The SangStories website - the stories behind many of your best-loved songs. |
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The West Lothian Traditional Song Group |
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A brief history of Sangschule |
 Christine Kydd's warm up exercises - now available on video! Christine Kydd leads Sangschule and friends at a 'Muckle Sing' event
Aileen Carr
Sangschule members catching their breath
Sangschule by Linlithgow Cross after a performance at Linlithgow's Renaissance Fair. There's always someone who forgets the dress code...
Sangschule and other groups come together at the second Singers' Gathering in Livingston in 2002
Sangschule in the court room where we used to have to take our tea-breaks - we sang in the robing room next door where the Justices of the peace prepared for action!
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Sangschule started in 1994 as a community education venture by the then-West Lothian District Council's Arts Unit, which was a strong supporter of traditional music in West Lothian, at that time viewed as a traditional music desert by many! West Lothian Council has continued to actively support the music scene in West Lothian, and along with Linlithgow Folk Festival, is the most regular promoter of big folk events in West Lothian.
The original song-group was tutored for several years by Christine Kydd, and was one of the earliest such groups in Scotland. During these early years we laid down and then refined the principles that Sangschule has used ever since:
* We believe everyone can sing, and should have the chance to do so in an uncritical environment - so no auditions.
* We learn songs, rather than relying on sight-reading.
* We sing together, rather than individuals doing 'spots'.
* Although some group members chose to go out and perform, there is no pressure on any individual to do so, and we don't mind if anyone chooses not to!
* We believe singing is fun!
So where did we get our early members? From the same place we still get them - by people deciding to try something that is usually very different from their previous experience of singing in groups. Some have stayed, others have taken up other musical or non-musical activities (it did pain us to lose a couple of members to the golf evening class at Linlithgow Academy where we met for a while!)
If put on the spot, and asked what was the single greatest benefit for Sangschule members, most people would say their increased confidence in their own ability to sing.
So what have been some of the highlights? Too many to remember, really, but Sangschule members recall fondly the 'Muckle Sing' events and one day workshops that we helped organise for many years to bring together large numbers of singers from other groups in central Scotland that operate like we do. And there was the time that we were invited to Celtic Connections, where we did fairly much what we do every week, but under the eyes of about 150 of an audience in the Piping Centre, almost all of whom were singing lustily by the time we finished.
An ongoing pleasure for all members is the chance to work with some great singers and inspirational teachers. Over the years, Sangschule has been tutored by, among others, Christine Kydd, Aileen Carr, Gordeanna McCulloch, Anne and Scott Murray of the Sangsters, Sylvia McGowan and Elaine Wallace of Stairheid Gossip, and Amy Lord. We have had occasional sessions tutored by such singers as Sheena Wellington, Eileen Penman, Anne Neilson, Karine Polwart, Ewan McVicar and Sara Grey.
Within the last few years, we have concentrated on helping volunteers from among our members learn the skills that are necessary to teach songs, and this has added a new dimension to our activities. In recent years we have found much satisfaction in taking our own product - the teaching and sharing of songs - to different venues. We have done three of these at festivals since summer 2006, and now have a regular slot at the Linlithgow Folk Festival.
While we are not really a performance group, we do like to entertain, and are happy to do this while assisting charities.
And how are we organised? We are a not-for-profit organisation that relies on the goodwill and hard work of a number of people: organising tutors, or actually tutoring ourselves; arranging one-off events; supporting other local groups in a variety of ways; and of course publicising this work and the benefits of singing in every way possible!
You may be wondering what happens to old Sangschule members. We have noticed over the years that the effect of the increased confidence that members feel is that some want to find greater challenges in the field of traditional and folk music. Quite a number of our members are now confident performers in their own right, and we have instituted a series of Sangschule sessions where members can practise their sessions skills in a comfortable environment before launching themselves into the wide world.
And talking of old Sangschule members... We have always had a wide age range among our members, although we can only have under-16s if accompanied by a parent. So remember, singing is not just for Christmas, it's for life!
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