We were thrilled to appear in BBC One’s new Saturday evening entertainment programme, Pitch Battle.
The show is a brand new entertainment series, featuring 30 of the country’s best choirs and vocal groups battling it out in a series of ‘sing-or-be-sung’ off vocal challenges.
Early this year, Pitch Battle researchers saw a video of our International silver medal-winning Las Vegas performance and contacted our Musical Director, Valerie, to invite the chorus to an audition involving 120 selected groups. The chorus jumped at the chance and, after the February audition in central London and a tantalising two week wait, VDC was awarded one of the coveted 30 places.
We then threw ourselves into learning music and attending a full schedule of rehearsals (fitted in between sound and choreo rehearsals and coaching for our TWO new SAI contest songs!).
Working with ‘the best in the business’, vocal coaching was by Nick Girard with choreography by Gaz Davies. Girard, of The Magnets and House Jacks fame, is an acclaimed singer, producer and arranger, and was one of the seven celebrity jurors on Gareth Malone’s show The Naked Choir. Davies’ credits include the X-Factor, Britain’s Got Talent, Popstar to Operastar and Mamma Mia, The Movie.
As part of the show we were filmed for an enjoyable, slightly surreal day in and around our local area.
Finally, after months of intensive work, we travelled to Media City in Salford to take part in our heat.
During the three days of studio rehearsals and filming, we got to grips with microphone technique and working with a backing band – totally new experiences for our group as we characteristically sing entirely unaccompanied. Amid a flurry of studio, hair, make-up and wardrobe calls, one of the many highlights was working with the lovely Vicky Gill, ‘costume queen’ from Strictly Come Dancing!
The final day of the three was the Show ‘Record’. Getting up again at 5am – and including celebrating after the show with our very talented fellow contestants – it turned out to be a nearly 24 hour day! One we’ll treasure and remember forever.
Valerie Taylor, VDC’s Director, said: “It really was an amazing experience. The atmosphere in the studio was electric and we had such fun singing with the other groups. I hope we have helped to put Redhill on the a cappella map, and also show what can be achieved when a group of ordinary (but fabulous) women sing their hearts out.”
Thank you all for all the super messages of support we've
received. We had a great time on the show and congratulations to
everyone who took part.
