As I return from the gift of a holiday and time to re charge my batteries I pause from doing my laundry, unpacking and making things fresh. I pause for a moment as I think about the year ahead. It's all about the VOICE, helping people excelling and seeing how I make the most of this gift of life!
Hmm... words are so powerful, so liberating, so breaking and the lyrics to the songs I choose, be it to sing personally or for my choirs & workshops matter to me a lot. I think really carefully every single time I go through them in preparation to teach or sing them and then I decide. But words can have so much weight as do our actions, or in-action & omissions to act as the case may be. Sometimes its the things we don't do or say that break hearts and crush people's confidence or affect our affinity to people, family, friends, strangers in our crazy world. Is it so hard to go against the grain, to step outside of our comfort zones and do something different. That action could change someone's life. We can all do, this year, this month or for some, every day.
I'm reminded of the lyrics to this Shirley Horn song which was introduced to me by the great John Crawford. Yes, to me his is great... and very much still alive! Check him out. I loved working with him and when I started to sing this song during a rehearsal once I just thought I am not ready to deliver this song and to do it justice but we still worked on it and John in his usual way, gave everything and created a foundation for me sing from my heart. It's a reflection. One of the reasons I struggled with it back then was because I kept thinking about the lyrics and getting lost in them so there was a very very free sense of timing and cola voce in it's widest sense! Luckily I was in good hands!
Here it is by the legend herself, 'Here's To Life', Shirley Horn.
Happy Sunday everyone!
Love Aneesa x
No complaints
And no regrets
I still believe in chasing dreams
And placing bets
But I have learned
That all you give
Is all you get
So give it all you've got
I had my share
I drank my fill
And even though I'm satisfied
I'm hungry still
To see what's down another road
Beyond the hill
And do it all again
So here's to life
And every joy it brings
So here's to life
To dreamers and their dreams
Funny how the time just flies
How love can go
From warm hellos
To sad goodbyes
And leave you with the memories
You've memorized
To keep your winters warm
For there's no yes in yesterday
And who knows what tomorrow brings
Or takes away
As long as I'm still in the game
I want to play
For laughs
For life
For love
So here's to life
And every joy it brings
Here's to life
For dreamers and their dreams
May all your storms be weathered
And all that's good get better
Here's to life
Here's to love
Here's to you
May all your storms be weathered
And all that's good get better
Here's to life
Here's to love
Here's to you
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Aneesa Chaudhry Gigs, Choirs, Coaching & workshops / Blog
Aneesa Chaudhry Timetable of Gigs, Choirs & Workshops
And so, Autumn is ... almost upon us...I'm still loving the sunny days we are getting here in the UK and I'm enjoying preparing everything for the new term for the amazing choirs I run along with some masterclasses and gigs! Here's a little timetable of what's on and when if you want to join one that resonates with you or book onto a workshop or gig this season. If you've ever wanted to volunteer for these amazing charities, just ask how or come and sing to support them. You'll get so much out of it for yourself too! New members nights are coming up this week! Don't miss out! Any questions, contact me or the contacts on the timetable. Happy Singing everyone! Love Aneesa x #feelingproud, #lovingmywork, #makingadifference, #singing, #gigging, #giggling! Rainbow Chorus Socials@rRainbow Chorus, Martlets Hospice, St Wilfrid's Hospice, St Wilfrid's Hospice Choir, Local Vocal,RC+, Aneesa Chaudhry, Aneesa Chaudhry, Musings from the Singing MD
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GDPR
Dear Friends, Fans and Colleagues
This may or may not be relevant to you but with the new GDPR laws coming into effect, I am going through my contacts to ensure I am compliant with the new law that comes into effect on Friday 25th May. I tend now, only to contact friends and long standing contacts if I am letting you know about community engagement, public speaking consultation, a voice workshop, gig or event. In short, I want to reassure you that I do not have any intention of sharing your contact details and I am very happy to remove you from my contacts if you would like me to as our communication may no longer be relevant.
Here is the general email / message and privacy policy I am sending to you all.
Hi there
You’ve probably been receiving lots of emails from companies notifying you of updates to privacy policies because of changes to EU data protection laws.
In short, if you are happy to remain in touch, you don't need to do anything.
I am writing to reassure you that I take your privacy very seriously and that I won’t pass your contact details on a third party. I wanted to check that you’re happy for me to continue letting you know about gigs & workshops & events that I run.
I have updated my policy in accordance with the new GDPR law coming into effect on the 25th May 2018 and it states the following:
PRIVACY POLICY I respect your privacy and your information. You can reply to any email you receive from me with a request to unsubscribe. You can also send us a 'request to delete' all information or data I have about you at any time. I will never sell, trade, rent, exchange or otherwise share your personal information with any other person, company or organisation. Unless I hear from you otherwise, I will assume that you are happy to stay in touch and opt in to hearing from me about events you have expressed an interest in in the past.
If you prefer not to receive emails from me about community engagement, public speaking consultation, a voice workshop, gig or event, please just email to let me know and I will stop sending you them. If you have any questions regarding this please feel free to get in touch. You can reach me at aneesa@aneesachaudhry.com
Warm Regards Aneesa Chaudhry 07957 395 293
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Singing for Charities, fundraising, flashmobs & fun
Looking forward to a full on day today under this blue April sky! First a rehearsal workshop for Martlets wth GOOD VIBRATIONS CHOIR members dressing up super hero stylee, ready for our Flashmob to promote KAPOW!! Come to New rd at 12.15 to watch and sign up to take part in this fun fundraiser for Martlets Hospice. It'll be like doing It's a knock out with a team of friends! We'll then go on to Pavillion Gardens and jubilee square library. Look out for blue capes and pink & blue masks. Then I'll be singing at the Rainbow Chorus fundraiser with the oh so very talented Shanti Monti We've had a lot of fun rehearsing our songs. Tonight you'll hear us perform Joni Mitchell's A Case of You & Black crow, original song Sappho's Boosom inspired by our gigs at the Sappho International Lesbian festival in Greece and Nina Simones, For All We Know. Looking forward to seeing you all for a blue skied, sunny day! Love Aneesa x
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John Kernaghan - today is for you
It's been quite hard to find the words and time to talk about the loss of a hugely inspirational and loving friend who I met in Brighton 5yrs ago when I became the Musical Director of the beautiful Rainbow Chorus. When something significant happens in my life, that really affects me, like the loss of a friend like John, I find that I can't always talk and just need to BE WITH and SIT WITH the apparent reality of this deeply sad and devastating truth.
As I said to his wonderful husband Laurie, I don't know where to start in expressing how sad I feel. John gave me so much as a newcomer to Brighton, Musical Director of the Rainbow Chorus, supporter of my craft as a professional singer and something so important to me that I needed and quietly cherished - a true a friend that I felt I could trust. I could only hope that I was able to give a tiny part of what I had to offer, back.
Today is our big day at Hand In Hand where we sing alongside fellow LGBTQI brothers and sister to share the power of our feelings about life, the beauty of the songs we sing and our joy for singing plus so much more. Yesterday as we sang together in our rehearsal I could really feel John's spirit in the air and know I'll be relying on his wise words of wisdom, thinking about what poem he might reference with a smile to get his message across, his gentle effort to tell me honestly what he wants to address and the huge support for all that I do and that his choir, the Rainbow Chorus does. There was no one like him. John had a go at doing everything I asked of him as an MD- singing without copy, the Sign Supported English, the dance moves & choreography. He understood how he needed to play his part in the team exactly how I believe it matters.
When I see his picture on our backdrop today and we sing certain words to certain songs, it will mean so much not just to me but to everyone and what we are all about. I'm so grateful and honoured to be part off this beautiful LGBT choral community and know how important it was to John. The words thank you don't even begin to cover it. Today the Rainbow Chorus are singing Hand in Hand, You're The Voice of Understanding, I Love You & Wonderful World and You Are My sister at 4pm and every moment I'm conducting, I'll be doing my best with him in mind. John, today is for you. I miss you. Love Aneesa x
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Martlets Hospice - Recording Studio for Xmas Single - Choirs with Purpose
This weekend I travelled up to London with members of the Martlets GOOD VIBRATIONS Choir to record a Christmas album alongside lots of other Hospices. I was an extremely proud musical director of how we members of the choir were such wonderful ambassadors or the Martlets. Everyone looked after one another beautifully and I always feel so touched when I witness this first hand.
GV members welcomed singers from other hospices to join in with our short sing through of the songs that I led before we went into the recording studio.
Being a gigging (not just giggilng) gal myself I wanted to see how Choirs with Purpose team would execute the whole event and was pleasantly surprised to be greeted with an incredibly professional and friendly team including Clare Cook (social media), Jim Hawkins (producer), Andy (videographer) and Paul (sound). I loved seeing Tech set up, the PA, the leads, the headphones for EVERY singer and the sound waves on the computer.
The session was great, albeit very tiring but I know that everyone enjoyed themselves. Martlets GOOD VIBRATIONS Choir even had a few compliments about how well we were prepared and how we presented. They loved some of our movements and got everyone to do them and Gerald the Frog (thank you Carrie) was a HIT. I think I love him and know others did too!
Both the Soprano and Alto recording sessions went really well. This was a small challenge for our members since I run the choir with a TUNE section who had to sing higher or lower than they're used to on occassion but they all did what i've taught them and sang up with quiet confidence or sensitively more quietly if they didn't know a little section.
So, now's the time for people to go to the PLEDGE page on their website and buy the CD's. If they sell enough this project will make it into the charts!
Thank you to everyone in the Martlets who helped to co-ordinate the choir's trip, especially Ann Borg, Andrea Scott, Linda Kelley, Rose Scriven and Sarah Beardshaw. Actually, there were many more too... and that's what makes you all such a pleasure to work with.
I can safely say you did me but most importantly the Martlets really proud!
Love Aneesa x
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We couldn't have done it without you Aneesa, so a very big thank you for giving us the opportunity and confidence to do it. It was a fantastic day, a privilege to have you singing with us, and great to meet other wonderful hospice choirs.
Hospice Choirs RECORDING Xmas Single
One of the things I love about my work is the variety. One week i'm leading members of my choirs at Trans Pride (which was AMAZING!) and the next week i'm leading singers in a setting such as the sanctuary in a hospice.
Well, I can now reveal that The Martlets Hospice GOOD VIBRATIONS Choir will be heading to the recording studio's in London to make a very special recording alongside other Hospice Choirs. Members are beavering away and learning the music and we'll be rehearsing tomorrow at The Martlets ready for the big day this Saturday!
And, Paul McCartney is backing the project to get the single into the Charts: If 10 of each choir member's friends and family buy this album it will automatically drop into the TOP 20 of the charts and it will then be played on the radio!
You can be part of making this happen by pre - ordering the CD here: www.pledgemusic.com/projects/choirswithpurpose
http://home.bt.com/news/showbiz-news/sir-paul-mccartney-pledges-support-for-charity-remake-of-we-all-stand-together-11364202693749#.WYvjvxuKJxw.facebook
Looking forward to keeping you all posted! Aneesa x --
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Singing in choirs and the joy it brings
A little piece on singing in choirs and the joy in brings at The Martlets Hospice: http://www.themartlets.org.uk/blog/singing-and-the-joy-it-brings
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European Queer Choir Rehearsal Weekend
Hi everyone, the image for the European Queer Choir is being launched at the big rehearsal weekend!! As Martin Brophy, Co president of GALA Choruses says, 'This weekend we launch our new image for the European Queer Choir that brings together singers from across Europe who got together in London for one weekend before coming to sing our Songs for Europe to you'.
Our festival logo is a new design inspired by the European Flag changing the traditional yellow stars for LGBT (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet): Trans (sky blue, pink); Asexual (grey, purple) ; Bisexual (purple, pink, blue); Pansexual (pink, yellow, blue); on-binary (yellow, purple). Join us as we bring some sunshine and colour into our world.
I will be leading the choir in their performance at the Southbank Centre on Sunday at 15.30 in the BLUE ROOM / Lowest Level. There will be wine (mmm!) and singers from across Europe who have come over especially for our BIG rehearsal weekend! Let us know you're coming and book here: https://eqcsouthbank.eventbrite.co.uk
Oooohhh! Not long now! Aneesa Chaudhry, MD European Queer Choir
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Learning, inspiring and being inspired!
Totally drunk with tiredness and joy, doing work I love, trying to be in positive service to everyone I interact with be it on skype with European Queer Choir members or in real life! I am exhausted, giggly, dizzy with my amp on my knees travelling across london for some recording tomorrow willing the hot bath that awaits me to be here already. In particular I have learnt to give space to people who have given of themselves generously and fed their own beautiful NEED to sing out hard and express themselves without allowing myself to fine tune everything. Sometime you just gotta sing without restraint and share the present moment with those with you for that precious time. And, I have still been able to benefit hugely from the experiences whilst watching those around me shine and sparkle in encouraging surroundings. Thanks for being part of my incredible week so far guys. Onwards!... to that bath:-) Aneesa x
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To act or not to act? Here's to life.... ?
As I return from the gift of a holiday and time to re charge my batteries I pause from doing my laundry, unpacking and making things fresh. I pause for a moment as I think about the year ahead. It's all about the VOICE, helping people excelling and seeing how I make the most of this gift of life!
Hmm... words are so powerful, so liberating, so breaking and the lyrics to the songs I choose, be it to sing personally or for my choirs & workshops matter to me a lot. I think really carefully every single time I go through them in preparation to teach or sing them and then I decide. But words can have so much weight as do our actions, or in-action & omissions to act as the case may be. Sometimes its the things we don't do or say that break hearts and crush people's confidence or affect our affinity to people, family, friends, strangers in our crazy world. Is it so hard to go against the grain, to step outside of our comfort zones and do something different. That action could change someone's life. We can all do, this year, this month or for some, every day.
I'm reminded of the lyrics to this Shirley Horn song which was introduced to me by the great John Crawford. Yes, to me his is great... and very much still alive! Check him out. I loved working with him and when I started to sing this song during a rehearsal once I just thought I am not ready to deliver this song and to do it justice but we still worked on it and John in his usual way, gave everything and created a foundation for me sing from my heart. It's a reflection. One of the reasons I struggled with it back then was because I kept thinking about the lyrics and getting lost in them so there was a very very free sense of timing and cola voce in it's widest sense! Luckily I was in good hands!
Here it is by the legend herself, 'Here's To Life', Shirley Horn. Happy Sunday everyone! Love Aneesa x
No complaints And no regrets I still believe in chasing dreams And placing bets But I have learned That all you give Is all you get So give it all you've got
I had my share I drank my fill And even though I'm satisfied I'm hungry still To see what's down another road Beyond the hill And do it all again
So here's to life And every joy it brings So here's to life To dreamers and their dreams
Funny how the time just flies How love can go From warm hellos To sad goodbyes And leave you with the memories You've memorized To keep your winters warm
For there's no yes in yesterday And who knows what tomorrow brings Or takes away As long as I'm still in the game I want to play For laughs For life For love
So here's to life And every joy it brings Here's to life For dreamers and their dreams
May all your storms be weathered And all that's good get better Here's to life Here's to love Here's to you
May all your storms be weathered And all that's good get better Here's to life Here's to love Here's to you
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