Anyone who was lucky enough to hear them sing at the Examiner’s glitzy Community Awards’ night earlier in the summer will tell you how good they are.
So good in fact that the team behind the young people’s choir, ReJoySing correct has decided that it is time that instead of appearing in other people’s concerts, they had one of their own.
And that is exactly what these fine young singers will be doing next month when they headline an evening called simply, ReJoySing and Friends. They have lots of those.
Alongside the singers will be K T Dancers from Lindley, , 18-year-old musician, actor and singer Chris Fox, members of the Really Useless Group (and they are certainly not!) plus favourites Gina Cook and Marina Haigh and a few surprises. More of those later.
ReJoySing began in 2008 as a way of giving school-age singers a chance to get involved in a choir.
They rehearse every week at Moldgreen United Reformed Church which is where they will hold this first headlining concert on September 14 (7.30pm).
The choir recruits singers aged from eight to 18 and the current group is taking on all kinds of music from Panis Angelicus to songs by The Beatles.
The group is run by members of the charity Caritas which was set up some years ago by a group of well-known local musicians and singers which includes Gordon Balmforth, correctPat Graham, Alan Bradford and Elaine Cockram.
“The choir has sung in residential homes for the elderly, care homes and at charity fundraisers and public concerts,” said Gordon.
“They have supported lots of other people at their concerts but never hosted one of their own. We wanted them to have that experience.
“We are really proud of them and say to them that they don’t realise just how good they are.”
That night at the Examiner Community Awards where they sang for over 300 people at the John Smith’s Stadium proved it. The choir was nominated in the Arts category perform at the awards
“The girls thought it was like the Oscars,” said Pat Graham.
“They were trembling in their boots a bit before they got up to sing but they really enjoyed it,” said Gordon who is the choir’s musical director.
“The girls did really well and were overwhelmed by the reaction that they got. It was great night for them,” said Pat.
The choir is currently working hard on material for the concert in September.
“They are a very tight group and work for each other,” said Gordon. “They listen to each other and in rehearsal I don’t have to tell them if anything has gone astray. They know immediately and can tell me where the mistake was.”
The Moldgreen concert features other young performers including dancer Katy Bradbury, 20, of Lindley who earlier this year set up her own dance school.
Katy started her business thanks to a Kirklees Enterprise For youth Award and in addition to Saturday dance classes is working with nurseries to get very young children into movement and dance.
Some of her tiny tots, aged between two and four, are likely to appear as are a group of seven and eight-year-olds that Katy teaches.
She’s not stopped there though as her mum, Karen and younger sister, Olivia, 18 are doing their bit in a Dawn French andDarcey Bussell routine called The Mirror.
If that doesn’t bring the house down there’s no justice.
Expect lashings more comedy from Graeme Hoyle, Ken Burnett and Heather Boothroyd in a Sand Dance plus Gina Cook and Marina Haigh in a favourite piece, The Chocolate Soldier.
The competition for show-stopping comedy is certainly hot with six members of the Really Useless team pitching in with The Optical Illusion Dance. There’s a version on YouTube if you can’t wait.
Put September 14 in your diary. Tickets from Karen on 07887873984.