The 2014 Tour de France Grand Départ in Yorkshire showcased some of Yorkshire’s finest countryside, villages and towns. It also paved the way for the Tour de Yorkshire to continue drawing attention to our glorious county, but what of our UNESCO World Heritage sites, our Cathedrals, Abbeys, Castles and gardens? How do we ensure that these amazing sites are also highlighted in the same glorious manner? Is there a way that attention can be drawn specifically to these sites? Can our tourists be more than just tourists when they visit us?
Blue Badge Yorkshire tour guide Linda Metcalfe believes so. She is bringing people to Yorkshire to sing! She creates choir tours that combine sightseeing and singing.
There is an abundance of amazing sites in Yorkshire and she believes that visiting a site with the added bonus of being able to sing there creates a special association with lasting memories of the visit. For our visitors to sing in the Chapter House of York Minster, in the ruins of the Abbeys at Riveaux, Fountains, Whitby or Byland, or in the UNESCO village of Saltaire is a most uplifting experience. Singing in the breeze at Flamborough Head Lighthouse, or on the cliff tops at the RSPB nature reserve at Bempton Cliffs brings a whole new meaning to sights and sounds!
When you visit Yorkshire there is so much to see and do. Combining sightseeing with singing ensures that visitors to ‘Gods own County’ hit all the right notes! Learning about the history, archaeology and topography of a site and then being able to use that knowledge to imbue your own thoughts and feelings to complement your musical journey brings you closer to the heart and soul of the place and it’s story.
Linda has taken people to sing all over Europe and the UK – even as far as America. Taking groups to sing in special places has occupied Linda for the last 19 years. Whilst she continues to do that she is also focusing on Yorkshire and spreading the history and beauty of our sites. Inspiration is all around us, but knowing that you are singing in a place where Emperors, Kings, Queens and Popes have been and creating your own history is the best feeling in the world, sharing that with fellow singers and companions ensures that you arrive as a tourist and leave with local knowledge, images of breathtaking vistas, and your own footprint of your personal achievement.
If you want to sing in Yorkshire contact Linda on 07710 745 908 or at her website unlimitedvoicestravel.com.
Welcome to Yorkshire – see, stay, sing. Explore our sites, create your sounds!
