Ailsa's Blog: Meet Our Members: Carole Winch
I joined the choir in St. Bartholomew's in 1974. (in Norbury) It was about 80 strong then.
I am a top soprano. We sang mostly church music and have a repertoire of something like a dozen Masses
We travelled to Rome in 1980 and sang a concert in one of the Basilicas and sang high Mass in St Peter's in Rome. We had to learn the standard Mass that they always have there. They were so impressed that they asked us to come back 4 years later which we did.
The first time we stood up to sing I was so overcome with emotion that I couldn't sing with the tears.
We had an audience with the Pope on the first visit and sang to Him in Polish, one of our members was Polish and taught us the piece. There were many choirs assemble but we were the only ones who sang in Polish.
Some of us … about 10 initially started to sing in the Albert Hall each year with Sir David Willcox for the Messiah from scratch.
We did this for many years.
I am still a member and try to go there to sing with the choir (in Norbury) but find the drive too much these days.
I was pleased to join the choral society a few years ago as it gives me great joy to sing and nice to do some varied music as well as church music.
