:

Noyana:

Love Call Me Home:

Cancion Mixteca:

Tags Close Harmony, global harmony, library, sing

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Close Harmony at Stathern – (WI Cakes, yum!)

Post author By julesprichards
Post date March 15, 2013
4 Comments on Close Harmony at Stathern – (WI Cakes, yum!)

Close Harmony – released on an unsuspecting audience yet again!
A concert for the collective Belvoir Group Women’s Institutes at Stathern Village Hall.
Close Harmony are singing group from Melton Mowbray, attached to the large a capella community choir Global Harmony. We’re currently made up of a dozen singers led by the ever-encouraging MD Liz.

Tonight’s songs: Cancion Mixteca, Shen Har Venahi, Make Me Feel My Love, Love Call Me Home, Calon Lan, Here There and Everywhere, Happy Together, Idonga Se Jerico, Mravalzamier 4

Oh and WI cakes?! Well… sublime!