Looking back: Jubilate on The One Show

“CUT!” the director called out just before we were about to start singing the first verse of “Dear Lord and Father of Mankind” and the choir let out a collective breath as a motorbike could be heard noisily passing by.

This was one of the hazards of filming a clip for BBC1’s One Show one July afternoon in the Rose Garden in the grounds of Highnam Court, others including pages of music blown by sudden breezes and the sun making intermittent appearances causing light sensitive glasses to darken (a nightmare for continuity!).

Jubilate Chamber Choir was delighted to have been asked to perform Hubert Parry’s well-known hymn for a piece on Parry and his music for the One Show. The film recording formed part of a busy 10th anniversary year for Jubilate in 2011, including performances at Christ Church Cathedral in Oxford and St Alphege’s Church in Greenwich, London, as well as closer to home in Broadway and Cheltenham. The highlight of the year was the choir’s August tour of Paris where we sang Mass at Notre Dame and performed two concerts, one at the American Church and the other at La Madeleine, both in the centre of the city.

And as for our TV filming experience? “It was challenging performing to the best of our ability in an outdoor setting, but we thoroughly enjoyed it” said Ian Higginson, Jubilate’s music director, “and our glimpse behind the scenes made us smile more than once. For instance, even TV directors say “ACTION” and Gyles Brandreth is the same in real life as he is on the TV!”