St.George's, Bristol

[Stillhomewardbound]

I had the pleasure and privilege of taking part in a choral concert at St.George's Church in Bristol.

For many years a BBC recording and broadcasting venue, I now have first-hand knowledge of it's appeal and very kind acoustic.

I was one of the Pink Singers, Europe's longest established LGBT choir, and we were guesting with our very generous hosts, Sing Out Bristol.

Even in our quietest pieces (including an arrangement of Barber's Agnus Dei) we could hear every note and syllable come back at us.

The audience also was very close and visible and wonderfully supportive.

So, thank you, Bristol and thank you, St.George's!

[french frank]

I'm glad you enjoyed your visit to Bristol, Shb - and appreciated the qualities of St George's (not a 'Hall' by title, incidentally, other than being, generally, a 'concert hall'). Not only is it a superb performing and recording venue, it's a lovely place for concert-goers too (I think johnb has some reservations about the acoustic for some recitals). A bit of history about it here - interesting to see how it narrowly escaped [sic?] being yet another neo-Gothic edifice.

Don't know why they changed the name, though. I'd have thought St George's, Brandon Hill, was all right. If people want to go to a particular concert there, they surely know beforehand which city it's in?

[Serial_Apologist]

I coined the exclamation "Great George Street!" as replacement for "Great Scott!" in celebration of St George's, for the wonderful concerts - classical and jazz - I attended there in the 1980s and early 1990s. They really knew how to construct a building with a good acoustic in them days, didn't they! So glad to know it still thrives.

S-A

[Stillhomewardbound]

FF ... I corrected myself in the post as the 'Hall' bit was a slip of tongue. I've just written a short account for our website, but I'll share here:

“I was last in Bristol twenty-five years ago when I was hosting a promotional event for Club 18-30 Holidays! Well, that was an intriguing chapter in my life, but this time I’m back with Europe’s longest established LGBT choir and my first trip away with the Pinkies.

Everyone’s very excited at our guest appearance with Sing Out Bristol and the chance to preview a whole new bunch of songs that we’re just introducing to the repertoire, but by the time I get to the venue for the afternoon rehearsal the air is stiff with tension and complexions are looking too wan. Ironically, this is the joy of Pinkies folk. We do what we do because it is tremendous fun, but equally there’s a such a determination to do it as well as we possibly can.

Indeed, every member of the choir seems to notice that I’m not wearing our decorative rose and they almost troop by individually to let me know. So much so, that the last person to do this has his head royally bitten off by me. Now, that just happens to be our MD, Murray, so I end up having to reattach his head as he conducts so much better with it on.

Finally rosed (bless you Jerome and Rachel!), flies checked, mine and everyone else’s (just to be sure, y’know), we step out on to the stage to a lovely, warm Bristol welcome. They seem to like us before we’ve even sung a note. No turning back now, so it’s eyes front, baton down, and we’re off as our voices fill one of the nicest acoustics we could wish for. Oh, the joy of sharing music, and to do it as part of the Pinkies family, pure bliss!”

[french frank]

It's not even a backhanded compliment to say I always preferred singing in a choir to listening to one (though I haven't been in a choir since student days - the non-audition Student Singers). Community choirs have become very big in Bristol in recent years - I wonder if it's the same elsewhere?

[Have tweaked the thread title so as not to confuse]

[Stillhomewardbound]

Thanks for the tweak, FF!

[ostuni]

It is indeed a lovely acoustic: a very nice place to play, and sing (I've done both there in the last year). Backstage facilities for the artists are a bit grim, but a friend who's a trustee assures me that this is the next stage for development.