Singing at the Tower of London!
During Lockdown, one of the lovely people I met on Doorstep Shoots was Kari, otherwise known as the Liberty Singer.
She is a lady of amazing talent, endless energy and optimism, fab dance moves and a magical way of transferring this onto everyone at her choirs! Having take some images of the West Bridgford Liberty Singers a while back, and, of course, singing along while doing so – I joined the 100 or so strong choir earlier this year. A tad nervous ( I haven’t sung outside of my kitchen or at a gig surrounded and hidden by 100’s of people, since I was 12 in the church choir) I sat at the back and joined the blue section.
No sheet music here, no need to be able to read music – you can choose a colour section, grab a copy of the words and away you go! Harmonies emerge as Kari takes each section through their part and, if you are lucky, you stand next to someone who has sung it before, or is very good at holding a new part and can quietly join in too! Kari-ography is a thing and the evening flies past singing ‘Vienna’, ‘Dear Darlin’, ‘King’ ‘Only Yesterday’ and ‘Somewhere only we know’ among others. A few of these make their way onto Twitter each week and one was picked up by MDBrunch who hold a Christmas event at the Tower of London – and we’d been asked to sing! Cue excitement!
Disaster struck, in the form of Kari getting Covid a few days before the performance and a quick search for very brave souls to stand in as conductors for a song or two each ensued. Victims found, we set off for the Tower on 2 coaches. Despite the efforts of the coach drivers, who drove past the tower and performed a magnificent u-turn with a boule decker coach on a busy London street, we eventually arrived and made our way into the Tower. Performing twice – once by the White Tower and also on the bank of the Thames outside. A cracking experience and one everyone will remember for a good while.
Kari works her magic in a variety of places – including workplace singing (no excuses if you are in a different part of the country, this internet thing works for singing too!) and a new choir in East Leake she is starting in the New Year. If you are looking for something to do, love singing away in the bath and would like a burst of energy and joy in your week, then take a peak at her site and drop Kari a message. Do it!