In Fine Voice

Lancashire’s answer to Gareth Malone is helping choirs across the county hit the right notes

- Jo Bishop

At a recent celebration to mark his 20th anniversary with Blackburn People’s Choir, musical director Jeff Borradaile had a catch in his voice as he thanked the singers who attended. He was, he told his captive audience, so lucky to be doing a job he loved.

With seven choirs under his direction around the North West, as well as ongoing projects such as the schools musical outreach programme Sing Together in collaboration with Blackburn Cathedral, squeezing everything into his diary is a challenge.

Even weekends can be overtaken by his choirs, with competitions or trips abroad. In spring his ladies a capella choir Decibelles, also based in Blackburn and a relative newcomer at just over two years old, took first place in its class at the Hazel Grove Music Festival for the second year running. The following day he attended the Manchester Amateur Choral competition with Gathered Voices, whose 86 members come from his Preston and Morecambe choirs.

While winning is great, the journey – both for Jeff and his choirs – is even better. ‘For me, it starts with repertoire,’ he says. ‘That’s the thing that enthuses people and keeps them coming back year after year; something that challenges them and sets them apart from other choirs.

‘Finding new music has become a real passion for me. I’m quite single-minded about it and proud of the music we’ve sung over the past 10 years. We sing what we think will wow audiences as well as what is challenging vocally and technically. All my choirs are non-audition and yet we sing against top choirs who focus on just six or eight songs.’