Keswick Community Choir and Keswick Light Parades 2010 & 2011 - participant comments

We think the choice of music is great, and we very much enjoy the relaxed, stress-busting atmosphere. As far as we are concerned, you have got it exactly right.

 

the songs we sing are great! 

 

The community choir is unique – no other choir would touch me with a bargepole.....so there is an important slot for us but maybe there are people who would like to have the pleasure and enjoyment of singing like we do but think that they are not choir material? 

 

 What I especially appreciate is the balance you achieve between ‘formality and informality’ (a difficult one because the group also serves a social function), your encouragement and guidance.  And those songs that you compose yourself- the Derwentwater Suite is very special, and the lantern parade songs perfectly express the winter/spring transition.  For both I am very conscious of the importance (and, sometimes almost spine tingling, heart pulling, of the words and the senses and pictures they paint.  Sometimes I come tired, sometimes stressed but I always go away feeling better.  That is some achievement in a couple of hours!

 

So, many thanks for the pleasure you have and continue to give me.

 

Just to say that I am enjoying what we are doing, and I especially enjoyed the original pieces you wrote for the Lantern festival.

 

What we produce  is very different in the end result from the original we hear! 

 

In my opinion his compositions, which we sing, are outstanding an he has real talent as a composer.

 

Amazing Art project (for young people with early psychosis) in Carlisle and Whitehaven

 

I found the course very enjoyable and quite therapeutic, I liked having the freedom to do my own songs and creative writing and I had fun doing animation.

  

The activities were new to me and I found them very interesting, I liked the jewellery-making and being able to use my own ideas. I enjoyed quick sketch portraiture, small amount of digital photography, learning about the possibilities of animated film and also watching the animated films, the variety of different styles and stories.

 

Carl and Rowena are very helpful and patient with us all, This scheme has really helped, I will definitely come back, Good staff, are pleasant and relaxed, A casual rapport, suitable for the type of workshop provided and people attending.

 

The amazing art project has seen many benefits to its participants including; increasing their confidence to get out and about and speak to new people.  It has assisted with building social networks for service users who are often socially isolated.  We have seen participants take on new challenges each week as well as learn new skills. The participants have reflected that it has helped them to feel confident to try new things as well as giving them something meaningful and enjoyable to do during their week, but most importantly as one service user put it “it helps with keeping you feeling good in yourself and happy”.

Caroline Garbutt (Early Intervention Practitioner) Amaze (Cumbria's Early Intervention into Psychosis Service), (Nov 2010)

 

 

Whitehaven Mining Parade

 

I would just like to say thanks from the staff and pupils at Bransty for working with us on the song for the Wellington Pit Parade. The pupils had a great time helping to write the song and certainly enjoyed performing it. I hope we will be able to work with you again in the future.

I really really liked the song & I think it went extraordinarily well. We will all be recommending you to any enquirers and will be extremely happy to work with you again.

Jenni Lister, Whitehaven Record Office & Local Studies (May 2010)

On behalf of the committee of Keswick Traditional Christmas Fayre I would like to thank you for supporting us by performing on December 6th. I and the rest of the committee were very impressed with the singing and I thought it made a very nice conclusion to a successful day.I would like to  contact you in the Spring as to you willingness and availability to perform again.

Jackie Welch, Keswick Traditional Christmas Fayre. (Dec 2009)