Rehearsals will restart after Easter - dates to be announced...
Kings Langley Community Choir recently performed at The Watford Festival . . more information coming shortly (watch this space)
PRIMO!
Performing to a full house at Kings Langley Community Centre, the Choir received an enthusiastic response to its first evening concert in the village. With forty members on stage, and in front of an audience which included the Deputy Mayor, Councillor Mrs Gillian Chapman, and the Chair of Kings Langley Parish Council, Councillor Bob McLean, the Choir was quickly into its stride with Blood and Gold, a Rumanian folk song, and the numbers which followed included songs by Crosby Stills and Nash, the Mama’s N Papa’s, Sinead O’Conner and the Beach Boys, as well as a traditional hymn and a Hasidic song from eastern Europe . The first half closed with an atmospheric interpretation of Dido’s Lament by Henry Purcell. Musical Director Verity Standen, explained to the audience the vocal stylistic influences which infuse many of her arrangements for the Choir, and this was particularly in evidence after the interval in the performances of Heart and Pearl , two numbers composed by Helen Chadwick. The second half also included an African hymn, a chant from Georgia, and Blackbird by The Unthanks. Verity Standen demonstrated how the Choir can develop vocal harmonies through layering of melodies, rhythms and percussive sounds, with a Circle Jam, in which Verity provided sections of the Choir with tone phrases which they were hearing, and then producing, for the very first time as they stood on the stage. The evening finished with the rousing gospel number, Ride on King Jesus The choir is particularly grateful to the businesses in Kings Langley which supported PRIMO!, and to those members and their families who helped with the arrangements. The home made cakes were a notable success during the interval. 
From left, Mrs Wendy McLean; Chair of Kings Langley Parish Council, Cllr Bob McLean; Cllr. Richard Roberts; Deputy Mayor, Cllr Mrs Gillian Chapman; Chris Garner, Community Representative for The Box Moor Trust; Wendy Topping, Head of Dacorum Music School and representative of slide show . . . primo Past performances by the Choir include:
- Kings Langley Carnival . .
- Kings Langley Festival of Lights (Christmas)
- Kings Langley Methodist Church 75th anniversary
- Kings Langley Secondary School Spring and Christmas concerts
- Music on the Moor (Boxmoor Trust bi-annual festival)
- Songs for Life; in support of The Hospice of St Francis (concert with the Knights of Harmony and Amersham A Cappella)
- The Clarendon Muse, Watford School of Music (concert)
- The Grove hotel (Christmas Eve)
The Choir welcomes new members. There is no audition, and previous singing experience or musical knowledge is not required. Rehearsals take place on Tuesday evenings during term time at Kings Langley Senior School, Love Lane, Kings Langley, from 7:30 to 9:00pm. Verity Standen, Musical Director
Verity is a London based Composer, Performer and Vocal Coach. She graduated from Dartington College of Arts in 2007 with 1st Class Honours in Music Performance. In addition to her role as Musical Director of Kings Langley Community Choir she is a Workshop Leader and also gives one-to-one privately tutored voice lessons. Her teaching repertoire incorporates contemporary/soul/world/pop and jazz. She welcomes beginners and advanced singers to sing arrangements of well-known and contemporary vocal pieces in three/four-part harmony. She also looks at breathing and voice techniques and performance confidence. Verity’s teaching is geared towards people who love singing but aren’t necessarily comfortable with reading notation. The only prerequisites to joining her sessions are a pair of ears and lots of enthusiasm! She is also Musical Director for Immersive Theatre Company Living Structures as well as running her own female performance collective The Antique Women. www.veritystanden.co.uk Verity composed the score for, and performed in, the nationally acclaimed Carte Macabre, which played in the Old Vic Tunnels during December 2010 The choir was also invited to perform a few weeks later at the Kings Langley Methodist Church anniversary celebration, where the ever popular African number Keena Tooli Ay was also presented. Sponsor Kings Langley Community Choir – KLCC Needs Sponsors The choir is looking for local business support – any business in the region for just a £100 sponsorship will be able to advertise on KLCC’s website as a choir sponsor. www.klcc.co.uk which is a very busy website, getting over 100 unique hits every week. Not only will you be helping this great venture you will in return be able to advertise your business – so please email Brian on advertising@klcc.co.uk who will arrange for your advert to be created. This income will help keep the choir costs covered and come year end any excess in sponsorship will be given to KLCC’s nominated charity: Kings Langley Waterside Project – a centre for adults with learning difficulties.