By Bernie Bell
The Orkney Winter Choir and the Orkney Camerata have been shortlisted for the Royal Philharmonic Society Inspiration Award.
The RPS awards are Britain’s most prestigious classical music awards, and the Inspiration Award is given for a remarkable achievement by a non-professional musical group.
The Winter Choir and Camerata have been shortlisted for their CD of Christmas music, as featured in TON previously….
The project raised £3,000 to support orphaned children in Malawi and is the only one of the shortlisted projects with a charitable aim.

The winner will be decided by public vote, and voting is on-line. I’m spectacularly bad with Internet stuff, but even I found it very easy to follow the instructions, once I’d clicked on this link….
https://royalphilharmonicsociety.org.uk/awards/rps_music_awards/inspiration-award
The deadline is Thursday September the 30th – so if you‘d like to show your support for some Orkney musicians, please get voting!

See also: Inspirational Music: Orkney Winter Choir & Orkney Camerata
Categories: Uncategorized
The picture is of the rehearsal for the last concert The Winter Choir & Camerata were able to give together before lockdown – the Christmas Concert in St Magnus Cathedral in December 2019.
Seeing that, and putting together this piece, made me wistful about music events in St. Magnus. We usually go to the Lucy Service and Nine Lessons and Carols every year. https://theorkneynews.scot/2018/12/03/its-chriiiistmaaaaaas/
We very much missed doing so as part of Christmas last year – but – needs must. I should imagine they probably won’t be happening this year either – better safe than sorry.
Still…something to look ahead to.
Meanwhile we’ll listen to the CD whilst writing Christmas cards!
Safety on the first place.
Lockdown showed to us vulnerability, strength and patients. It showed us something that minority of successful lives see being old, detached from the hectic ways of life: the leaves in the garden around, skies and caring faces.
Thinking of responsibility for others, nit only for your own life.
‘Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent.’
Music is born from chorus.