PRESS INFORMATION: Tues 17 Nov 2020
Ploughcappella (Alison Whittall’s North Devon Community Choir), based at The Plough Arts Centre, Great Torrington, celebrated 20 years of singing together on 23 May 2020, in the height of the first lockdown. Now, during the second lockdown, six months on, following six weeks of zoom rehearsals, an epic choir video performance of an uplifting brand new, original song is about to be launched.
Out of dark troubled times comes the light and harmony of song, as 34 singers, in a project funded by Arts Council England, raise their voices to sing ‘Hidden in the Music’ to raise funds for The Plough Arts Centre who were set to reopen on the first day of the second Lockdown.
Choir leader Alison Whittall explained ‘It is not the same AT ALL to sing ‘together and apart’ through screens but, at least this opportunity has helped us all to create something beautiful and transformative together! I wrote the new song this autumn and was inspired by the heart that unites us and transforms fear into love’. Alison’s colleague Dominic Stitchbury of Chaps Choir, London, has skillfully stitched together all the contributions in what is a triumph of video editing.
The choir have performed across the South West for 20 years and what is striking about Ploughcappella is the powerful joy and warmth that radiates from their performances. One Choir member, L’anne Knight, said of the choir:
'So much pain in the world and Ploughcapella, whilst constantly aware, always takes us to a place of hope and love’
Plough Director Richard Wolfenden-Brown paid tribute to the success and longevity of the group: 'Ploughcappella began in the year 2000, when community choirs were few and far between and a cappella choirs were even more rare. Alison Whittall gently, but dynamically, wove her musical magic and drew together a large and diverse range of committed local people, who were captivated by the thrill of singing unaccompanied songs from all around the world. Alison's inspirational leadership over twenty years has changed lives, brought smiles to the faces of countless audiences, and warmth to the hearts of all who have participated as choir or audience members. Of all the opportunities that The Plough has initiated and supported over the years, Ploughcappella is a very special part of our beacon for the arts, and, best of all, it just gets better and better - even in lockdown!'
Alison added ‘The Plough Arts Centre is an oasis of culture and diverse artistic expression, struggling to survive in times of great challenge, so please enjoy the new song and donate to support this wonderful gem of artistic, creative life, in the crown of North Devon, especially when it reopens on 10 Dec’.
To enjoy the new song by Ploughcappella search
‘Hidden In The Music’ via https://www.theploughartscentre.org.uk/ploughcappella20
from 7pm on Mon 23 Nov.