The Great Big Green Week got off to a melodious start on Sunday 9th June with the Sheffield Rivers Ramble and Singing Rally. Organised jointly by the South Yorkshire Climate Alliance and the Sheffield Climate Singers, the event was a celebration of Sheffield’s Rivers. Three guided walks along the Upper Don, the Five Weirs Walk on the Lower Don and the Sheffield and Tinsley Canal converged at the beautiful plantings of the Castlegate Grey to Green pocket park, which marks the confluence of Sheffield’s rivers, the Sheaf and the Don. The guides from the Blue Loop Troup and the Sheaf and Porter Rivers Trust gave a fascinating and knowledgeable insight into the history of Sheffield’s rivers and canal and aspirations for their future enhancement.
At Castlegate, looking out over the river, members of the Sheffield Climate Choir were joined by singers from across the country who had been raising their voices as part of the national Street Choirs Festival which filled the streets of Sheffield with music over the course of the weekend. The combined climate choir of over fifty enthusiastic singers was led by talented London choir leader Ryan O’Riordan, who had written an original song, Dirty Water, for the event, decrying the pollution of our waterways.
Jenny Carpenter, who initiated the event said “The rivers are what make Sheffield Special. It was good to celebrate them in situ and in song!”
The singers participating in the rally were equally enthusiastic. Here are some quotes.
“It was so uplifting to join the Sheffield Climate Choir and singers from around the country to celebrate our rivers. It made a beautiful finale to the national Street Choirs Festival which filled Sheffield with music all weekend.”
“Sheffield’s rivers are the arteries of our city. We sang together to celebrate them and focus on the need to protect them.”
“The riverside walk along the River Don, led by Simon Ogden, was full of interesting history and well attended. A lovely group of usenjoyed singing nature related songs in 4-part harmony on Castlegate, surrounded by the flowers and foliage of the “grey to green” pedestrianisation.”
View the videos here:
