Millie, who used to sing with us writes:
I listened to ‘Shame Shame’ this morning and I must admit, I was impressed! I think you’ve all done extremely well in singing this very difficult piece and it came over (especially after the initial melée of voices was resolved) as very atmospheric and moving. Chris did an incredible job keeping it all together and moving it forward and he is to be applauded. At the beginning I thought, oh dear, not sure if I will enjoy listening to this, but once the (what I imagine is the) crowd scene resolved itself, it became more melodious and clearer. There was this almost ‘leitmotif’ weaving itself through the piece, which having read what it is about on your website, seems apt.
As usual the more often you listen to a piece, the more you discover in it and it grows on you. Once you get used to the style and what it is trying to say, it is actually a very fascinating piece. I think that seeing the words might enhance the experience even more.
All in all, well done to SCS!
(Other reactions to this piece can be found here or add your comment below.)
As a former member now living in Spain (and a former manager of the SCS website) I still retain a keen interest in the choir and I consult the website frequently to keep up to date with its activities. During a visit from a current member over here we were able to watch the recording of the “Shame, shame” piece. WOW! What a wonderful performance of an amazing composition! – very 21st century! Congratulations to all involved. The choir members must have put in an enormous amount of hard work getting to grips with the intricacies of performing such a major ‘sing’ – a magnificent achievement. Well done! Enormous praise too for Christopher of course. You are a truly magnificent MD Chris and it is extremely gratifying to see you steering the choir to ever greater heights. Long live Strathaven Choral Society!
Brian