I joined the chorus for what turned out to be the last Leeds Music Festival in November 1985 – 37 years ago, when I was 37. There were three concerts in a week. Simon conducted Bruckner motets and E Minor mass, then came Berlioz Romeo and Juliet under David Lloyd Jones and the third concert was Beethoven Missa Solemnis for which I was woefully underprepared, and I have since harboured a wish to have another go at it – although I can now give up on that ambition without too much regret.

I remember Stan Fawcett and Brian Robertshaw helping me find my feet in the chorus.

In 1986 I first encountered Mozart’s wonderful C Minor Mass which is perhaps my favourite for exhilarating choruses which are grateful to sing, and wonderful solos and duets to sit and enjoy. This was conducted by Jacek Kaspszyk who was a big hit as he socialised with the singers. It was great to work with him again in 2015 for Beethoven 9th in Middlesborough Town Hall – we were packed onto a small stage right next to the soloists and the closeness produced a tremendously exciting performance.

Another occasion when the soloists inspired us to greater heights was 2007’s The Creation with Roddy Williamson and Carolyn Sampson radiant in their duet as Adam and Eve.

Singing Bach is as rewarding as it is demanding. Lobet den Herrn is a joyful experience and taking part in this alongside professional singers at Rebecca’s wedding recently, with sun pouring into the church, was particularly so. The orchestral openings of the Passions I find intensely moving as you seem to step into a surging river of emotion. With the B Minor Mass you’re straight into the action but again with the sense of a huge undertaking ahead.
That profound emotion I’ve also experienced in parts of the War Requiem and in the closing spiritual, Deep river, in A Child of our Time.

It was a treat to sing at the BBC Proms in 1998 (Shostakovich 13th Babi Yar with Vassily Siniasky) and 2001 (Aida Act 2 with Mark Elder) – especially in the latter case as my elderly mother and aunt were in the audience, brought up from Berkshire by two younger friends. It was always a pleasure to be under Mark Elder’s direction, although pleasure was mitigated by the circumstances in performances of Verdi’s Requiem and the War Requiem in the October and November following 9/11.

Another particularly memorable concert in Bridgewater Hall was 2019’s Mahler 8. But most of the remaining 175 or so are memorable in one way or another.

Handel must get a mention, not only for Simon’s meticulously crafted Messiahs but also the thrilling Dixit Dominus.

On the social scene, Geoff Kinder’s greatly entertaining and informative talks related to composers in our programme were a regular treat for several years, including the themed suppers created by him and Pam. FRASC events always involved terrific catering – whether lovely Plant and Produce Sale lunches, afternoon tea after walks, or social evening suppers.

I never minded re-auditions as they offered the rare chance to sing a song with expert piano accompaniment. The only other time I did this was singing Balfe’s Come into the garden, Maud, with Daniel Gordon as accompanist, at a FRASC Victorian evening – in white tie and tails.

Speaking of performing dress, this has more than once provided never-to-be-forgotten hair-raising adventures, too long to recount here; follow the link here if you want the whole story.

Covid of course involved a number of disappointments in 2020/21, but on the other hand I enjoyed the Zoom sessions, which engendered a great deal of creativity — the online ‘concerts’ with readings as well as music, the video recordings and the quizzes, enabling those of us who could tolerate Zoom to keep close to one another.

It has been great to get back properly together since Sept 2020, though missing Mahler 2 in Leeds Town Hall through a brush with Covid was a considerable disappointment. In March, ‘I was glad’ to learn a Purcell piece new to me. I enjoyed the tunes in The Music Makers, though not the words. Learning and recording the Prayer for Ukraine was a privilege. And what a concert to go out on, Belshazzar’s Feast in Sheffield! – although it would have been even better to have ended with a programme of some Bach and perhaps those wonderful Bruckner motets on a summer evening in Ripon Cathedral under Simon.