My Community Sings!

My community sings...

to be connected:

There’s no ‘I’ in team, but somewhere there’s ‘me’. Be a part of a wider project, of a larger cause bigger than one’s own; see and be with others you know and others you don’t – meet new people and build new friendships; join a musical family and in fellowship and goodwill have many as one.

to forget:

Their woes, their troubles, an eagerly shut door to a past that remains locked. To escape this world, this reality, and suddenly, effortlessly enter another, and in so doing, feeling, within oneself, free. Unfold ones arms, balm an open wound and unclench a weary fist.

to create:

Starting with nothing – a blank page, five horizontal lines and an unstinting ambition; an adventurous goal set by an optimistic guide leads always to a most unforgettable journey marked by works of great heart.

to remember:

To view through a window the memory font in the corner at the back of the mind, to unlock that door, trigger a switch, awaken and ignite the imagination: first loves, favourite holidays, the Wars, family gatherings, the departed and that ever-shifting concept – ‘home’.

to express:

Their desires, their longings, the ambivalence, the rejections, the high celebrations, the wallowing lows, the misery, the elations, the angst, ebbs and flows; the thoughts on close friends, bully boys, geeky girls, feuding families, lost lovers, pugnacious pugilists viewed by maternal maidens, incorrigible conquerors peer over fateful unfortunates; a cluster of characters who, until that magical moment, remain silent ... and then, with a pen as a wand and the mouth as a sword, in an instant they are given voice.

to self-educate:

To explore old subjects in unusual forms; to discuss new topics in a fun and innovative way.

to overcome:

A seemingly ingrained fear of singing itself, afraid to open their mouths for fear of what they might impart. Despite their bravery, memories and attitudes linger still and, as yet, remain uncontested: ‘You shouldn’t be in the choir’ they recall ‘she cannot sing a note’ they summon. And yet they always should, and yet they always do. to breathe in: ‘Relax 2,3,4. Breathe in ... Relax 2,3,4’ to energise: Reinvigorate, start afresh and enliven. Stretch your arms until you are 12-feet tall, then lower them to the tips of your toes, singing at the top of your voice ‘bungalow, bung-bun-ga-low ’.

to experience:

Cultures other than our own, be they from the other side of the world or simply the other side of the street, enriching our own knowledge, broadening our horizons; to reach a hand out to other communities; to de-other and re-humanise.

to enjoy: enough said.

Aga runs compositional and cross-curricular singing workshops with various organisations including Hatch My Ideas (HMI) and the New London Orchestra (NLO). For Sing Up, he’s part of the education team for Pegasus Opera Company and runs the Sing Up Bedfordshire project, Community Voices for HMI.