Click here for the flyer for our next concert on Sunday March 14th at 7:30 at the Stubbings Wharf in Hebden Bridge - new acts especially welcome!

Mid Winter Harmony Open Mic. Dec 13th 2009

Our biggest crowd yet (hurrah!) were treated to some fine debut performances as well as welcome returns by established acts.

Guest MC Mat White (usually found hosting a weekly open mic gig at the Grove Inn, Leeds) invited Corista to kick off proceedings with fine renditions of:-

‘Welcome Yule’ a reconstituted traditional pagan carol, ‘Spiritual’ by Ysaye Barnwell, (additional lyrics by Corista) - syncopation meets political anger, ‘O little town’, trad., additional lyrics by Corista :) - genial seasonal satire and last but not least.. ‘L'Estaca’ by Lluis Llach, (arr Manuel Oltra, Eng translation by Corista) – an anti-Fascist song famous in Europe, fifty people sung along in (a version of..) Catalan! A rousing, seasonal start to the evening.

Second up, and making their Harmony Open Mic debut were (most of the..) ‘Wild Notes’ a women’s singing group from Cragg Vale (residents of other valleys are still welcome!). They sang: 'I wish I knew how (it would feel to be free)' well-known, jazzy, uplifting theme music from Film '84(!), a hit for Nina Simone, acapella arrangement by Helen Lyle (their musical director). 'Les Feuilles Mortes' ('Autumn Leaves' in English). The original French version written by Jacques Prevert and Joseph Kosma in an arrangement by Faith Watson. A melancholy and nostalgic but stirring retrospective glance at a past love-affair, and finally 'Come softly to me' Doo-wop arrangement by Nickomo Clarke of a song by the Fleetwoods, which featured in the film 'Crossing Delancey' sung by the fabulous Roche sisters from New York. Pure teen romance....Aaaahh

We’d love it if the rapturous reception they then received encouraged them to come back for more on March 14th !

‘Tony and Co. ‘ were next up, hastily formed and sneakily named on the night. A slightly bewildered Tony only discovered who ‘co’ were when he hit the ‘stage’ ! (Ceinwyn, Di and Liz)

We were treated to: 'Love call me Home' a song by Peggy Seeger about love and friendship thru life and into death, arranged in 4 parts by Peter Amidon. and then..

Ceinwyn sang ‘Silent Night’ with Liz humming harmony, & the whole room joined in, supportively and gently humming – it was one of those spine-tingling moments, only Harmony Open Mic can provide...

Drawing the first half to a close and another debut ‘The Three Alans’ (special thanks to Lauren) delighted us with
‘Snow falls’ by John Tamms – Alan Firth’s favourite song, taken from the show 'Lark Rise'. Eagle eyed readers will notice that one of the group members is unlikely to be a true ‘Alan’…

After the break (and raffle), MC Mat and partner Helen provided contrast with some of those musical instrument things that are fashionable these days. The wonderful Wonderstuff’s melancholy ‘Circle Square’ (from 1992) followed by ‘Christmas is no time for anal eco warriors’, Mat’s own tongue-in-cheek composition venting the angst of the annual moral dilemma that rampant consumerism presents to environmentalists at this time of year.

‘Harmony at t’mill’ were up next, ‘Una Sanosa Porfida’ (by Juan del Ensina) a haunting, heart wrenching (if you understand Spanish..) medieval account of the Christian invaders driving out the Moors was followed by a stunning (if not perfectly performed..), complex arrangement (by Andrew Carter) of Cole Porter’s ‘Night and Day’, the audience’s reaction made all the hard work worthwhile… The dazed performers managed to finish with Stephen Spitzer’s ethereal ode to dying- ‘Hallowell’. Breathe and relax……..

The 7 male voices of ‘Men Folk Waits’ provided a stark change of mood (and dress code) with powerful performances of :-‘The Cutty Wren’ a foot stomping traditional tale of the peasant’s uprising against the ruling class in 1381, ‘Rain Today’ Randy Newman’s take on urban alienation and depravation from the 1960s, (arrangement by our very own Alan McDonald) and a powerful ‘Shallow Brown’, a traditional, heart wrenching personal tale of the trans-Atlantic slave trade shot through with a thin vein of hope (arrangement by Coope, Boyes and Simpson)

(yet) Another debut, Broken Mirrors calmed proceedings and brought festive cheer with the 'Watts Cradle Hymn' a serene and beautiful lullaby with references to the Nativity (words by Isaac Watts, tune trad. arr. Peter Amidon). and 'Angels hov'ring round' a traditional American hymn arranged for 4 voices by Helen Lyle.

Penultimate act, The Oak Street Quartet, robbed of their regular Soprano (Carolyn) by the lurgy, still managed to continue the harmonious Christmas mood with last minute stand in Helen. Warming yuletide cheer was delivered in the form of: ‘Bleak Midwinter’ original tune by Gustav Holst. With 3 of Christina Rossetti’s verses rewritten by Liz & Cat with a more Pagan feel, ‘Gaudete’ - a trad carol dating back to medieval times (and released as a single by Steeleye Spam in the 70s) was sung in totally mystifying pig-latin as would have been instantly spotted by any Latin scholars in the audience... well we did our best. I think the chorus means 'rejoice, rejoice, Christ is born of the virgin Mary', ‘The Coventry Carol’, another old traditional carol sung just before a play scene in which Herod's soldiers come in to slaughter the children. Horrifying, moving, deeply beautiful, and finally ‘I Saw A Ship’, music by Ali Burns, text - Addington, 1940.

Last but definitely not least, the superb Cowgirls' Revenge gave us the energetic parting gift of 'Southbound', by Doc Watson, arr. Val Mindel - a tale of a homesick city-dweller who longs to jump on board the train bound for home.

Which, tired but elated, is where we then all toddled off to, obviously already looking forward to the next gig...

See you there !

Words by Richard with help from Alan, Helen and Liz

Pictures by John Kerr and Alan McDonald