Ailsa's Blog: Meet Our Members: Jean Haddock
I have written about my musical life. It was surprisingly difficult to condense but really interesting to do. I was reminded of all kinds of things that I had forgotten, but that is the power of music.
Music has always been a big part of my life. The pleasure it continues to give me is really important to me. There was always music in our house. No one was a musician but we all listened to the radio. Mum to the Light Programme and Dad in his shed, on a big old valve radio set to Radio Hilversum, so he could listen to all those tremendous songs from the 30's and 40's.
There was a lot of singing in Primary School which I enjoyed in a jolly uncomplicated way. Secondary School got a bit more serious with the school choir (which I liked) piano lessons (which I didn't) and Music as a subject. I was interested, but then I became fifteen, the world changed and along came the Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Soul Music. It was a revelation, music at school became BORING!! I do wish I had paid more attention, I would find singing a lot easier if I had, but I did have such a good time. Music has that power, you can hear the beginning of a song or a piece of music and there you are back in that moment with all the feelings, the joy and excitement you had.
Life progressed, I married, we liked the same music (luckily), then Steve, my husband, discovered the lute, the Renaissance and all that. We were amazed and enthralled; something so different again. He had lessons and went on to become a lute maker. I listened to and loved Dowland's songs and wished I could sing them but was far too shy to begin to try.
All through this time and beyond I still listened to the radio in the kitchen. I became a kitchen singer, singing along while I cooked dinner. I listened to blues, soul, rhythm & blues, pre-war jazz and later as Chris our son got older, Emo music and Weezer and I sang along with them all. I joined our local church choir purely because Chris was in it and Mum's were required. He quickly stopped singing and I became hooked. It was a very small group, we sang motets and plain chant and I loved it all. I discovered Mozart and Bach and Handel and the whole of the Baroque and beyond. The beauty of being a musical ignoramus as I was (and am) is that there are whole worlds of music still to be heard and explored and enjoyed. At the same time I discovered 'World Music' and found a wealth of fabulous African and South American music.
Finally we retired and moved to Seaford and I joined Seaford Choral Society. I marvel at my cheek really, I had no choir experience, no musical knowledge and no real idea how to sing (except along with the radio, I had quite a lot of experience with that). I have had an amazing time. People were and are very welcoming, willing to share their knowledge and their enthusiasm. I have learnt so much and heard so much music that was new to me. I don't always like what we sing when I first hear it and I do moan about this as anyone who sits near me will attest to. But I always find something to like about every piece, some I learn to really love. I enjoy the challenge of trying to sing things that to me are extremely difficult. Mastering a piece (or truthfully most of it) and singing it in a concert with the full choir is terrifying and exhilarating and an all round wonderful experience. I would absolutely recommend it to anybody, if I can do this, anyone can – and should.
Postscript: if you haven't heard the wonderful music of African bands do seek out Orchestra Baobab from Senegal. It always cheers me up. It's not much good for kitchen singing owing to the language of Senegal, but great for kitchen dancing while making the dinner. I do that too, but only in the privacy of my kitchen.
