Interview with Singing Group Leader, Mike Hay
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When and why did you set up the Singing Group?
From memory I think it was late 2004 and initially I had the idea of getting a few people together to sing some Christmas carols. So we asked for volunteers, just for Christmas, and said there would be about half a dozen Christmas carols and that would be it.
After we'd started we thought, actually, this is quite good fun! Everyone was enjoying it so we asked how they would fancy carrying on singing together and seeing how things went. And, yeah, they wanted to and it just grew from there. So, it was initially a one-off Christmas thing and people found they enjoyed it and wanted to carry it on and it just grew.
From memory I think it was late 2004 and initially I had the idea of getting a few people together to sing some Christmas carols. So we asked for volunteers, just for Christmas, and said there would be about half a dozen Christmas carols and that would be it.
After we'd started we thought, actually, this is quite good fun! Everyone was enjoying it so we asked how they would fancy carrying on singing together and seeing how things went. And, yeah, they wanted to and it just grew from there. So, it was initially a one-off Christmas thing and people found they enjoyed it and wanted to carry it on and it just grew.
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And in what ways has the Singing Group changed from when it started out? Has it changed at all, even?
Oh, yes. It has. I mean, initially the vast majority of the members were not musicians by any stretch of the imagination. I don't read music myself - I can follow it if I'm given the first note, but if you give me a piece of music I can't read it.
The group started off tentatively with very simple stuff, all of it in unison, obviously, because we didn't have parts. But over the past few years the number of members has increased and while we don't actually sing in [SATB], we can sing in two or three different parts. For example, there were things we were practising recently, Cantate Domino and such, that we never got to deliver.
So it's changed from that point of view in that it's become far more - sophisticated isn't the right word but we've been doing a lot more things that we'd never even have dreamt about when we first started out. If I'd said to them that they were going to sing in three parts, you wouldn't have seen them for dust! But now they take it in their stride and it's grown from that point of view. And I think it's a confidence matter, really. They realised they could do it and it wasn't too scary. And, again, having one or two people who could sing harmonies helped, as well. There's so much more body to a piece of music when you add a bit of harmony to it - it brings it alive, really. So that's the biggest change. We're more adventurous, perhaps.
But still, I've never allowed it to be called a choir. I've resisted it! Elsie's kept trying to get me to call it St Mary's Choir - I say we're not a choir. If you don't sing in [SATB] you're not a choir, to my mind. So that's why it's always been kept as the Singing Group. And I also feel there's more chance of attracting some people to a Singing Group rather than a "Choir", you know? If you call it a church choir people might feel that they can't go into that.
Oh, yes. It has. I mean, initially the vast majority of the members were not musicians by any stretch of the imagination. I don't read music myself - I can follow it if I'm given the first note, but if you give me a piece of music I can't read it.
The group started off tentatively with very simple stuff, all of it in unison, obviously, because we didn't have parts. But over the past few years the number of members has increased and while we don't actually sing in [SATB], we can sing in two or three different parts. For example, there were things we were practising recently, Cantate Domino and such, that we never got to deliver.
So it's changed from that point of view in that it's become far more - sophisticated isn't the right word but we've been doing a lot more things that we'd never even have dreamt about when we first started out. If I'd said to them that they were going to sing in three parts, you wouldn't have seen them for dust! But now they take it in their stride and it's grown from that point of view. And I think it's a confidence matter, really. They realised they could do it and it wasn't too scary. And, again, having one or two people who could sing harmonies helped, as well. There's so much more body to a piece of music when you add a bit of harmony to it - it brings it alive, really. So that's the biggest change. We're more adventurous, perhaps.
But still, I've never allowed it to be called a choir. I've resisted it! Elsie's kept trying to get me to call it St Mary's Choir - I say we're not a choir. If you don't sing in [SATB] you're not a choir, to my mind. So that's why it's always been kept as the Singing Group. And I also feel there's more chance of attracting some people to a Singing Group rather than a "Choir", you know? If you call it a church choir people might feel that they can't go into that.
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So it's a good thing that the Singing Group is quite informal, then?
We've tried to keep it as informal as possible. And fun, so that people enjoy it. And we've never barred anybody from coming along. Regardless of what your voice sounds like, the whole idea has been to come along and have fun and we'll cope with everything that's thrown at us.
I sometimes have to be very diplomatic saying to certain people - well, saying to the group but knowing who I'm talking to - keep that down a wee bit, it's a bit loud. Because, especially on the soprano side, there's a danger it can get a bit screechy. We're very much a real mix of voices and there may be some people who aren't necessarily group singers. There sometimes seems to be a bit of competition of who's going to be 'Top Dog', so it's trying to manage that. Margaret Watson's very good at that - "oh, you're just a wee bit loud there, ladies!" - you know?
We've tried to keep it as informal as possible. And fun, so that people enjoy it. And we've never barred anybody from coming along. Regardless of what your voice sounds like, the whole idea has been to come along and have fun and we'll cope with everything that's thrown at us.
I sometimes have to be very diplomatic saying to certain people - well, saying to the group but knowing who I'm talking to - keep that down a wee bit, it's a bit loud. Because, especially on the soprano side, there's a danger it can get a bit screechy. We're very much a real mix of voices and there may be some people who aren't necessarily group singers. There sometimes seems to be a bit of competition of who's going to be 'Top Dog', so it's trying to manage that. Margaret Watson's very good at that - "oh, you're just a wee bit loud there, ladies!" - you know?
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How do you choose the pieces that the group sings?
I just choose what I like! I mean, I'm being completely selfish, here - I've a great love of Church Music. And I knew a lot of stuff anyway because I've been in a church choir since I was eight. I joined a boy choir at our church when it first started up and I was first chorister and I've basically been in church choirs since that time.
I got a lot of stuff through my association with the Acclamations Choir. I had two hundred or more pieces of music from the Acclamations, so a lot of them are recycled for our Singing Group. Obviously, we don't sing the four parts but the Acclamations Choir is ecumenical - it's not highbrow, it's secular stuff as well. So there was a lot of stuff we could use because it was very simple.
Plus, of course, we have access to the church hymns themselves, and the psalms. I think the tunes are wonderful. So I'm just selfish and choose things I like! But things that are basically simple as well. We don't go for anything too complicated.
The internet, of course, is another source. I use a couple of websites which allow me to listen to the music in addition to printing off the sheet music.
I just choose what I like! I mean, I'm being completely selfish, here - I've a great love of Church Music. And I knew a lot of stuff anyway because I've been in a church choir since I was eight. I joined a boy choir at our church when it first started up and I was first chorister and I've basically been in church choirs since that time.
I got a lot of stuff through my association with the Acclamations Choir. I had two hundred or more pieces of music from the Acclamations, so a lot of them are recycled for our Singing Group. Obviously, we don't sing the four parts but the Acclamations Choir is ecumenical - it's not highbrow, it's secular stuff as well. So there was a lot of stuff we could use because it was very simple.
Plus, of course, we have access to the church hymns themselves, and the psalms. I think the tunes are wonderful. So I'm just selfish and choose things I like! But things that are basically simple as well. We don't go for anything too complicated.
The internet, of course, is another source. I use a couple of websites which allow me to listen to the music in addition to printing off the sheet music.
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What sort of reception is there to the Singing Group?
Oh, very, very positive. I know there were folks in the congregation who had desperately wanted a proper church choir for years, but they could never get it. So, when I first set up the Singing Group I faced absolutely no negative feedback from anyone. No-one said that they didn't want this kind of group; they've all been really positive. And it's grown over the years. You hear loads of comments about how much people enjoy the Singing Group. And when we were cutting back on our output recently, people were begging us not to stop. It's been a very positive response.
And that's also helped the Singing Group. They know they're appreciated and that folk care what they're doing.
Oh, very, very positive. I know there were folks in the congregation who had desperately wanted a proper church choir for years, but they could never get it. So, when I first set up the Singing Group I faced absolutely no negative feedback from anyone. No-one said that they didn't want this kind of group; they've all been really positive. And it's grown over the years. You hear loads of comments about how much people enjoy the Singing Group. And when we were cutting back on our output recently, people were begging us not to stop. It's been a very positive response.
And that's also helped the Singing Group. They know they're appreciated and that folk care what they're doing.
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And, finally, what are your future plans for the Singing Group?
Well, we're at a hiatus at the moment because of numbers. We have fewer members than we've ever had which makes it difficult to practise things properly. I've also got health issues at the moment and we're going to have to wait and see what happens about that. I'm hoping that I'll be back to full fitness again, but if I'm not I might not be able to carry on.
So a lot will depend on how things progress over the summer. My current plan is that I will call a practice meeting in September to offer an ultimatum: if people want a Singing Group then they have to come to the practices and if they don't come along and help us out then there won't be one.
Well, we're at a hiatus at the moment because of numbers. We have fewer members than we've ever had which makes it difficult to practise things properly. I've also got health issues at the moment and we're going to have to wait and see what happens about that. I'm hoping that I'll be back to full fitness again, but if I'm not I might not be able to carry on.
So a lot will depend on how things progress over the summer. My current plan is that I will call a practice meeting in September to offer an ultimatum: if people want a Singing Group then they have to come to the practices and if they don't come along and help us out then there won't be one.
