This summer, I had the privilege to perform at Greyfriars’ Kirk for 6 days at the Edinburgh Fringe as part of the team at Barnsley Youth Choir (BYC). It was an experience like no other. For anyone who hasn’t been to Edinburgh while the Fringe is on, I couldn’t recommend it more! There were many highlights for me, but walking along the Royal Mile handing out flyers was unique. It has its own buzz, with massive crowds of people during the day filtering past the street performers attracting attention. Being part of my group of over 160 descending daily to flyer was a brilliant form of chaos, even if we did occasionally get in the way.
We performed 9 concerts over 5 days, showcasing the variety of genres that we perform, from pop to gospel and achieving almost sell out audiences for all. The last two concerts were particularly special to me, having the Ndlovu Youth Choir join us for our second to last concert. It was such a luxury to be able to perform African music with them authentically and they were equally amazing as audience members; celebrating with us and calling out their support as we moved through the concert.
One moment I’ll never forget is the workshop with Ndlovu Youth Choir. Never have I felt so British than when I was trying to learn my part in a song they were teaching us. It was such a vibrant sound to get lost in, yet I was the one who was lost. For the life of me I couldn’t work out my part, but it was a blast to (very Britishly) sway along and mumble while I was enjoying the experience.
Something unique about my choir is our team spirit and community. It was incredible to celebrate with the smaller team that joined us at Edinburgh, having come back as double world champions in the Pop and Gospel category as part of the “Olympics of Singing”. Even so, we all treat each other as equals and perform with integrity and intensity. I had a lot more of an opportunity to talk to others and to socialise, including “winning” a FIFA game against one of the musical directors (curfew was called at penalties, but I say I played better).
In conclusion, I am so thankful to BYC for this opportunity and Greyfriars for their support in the use of the building, and I look forward to whatever comes next. What they make happen for those who wouldn’t be able to attend these sorts of events or afford it is extraordinary. Get me back on that coach!
Image credits – Oleksiy Yeshtokyn (Pexels)
