Music creator Emily Hazrati reflects on her collaboration with Uckfield Concert Brass as part of Adopt a Music Creator 2024. It is very...
Music creator Charlotte Botterill looks back on her collaboration with Harpenden Barbershop Harmony Club as part of Adopt a Music Creator 2024.
As I woke on the morning of Sunday 17 November 2024, I felt a sense a loss. The project with which I’ve been engaged for the last 10 months had come to an end.
My time working with the Harpenden Barbershop Harmony Club (HBHC) culminated the previous night with a hugely successful concert. The HBHC performed a selection of their repertoire which included traditional songs, a musical number, and pop songs old and new. And of course, the premiere of In Retrospect, the collection of songs which we’d developed together during the first half of the year.
They were joined by the Abbey Gateway Orchestra, a leisure-time orchestra from St Albans, who provided a suitably matching programme with well known classical favourites, film themes, and their own offering of new music: pieces by their conductor Martin Beach, orchestra member Simon Gargrave, and my own piece Falling Leaves, which I wrote for them in 2018.
The finale of the concert was a Sound Of Music medley. The orchestra provided the music and the HBHC lead the audience in an enthusiastic singalong! But the true high note was that the concert raised close to £2000 for MacMillan Cancer Support.
Of course, before the concert there is always a feeling of apprehension: will it all come together in time, will it be well received by the audience? I can happily say yes to both. The HBHC gave an excellent performance and we received positive comments from audience members.
Working with the group has been a great experience. They were open to trying some non-barbershop ideas, and were happy to volunteer their own ideas too. I have learnt a lot about vocal writing and arranging, particularly in the barbershop style, which is not a style I ever thought I’d become involved with! I have also learnt more about myself as a composer and what I want to engage with musically.
Perhaps the most unexpected result of this project is that I have joined a smaller off-shoot barbershop singing group, meaning that the barbershop connection and friendships which I have made will continue. So really, I have lost nothing at all, but gained an immeasurable amount.
Find out more about Charlotte Botterill on her website and follow her on Facebook / Instagram / Soundcloud
Find out more about Harpenden Barbershop Harmony Club on their website and follow them on Facebook
