Sing in the Zusammen Choir Procession

The medals, which can be taken home as a souvenir

The Rochdale Pioneers Museum and Touchstones host their #SingRochdale Zusammen Choir Procession on Thursday 16 May as part of the National Museums at Night Festival.

Zusammen means ‘together’ and the drop-in choir consists entirely of members of the general public and community groups who come to sing together for one night only. There are no rehearsals and no singing skill is required.

At the start of the procession participants will receive a song sheet and a medal to wear during the procession. The medals, which can be taken home as a souvenir, are gold (colour) with a green and white ribbon and the inscription ‘#SingRochdale Zusammen Choir 16 May 2013’. 

The two museums asked what songs you would like to sing in the procession and artist Susan Forsyth, who came up with the procession idea, made the final selection. One song that received a lot of public support, and has been selected to feature in the procession, is ‘I’m going back to Rochdale’ by Geoff Alexander. Other songs that will be included are ‘If I Knew You Were Coming I’d Have Baked A Cake’ (Gracie Fields), Reach for the Stars (S Club 7), Brown-Eyed Girl (Van Morrison) and Jerusalem (words by William Blake).

Song sheets will be provided on the night, however, if you’d like a sneak preview of the rest of the line-up before the event you can visit:

www.rochdalepioneersmuseum.coop/event/singrochdale

...to download a song sheet. 

All are welcome to take part and are asked to meet at Rochdale’s St Chad’s Church at 6.00pm with the procession beginning at 6.15pm.

The procession will stop to sing at local landmarks including the Broadfield Park Bandstand, the Rochdale War Memorial, Yorkshire Street and Toad Lane - home of the Rochdale Pioneers Museum and St Mary in the Baum Church.

The procession will end at the Rochdale Pioneers Museum just before 8pm. Following the procession tea, coffee and light refreshments will be served in St Mary in the Baum Church and the Rochdale Pioneers Museum will remain open until 9pm.

Touchstones Rochdale will remain open until 7.30pm after the procession has passed along the Esplanade.