We held our annual Suzi Gold Memorial Workshop on Saturday 18th June 2011. Below see reports by a BBCM parent and a BBCM adult class member respectively:

The workshop was very kindly hosted in the home of Clair Constable and Mogador Empson (parents of ex-BBCM pupils Sylvie and Sophie). When everyone arrived, Agnes began with a lovely speech remembering Suzi Gold as a most patient, kind and wonderful woman and mother, who had encouraged Agnes to begin a BBCM Kindergarten class when she had Hollie as a toddler. When the sun shone today (after a forecast of rain) Agnes said this was Suzi shining down on us.
When the children from all the classes were sitting down on the floor, and parents and adult class members were settled around them, Agnes began with sol-fa scales as a warm up for everyone – a gentle coming together of our communal group voices.
Agnes then led the senior, junior and infant children classes plus adults into two, three and four-part rounds of well known – and well loved – BBCM pieces such as: Swan Song, Mosquito song, Viva la musica, Tallis’ Canon, Icelandic folksong about a bird with the words: If you join the BBCM, You will learn a lot of music, Come and join and sing a song with us today.
After this it was time for some activity, especially for the youngest kindergarten children who had been sitting patiently - more or less! So all of the children, including the Kindergarden class, jumped up and sang the Marching Song as a four-part round while going round in four circles.
Conductor Michael Alexander Young helped lead one part while Agnes led the other singing a short choral work by Lajos Bardos. There followed a similar arrangement for a two-part piece from Bicinia Hungarica.
The junior class sang a German folksong in three parts, supported by parents Koni, Julian and Eric. Then the senior class and the adult class, with additional support from musician parent Theresa, sang another German folksong in three parts. Fantastic to hear the juniors sing with such ease and confidence.
Then Agnes combined the two pieces with another three-part song (with remaining adult class members) and created a nine-part choral piece (Quodlibet), a wonderful group round with all ages of voices filling the sunlit room, a very special moment.
The adult class then sang the piano part of Schubert’s ‘Herbstlied’, with adult class member Ben singing his first solo that is the vocal part. This was beautiful and subtly joyous.
The Kindergarden and infants then began singing “Croak, Croak” steadily with the juniors (and adults/parents) singing the Frog song.
Several children from the kindergarten class stood up to perform the ‘beetle and bird opera’ with actions very well in front of so many people! We were very lucky to see so many wonderful castings. All the younger children ended the workshop standing in a ring, singing ‘Blow out the candle’ with the actions.
Delicious food was brought and shared by all, followed by a lot of trampolining and playing in Clair and Mogador’s lovely garden, ending this year’s Suzi Gold memorial workshop as a great success!
Margery Teague (mother of BBCM pupils Molly, Joseph and Evelyn)

As I stood in the home of our hosts Mogador and Clair, singing beautiful songs in harmony and rounds with BBCMers of all ages, I realised that I was lucky, blessed really, to be there. Thinking back now, it is wonderful to reflect that the young girls and boys who sang so purely and surely are beginning on a path that could take them anywhere and that will give themselves and others great joy; indeed, if they practice, it may take them to where two longstanding members of the adult class who were there that morning – old guard David Franklyn and alumni Michael Alexander Young – are today. The facility and ease of their musicianship is admirable. It was also great to have adult class newcomer Teresa with us, whose fine voice was a pleasure to hear. Agnes, of course, led from the front. She must be very happy to see her work blossom. We sang folksongs from Germany and Iceland, pieces by Hungarian pedagogues Bárdos and Kodály, and the early modern perennials Viva la musica and Tallis’ Canon. The words on one of our sheets said ‘music alone never dies’ and as I remember everyone’s smiles while our combined voices brought the printed music to life and filled the sunny room, I can think of no better way of describing the sound and sight than with a natty phrase of St Augustine’s: ‘beauty ever ancient and ever new’.
I was sorry that my fellow adult class member Felipe had to leave early, and that Sam (also a very able BBCM veteran) and Stephen couldn’t be there, albeit I hope Stephen is having fun in Sweden where he is singing at the moment.
By way of a footnote, I would like to take this opportunity to apologise to Clair, who was generous in congratulating me on singing a Schubert Lied. Any ungraciousness on my part was down to shyness and being unused to such things. I can assure her that I was grateful!
Ben MacDiarmid (adult class)