Magenta's wedding style

We enjoyed being part of the lovely atmosphere at the fayre.

In between performing our wedding favourites such as If You’re Not The One, Somebody To Love and God Only Knows, we sampled some of the delicious cakes and canapes. Although not too many so that we remained in fine voice to offer a ‘wonderful performance’.

We hope that all visitors found something exciting for their special day, and we’re looking forward to being part of some very smart weddings.

‘You all look so happy!’ as one bride-to-be commented. Well – weddings, romance and singing… what’s not to like?

If so, you could be one of the people destined to join Magenta’s happy ranks.

We have a few vacancies for new singers to join us from the start of June, and will be delighted to invite potential applicants to a taster evening on Monday 13th May. This will give you a chance to meet the choir, get a feel for our working methods, and discover whether our style of music-making and personal challenge will light you up.

If you would like to come along, please contact Kate Panagamuwa kate@magentacloseharmony.com to book a place and learn more about the application process.

And if you know someone who you think would suit us, please pass this post on to them!

On Saturday 2nd March, Magenta took part in Dudley Music Festival in the Adult Choirs Section allocated to close harmony/acapella and we are delighted to say that we were winners of the Simpson Trophy.

We sang three songs – ‘Sway’, ‘God Only Knows’ and ‘Somebody to Love’. Our preparation for this event had been well planned and rehearsed and it is a testament all our hard work that throughout our performances, the adjudicator and audience were totally engaged and smiling – a lot!

We had great feedback from the adjudicator, Philip Dewhurst, who complimented us on how well we connected with each other and the audience. He also loved the arrangements (well done Liz!) , the crunchy chords which close harmony singing brings and the sense of anticipation which we conveyed so well.

Congratulations also to our fellow competitors – Spectrum Singers from Stourbridge and Severn Harmony from Telford.

Do you have an event coming up that would be brightened by a spot of a cappella harmony? Magenta have just taken our first booking for Christmas 2013, but have plenty of availability to come and sing to people before then! Perhaps at Valentines (we have some very loved-up tunes), or to help you celebrate a special occasion.

Our particular speciality is making people smile, so let us brighten up these drab winter days and make it feel like Spring is here in your heart.

Liz Garnett writes:

Magenta’s Christmas season started most atmospherically last week with the Candlelit Concert in St Martins in the Bullring in aid of Parkinsons UK.

Singers from City of Birmingham Choir started it off with some beautiful traditional carols, and a group of hand-bell ringers got everyone into a festive mood. Then it was our turn to share some of our more quirky takes on Christmas music, described an audience member as ‘riveting, lively, and intricate’. After the interval, harpist Jessica Sutton was followed by Birmingham Community Gospel Choir, then our compere, Lindsey Butler, finished the evening by sharing a couple of songs.

It was a pleasure and honour to be invited to take part in such a wonderful occasion in the heart of our city, and we’re delighted that Parkinsons UK raised over £4,000.

The season continued with a return to the Midlands Arts Centre, where we performed as last year during one of their Christmas craft fairs. We treated the visitors to two sets that mixed Christmas music with our regular groovy a cappella fayre, and were treated in return to a sea of smiling faces.

If you couldn’t get to either of those performances, there are two more chances to hear our Christmas music in 2012. The first is at Brockencote Hall‘s festive evening on Friday, and then we will be singing at the Water’s Edge,Brindley Place on Saturday afternoon.

Myra Connell writes:

Magenta are out and about this Christmas season, with a busy schedule of gigs showcasing our specially arranged Christmas repertoire. With versions of favourites from Deck the Halls to the Coventry Carol, from Gaudete to Carol of the Bells, we’re sure to get you in the festive spirit!

We start on Monday 3rd December at St Martin’s Church in the Bullring at a candlelit concert in aid of Parkinson’s UK. Hosted by Lindsey Butler from BBC’s The Voice, and featuring among others the Birmingham Community Gospel Choir and Jessica Sutton on the harp, this is sure be a magical evening. Mince pies and mulled wine are served in the interval. The concert starts at 7.30pm and tickets (£10) are available from their website.

On Sunday 9th December, you’ll find us at the Midlands Arts Centre’s annual Christmas craft fair. The fair goes on all day, with lots of stalls offering hand-made craft things – stunning jewellery, scarves, knick-knacks – unusual, unique, individual things that make really special presents. You can buy food and drink, alcoholic and otherwise – all to the sounds of Magenta’s harmonies. We’re expecting to be singing at 1.30pm and 2.30pm.

We remember very fondly singing at Brockencote Hall in Worcestershire for a wedding earlier in the year. They have kindly invited us back to perform to diners on Friday 14th. Check the website for details of what will be a very special night out.

And finally, if you’re out shopping in town on Saturday 15th, come over to Brindley Place, stop for a drink or a bit of lunch, and find us at the bandstand, outside All Bar One. Our “Songs for a Winter Afternoon” will warm you, thrill you, and get you in the mood for a wonderful Christmas.

We hope to see you, we hope to sing for you!

 
We in turn were entertained and wonderfully looked after by fellow performers and exhibitors. Particular thanks to photographer Paul J Morton for this fabulous shot taken during the event, capturing Magenta all glammed up.

And of course if you’d like Magenta to come and sing for your wedding, or indeed any other celebration, do get in touch!

Helen Ring writes:

With fine weather ensuring a good audience turnout, Magenta were delighted to perform at the 2012 Birmingham Artsfest on Saturday 8^th September. This wonderful event, which turns the entire city centre into a huge arts venue has become a favourite annual fixture for us, and this year we were back in the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery

We assembled in the beautiful Industrial Gallery and entertained the growing crowds with some our repertoire including ‘Somebody to Love’, ‘Cry me a River’, ‘Mamma Mia’ and ‘Walking on Sunshine’.

Connie, Liz G, Lara and Vicky also performed a fantastic rendition of ‘Ma He’s Making eyes at Me’ which was delivered with humour, great expression, and the full engagement of the audience. They received rapturous and well deserved applause.

We finished with ‘Diamonds on the Soles of her Shoes’ and got the audience singing along for the last part of the song – they sounded amazing!

We Magentans are a happy bunch, not least because the sun has come out at least twice in the past month, but also because we’re back rehearsing! After a short summer break of singing in the shower and treating our neighbours to solo versions of Mr Sandman and Mamma Mia, we are back making music together with delight and enthusiasm. Some get a kick from champagne, but we’re hooked on harmonising. And it’s a good job too, as we’ve got a packed September coming up!

We’re starting off at Birmingham Artsfest, which is the biggest free arts festival in the UK. Ever year in September the city comes alive with music, dance and theatrical arts for a whole weekend, and intriguing events may be found in unexpected places! Magenta always enjoy contributing to this cultural jewel in the city’s crown and this year we will be performing in the Industrial Gallery at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, at 11a.m., Saturday 8th September.

Later in the month, we’ll be performing at a fundraising event in aid of the charity WaterAid, in the interesting and well-loved venue The Custard Factory in Digbeth, Birmingham. We’re going to enjoy singing for such a great cause. The event is in the evening of Thursday 27th September, and we’ll be singing from 7.30p.m.

Finally – any brides and grooms to be out there? Congratulations! Come and see how we can make your special day that little bit distinctive with our unique and heart-warming versions of romantic songs such as God Only Knows and Somebody To Love. We’ll be singing at the Wedding Fayre at the Crown Plaza Hotel, NEC Birmingham on Sunday 30th September. We’ll be performing a number of sets between 9a.m. and 5p.m. so there will be lots of opportunities for you to see how we can add a little bit of Magenta sparkle and make you and your guests feel extra special.

And, as if that wasn’t enough, we’ve got more upcoming gigs for the autumn season. Watch this space, or find us on Facebook!

Liz Garnett writes:

It is three years since Magenta last did a workshop as part of the annual Moseley Festival. So after the variety of presenting a concert in 2010 and our series of open-air performances in ‘Magenta About Town’ in 2011, it seemed a good time to return to a participative event.

We were joined by ladies from the Moseley area as well as visitors from around the Midlands and even further afield for an afternoon’s intensive singing on Sunday 15th July.

In three hours we learned a brand new four-part arrangement of ‘Walking on Sunshine’, produced specially for the occasion. Just learning it was a feat not all of our visitors thought was possible; they were even more impressed with themselves when we did the final performance from memory.

Such is the Magenta way: it may look insane to attempt these things, but insane is not the same as impossible.

And we’re not saying that it was our singing that caused it, but as we sang, the summer’s near-constant rain let up for a few bright hours to let the sun through.