After 4 challenging yet fulfilling days, the choir are back from Dr. Doreen Rao's Choral Music Experience 2008. The choir joined forces with a small group of NYPC members for a week packed with different genres of music as well as conductors and leaders.

This year's programme took place in the picturesque grounds of the University of Stirling, Scotland. The pics are being downloaded to many a computer as I type!

The combined London group made friends with the Spokane Children's Chorus from Washington - there were hardly any goodbyes as they exchanged Facebook, MySpace and MSN details.

We would like to thank everyone that was involved for a truly wonderful experience and especially to the Jack Petchey Foundation and Awards for All for their contributions to making this event possible.

Hi people!!!!

I hope you are enjoying what is left of the Bank Holiday weekend?

As predicted, this term so far has been one of the most busiest and hectic we have had in a while. 13 of our members (inclduing me) had been preparing and practising for our singing exams which we all sat last week (30th April). We have to wait another 2 weeks for the result!!!! Of course we will keep you all posted.

Alongside this, the choir have also performed as part of the Torch Relay celebrations. The senior members not only joined in with the NYPC, but they also showed great support and maturity when helping chaperoning and peer mentoring!

Lots of pics are on the way as well as some reviews from the choir - KEEP YOUR EYES PEELED!

Last but not least, check out our gigs page for the latest additions - including next week's UEL Mayfest event. Solid Harmony were specially invited due to the raptourous response they received last year!

Take care!
Chrystal.

p.s. we are still open to new members, send us a message on the contact us section.

It's great to see so many new members, and the return of a couple of older members.

We wish good luck to those auditioning with East End Opera and Shirley Keen this week.

12 students are now preparing for their singing exams with Thames Valley University in April.

Finally, we hope to have an exciting range of new repertoire ready for the Spring and Summer of performance events.

Thank you all for your support, as always.

Happy New Year for 2008 everyone! Thanks to Heritage Lottery Fund, The Jack Petchey Foundation, and Newham Council, Solid Harmony enjoyed a rich year of opportunities in 2007. The choir performed a total of 10 gigs last term, with 7 of them being in the second half, and even 2 happening on one day!

We are now looking forward to a year of working with some of our favourite Music Leaders, Paul Watson, Jason Yarde, Eska Mtungwazi, Celia Wickham-Anderson and many more, not to mention our very own Jane in the year ahead!

We will be training for singing exams with Thames Valley University and preparing to take part at CME Stirling, Scotland in July. The choir also hopes to perform at the Royal Festival Hall as part of the Newham Arts Festival on 11th July.We have appointed 3 new reps, Aaron Thomas, Naomi Scarlet and Simcess Kamara and Alesha Young will be Chrystal Lecointe's new Choir Assistant.

Chrystal will continue to maintain the website and be overall project Leader apprentice.

Thank you to Awards for All and Jack Petchey for making it possible for us to keep moving and growing!

Thank You Cambridge Heath Brass Band and Roy Terry for the opportunity of performing with you on Saturday 1st Dec evening at the Salvation Army, Hackney. We enjoyed hearing you play and singing with you, as well as with our old friends Revelation Choir. We hope this will lead to future collaborations.

Comment from Roy Terry,

"The choirs were fantastic! - as was the atmosphere. They have a new fan in the Hackney Deputy Speaker who was there responding with great enthusiasm. We also achieved our goal of raising the funds to fly two young leaders from Eastern Congo to Kinshasa for next year's SA Music School which I've been asked to lead."