Hello everyone! 👋💕 Well, here we are again, with Christmas just around the corner! 🎅 Where on earth has this year gone?I thought it was time for another little catch-up with you all. There is so much going on in my musical world at the moment, some lovely Christmas events coming up, and a few exciting plans bubbling away for the New Year! ✨So, grab yourself a cuppa ☕, get comfortable, and let's have a catch-up!
If you are free on Friday 11th December, I would absolutely love you to come along to our Christmas Carol Sing-Along evening with the wonderful Croydon Brass Band.📍 St Alban's Church, South Norwood 🗓️ Friday 11th December 🕢 7.30 pm – 9.30 pm.
It'll be a fabulous evening of music, singing, and Christmas cheer! 🎶 We'll have performances from my lovely Sing for Happiness and Euphoric Harmony choirs, alongside our church choir. Croydon Brass Band will be bringing that wonderful festive brass sound, and we'll have plenty of opportunities for everyone to join in with some favourite Christmas carols. 🎺🎵We also have a beautiful solo performance of Hallelujah from Kelly to look forward to. ❤️ And of course, what would a Christmas evening be without mulled wine 🍷 and mince pies 🥧? Whether you love singing or simply enjoy listening to live music, please do come along. Bring your family, friends or neighbours and enjoy an evening together.🎄 Come along, sing your heart out and get into the Christmas spirit! I'd love to see some familiar faces and hopefully meet a few new ones too!
Friday 11th December is going to be a particularly musical day for Sing for Happiness!
We're doing something a little different with our Sing for Happiness session and having a Show & Tell! It's a chance to share something with the group, enjoy each other's company, have a laugh and, of course, do some singing. 🎤🎟️ We'll also have a Christmas raffle with a lovely Christmas hamper to be won! 🎁If you're free, please do come along and join in.
Later that afternoon, Sing for Happiness will be spreading some festive joy at The Ark Centre! in Caterham🎄There is something so lovely about taking our singing out into the community, especially at Christmas. Music has a wonderful way of bringing people together, lifting spirits and creating connections. ❤️ We're looking forward to a joyful afternoon filled with festive music, smiles and plenty of Christmas cheer. And then, in the evening, it's off to St Alban's for our Christmas Carol Sing-Along! 🎺I think I might need a very large cup of tea by the end of that day! ☕😂
Both my choirs, Euphoric Harmony, Thornton Heath and Sing for Happiness in Purley, are welcoming new singers, and we have open rehearsals running until the end of term. If you've ever thought about joining a choir but felt a little nervous, please don't be! 💕 You don't have to be an experienced singer, and you certainly don't need to audition for Sing for Happiness. 🎼 Euphoric Harmony is a wonderful opportunity to explore different musical styles, work on your voice, enjoy harmonies and experience the excitement of singing with others. ❤️ Sing for Happiness is all about the joy of singing, friendship, wellbeing and having a good time together. And here's something I'd love to offer:
🎉 YOUR FIRST CHOIR SESSION IS FREE! 🎉 Come along, meet everyone, experience a rehearsal and see whether it's something you would enjoy. No pressure, just music and a warm welcome. If you know someone who has mentioned wanting to sing, please pass my details on. Sometimes all someone needs is that little encouragement to walk through the door. 💕
This is something I really want to spread the word about. 📣I offer LIVE hybrid choir sessions, meaning you can join one of my choirs from the comfort of your own home using Zoom. And no, this isn't singing along to a computer-generated backing track! 🎶 It's a REAL choir, singing LIVE, with YOU joining us from home! You'll be joining a real choir rehearsal as it happens. You'll see the choir, hear the voices in the room, interact with us and feel part of the group.
I know some people would absolutely love to sing but perhaps cannot get out of the house due to mobility difficulties, health, transport, caring responsibilities or simply because travelling isn't practical.❤️ That shouldn't mean missing out on music and connection. Singing can bring so much happiness into someone's life, and I would love more people to know that this option exists. It's affordable too! 💷I also offer concession rates and Pay-As-You-Go options, because I genuinely want singing to be accessible to as many people as possible. So please, if you know anyone who might benefit from joining us, whether in person or online, let them know!
Alongside my choirs, I continue to offer piano and singing lessons for children and adults. Lessons are available face-to-face or online, so there's flexibility depending on what works best for you. 🏡💻 Whether it's a child wanting to begin their musical journey, someone working towards exams, a teenager wanting to build confidence, or an adult returning to music after many years, I love helping people discover what they can achieve. 🌟Music lessons are not just about passing exams. They're about enjoyment, confidence, creativity, learning new skills and, most importantly, developing a lifelong love of music. If you know anyone looking for a piano or singing teacher, please pass on my details.
🎵 Lesson information, including children's prices and available options, can be found on my website. Word of mouth really does mean so much to a small business like mine, so thank you to everyone who recommends me. ❤️
I've also been working on something a little different, which I'm hoping to introduce through my website in the New Year. ✨It's a course designed to encourage you to take a little time away from the busyness of everyday life. 🌸 A chance to pause, reflect, breathe and reconnect with yourself. I'll be bringing together gentle breathing, reflection, sound and frequencies to create a calming experience that encourages relaxation, mindfulness and a little space for yourself. Life can be incredibly busy, can't it? We spend so much time doing things for everyone else that sometimes we forget to make time for ourselves. This course will be about creating that space. 💕I'm not going to give too much away just yet, as there are still some lovely details I want to put together, but I'm really looking forward to sharing it with you.✨ So, if that sounds like something you would enjoy, keep an eye on my website in the New Year!
My Rock Vocals Workshop is also something to look forward to! Unfortunately, I had to postpone the original date, but the workshop is very much still happening. If you've ever fancied exploring your rock voice, trying something a little different or simply enjoying a workshop dedicated to rock vocals, this could be for you. 🎤🤘There is already some information on my website, and I'll be sharing more details in the New Year.🎶 New year, new musical adventures!
Another exciting plan for next year is to expand Sing for Happiness. I would love to bring the joy of singing to more people and hopefully create more opportunities for people to connect through music. I've seen first-hand how much a choir can mean to someone. Sometimes it's not just the singing; it's the friendships, the conversations, the laughter and having something to look forward to. ❤️ I have a few ideas I'd like to explore, so watch this space! 👀✨
Some of you may already know that I now have two six-month-old boy kittens. 🐾Oh my goodness. They are adorable. 🥰 They are funny. 😂 And they are NAUGHTY! 🙈 Honestly, they are little bundles of mischief, and I absolutely love them. However, with Christmas approaching, I have a rather strong suspicion that my Christmas tree is going to become their new climbing frame! 🎄🐈I had actually been thinking about getting a lovely new Christmas tree this year. Well, not anymore! 😂I'm not spending money on a beautiful tree just for two naughty little kittens to launch themselves into it! So, we shall see how that one goes. Perhaps I'll have some interesting photographs to share with you over Christmas! 📸
On the family front, I've finally completed all the secondary school application bits for Sophia!My goodness, what a headache that was. 😅Honestly, I don't remember it being quite so intense! We've applied for ArchBishop Tenison's Church of England School, so everything is crossed. 🤞Sophia will be 11 at Christmas 🎂, which I can hardly believe. Where has that time gone? It feels like only yesterday she was tiny, and now here we are thinking about secondary school.🤞 Fingers crossed for some good news!
Now, I must tell you about my ongoing adventures with technology. I'm trying, everyone. I really am! 😂 Facebook I can manage, but TikTok and Instagram? Well, that's a whole new level! 🤯And don't even get me started on CapCut.It's like learning another language! I'm not ashamed to admit that I get Sophia to help me edit my videos. The speed at which she works is unbelievable. 💻 I'm sitting there trying to figure out where to press, and she's already edited the video, added effects, sorted the music, and probably done another three things I didn't even know were possible! My goodness. What takes me forever seems to take her about thirty seconds! 😂 But I am learning. Slowly! I've even managed to get my choir members onto an app now.
📲Look at us all, keeping up with the modern world! We do have fun, I can tell you.🎄 Over Christmas, I'll also be sharing lots of music on my music Facebook page, so please do follow along. There should be plenty of festive music to enjoy.
Now, here's a question. Do we think we'll get snow this Christmas? ❄️ I do love how pretty everything looks when it snows, although I also know just how disruptive and powerful winter weather can be. And has anyone else noticed all the conversations about being prepared for emergencies these days? It certainly gets people talking! A friend of mine recently came out with something that really did make me laugh. Apparently, according to her, the government is going to stage a fake alien invasion using holographic images! 👽🛸Yes. You read that correctly. An alien invasion! 😂 Well, what can I say? I'm just pleased I managed to make my journey to De Stafford School this morning with a clear mind and without having to dodge any holographic spaceships! Oh my goodness. You really couldn't make up some of the conversations we have, could you? Anyway, moving swiftly on before the aliens arrive... 🛸😂
On a slightly more thoughtful note, Christmas can be such a wonderful time of year, but I also know it isn't always easy for everyone. For some people, Christmas can bring sadness, loneliness, worry or memories of people who are no longer with us. And while the world around us seems to be full of excitement, decorations and festive cheer, not everyone feels that way.So please, be kind to yourselves.
💕 If Christmas is difficult for you this year, don't feel that you have to put on a happy face all the time. And if you can, reach out to someone. A friend, a neighbour, a family member or a local group.Sometimes a conversation, a cup of tea ☕ or an invitation to join in with something can make such a difference. This is one of the reasons I love what I do with my choirs. Music brings people together, and sometimes simply being in a room with others, singing and sharing a laugh, is exactly what someone needs. ❤️ Nobody should feel they have to face everything alone. And if you know someone who might be feeling lonely this Christmas, perhaps give them a call or invite them along to one of our musical events. You never know how much it might mean to them.
Before I finish, I just want to say a really big thank you to everyone who follows my musical journey. I've noticed that my website now has such a lovely range of subscribers, and it really does mean a lot. Some of you have had piano or singing lessons with me. 🎹 Some have sung in my choirs. 🎶Some of you have seen me perform or met me at an event. 🎤 And some of you might never have met me in person but enjoy following what I'm up to. Wherever you are and however you found me, thank you for being here.
❤️ It's lovely to have you along for the journey. If you're local, please do come and see me at one of our events or choir sessions. And if you're further afield, remember there are still ways to be involved online. 💻 I have lots of ideas, music, courses and new adventures planned for next year, and I'm really excited to see where things go. But first, let's enjoy Christmas, make some memories, share some music and hopefully keep my two kittens out of the Christmas tree! 🎄🐈
😂Take care of yourselves, stay well and keep singing!
🎶Lots of love, Becky xx ❤️P.S. 📱 Don't forget to follow my music pages on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok for Christmas music, choir news and probably the occasional bit of chaos along the way! 🎄🎶
