There seems to be a lot of Choirs out and about in the zeitgeist at the moment.  Maybe it’s just because once I’ve noticed one, I see them everywhere.

Last week I wrote about the impact that the first episode of the new series of ‘The Choir‘ on BBC had on me, and indeed I found the second equally affecting;  there is such a feeling of genuine enthusiasm and belief in the power of singing together.

But just as I am enthused and moved by the stories told in that programme, I am repelled by the attempts to flog me stuff in adverts filled with groups of people singing.  There’s one for a bank, one for IT education; there are car ads, and dairy spreads.  Enough! I shout at the television whenever they appear.

I suppose that’s how advertising works though, isn’t it?  Pick up on something that is happening organically and then exploit it to piggyback on the positive connotations in the hope that we won’t notice that it’s all just junk, and to turn what had once been interesting and inspiring into so much commercial dust.

So let’s enjoy the real thing before it’s degraded beyond repair.

On Saturday evening I went to part of a performance by Edinburgh Academy choir, in which one of the children with whom I’m staying this week participates.  A large number of children, ranging from rather dishevelled little boys, wearing school shirts clearly bought for growth, to young women in eye-liner and carefully styled hair, joined together to give a nuanced and engaging performance of Gershwin songs.  From my vantage point to the side of the choir, in the circular venue, I had a perfect view of the teacher conducting.  So swept along by his energy and focussed control, it was hard to resist the temptation to join in.

I’ve subsequently learned that as well as this full, ‘anyone can join in’ choir, the school also has a smaller selected chamber group, who are the reigning champions of a BBC school choir competition.