MPs & Peers in good voice to remember the Blitz
They want more politicians to embrace the sheer pleasure of community singing... and every new parliament offers the choir a chance to recruit fresh talent. The Parliament Choir has been going for 10 years now.
One of its more prestigious bookings was in Coventry Cathedral this weekend. To mark the 70th anniversary of the Coventry Blitz, the parliamentary singers joined three other choirs and the Southbank Sinfonia in a particularly memorable performance.
Benjamin Britten
Benjamin Britten's War Requiem had its world premiere in Coventry more than 50 years ago to mark the completion of its new cathedral. It was sung again to mark the 70th anniversary of the bombing of the city and the destruction of its original medieval cathedral.
Britten's music with words from the poetry of Wilfred Owen is totalling compelling and moving. Among more familiar faces in the Parliament Choir were Bernard Jenkin, an Essex MP and one of the Sergeant at Arms' officials, Milburn Talbot.
East Midland MPs are missing a trick here.
The Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman is also singer, an alto, but she sat out the Coventry performance. She was excused. As a local MP, she was accompanying the German Ambassador and various VIPs.
The Parliament Choir were in good voice. They are singing Brittten's Requiem in Westminster Cathderal on Wednesday (November 17). With so many MPs and Peers
signing their hearts out, they may attract the attention of Simon Cowell one day... unless the whips office get the hear of it first!
Hello. My name is John Hess. I'm the BBC's Political Editor for the East Midlands and this blog will offer my musings on the political scene from Westminster to closer to home. 
