Stagecoach Regional Choirs
The first Stagecoach Choir was established in 2000 in the Midlands, and was created out of a separate choir, auditioned and put together for a show especially commissioned for performance in the Millennium Dome. Written by Veronica Bennetts this piece, The Piper's People, comprised a dance troupe, a choir and several soloists and fused Bennetts' beautiful music with traditional Commedia dell'Arte characters. The following year, the newly created 'Midlands Choir' was invited, along with the original soloists, to recreate this performance, along with another new piece by Bennetts entitled The Ragman, in Coventry Cathedral. The Midlands Choir, along with its southern counterpart the Stagecoach Singing Ensemble, a smaller close-harmony group auditioned from Surrey and the surrounding area and based in Stagecoach's Head Office in Walton-on-Thames, were so successful that the decision was subsequently taken to create 'Regional Choirs' to cover most of the UK.
Since then nine more choirs have been established, all composed of Stagecoach students and run by Stagecoach Principals or other members of staff, celebrating the best ensemble singing in the Stagecoach network. The Stagecoach Singing Ensemble was then enlarged to a similar size to the other regional choirs and renamed the London Choir initially, and subsequently the Surrey Choir.
Since their inception, the Midlands Choir and the Stagecoach Singing Ensemble have performed in many venues around the country, including the Stagecoach at Her Majesty's and at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane events, at the Royal Albert Hall (both), as a solo group for the Queen's Golden Jubilee in the Mall (Singing Ensemble) and the regional choirs have since continued this tradition. As well as participating in many events across the country, the regional Choirs have performed together on three occasions as part of the Stagecoach National Choir Festival. The first Choir Festival took place at the Birmingham Symphony Hall in 2006. After the resounding success of this event, further Choir Festivals have been held every two years.
Read more about this topic: Stagecoach Theatre Arts
Famous quotes containing the word choirs:
“A man’s growth is seen in the successive choirs of his friends. For every friend whom he loses for truth, he gains a better.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)