Background
MK Community Choir has run a summer festival in Campbell Park, Milton Keynes for Community Choirs since 2021. Each year it has attracted more and more choirs and this year a total of 18 took part. For the first time in 2024 MK Community Choir headed the bill and had the audience cheering and dancing in front of the stage for the finale.
In 2023, we introduced a new feature to the festival - the 'Big Sing'. Choirs were invited to learn a newly commissioned piece, 'Forever?' for the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the creation of the hymn ‘Amazing Grace’. The lyrics of the famous hymn were written by the Reverand John Newton, a curate for the parish church in nearby Olney and published in 1779. This year the choirs joined together to perform 'With Courage' in homage to the RNLI, which is celebrating 200 years since its foundation. Photos of the festival can be found on the Milton Keynes Community Choir Photo Galleries webpage.
Participating Choirs
The best thing about the festival is without a doubt the opportunity to perform in an open air environment and to hear what other choirs in our area are doing and to learn from them. The festival provides the opportunity to be inspired and energised by members of other choirs, who often perform very different types of music. Indeed, this year we were contacted shortly before the festival by a choir from Nigeria who had heard about the event and asked if they join us to perform at the festival. Our Festival Director, Craig McLeish, managed to find them a slot and they were brilliant. It’s unlikely we would have had the opportunity to see them perform had it not been for the festival.
Participating choirs in 2024 were Harmonise; Broughton Manor Prep; MK Youth Choir; Hart & Soul; Grand Union Choir; Opus 18; Sharnbrook Choir; MK Women's Choir; Offbeat; TGI Choir; Nigerian Women's Choir; Quorum Singers; Sweet Sound Choir; Musica; MK Chorale; Sing Space; Vocal Shack; MK Community Choir.
Feedback
| Despite the unseasonably chilly weather in 2024, the post-festival survey elicited many positive comments. Here's a sample: 'Just a huge thank you for creating such a wonderful festival!' 'The vendors did a good job, food was lovely and toilets well arranged.' 'This festival is so important to showcase the best that MK has when it comes to singing in choral groups. It really supports good mental wellbeing.' 'It was well organised and seemed to flow very well.' 'A very enjoyable experience.' 'Met some lovely people and impressed with the quality of music being performed in our city.' 'High number of choirs - quality and variety. Good vibes from the stage.' '(I enjoyed) seeing and hearing the scope of choral singing in Milton Keynes.' |
Finances
We were lucky enough to secure financial support for the 2024 festival from the Milton Keynes Community Foundation. You can read their impact report here.
Future Festivals
We are always keen to hear from choirs who would like to get involved. The 2025 festival will be held on Saturday 12th July. If you are a choir leader or organiser and would like your choir to perform at the festival, please provide some information about your choir by downloading and completing the application form and emailing it to eventsorganiser@miltonkeynescommunitychoir.org and we will be in touch with further details.
