Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
The Manama Singers helped us ‘Swing Into Summer’ with their concerts at the British Club last Friday and Saturday.
Sadly, not many people seemed to have got the message and there were almost more of the choir than audience at the delightful afternoon - mainly aimed at children - Disney Favourites Show, or later at the evening session.
That was a great shame as both concerts were deliciously smooth and soothing.
None the less, the choir sang as if 300 people were hanging on its every note, performed wonderful versions of songs such as Can You Feel The Love Tonight (The Lion King) and Let it Go (Frozen).
The same can be said of the evening concert. Undeterred by the lack of bodies on seats they sprang into full Manama Singers mode and charmed us all with standards such as All of Me, You Make Me Feel So Young and the gorgeous Autumn Leaves.
They also stirred us all up with a lively rendition of Mambo Italiana that rocked the building and should have brought people flooding in to see what was going on.
The clincher was their powerful and extremely moving encore of Hallelujah from Shrek.
It brought me to tears, it was so moving.
The Manama Singers have been treating us all to great music and singing since the early 1970s and it was incredibly sad to see the reduced numbers amongst the singers, as well as the audience.
As well as entertaining us all with superb singing, The Manama Singers have supported so many local charities over the years and done so much good work.
They are desperate for new members to join and help power-up the choir again. I have watched and listened as Leah Churchill, who joined as Musical Director in 2014 has given the singers a boost and a new direction whilst she herself has grown in stature as choral director.
Her sense of fun shines through in their singing when she is conducting. When a more powerful choral work such as a requiem requires so much more of them, Leah can pull emotions and tonal qualities from the Singers they never dreamt they had.
Anyone who enjoys singing, in any language, should mark in their diary that the Manama Singers will start a new season of practice on Tuesday, September 6, starting at 8pm, in one of the community rooms at St Christopher’s Pro-Cathedral in Manama. No musical training is required. I am told that people need only bring their singing voice and a sense of fun.
In the meantime, I shall cherish the memory of them helping us to Swing Into Summer until they are ready to thrill us all again.
– Chrsitine Hassan
