Well it has been a very long time to wait but after 16 months and over 470 days of having to sing in our front rooms, kitchens and garden sheds all by ourselves with only a computer as our friend we finally got to sing all together again outdoors last weekend.  It was awesome and such an emotional time.  You don't know what it means to sing with other people until you are told that you are not allowed to sing with other people.  We could all hear each other and hear all the fantastic harmonies and feel the music running through our veins.  Everybody who came along had a thoroughly enjoyable and uplifting experience and this marked the beginning of our journey as a choir back to live and fabulous rock choir sessions in September.  Loved it!

On saturday 22nd August I was invited to join other Rock Choir leaders and a few local Rockies to go to the stunning Eden Project and record some songs for upcoming Songs of Praise programmes in the Autumn.  It was a new experience as we had to adhere to Covid 19 regulations so we had to stand 2 meters apart when we were singing. The BBC looked after us and kept us safe during the 3 hour recording session in one of the spectacular Domes at the Eden Project.  It was so nice to meet up with some of my Rock Choir colleagues and to be involved in music making again.  We still cant meet as a choir but I am hoping that it won't be too much longer - my fingers are crossed!  Thank you BBC and Songs of Praise for a lovely evening.

We spent a lovely afternoon yesterday visiting a school for children of all ages who have both learning and physical disabilities. We were invited to perform because three of our rockies are teaching staff at this amazing school. What a wonderful and extremely humbling experience it was for us all! The kids, aged from about 5 up to 18 loved it! They sang and clapped and danced throughout the set and were totally engaged with the choir. One young girl signed the entire performance of 'All of me' - stunning. I love these small, intimate and personal gigs as do all the rockies who by the way were awesome! Thanks everyone and well done to the four rockies performing their debut gig! You were amazing!

Well, in all my years in the music business I have performed and conducted in some wonderful venues but this is my first ever performance in a YURT in December!! A huge shout out and well done to Rockies from Saltash and Plymouth with one or two very dedicated rockies from Torquay and Newton Abbot for not only turning out to sing in awful weather - well done for finding the Yurt!! I have to say though it turned out to be a cracking night with a great audience. I know I am biased but I think we sounded particularly good last night. The singing was full of passion, intensity and energy. Really good! On to Tavistock on Sunday. Thank you Miss Ivy Events for a gig with a difference!

Wow Wow Wow!!! What a sound, what a gig, what a choir! We had a brilliant day in Newton Abbot singing for the Christmas shoppers and raising some serious money for Guide Dogs South West. 100 Rockies singing passionately is a privilege to stand in front of and direct! You were all awesome and I am very proud of you all this evening. Huge thanks to Phil at Prosound Solutions SW Limited for doing us proud again with the sound. A wonderful Rock Choir vibe today. We go again at Cockington Court tomorrow at 1pm. Harrison is putting together a video of the day which I will share with all when finished!

We had lovely day out yesterday in beautiful Tavistock. We went as a family to look around the markets and the historic town which was a really nice thing to do in the lead up to Christmas. I then joined 60 rockies and rocked Tavistock in the evening as they turned on their Christmas lights. It was so nice to see some past rockies in the crowd supporting the choir. Considering there was no sound check for anybody we sounded fab! Yvonne and the children who were in the crowd said it sounded great! Well done everyone and thank you Tavistock.

I have just returned from three days on the Pont Aven sailing from Plymouth to Santander. We all had such a great time and it gave me a real insight into being a musician on a ship.  Tiring and demanding but a whole load of fun! This is Rozzy Turner the entertainment manager for the mini cruise.  She is ace and has an amzing voice!  I directed the Rock Choirs as we flash mobbed the passengers and sang three more full sets rocking the ship (literally!).  We also sang around the piano and I even managed to play a 30 minute set on my electric violin which was great fun!  Until next time!

What a special gig that was today. An absolute pleasure and an honour to run a workshop with the lovely young people from play torbay. Over 90 rockies joined the Play Torbay team for 'The Quest' at The Dartington Hall Trust as we sang together and shared the love of singing and all the good that it brings to us as human beings. We taught the children 'This is Me' and then we had a great time singing Footloose, Im still standing, Dreams and of course Hallelujah which sounded so beautiful in the Great Hall with its superb acoustics. A different experience for all the rockies but one we thoroughly enjoyed (judging by all the tears!) . Thank you and well done everybody!

What a wonderful Rock Choir night we had at the The New Continental in Plymouth. Rockies turned out in their numbers in torrential rain to support the Stroke Association Charity Dinner last night. We discreetly arrived and prepared our Flash Mob which was so much fun as the guests had absolutely no idea we were coming. Well done Andrea for leading that for us - you were awesome! We then performed a short but very lively set of songs for a very enthusiastic, lively and keen crowd who had a great time singing and dancing with us! Many of the guests had only just recovered from a stroke so to see their energy and thirst for a fun night was so inspiring. One of our most enjoyable gigs I think - thoroughly rewarding! Well done 

Well it was one thing having the opportunity to perform at the BBC Proms in the Park 2019 on the Hyde Park stage with the BBC Concert Orchestra but it was something completely different to get the opportunity in the lead up to this enormous show to go and work with the orchestra in the Abbey Rd studios!  I am a huge fan of The Beatles and love their music so have the chance to go and work in the studios where those iconic and world changing songs were created is yet another magical experience that will remain with me forever! As we pulled up to the front gate you could feel the atmosphere and then when we entered the studio building it was everywhere!  There was a very tangible feeling of history, creativity and nostalgia!  This is where a lot of their music was created and I am woking here this morning! 

As a professional musician I am often lucky enough to have the opportunity to make wonderful memories.  Last weekend was more than that.  To spend three days with some of the nicest professionals you would ever like to meet, work long hours together preparing for the show of a lifetime and unwinding together is something I will treasure forever. It is so difficult to put into words how it felt.  To be on the Hyde Park stage with 80 talented singers that was accompanied by the BBC Concert Orchestra was magical enough.  To then go on and perform our set in front on 40,000 people of which 10,000 were friends and family lifted the experience to another level beyond my levels of interpretation!!  We shared back stage with all of the other artists and shared stories together - The Kingdom Choir, Chrissie Hynde, Jack Savoretti, Michael Ball, Aled Jones and Russell Watson to name a few. It was briliiant and a memory that will always be with me.  Thank you Rock Choir and thank you Rockies!

After a very busy month or so it has been lovely to sing at smaller, community events this weekend.  On Friday afternoon we entertained the kids and staff at Bearnes Primary School as they held their summer fete.  On Sunday we went to St Meliion near Saltash for their annual traditional Cherry Feast community event.  Both gigs were very hot but the standard of singing and the attitude of the Rockies was totally professional.  We had lots of positive feedback from those listening and we were very much appreciated.  It's always nice to sing in the local community and support events like these.  

Rock Choir Live 2019.  Plymouth. 600 Voices 4 Choir Leaders Live Band.  What a wonderful musical experience this was for all concerned.  This gave many of our members a unique opportunity to sing as part of a massed choir of 600 voices.  It was stunning! Powerful, emotional, sensitive, musical... I could go on.  Great Rock Choir experience.  We also raised over £1000 for the Rock Choir charity Nordoff Robbins.

It was a real honour and a priviledge to be invited along with my Rock Choirs to sing at Armed Forces Day up on Plymouth Hoe.  On such an emotional and proud occasion it was so wonderful to be able to contribute our support through our singing on such an important day.  The sun was shining and the backdrop of the iconic lighthouse and Plymouth Sound was stadning in all its glory.  We performed a 25 minute set to a crowd on thousands and judging by their reaction and also their feedback they loved it!! Thank you to everyone for being so smart and for singing so amazingly well.

I had another absolutley stunning Rock Choir experience on Saturday.  We sang at the regatta, right by the waters edge with the amazing Tamar Bridge in the background.  The sun was shining and the crowds turned out in their hundreds.  Members of Saltash and Plymouth Rock Choirs sang their hearts out on the stage.  It sounded amazing!!  Well done everybody.

We had a lovely Rock Choir night last Saturday at Avenue Church as we shared a concert with the Newton Abbot Ukulele band.  There was a great turn out and the audience loved the songs and could be seen clapping and singing along.  The concert was in aid of Teignbridge Home Start and the evening raised over £1000 which is wonderful news.  Well done to all the rockies who came to sing and support the concert - you sounded amazing!  Special well done to the rockies on their first gig!  brilliant!

Richard spent the morning in Plymouth at BBC Radio Devon talking all things Rock Choir!  Richard met up with Vikki Hewitt the leader of the East Devon Rock Choirs and Katherine and Janice members of Plymouth Rock Choir. They all appeared on the David Fitzgerald show to discuss why Rock Choir is such a popular phenomenon that over 30,000 people do every week across the UK!  We talked about Abbey Rd recordings, being a part of the BBC Proms in the Park through to the amzing happy feeling that we all get through singing together each week.  Fab time!