Oh What A Night!

The much anticipated #SingRochdale Zusammen Choir Procession took place around Rochdale last Thursday evening. Over 200 people joined in the drop-in choir, the rain stayed away and there was even some sunshine!

The procession was organised by the Rochdale Pioneers Museum and Touchstones Rochdale as part of the national Museums at Night Festival. The drop-in choir consisted of members of the public and community groups who came together to sing for one night only. All were given a commemorative #SingRochdale gold medal with a green and white ribbon.  The choir was accompanied by Littleborough Brass Band and Rochdale Youth Brass Band as well as singers and musicians from Rochdale Sixth Form College.

The procession was led by Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH) Junior Wardens who carried the #SingRochdale banner. The procession began at St Chad’s Church at 6pm with the drop-in choir singing ‘If I Knew You Were Coming I’d Have Baked A Cake’ by Rochdale’s own Gracie Fields, followed by Geoff Alexander’s ‘I’m Going Back to Rochdale’.

The procession went on to sing at various local landmarks including the Broadfield Park Bandstand and the Rochdale War Memorial. Songs included children’s favourite ‘Reach’ by S Club 7, William Blake’s Jerusalem and ‘Eight Days A Week’ by the Beatles. The procession ended at around 7.45pm at the Rochdale Pioneers Museum with the choir singing another Gracie favourite, ‘Wish Me Luck As You Wave Me Goodbye’, and the Rochdale Youth Brass Band playing ‘The Final Countdown’. The parishioners of the St Mary in the Baum Church, neighbour of the Rochdale Pioneers Museum, provided participants with tea and coffee after the procession.

Artist Susan Forsyth, who has previous organised Zusammen Choir Processions in Lisbon, London and Warsaw described the #SingRochdale event as ‘the best Zusammen Choir ever!’ and said ‘huge credit to everyone in Rochdale for embracing the Zusammen spirit.’ One participant said they enjoyed the ‘friendliness, camaraderie and general 'feel' good atmosphere’ with another saying they liked ‘the fun, the brass band and no rain’. Rochdale Pioneers Museum Manager Jenny Broadbent said ‘since the event several individuals have contacted us to to say they enjoyed it so much they’d like to see #SingRochdale become an annual event!’

 

Photography by Andy Hirst: www.andyhirst.com