2024

Red Leicester raised over £835 for Women’s Aid Leicestershire

Our fundraising Ceilidh was a huge success and enjoyed by everyone. The food was magnificent, the music and dancing splendid and the raffle raised over £400 in cash on the night. Big thanks to all our supporters and everyone who came on the night. We are already planning our 2025 Evening of Song and Dance Fundraiser.

Local Plan Demo

On 15th October Red Leicester joined other groups at the Climate Ready Housing Demo outside City Hall, organised by Climate Action Leicester. Lots of positive comments from passers by and the planning committee members did see us!

Celebrating a very important birthday!

On the 29th of August four choirs, including Red Leicester, came together to sing and celebrate not only Jane’s birthday but Jane being on two feet again. It was a lovely reminder of the joy of singing together and we’re all looking forward to the 10th September and the start of term.

Red Leicester choir members enjoying a range of summer activities.

Remembering Frank Friedmann 1950 – 2024

On Tuesday, 11th June, 2024, members of Red Leicester gathered, with many others, to celebrate the life of Frank Friedman. As a much valued member of the choir for many years he had asked for us to sing amongst others, We Will Overcome & the Internationale. Many members of the assembly joined in.

Martin Pennington spoke eloquently on the importance of Frank to Red Leicester and he gave us permission to add his words here.

“I sang beside Frank in Red Leicester on many occasions – busking in the city centre; at CND, trade union, May Day rallies, marches and other events in the area; at the Street Choirs Festival every year.

Frank loved singing and was very aware of the power of song to bring people together and to communicate important messages.

It was Frank, in fact, who coined the name of the choir – Red Leicester – a tribute not only to his sense of humour but also to his firm belief that the choir’s name should leave no doubt about its credentials. I often wondered how many people, innocently researching east midlands produce, happened upon the choir’s website by mistake.

He was, in many ways, the socialist conscience of the choir and often spoke about the need to be clear why we were singing certain songs. Nor was he slow to point out if he felt a particular song veered too far from this ethos into sentiments that anyone might espouse!

Whenever he stood up at a rehearsal or meeting to make a point, you knew that it would be well-argued, to the point, courteous and passionate – even if you disagreed with him. He would frequently draw our attention to the links between a song written years previously and current events and issues.

Adey, a fellow bass, commented that Frank made ‘many astute observations that helped strengthen the political activism within the choir as well as influencing the values of what the choir is really about,  and all that before mentioning the friendship he imparted.’

He was also influential in the early days of the Campaign Choirs Network and Lotte Reimer remembers that ‘Frank was at the founding meeting of the Network and was instrumental in setting up the website. He was a real rock and a lovely human being.’

Frank encompassed many strong beliefs – socialism, internationalism, environmentalism, humanism – but was above all else a great human being with a passion for life, a love of his fellows and a wonderful sense of humour. He is greatly missed”.

Street Choirs Festival 2024

Red Leicester joined 44 other choirs for the 40th Street Choirs festival in Sheffield.

We were led superbly by Clare, who stepped into the breach after our Musical Director, Jane, fractured her foot at our previous gig the week before! We had a great time singing in some fabulous places, meeting old friends and making new ones.

International Workers Memorial Day

On Sunday 28th April – around 50 people gathered in the rain at Leicester Town Hall in front of the International Workers Memorial Tree to “remember those who died at work and fight for the living”. We heard powerful speeches from a local MP, Mayor and Union leaders and a slice of Red Leicester sang Whole Wide World Around, Unison in Harmony and The Internationale.

Busking on Queens Road

On Saturday 13th April we had a change of venue from our usual spot outside Very Bizarre in the city centre to Queens Road. We sang in aid of Medical Aid for Palestinians. The local MP Jonathan Ashworth joined us for a rendition of Bandiera Rossa. In total we raised £280.50.

Busking for MAP

On Saturday 16th March a select band of Red Leicester Choir busked in the city centre for Medical Aid for Palestinians and raised £124.64 in the hour’s singing and a final total of £250 after generous donations.

Leicester CND Peace Tree Planting Ceremony

Red Leicester sang at a ceremony organised by Leicester CND and attended by two Mayors for peace, Leicester’s Mayor, Peter Soulsby and Richard Altram, who represented the international network of Mayors for Peace. A cherry tree was planted to remember victims of war. It proved to be both emotional and uplifting as we sang all together and listened to poems and speeches.

Workshop with Val Regan.

Red Leicester and friends enjoyed a fabulous workshop with Val Regan, who taught us some lovely new songs, one of which we gave an impromptu performance of at our next event!

2023

Busking for Shelter

Our first busking Saturday on February 3rd raised a neat £100 for the charity Shelter.

Busking for Women’s Aid

On Saturday, in sub-zero temperatures and freezing fog, a good number of Red Leicester choir gathered to busk in aid of Women’s Aid. We collected a grand total of £185 in an hour of singing, after which we went off to find hot drinks.

Red Leicester Ceilidh

Saturday 11th November saw the return of the Red Leicester fundraising ceilidh with the Greenshoots Orchestra. The event was brilliantly successful, the crowds came and every ticket was sold and a joyous time was had by all. There was dancing and food cooked by the choir members themselves; the choir sang six songs of hope for change during the evening. Thanks to the generosity of all who joined us, we raised £630.60 for Woodgate Community Food, a food bank now part of Alice Hawkins Community Projects.

Busking for Ghirass Cultural Centre

Red Leicester returned to busking on Saturday 7th of October after the summer break We raised £80 for the Ghirass Cultural Centre who, in Bethlehem, work with children and their families in the fields of education, culture and social work to help them enjoy their lives and have their rights respected.

Busking for Leicester City of Sanctuary

The cathedral bell ringing encouraged us to move venue at our monthly busk on Saturday 8th July which raised £50 for Leicester City of Sanctuary for their work with people seeking sanctuary. We then went to the Palestinian Solidarity rally at Town Hall Square and sang Shut Elbit Down. Leicester’s Elbit drone factory is still under siege since the first of May.

Street Choirs Festival 2023 – Kendal

Red Leicester choir members sang with dozens of other choirs throughout the weekend of the Street Choirs Festival in Kendal 30th June to 2nd July. A great time was had by all thanks to the Cumbrian choirs who organised an excellent weekend. Our rendition of Boff Whalley’s These are the Bastards went down well.

Singing for Water Aid

Red Leicester busked for Water Aid on Saturday June 3rd, and some members also joined other choirs on stage at the Sing for Water event on Sunday 4th June. More than £2,000 was raised for Water Aid.

Solidarity with Palestine Action to Shut Elbit Down

Israel’s largest weapons company, Elbit (UAV Tactical Systems) has a factory in Leicester which makes military equipment (including Watchkeeper drones) which have been used to attack Palestinians. Red Leicester sang on Monday 22nd May in solidarity with the Palestine Action siege of the factory to shut it down. We sang Janet Wood’s Shut Elbit Down and other peace songs. See the video here.

Singing for Peace on Conscientious Objectors Day

Red Leicester joined CND and other supporters of peace in Peace Walk by the Peace Stone to honour conscientious objectors from Leicester and Leicester who suffered in the world wars. We sang Keep you in Peace and Song of Peace and talked about Ukraine and all the groups of people who courageously stood for their principles. We also remembered Penny Walker who persuaded the City Council to change the name of Memorial Walk to Peace Walk and provide the Peace stone.

Busking for victims of the war in Sudan

Singing “You’re nowhere if you believe Theresa May” a line from Citizen Shanty (Commoners Choir). We raised £130 on Saturday May 14th, busking for Waging Peace for their work with victims of war in Sudan.

Busking for Leicestershire Autistic Society

We raised £105.68 for The Leicestershire Autistic Society on Saturday 1st April – to mark World Autism Acceptance Week. We decided to forego the opportunity to busk for the spaghetti farmers in San Serif, after their crop failure. 😉

Busking for DEC Turkey and Syria Earthquake Appeal

We raised £155 for earthquake survivors in Turkey and Syria on Saturday 4th March.

Busking for Leicester Foodbanks

We raised a whopping £194.21 for local foodbanks on Saturday 4th February. It was cold and grey but we sang brightly.

Busking for One Roof Leicester

On 7th Jan 2023 Red Leicester busked in support of One Roof – a local charity fighting to end homelessness in Leicester.

As the photo evidences, we were competing with (at times heavy) rain, which significantly reduced footfall.  Nevertheless , in the circumdtances we raised a respectable £36 during our abbreviated set.

2022

Busking for Women’s Aid

We raised £123.03 for Women’s Aid plus a donation of £30 from Shrewsbury friends at our monthly busking slot outside the Globe. Great generosity from the people of Leicester despite the hardship of cost of living and upcoming pressures of Christmas. There is a special joy in singing together on the streets of Leicester, raising awareness and funds to make a monthly donation to various causes.

Solidarity on the UCU Picket line

Some of us sang UNISON, William Morris, There is Power in a Union, and the Internationale in solidarity with striking staff from De Montfort University on the morning of 30th November. Strikers raised their fists in unison with us during the Internationale.

Palestinian Solidarity

Members of Red Leicester Choir sang to support an Amos Trust event in Leicester on Monday 29^th November 2022, which is raising funds this Christmastime to help women of Gaza, with breast cancer, as part of its Palestine Justice campaign.  [For more information see Amos Trust Christmas Appeal and Palestine Justice (amostrust.org)]

Remembering Jan Wild-Grant

Red Leicester Choir members were privileged to sing Jan’s favourite songs at her wake on 11th October. Jan was a formidable and fiery member of Red Leicester for many years. Her activism goes back to Greenham Common Peace Camp. She stood up for women, Working people, refugees and other oppressed peoples across the word. She was once called a “loose cannon” and took this label with pride. A force of nature, Jan was fiercely independent and leaves her daughter Ellie and grandson George. She will be sadly missed. We sang Unison in Harmony, I am a River, Rosa’s Lovely Daughters and our anthem, The Internationale.

Supporting striking transport workers (8th October)

Busy Saturday for Red Leicester (1st October)

Red Leicester had a busy start to the month when they raised over £120 for local foodbanks through busking in the city centre. Following this, they moved across to Jubilee Square to sing at the rally organised by Enough Is Enough to campaign against the cost of living crisis. Many people stopped to listen and lots joined in with the choir’s rendition of The Tory Right. Gary O’Donnell, one of the organisers, commented: ‘Thanks for Saturday you were fantastic and so well received …. it was a great event that your contribution as the choir was greatly received‘.

Red Leicester bids farewell to long-standing members (21st September)

It was a bittersweet occasion when Red Leicester met to say goodbye to Jane and Martin Pennington (see photo below), members of the choir since 2010, who are moving to Shrewsbury. To mark the occasion the choir sang several of their favourite songs including Get On Your Bike, Harbour, Rosa’s Lovely Daughters, The Dirty Thirty and Sing John Ball.

Although the couple are excited about the move to a different part of the country, they expressed their sadness at leaving the choir which had provided them with such great comradeship, shared values, harmonies and love over the twelve years of their membership.

But who knows – Shrewsbury might be crying out for a socialist choir?!

Visit of Storm to City Festival (27th – 28th August)

Red Leicester sang Bella Ciao and There Is No Planet B to welcome the giant puppet, Storm, to Leicester as part of the City Festival. The puppet is ‘a goddess of the sea’, over 10m tall, composed entirely from recycled materials and is intended to encourage people to care for the environment. On her first visit to England (she hails from Scotland!), she certainly caused a stir in Leicester walking around the streets of the city centre!

Watch the videos of Storm at:

Bella Ciao video

There Is No Planet B video

https://www.facebook.com/VisionMechanicsLeith/videos/3209115842635731/

Street Choirs Festival 2022 (29th – 31st July)

Busking for Afghanistan Earthquake Appeal (July 2nd)

Red Leicester braved the rain on Saturday July 2nd to sing on the Leicester streets in aid of people affected by the recent earthquake in Afghanistan (see photo below). In total, £130 was raised and the choir thanks everyone who contributed so generously.

Singing for WaterAid (June 4/5th)

Red Leicester were busy over the weekend. Firstly, on Saturday 4th June, we were out on the Leicester streets busking in support of WaterAid and raising £40 for the charity. The picture below shows us in fine voice as usual! On Sunday 5th June, we sang at the Leicester Riverside Festival, again in support of WaterAid.

Prebend Gardens Summer Saturday Event (May 20th)

Conscientious Objectors’ Memorial Day (May 15th)

Red Leicester joined other Leicester folk in commemorating and celebrating the brave people who have stood out against war and for peace over the last 100 years or more. The choir performed Lay It Down to begin the proceedings and Song of Peace right at the end. In between there were poems, testimony and readings from others; a defiant and moving occasion held at the memorial to conscientious objectors in Peace walk.

Red Leicester perform at Yes! Yes! UCS! (March 29th)

Nationality and Borders Bill

Olivia Colman (below) delivers a trenchant challenge to MPs to do the right thing and to vote to change the cruel and heartless Nationality and Borders Bill currently going through Parliament. Send this to your MP and encourage them to find their compassion and vote against the government’s proposals – we stand Together With Refugees.

Olivia Colman calls on MPs to vote the right way on the #BordersBill today. #TogetherWithRefugees. Please share & tag your MP. pic.twitter.com/0aooZFtQ26

— Together With Refugees 🧡 (@RefugeeTogether) March 22, 2022

Red Leicester raise money for Ukraine (March 5th)

In addition, the choir said goodbye to Mel (pictured second from the left below) who is shortly moving to Brighton. Bon voyage, Mel!

Citizens’ Shanty raises awareness of pernicious anti-refugee bill (February 9th)

Red Leicester recorded a rousing version of Boff Whalley’s Citizens’ Shanty in order to draw attention to Together With Refugees’ campaign against the Nationality and Borders Bill currently being debated in Parliament. Members of the choir then sent copies of the recording to their MPs in order to encourage them to vote against various clauses in the Bill which, according to Together With Refugees will: ‘deny many refugees the chance to seek sanctuary in the UK, criminalise those who try, isolate refugees in harmful out-of-town institutions, and undermine 70 years of international co-operation under the UN refugee convention. Combined with the government’s refusal to set a clear target on new safe routes, it would drastically cut the overall number we give safety to. As well as being inhumane, it will be expensive, unworkable and undermine our international standing.’

Red Leicester busking for Red Cross (February 5th)

2021

Red Leicester busked on Gallowtree Gate in support of Medical Aid for Palestinians raising £80 in total. The choir sang to raise awareness of the Elbit factory in Leicester which makes the Hermes 450 drones deployed against Palestinians in Gaza. Shut Elbit Down, written by Janet Wood, was given its first public airing in Leicester along with other peace songs (11th December 2021).

Red Leicester sang at the Salt of the Earth Fundraising Community Sale at Christchurch, Clarendon Park. Our first outing since March 2020 included songs about the arms trade and the environment (20th November 2021). Afterwards, soup, samosas and cake were the order of the day to help ward off the cold weather!

Red Leicester returned to singing together indoors for the first time since March 2020! Christchurch, Clarendon Park is a bigger space than the Secular Hall and our COVID Guidelines ensured that singers were as safe as possible whilst the virus is still in the community (8th September 2021). Below are some of our socially-distanced and masked sopranos!

Red Leicester joined with Liverpool Socialist Singers in a joint singing session to show solidarity and to learn new songs. Among the songs that the choirs sung together were Get On Your Bike, Citizens’ Shanty Mashup, All the Homeless People (Eleanor Rigby), Legal-Illegal and There Is No Planet B. A great time was had by all and the power of song was revitalised yet again (12th June 2021). You can see all our happy faces below!

2020

Several members of Red Leicester joined forces with members of other choirs in the Campaign Choirs Network in August to produce this inspiring video in support of the current XR action. It was co-ordinated by Penny Stone from Protest in Harmony and uses the words of Margaret Mead: ‘Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed people can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has‘.

Red Leicester has supported International Conscientious Objectors’ Day for many years, joining others at the memorial on Peace Walk in remembering those who stuck to their non-violent principles during two world wars. This year’s event was different with a virtual programme of readings and remembrance using Zoom (15th May 2020).

Spot the difference! One of Red Leicester’s sopranos, Clare Scott, took her toothbrush to clean up the memorial on Peace Walk to the 250 conscientious objectors who refused to fight in World War 1, just in time for International Conscientious Objectors’ Day (15th May 2020) which, this year, will be celebrated online.

Red Leicester met virtually during lockdown with the help of Zoom technology and practised Lean on Me by the recently-departed Bill Withers, an appropriate song for the times. Below you can see a screen shot of all our smiling faces (8th April 2020).

Red Leicester made the pages of the New Statesman on April 3rd in an article about the rise of political choirs and how they are faring during the coronavirus lockdown (3rd April 2020).

Song of the Day ran from 25th March (There Is Power In a Union) to 2nd July (There Will Be a Reckoning): 100 days of the first national COVID lockdown. Many people made suggestions and comments and we hope you found something to raise your spirits in these difficult times. If you want to see which songs featured here over the 100 days, then visit the Song of the Day Archive.

At their final busk before lockdown, Red Leicester raised £85 for Women’s Aid. The organisation’s Chief Executive wrote to thank the choir, saying that: ‘We are very grateful to you for this donation, which will go towards helping the women and children in our refuges, many of whom arrive with little or nothing after fleeing a difficult situation. The money we receive helps to ensure the families have essential items and a safe, comfortable environment when they arrive” (14th March 2020).

Red Leicester’s Annual Fundraiser at the Ukrainian Hall raised £485 for the Ghirass Cultural Centre, an educational, cultural and leisure facility for the children of Bethlehem, and £310 for Perfectly Edible who provided all the delicious food. As ever, Greenshoots Ceilidh Orchestra played some wonderful music for dancing, Red Leicester sang a set of six songs, and a great evening was had by all (7th March 2020)!

Red Leicester busked in aid of toilet twinning and raised £110 to pay for two toilets in Kabale, Uganda. The certificates (see below) are now on display in the Secular Hall. We then moved across town to sing at the Extinction Rebellion event at the City Hall to help mark the 365 days since LCC declared a climate emergency (1st February 2020).

Red Leicester contributed towards an evening of song and music at the Sing for Syria concert, organised by the University of Leicester UNICEF On Campus Society, helping to raise £650 was raised for children in Syria (30th January 2020).

Red Leicester members busked for Leicester South Foodbank, raising £160 for this important local service (11th January 2020).

2019

Singing some frack-free Christmas Carols, Red Leicester joined members of Leicester Friends of the Earth in protesting about the role of major banks in investing in fossil fuel companies (14th December 2019).

Red Leicester raised £140 for One Roof Leicester at its monthly busk in Market Street to help provide accommodation and support to homeless people, destitute refugees and refused asylum seekers (7th December 2019).

Red Leicester members joined the picket line with UCU members taking strike action to defend their pay, working conditions and pensions at the University of Leicester (29th November 2019).

Red Leicester sang at the opening of the Journey to Justice Exhibition at the Attenborough Arts Centre, celebrating the US civil rights movement, its significance, and its links to the UK including the stories of some of Leicester’s own protestors and radicals who contributed to the history of social activism and protest in the city (11th October 2019).

Red Leicester sang the Internationale for a film being made by Ady Pole, a University of Leicester History student about Roy Watts and Fred Sykes, two Leicester men who fought and died with the International Brigade in the Spanish Civil War 1936-39 (11th September 2019).

The annual Street Choirs Festival in Manchester (12th to 14th July 2019) saw Red Leicester performing to a different audience over the weekend. Here we are busking outside the Central Library!

Red Leicester also performed in the evening concert in the Royal Northern College of Music singing Lives In The Balance and PET: Plastic Bottles.

Red Leicester opened the Secular Society’s Peterloo commemoration event (The Carliles and Peterloo) in the Secular Hall (7th July 2019).

Red Leicester raised £100 for After 18 at the usual monthly busk in Market Street (6th July 2019).

Red Leicester sang at the International Conscientious Objectors’ Day event on Peace Walk (15th May 2019) followed by the regular busk in Market Street (1st June 2019) raising £66 for Water Aid …

… and Leicester Sing for Water at the Riverside Festival in Bede Park (2nd June 2019).

Red Leicester were in fine voice raising £37 for Extinction Rebellion …

… and then supporting and joining many others on the annual Leicester May Day March across the city (4th May 2019) …

As in previous years, Red Leicester sang at International Workers’ Memorial Day in Town Hall Square (28th April 2019).

Red Leicester performed at the annual Community Choirs Festival in Stratford giving a first outing to PET (Plastic Bottle song) by Coope, Boyes and Simpson (14th April 2019).

Red Leicester’s monthly busk in Market Street raised £120 for the Cyclone Idai Relief Fund. You can see us below in good voice singing the Internationale at the end of our busk (6th April 2019).

Over £600 was raised for the local charity One Roof Leicester plus over £400 for Perfectly Edible UK who provided the delicious food at Red Leicester’s Annual Ceilidh and Fundraiser at the Ukrainian Hall (30th March 2019).

Red Leicester below after performing at the Upstairs at the Western theatre’s Choir Night on (27th March 2019):

Red Leicester busking in the spring sunshine to raise £120 for the Save The Children Yemen Crisis Appeal (9th March 2019):

Members of Red Leicester performed in the spectacular Always and Always Facing Toward the Light – a free public event about the life of local suffragette and socialist, Alice Hawkins, in New Market Square (3rd March 2019). The perfomance also featured Elaine Pantling in the role of Alice and a 3D video projection from Shared Space and Light.

There are photos on Instagram here .

Elaine Pantling is pictured below holding a maquette of the statue of Alice Hawkins with which she was recently presented to mark her huge personal involvement in the series of events in Leicester over the past year celebrating Alice’s achievements.

2018

Red Leicester members joined the Extinction Rebellion demonstration outside the BBC offices near Jubilee Square to urge the BBC to take the lead in promoting the truth about climate change (21st December 2018). You can read the Leicester Mercury’s report on the event here.

Red Leicester singing at the Sing for Syria Concert (organised by University of Leicester UNICEF on Campus Society) at Christchurch, Clarendon Park Road, Leicester (4th December 2018). The free concert raised £329.74 for the UN’s Syria appeal.

Red Leicester members helped to send a message to the UN climate talks in Poland by being part of a human number 12 (the number of years left in which to take radical action against climate change), photographed from the Big Wheel in Jubilee Square and sent to the UN negotiators (2nd December 2018). The event was organised by Leicester Friends of the Earth and Red Leicester led the singing of several anti-fracking and environmental songs (see video).

The Co-operative Party invited Red Leicester to sing at their weekend school at the Hilton Hotel, Fosse Park (3rd November 2018). Red Leicester chose several appropriate songs expressive of collaboration and change including: Unison in Harmony; The Whole Wide World Around; Citizens’ Shanty; Power in A Union and the Internationale.

Members of Red Leicester members joined with Fosse Singers and the DMU Square Mile choir in two performances of Alice In Her Shoes at Curve (25th/26th October 2018), a celebration of the life of Leicester suffragette Alice Hawkins written and performed by Elaine Pantling . The event was part of a year-long Leicester celebration involving the council and local schools and featuring  the Curve events, the arrival of the Suffragette Flag, the unveiling of the Alice Hawkins statue and culminating in the public event in Green Dragon Square in March 2019.

Earlier at an Equaliteas event (25th October 2018), the Alice choir met local schoolchildren at the old Equity Shoes factory (where Alice Hawkins worked) and led them in singing several songs from the show.

Red Leicester’s monthly busk in Market Street (13th October 2018) raised £111 for the anti-austerity movement We Shall Overcome to raise money for those hardest hit by the government’s austerity policy.

In the Secular Hall, Red Leicester hosted the Campaign Choirs Writing Collective in the launch of their new publication, Singing For Our Lives (3rd October 2018), a detailed history of the UK street choirs movement, of which Red Leicester is a proud member. The choir was on hand to sing a number of appropriate songs including Citizens’ Shanty by Boff Whalley (from Leeds Commoners Choir):

(courtesy of Ambrose Musiwiya/Civic Leicester)

Red Leicester sang several peace songs  at Leicester CND’s Peace One Evening (22nd September 2018). The evening also included other singers and performers, puppets, a splendid meal and rousing talks from various groups including Friends of the Earth, Save Our NHS and others.

Red Leicester busked to raise £100 for the Kerala Chief Minister’s Relief Fund to alleviate the devastation caused by recent floods. (8th September 2018).

Singers from Red Leicester joined family and friends at St Luke’s church in Leicester in remembering Julie Burnage, a longstanding member of the choir, who died recently. Many memories were shared of a woman with a huge passion for life and strong socialist and Christian commitments demonstrated, not least, through her work on behalf of refugees in Leicester. Julie loved singing with Red Leicester and she will be much missed by the choir; it was fitting, therefore, that the choir sang two of her favourite pieces – Song of Peace and Feeling Good – in her memory (31st August 2018).

Red Leicester members joined Elaine Pantling (on left below) to perform several songs from her acclaimed one-woman show Alice in Her Shoes celebrating the life of Alice Hawkins, the Leicester suffragette and campaigner, at Curve’s 10th Birthday Celebrations (26th August 2018). Singers from Fosse Singers and DMU Square Mile choirs were also involved.

Members of Red Leicester joined the thousands of people in London protesting at the visit of US President Donald Trump to the UK (organised by the Stop Trump Coalition). A Big Choir was assembled by the Campaign Choirs Network to serenade marchers on Regent Street singing songs with anti-Trump lyrics and sentiments (13th July 2018).

Red Leicester spent a scorching hot weekend in Brighton (29th June – 1st July 2018) at the 2018 Street Choirs Festival.  Here are a couple of photos of the choir busking in the Pavilion Gardens:

Red Leicester sang two pertinent songs, Arrogance, Ignorance and Greed and Can We Afford the Doctor?, as a prelude to a talk by Professor Richard Murphy to the Secular Society in the Secular Hall (12th June 2018). Professor Murphy is a tax campaigner, academic and author of the book The Joy of Tax, with unorthodox but compelling ideas about taxation and the economy. Afterwards he paid tribute to the choir in his blog!

Members of Red Leicester joined singers from Leicester Amika to sing songs (I Am A River and Deep Blue Sea) in support of Leicester Sing For Water at the Riverside Festival (3rd June 2018).

Singers from Red Leicester greeting the arrival and departure of the Anti-Poverty Bus Tour in Leicester organised by the European Minimum Income Network. Red Leicester sang several songs (you can view Ambrose Musiyiwa’s videos of these here).  The photo below (again courtesy of Ambrose) shows Red Leicester singers plus City Mayor, Sir Peter Soulsby, local Bangra dancers and members of the EMIN bus tour (22nd/23rd May 2018).

A few members of Red Leicester joined Friends of the Earth supporters in a vigil for the trees of Prebend Gardens (16th May 2018). You can view a video of this here.

At the annual International Conscientious Objectors’ Day ceremony on (15th May 2018) on Peace Walk, Red Leicester sang several songs following news about Eritrean refugees and an update on the 2017 Leicester Charter on the militarisation of young people.

A hardy few from Red Leicester journeyed to London and walked from the embankment to Hyde Park on the TUC New Deal for Working People March  (12th May 2018):

Several members of Red Leicester attended the International Workers’ Day Rally in Leicester city centre (5th May 2018) listening to several speakers including Marlene Sidaway (President of the International Brigade Memorial Trust):

A small slice of Red Leicester sang  Unison in Harmony and There Is Power In A Union at the International Workers’ Memorial Day event in Town Hall Square (28th April 2018). Leicester South MP and Shadow Health Secretary Jon Ashworth posted a video of the choir singing on his Facebook page.

Red Leicester busked in aid of Marie Curie Cancer Care in Market Street, raising £62 to add to the collectors’ own efforts (14th April 2018):

Red Leicester sang Bandiera Rossa and the Internationale at a ceremony honouring three Leicester men (Roy Watts, Fred Sykes and Jack Watson) who died fighting in the Spanish Civil War. See more in the Leicester Mercury (30th March 2018).

Members of Red Leicester singing on the UCU picket line outside the University of Leicester in support of their protest against attacks on their pensions (16th March 2018):

Red Leicester singing at its annual Fundraising Ceilidh (10th March 2018) with Greenshoots Ceilidh Orchestra at the Ukrainian Hall. The evening raised just over £714 for our chosen charity, the Real Junk Food Project, who also provided all the food (photo courtesy of Ambrose Musiyiwa/Civic Leicester).

Members of Red Leicester serenading the early morning UCU pickets (6th March 2018) outside the University of Leicester in support of their protest against attacks on their pensions (photo courtesy of Ambrose Musiyiwa/Civic Leicester):

Red Leicester sang several peace songs at the opening of the Art and Protest Exhibition (27th February 2018) in the Basement Gallery of the Adult Education Centre, Belvoir St. The exhibition was illustrated through the work of local artist and veteran peace campaigner, Anna Cheetham (pictured below with Red Leicester, Leicester Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby and Bruce Kent – photo courtesy of Ambrose Musiyiwa/Civic Leicester).

Red Leicester joined singers from other choirs at the ceremony to mark the unveiling of the statue of Leicester suffragette Alice Hawkins in the new Market Square (4th February 2018). Elaine Pantling, reprising her role from her one woman show Alice In Her Shoes, once again inspired the crowds. She led the march and gave a speech in Alice Hawkins’s own famous words as the 7ft statue was revealed (read more about the event on the Leicester Mercury website). There was even a photo on the front page of the Guardian (see below)!

Red Leicester opened a series of Choir Nights at Upstairs at the Western theatre and raising £123.60 from the ticket sales for Leicester Time To Change, a local mental health group (24th January 2018):

Red Leicester busked in the cold and damp and raising £71.50 for Leicester Friends of Bethlehem (13th January 2018):

2017

Red Leicester busked in Market Street and raising nearly £150 for Women’s Aid Leicestershire (9th December 2017):

Red Leicester supported a small gathering of Leicester City UNISON in support of the Fair Pay Now campaign for public sector workers (8th December 2017):

Red Leicester sang at the University of Leicester UNICEF on Campus society’s Sing for Syria event in aid of the UNICEF Syrian refugee appeal (5th December 2017):

Members of Red Leicester joined Leicester Friends of the Earth to protest inside and outside Barclays bank in Leicester at the bank’s lack of clarity on when they would fulfil their pledge to disinvest from Third Energy, the company intent on fracking in Ryedale (2nd December 2017). More photos are on the Leicester FoE Facebook page and a report on the protest appeared in the Lutterworth Cloud.

Red Leicester at a meeting of the Leicester Secular Society where they told their story, why they sing and what they sing about – What We Sing Is What We Are (19th November 2017):

Red Leicester busked in Market Street  and raising £120 for two local charities for homeless people: One Roof Leicester and Festive Shelter (4th November 2017):

Red Leicester members sang in the choir accompanying Elaine Pantling in her one woman show, Alice In Her Shoes, about the Leicester suffragette, Alice Hawkins (28th October 2017). The photograph below shows the whole choir (also including members of Fosse Singers and DMU Square Mile choirs):

Red Leicester busking in Market Street and raising £122.20 for the We Shall Overcome anti-austerity campaign and local food banks (14th October 2017):

(Picture by Lianna Etkind)

Red Leicester sang at the Palestinian Culture Event at the LCB Depot, Rutland Street to raise money for the Leicester Friends of Bethlehem (7th October 2017):

Two photos of Red Leicester at the Gandhi Global Family Peace Festival at De Montfort University (19th July 2017):

Three photos of Red Leicester busking at the Street Choirs Festival in Kendal (24th – 26th June 2017):

and singing in the Saturday evening concert:

Red Leicester singing at the Great Get Together in Leicester Cathedral Gardens (17th June 2017):

(Picture by Mike Sewell, courtesy of Leicester Mercury)

Red Leicester supporting International Conscientious Objectors’ Day on Peace Walk, Leicester (14th May 2017):

Red Leicester outside Barclay’s Bank after the anti-fracking flash mob event (6th May 2017):

Red Leicester singing at International Workers’ Day (1st May 2017) in Jubilee Square, Leicester:

Adey with the banner:

Red Leicester singing at International Workers’ Memorial Day (28th April 2017) in Town Hall Square, Leicester:

Red Leicester performing at the Community Choirs Festival in Stratford (1st April 2017):

2016

Videos of Red Leicester performing four songs at the Street Choirs Festival in Leicester in 2016: You’ve Got a Friend, Walking Into Battle With the Lord, We Will All Go Together When We Go and Feeling Good.

A video of the Massed Sing from the Street Choirs Festival in Leicester in 2016 with all the assembled choirs singing the Internationale.

2014

As ever, Red Leicester supported the annual May Day March in Leicester from Jubilee Square singing Siyahamba as they walked along.

Video of Red Leicester singing I Didn’t Raise My Boy To Be a Soldier in August 2014 in Leicester Market to commemorate the centenary of a public anti-war meeting in Leicester in 1914.

Photographs of Red Leicester members at the Street Choirs Festival in Hebden Bridge in 2014.

Video of Red Leicester singing Unison In Harmony (Raise the Rafters) at the Refugee Week celebrations in Town Hall Square in June 2014.

2013

Red Leicester were invited to sing at the 3rd Annual Diggers Festival in Wellingborough in April 2013. The choir sang several songs including the Diggers’ Song, Rosa’s Lovely Daughters, Bread and Roses, Better Life, A Place Called England, Buddy, Can You Spare a Dime?, and The World Turned Upside-Down.

Red Leicester performing at the Street Choirs Festival in Aberystwyth in summer 2013.

2012

At the City of Sanctuary May Fair in May 2012 at the Friends’ Meeting House, Red Leicester performed several songs including Song of Peace, Bandiera Rossa, Get On Your Bike, Bread and Roses and How I Wish.

At CND’s annual Garden Party in September 2012, Red Leicester performed a set of songs including William Morris and I Am a River.

Red Leicester performing Whole Wide World Around and Nana Was a Suffragette at an event to celebrate the life of Leicester suffragette Alice Hawkins, part of Everybody’s Reading Week, in the Secular Hall in October 2012.

At an event to mark the premiere of the Dirty Thirty film at Phoenix, celebrating the Leicestershire miners who refused to work during the Miners’ Strike in 1984-85, Red Leicester sang several songs including Better Life and A Miner’s Life.

More Red Leicester stuff

Ambrose Musiyiwa has taken a number of photos and videos of Red Leicester performing, which can be seen on his CivicLeicester YouTube pages.

There are also some other videos of Red Leicester singing on YouTube.