Music and tears

“We all need to laugh more, cry more and sing more.”  The words of conductor Charles Hazlewood; and he wasn’t just referring to his performance at Strode Theatre in Somerset yesterday evening.  Or at least I don’t think so. 

It was a workshop of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition with Wells Cathedral School brass ensemble.  It’s a fascinating piece and Charles Hazlewood’s interpretation and explanation added hugely to the enjoyment of the evening.  The brass ensemble were excellent, and especially the flugel horn player, who regrettably did not get singled out for applause at the end. 

What shone through was Charles’s passion for music as an integral part of life, rather than a snobbish art form.  He spoke of his experiences working in South Africa, where singing is as vital a human function as eating and sleeping.  We know exactly what he means, having spent a short time living among ordinary people in Zambia.

Why is singing often such a stilted and embarrassed experience in the UK?  Except – as Charles mentioned – on the football and rugby terraces where it’s unusual not to sing.  The value of singing in choirs is well-recognised in terms of well-being, and I really miss it when I am not able to make the weekly rehearsal of my own choir.

So well done to ambassadors like Charles Hazlewood and Gareth Malone for trying to spread the song.