I have just noticed that I haven’t posted on here since June…and it is now October….so it must be time for an update on all things singing, looking back at the last few months and forward to what’s coming up.

LOOPY SONGBIRDS AT DURHAM FRINGE

Back in July, I had a great time performing at Durham Fringe Festival, with a new, solo, looped up version of my Songbirds show. In true fringe style, a power cut on the first day saw a change of venue, but I was back in the town hall by day 2, and enjoyed performing to new audiences. It was a new experience, accompanying myself for a full show, and incorporating looping into several of the songs – I also included one of my own compositions. You can hear that in the link above, and below you’ll find some highlights of the first day.

SEPTEMBER LARKS

September has come and gone in a flash. Back on September 2nd, York Military Wives Choir joined nearly 200 singing sisters from other Military Wives Choirs to perform in a 10th Anniversary concert at Lincoln Cathedral. It was a great experience to conduct the massed choirs for one song, “Viva La Vida/Titanium”.

My Singing For All groups started with a performance the very first week of term, helped out by some Community Singers.”A Night to Remember” at York Barbican will always be remembered for many reasons – as just as I was rehearsing my mixed group of singers outside, we heard the news of the Queen’s death. The group valiantly carried on, and performed brilliantly in front of a large, enthusiastic crowd. I was so proud of everyone and was quite emotional afterwards. Here we are –

SINGING …WITH BIRDS OR BRASS

September has also been full of performance opportunities. Each Saturday, I continue to sing outside for my weekly #fieldsing (131 consecutive weeks so far!). On Saturday 24th, I had fieldsing, followed by a chilly busking slot in Easingwold marketplace as part of the Easingwold Summer of Music, then finally a performance as soloist with the amazing Shepherd Group Brass Band in their prom concert at The Galtres Centre. It has been 3 years since the last chance to sing with these wonderful musicians and friends, so it really was a special night. I absolutely loved singing some James Bond themes with them!

SOME ENCHANTED SONDHEIM

This past week, my focus has been on Some Enchanted Sondheim. Malcolm and I absolutely love working on this show! First devised in 2013, it has been slightly adapted several times since, and for this year’s version we have added 3 new Sondheim songs, one of which I literally discovered only a few weeks ago! Last Saturday we played to a lovely, receptive audience at Helmsley Arts Centre and this Sunday we are headed to Theatre@41 Monkgate, York.

Where next for Songbirds and Sondheim? I have a few ideas and dreams…..time will tell if and when these turn into reality at any point!

The next few months hold more performances, many singing lessons, copious choirs…..lots of singing larks of different varieties.

Do keep an eye on my social media for updates – especially if you’d like to sing with me, or catch a performance soon.

Keep singing!

Jessa x

Yes, I did it.

100 weeks of singing outside in all weathers.

Sunshine and snow, rain and wind – I have sung through it all.

Here is the 100th #fieldsing – it can also be found on my singer page on Facebook here.

That was of course a week ago, so this morning I performed my 101st fieldsing – do look it up on Facebook, Youtube or Instagram if you would like to hear my full version of “Blowin in the wind.” (short clip here as a taster.)

What’s coming up?

Lots!

Choirs are all continuing IN REAL LIFE and there are lots of opportunities to sing with me – whether in the daytime or evening, whether in Easingwold, York, Helmsley or Thirsk…or online from wherever you are. Two of my groups are performing at the Community Choir Festival at The Joseph Rowntree Theatre this coming week, and several more are taking part in my next LET OUR VOICES UNITE event at Easingwold Galtres Centre on 25th May. In both these events, several of my own songs will be performed by choirs – something I am quite proud of, considering that before July 2020 I had never written a song. Another of this week’s activities has been working on another of my songs, this time one to perform myself….that may be shared at some point!

I have been busy compiling some “highlights” videos for Songbirds and Some Enchanted Sondheim, ready to send out to possible venues. I already have some performances booked in for the Autumn(details to follow!) but there is room for plenty more, so if you have connections with any performance spaces, do get in touch, as we would love to spread the joy of our shows further this year. In any case, do enjoy the clips below….

…and finally…..

Thank you for reading, and listening. I really appreciate all the likes, shares, and encouraging comments that have come my way recently, it makes all the difference.

Jessa xx

PS Sunday update – I have just finished the Vocal Health Education Funamental Anatomy course! This has been fascinating, a detailed look at all the human anatomy related to singing…which is most of it!

The show must go on…..and it did

I thought a website update was well overdue, as so much has gone on since my Summer update. Several performances were planned in new(to me) venues, which I went ahead with despite the sad loss of my dad on October 12th. (Thank you to everyone who sent kind messages and cards, they were much appreciated x)

Somehow, performing was therapy of a kind – musical mindfulness, which helped me keep going and process the changes in my family. Songbirds played to enthusiastic audiences in Billingham(Billingham Theatre Upstairs) and York(Theatre@41, Monkgate), and Malcolm and I were delighted to refresh “Some Enchanted Sondheim” at Saltburn Community Theatre.

I am really keen to get both those shows on the road in 2022, finding more suitable venues further afield, and adapting Some Enchanted Sondheim to reflect the recent sad death of Sondheim himself. His work holds such truth, telling stories and portraying situations like no other. Below is an excerpt from our Saltburn performance….

Advent Songbird Challenge

You will see at the top of this post that I have set myself another ambitious Advent challenge this year! Last year, I performed Christmas songs every day to raise awareness(and funds) to keep Singing For All going through the dark days of only being able to run sessions online.

This year, a different challenge.

In 2022, as I mentioned above, I hope to take my “Songbirds” and “Some Enchanted Sondheim” one-woman shows on the road, spreading my performing wings further afield and finding new audiences for these labours of love. This all takes time….and money of course.

Cue another of my “little ideas”…

Every day, from December 1st to 24th, I aim to broadcast on Facebook (on my singer page here ) one festive song and another song from one of the shows. I kicked proceedings off yesterday with a looped up version of “God rest ye merry gentlemen” and “Songbird”. Many and varied songs will follow, and for those not on Facebook , they will all be shared on my YouTube channel and Instagram page too.

Anyone who would like to throw a few coins in the busking hat to support my 2022 plans, can do so here via PayPal. Every little helps!

CHOIRS ARE BACK(and here to stay!)

Yes, choirs are definitely back. My September “Let our voices unite” concert at The Joseph Rowntree Theatre in York announced this loud and clear, with superb participation from my Community Singers, York Military Wives Choir, and Wigginton Singstars, as well as wonderful support as always from my accompanist Malcolm Maddock. I even included a short #loopingaround set to demonstrate some of the new skills I had developed in 2020.

Now I have all my choirs and singing groups up and running, and all heading towards their own festive performances and events, as well as just relishing the joy of singing together and lifting our spirits though song. The benefits of singing together are well-documented, and I am convinced that taking part gives our immune systems a boost as well as our mental health. So all my groups are going ahead, with windows or doors open for ventilation, chairs spaced out, masks for mingling, and clean hands….but with our hearts warmed and our voices united.

My head is full of possible singing plans for 2022, with ideas for repertoire, possible events, concerts, and workshops buzzing around alongside all the many festive songs which are in there constantly! Watch this space for more details…..but there are definitely some more “Come and Sing” events on the cards.

Below – the inspiring “Like the rainbow” by Debbie Warren, our concert finale. See Debbie’s work here.

All my groups currently have spaces, and I am happy to welcome new singers in the New Year…..so if you’d like to sing with me at any of the days/times/locations below, get in touch! All the groups have different systems for payments, membership, etc, as well as different starting dates, so just drop me a message and I can let you know the details.

SING WITH JESSA IN 2022

Mondays at 11, Easingwold – Singing For All with Jessa

Mondays at 7, Helmsley – HAC Community Choir

Tuesdays at 11, York – Singing For All with Jessa

Wednesdays at 7, Easingwold(and online, for those further afield!) – Community Singers with Jessa

Thursdays at 9,30am, Thirsk – Butterflies Choir

Thursdays at 7, York – York Military Wives Choir (for anyone with a military connection)

A choir for everyone!

A final word -for anyone local to York or Easingwold -I have a few festive events coming up…

Christmas At The Galtres, Easingwold,

Saturday 11th December, 7.30

https://fb.me/e/1Nv0sGpU1

A Christmas Concert with The Yorkshire Tenor and York Military Wives Choir, All Saints Church, Pocklington, Saturday 18th December, 4pm

…and on the evening of Monday 20th December, an atmospheric, festive come and sing event at The Mill, Stillingon….details to be confirmed, but a warm atmosphere guaranteed, whatever the weather! (Keep an eye on their website here.…)

…..I am also singing at the St Leonard’s Hospice “Light up a life” event at Selby Abbey on Sunday 12th December at 4pm, to which all are welcome.

Thanks for reading, and do look out for my daily Advent Songbird posts – all likes, comments and shares are much appreciated! Don’t forget, my #fieldsing continues every Saturday, live on Facebook (usually around 10am) – this Saturday will be #fieldsing 89!

Keep singing,

Jessa xx

So here we are in August. June and July have passed by in a whirlwind of performances and outdoor choir sessions in all weathers…..some highlights are below.

Another highlight was busking in Easingwold as part of their Summer of Music events – the first in person outing for my beloved loop pedal! See the Easingwold Advertiser write-up below, and a short clip of one of my favourite songs to loop…..

AUTUMN EVENTS – DIARY TIME!

Lots happening in the Autumn – in person groups re-starting, and lots of performances to choose from. See the links or get in touch to find out more. I’d love to see you!

SUNDAY 5TH SEPTEMBER – ALNE STREET FAYRE – I am performing on the Village Hall stage at 1.30 and 3.30.

https://www.alnestreetfayre.co.uk/

THURSDAY 16TH SEPTEMBER – “LET OUR VOICES UNITE” at The Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York. A celebration of the return of singing, with performances myself and 3 of my wonderful choirs. Tickets available from 8th August.

https://www.josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk/whats-on/concert/let-our-voices-unite/1463

SATURDAY 18TH SEPTEMBER – EASINGWOLD MARKETPLACE, my next busking performance as part of the Summer of Music programme. 1pm-3pm.

SATURDAY 16TH OCTOBER – SOME ENCHANTED SONDHEIM, Saltburn Community Arts . A performance of our much-loved Sondheim/Hammerstein compilation show, with accompaniment by Malcolm Maddock. Tickets available soon.

http://saltburnarts.co.uk

SUNDAY 24TH OCTOBER – SONGBIRDS at Billingham Theatre Upstairs. A celebration of female musical legends, with accompaniment by Malcolm Maddock. Tickets available soon.

http://www.billinghamplayers.co.uk/

SUNDAY 7TH NOVEMBER – SONGBIRDS at 41Monkgate, York. A celebration of female musical legends, with accompaniment by Malcolm Maddock. Tickets now available!

https://tickets.41monkgate.co.uk/events/475182af-4d18-4e5a-bb7e-8ba5c732c2d1/booking

CHOIRS AND GROUPS –

SING IN PERSON WITH JESSA

Community Singers (Easingwold) – for those able to take part in the concert on 16th September, sessions start on Wednesday 1st September. (Get in touch asap if you would like to be a part of this!) For others wanting to take part, the doors will open from Wednesday 22nd September, but places must be booked in advance. Get in touch to get your name on the list.

Singing For All(Easingwold) – I aim to restart on Monday 6th September. Do get in touch to book your place or find out more details.

Singing For All(York) – This is dependent on the venue availablility, but we are hoping to restart from mid September, on Tuesdays at 11am – do get in touch to book your place or ask any questions.

If you are interested in choirs in Helmsley or Thirsk, do get in touch as those will be starting up too. One to one lessons online or in person will also be starting – these are fully booked at the moment, but if you would like to register your interest, do get in touch using the contact form.

That’s all for now folks! Do look out for my “seasing” posts during August – I hope to record several of these while on holiday, as well as my weekly #fieldsing posts of course!

Keep safe and keep singing everyone.

Jessa xx

Just a quick update as I realised I hadn’t written one of these for a while…..busy busy as always, and June looks to be more hectic than ever! So for now, just a quick rundown of where you can hear me perform, or sing with me, this coming month.

I have just finished a whole day of in person singing with York youngsters, which was fantastic! So lovely to sing with these young people in person, some of whom I had only worked with previously online. Check out the York Music Hub social media for pictures of the day…….here.

COMMUNITY SINGERS – OUTSIDE AND ONLINE!

June brings the return of outdoor/online sessions for my Wednesday community singers. I can’t wait to see them all and am just hoping for good weather as the government restrictions do not allow for more than 6 singers to shelter inside. Quite ridiculous when you consider what is allowed to go on. If you agree, please sign this petition.

I have a lovely group signed up for Community Singers, but I have a few spaces if anyone else wants to join in, either outside(in Easingwold) or online(from anywhere!) 4 Wednesday evenings from 9th June, 7pm, £20. Get in touch if you fancy joining us!

SINGING FOR ALL…online for now

Singing for all continues online for now, with Mondays on YouTube and zoom on Tuesdays at 11am continuing from 7th/8th June. All are welcome to join us for an hour of informal singing and chat – please get in touch if you would like to take part. I am looking at some options for possibly getting together in July “in real life” but it will depend on restrictions and how people feel.

fields and lanes – live At The Mill, 26th June

Mick and I are delighted to be performing fields and lanes live at Stillington Mill as part of the “Summer at the mill” programme of music and theatre. The setting is absolutely beautful and tickets are available here.

https://www.tickettailor.com/events/atthemill/512172

SAGESTREAM session

I am delighted to be involved in a 2 week trial of sessions aimed at the more mature generations, run by an organisaation called SAGESTREAM in the USA. I will be performing a session on Monday 28th June in the evening (UK time) , live from the NAAP Facebook page. See more information here….

Senior Entertainment / Education Network

LIVE IN EASINGWOLD MARKETPLACE

The first Saturday in July, I am performing LIVE in Easingwold Marketplace as part of their Summer of Music plans. The town council has arranged a wide selection of musicians to come and busk in the centre of town, for the enjoyment of those sitting outside at cafes or just walking by, and it is my turn on SATURDAY 3RD JULY. So do pop by between 1pm and 3pm, I have as always a wide selection of songs for everyone to enjoy. Whether I will be allowed to encourage audience participation by then is not clear…..maybe humming!

Alongside all this, I am continuing with all my other activities : my one to one students, York Military Wives Choir (again, weather permitting!), teaching music at Wigginton Primary, and now and again even seeing my family! Thanks for reading folks. This was meant to be a simple list of dates but, as always, brevity is not my forte.

Hope to sing for/with you soon,

Jessa x

PS Here’s me teaching my latest composition to a choir in Australia!

After a couple of weeks of a less busy schedule (much of it spent writing songs and notating ones I had written a while ago!), next week my singing larks begin in earnest.

Singing For All with Jessa CIC is back with a swing, with sessions on YouTube on Monday and zoom on Tuesday, both at 11am. These will continue for 7 weeks (apart from the bank holiday Monday!) and I am looking forward to seeing some of the gang again, as well as welcoming any new singers who want to join the fun. Singing For All may well be the last of my activities to be able to return “in person” so it is really important that I recruit as many people as possible to these online sessions, to help keep the groups going and make sure I can continue.

Did you know that Singing For All had its very own facebook and instagram pages? If you don’t already follow, do search “Singing For All with Jessa” and give us a like/follow.

Some of my lovely singing students are starting this coming week, others are starting the following week. I am looking forward to singing with them all and working on some new songs and targets. Some of these young singers have been working with me on zoom for over a year and it is amazing the progress they have made. The exciting thing is, I am going to be teaching back in school from next week, so will be able to hear some of my budding singers and pianists IN REAL LIFE. (through masks and screens, but still in real life!) Very exciting!

Here is my little zoom highlights video I prepared for our “virtual recital” at the end of last term. I think it captures some lovely moments, including me preparing my zoom face!

Community Singers Online had a sea-faring March , enjoying some wonderful sea-themed songs, including raucous shanties and some more reflective ones. We finished with a fun “shanty shindig” on the 31st March, and everyone was sent a shindig party bag with themed snacks, props, and instructions on how to make a sailor hat! Great fun was had by all, including me, as can be seen in the highlights video ….

Community Singers Online have an extra week off, to give me a chance to prepare some new songs…. I can’t wait to see the gang on Wednesday 21st April. I even have some new songs ready to start which I have written myself….I hope they like singing them as much as I do!

So lots of singing ahead…. very happy to be able to spend my time doing what I love. I will also be spending time scouring the country for suitable venues for “Fields and Lanes” and “Songbirds” for performances through 2021, as restrictions ease and these things are allowed again. I spent a bit of time today picking some highlights of “Fields and lanes” for a taster video…. so I’ll leave you with that! (If any of you can put us in touch with any suitable venues near you, do get in touch! Fields and Lanes and Songbirds can travel!)

I hope to sing for or with you all sometime soon, whether in real life or on our screens.

#keepsinging

Every week has its challenges at the moment. I am very lucky in that I spend my time doing things I love – singing and helping others to find joy in singing – but nothing is straightforward at the moment and it is difficult to maintain a routine or plan ahead very far. So when little surprises happen, and when things I have been “nervcited” about work out well, it is particularly pleasing….

Surprise announcement – award nominations!

For the past year, all I have been doing is trying to keep doing what I do, in whatever way I can.

*For my singing students, this has meant teaching them 100% online via zoom (This has its challenges, but I can honestly say I enjoy teaching this way and all my students have risen to it and are making fantastic progress!)

*For my work in school(I still work 1.5 days a week for Wigginton Primary School, teaching music and leading singing), this has involved some working in school with bubbles, and lots of cold and wet outdoor singing, as well as many many videos of singing sessions and music lessons.

*For my work with York Music Hub, I have absolutely loved doing the live singing sessions(YMHSing! and Singing For All @The hub) and the YMH Zoom choirs, as well as my Summer holiday youth choir project – seeing those young faces on screen, enjoying singing as much as I do, is so inspiring!

*For my other singing leading and performing work, this has meant taking everything online and/or outside – zoom choirs, You Tube lives, Facebook performances, fieldsing, masked outdoor sings….all in a quest to keep people singing and keep my own singing going.

All this has meant a huge learning process for me – as well as fitting in lots of actual training (including 3 weeks of Vocal Process Online Singing Teacher Training and the Vocal Health First Aider certificate with Vocal Health Education), I have learned so much from fellow singing leaders around the world, particularly from the Creative Choir Leader group and the Inspire Club. So many new skills that I never thought I’d need.

I have done all this, just to get on with my work in whatever way I can, so I was so surprised and delighted to find out last week that I had been nominated for two Music and Drama Education Awards!

I have been nominated and short-listed in two categories…..here are the descriptions from the #MEDAWARDS website…

The #GOLDSTARS award…

“UK teachers who have gone above and beyond during this extraordinary period in educational history. For music or drama teachers who have shown particular compassion, flair and creativity during the pandemic. “

The Francesca Hanley Inspiration Award, sponsored by the Musicians’ Union.

“This award honours an individual music teacher or performer who has had a hugely inspirational impact on students of any age in their music-making. The judges will be looking for evidence that this teacher has made or continues to make a real and significant difference to the lives of their students through their teaching, whether in a school or non-school setting.”

This was such a lovely surprise and it has given me a real boost, especially as the nomination has come from a music teacher I admire and respect so much as a colleague and friend. Very humbling.

When words fail, music speaks….a day at #virtualchoirlab!

As a musician with many and varied roles, I often feel like I am dipping my toes into the water with all my various work – never having enough time and energy to devote to any one area to make a real difference. My fairly mad schedule of contrasting work means that I never get bored! At various times in the week, I am a singer, a singing teacher, a choir leader, a singing leader, a music teacher…….but the area I feel like I have grown the most during this past year is that of choir leader.

A year ago, I was running several choirs a week, undertaking regular training and workshops, and confident in my own circles. But in the past year, as well as setting up SFA as “Singing For All with Jessa CIC’, I have grown so much in my confidence and skillset when running my community singing sessions with both adults and young people, and have developed an array of technical equipment and strategies I hadn’t dreamed of a year ago.

Like most people, I still have technical disasters every now and again, but I have to pinch myself when people ask me how to use a loop pedal or how to edit a video – yes, this actually happens sometimes!

So when creative choir leader fellow #inspireclubber Matthew Finch was looking for workshop leaders for his virtual day of singing, “Virtual Choirlab”, I put myself forward and was amazed to be selected, with my “Sing your cares away” session scheduled alongside a huge array of very experienced singing leaders!

When the day arrived, I was pretty excited but fairly nervous, especially as I was scheduled for 3.30pm and had the whole day to watch other people’s sessions while practising my own! The day started with everyone learning a new round written by Matt, “When words fail, music speaks” – hence the mug picture above! If you click on the lyrics in the heading at the top, you will see the result of that opening session – a beautiful combined performance.

It was actually really lovely to see the wide range of singing leading talent on show….from gospel to classical and jazz, pop tunes to musical theatre and family favourites, so much….and as I watched, those voices were bubbling gently in my head…. one saying, “What are you thinking of? You are nowhere near the level of these high flyers!” and the other, “You really can do this!”

3.30 came and the session went as well as I could have hoped, even better really. As soon as I started, familiar names popped up on my screen as friendly creative choir leaders added encouraging comments – that really helped me find my flow! (Thanks Mary for this one!)

I was able to share some of my current favourite rounds and songs with a group of singers and singing leaders from all over the country – accompanied by my new best friend(my loop pedal!), I layered up songs and harmonies so people could sing along with their chosen part. I even included some of the little songs I have written myself – my new “Sing your cares away” song which incorporates lots of warm-up exercises into a bouncy song, and the calming sea-themed round, ‘Breathe with the waves” which I wrote on the beach in Norfolk.

I was also able to celebrate the work of some of my fellow singing leaders by sharing some of their songs….”Reap” by Em Whitfield Brooks , “Sing out loud” by Louise Blackburn, “Cold Wild Sea” by Jenny Cook, and my current favourite song, “Good Friend” by the late Jan Harmon. Such a beautiful melody and touching words….

Well, my writing/admin/catch up time is nearly over, 5 students and choir are calling me…..so I will finish with these thought-provoking words.

“The singer lasts a season long while the song, it lasts forever.”