Spotlight on Ramsbottom: Ramsbottom Choral Society and Orchestra

Reporter: Marcus Chippindale
Date online: 17 December 2010

Music has the power to inspire passion in so many ways, be it to stir the memory of good times and old friends, or to make you run that extra mile on a cold December morning.

With Christmas just round the corner, the radio waves are filling up with jingle bells, fairytales, and angelic voices in an effort to inspire a festive spirit among us all.
One thing that never fails to remind us of the time of year is the sight of carol singers in town squares and churches, singing the same harmonies that our parents made us listen to every year on Christmas Day.

These events aren’t just special for the adults and young children that come along to watch though; a carol concert can be the highlight of many singers and performers year.

Barry Sugden is one such man who sees things from the other side of the stage.
Mr Sugden joined the Ramsbottom Choral Society and Orchestra in 1983 and has since gone on to become their conductor and Musical Director.

Tomorrow night (Saturday 18 December) they are putting on their own family carol concert at Greenmount United Reformed Church, the last of the group’s four annual concerts and one Mr Sugden is looking forward to.

“It is a popular and well established event and is always well attended, attracting young and old alike, and very much a participative event, with the choir singing a mixture of traditional and modern carols,” said Mr Sugden.

“Children come out to the front to take part in a musical quiz and have the opportunity to sing as well. After the concert all the members of choir and orchestra get together along with members of their families for a Christmas buffet supper which rounds off the year’s activity nicely.”

For many involved it will probably be a more relaxed affair than their other three big performances this year, which included a Musical Extravaganza last month in conjunction with four soloists from the prestigious Opera North.

While their usual set-list includes classic large scale choral works such as Handel’s Messiah, Verdi’s Requiem and Mendelssohn’s Elijah, the festivities that come with a carol concert should set an entirely different tone.

Christmas music creates a certain type of passion, but Mr Sugden has gained inspiration from music throughout his life, and it was this enthusiasm that lead to him joining the society 27 years ago.

“I joined because I wanted greater musical experience, having previously worked with amateur stage operatic societies doing Broadway musical shows, and this was a chance to do major choral works with a choir and possibly start a permanent orchestra attached to the choral society, which I did within the first two years.”

Since then the orchestra has gained 25 regular members to complement the 65 in the choir, with each group rehearsing on two separate nights every week before coming together for a final rehearsal and performance.

Formed in the early part of the 1900s, the society was disbanded and then reformed in 1949 following the Second World War.

It now runs as a registered charity, with a single committee responsible for the three parts of the society: the choral society, the orchestra and a smaller group of singers called Andantino, organising regular dinners and trips for all its’ members.

Such social events are nice extras, but for a music man like Mr Sugden the real joy comes from taking on some of the most famous pieces ever written.

“The society is a very caring body of people,” said Mr Sugden. “The most challenging thing is having the opportunity to tackle pieces of music for both choir and orchestra.
“For example, we recently worked on Beethoven’s gigantic and very difficult Missa Solemnis and were able to perform at least two of the five parts of this piece at the Musical Extravaganza concert. This work is seldom performed by amateur groups because of its difficulty.”

As well as putting on some great entertainment for those who come to watch, the group has also propelled some members on to impressive achievements by giving young solo singers the chance to perform pieces they wouldn’t otherwise be able to do.

One such example is Paul Gibson, a bass singer who spent many years with the Ramsbottom group before being offered a place with Opera North and going on to become a full time opera singer. Next year Mr Gibson will have a main part with them in Carmen.

Other young musicians have gone on to become professionals, including taking lead positions at top London orchestras under some of the best known conductors in the world.

So tomorrow night in Greenmount you never know, the next Luciano Pavarotti or Paul Potts could be in their midst.

For more information visit www.ramsbottomchoralsociety.com