Chamber Choir dates, news and questions.....

Dear Choir

We have a few things to tell you about and a few questions to which we would like your answers: PLEASE SEND ALL ANSWERS TO tsgcchoir@gmail.com

1.00   First of all dates of concerts - some fixed and some provisional.  They fall into 2 categories: official Chamber Choir concerts; and other singing opportunities.  The former will be with a full choir (we hope) and Ed leading, the latter is likely to be a smaller group, more informal and possibly lead by someone other than Ed. 

Official Chamber Choir Concerts - full choir:

Chamber Choir Christmas Concert: St Chad's Bensham  - Saturday 3rd December 7pm. Confirmed date and venue

Chamber Choir and Philharmonic Voices Joint Concert: Hall 2, The Sage Gateshead - Monday 5th December.  Confirmed date and venue, time to be confirmed (evening)

Chamber Choir Spring Concert - St John's, Gateshead - Saturday 24th March at 7pm - Date and time provisional - to be confirmed

PLEASE REPLY TO tsgcchoir@gmail.com to say if you are able to attend these above dates.

Summer concert - we are awaiting confirmation of venue and date but will let you know asap.  We are even making plans for possible summer 2013 concerts!

Other Singing Opportunities:

Ustinov College, Durham - Thursday 10th November (provisional, awaiting confirmation from the College)

Victorian Christmas, Shotley Bridge - Saturday 26th November, time to be confirmed

PLEASE REPLY TO tsgcchoir@gmail.com to say if you are able to attend these above dates.


2.00 A question about future Chamber Choir trips abroad.

We are looking at possible locations for another Chamber Choir singing weekend abroad.  In the past we have always planned these for August as this summer holiday time suited many people.  However, at that time some potential fascinating locations might be too hot for some and so we are just wondering if a date earlier in the year could be a possibility. So if you are interested in joining a singing weekend in 2012 please could you reply to the following questions:

• Is August the only month you can go? (usually the weekend before the bank holiday weekend)
• Could you instead go in the Easter school holidays? (probably weekend of 14/15 April in 2012)
• Could you do either date and so have no preference?

PLEASE REPLY TO tsgcchoir@gmail.com

3.00  A Concert you might be interested in:

Saturday October 8 at Trinity Church, Gosforth - 7.30pm, .Simon Fidler (leader - Philharmonic Voices) is running the 'Voices of Hope' concert, which will raise money for the British Heart Foundation. The concert will feature inspirational choral music from 4 centuries and promises to be spectacular.

Tickets are £8 and are available on the door or by calling 07739815494 to reserve. There are no concessions as all monies are being donated to the British Heart Foundation.

4.00  Our very own Rob on the Radio:

Wednesday October 12 - 1800-1900hrs - 'live' on NE1FM 102.5 Newcastle/Gateshead, and www.ne1fm.net/listen global, Rob Barnes is hosting an hour's programme of choral classics. Music for the heart and the soul, with the finest examples of this genre from across the ages. Some music you will know , and some you may not.....

Send Rob a mail (rmbarnes@btopenworld.com) if you'd like a dedication or a forthcoming event read out 'live on air' to the world, as part of the programme.

Ed's email still hasn't worked....

...check the website folks!

Ed

European Sacred Music 3

Once last time without the photo.

I did post this! It just never went to emails for some reason. And it has Beatus Vir in it! Ed

Do many of you have this great book? OUP European Sacred Music.
 

It is a bit of a backbone of our repertoire and is a great book to have for life. Knowing that there are copies scattered about would also help Beth to do less photocopying.

If you are interested in getting it, the best price seems to be here: http://tinyurl.com

European Sacred Music 2

I did post this! It just never went to emails for some reason. And it has Beatus Vir in it! Ed

Do many of you have this great book?

It is a bit of a backbone of our repertoire and is a great book to have for life. Knowing that there are copies scattered about would also help Beth to do less photocopying.

If you are interested in getting it, the best price seems to be here: http://tinyurl.com

Men Needed!

A message from Fiona Tobin, at The Sage Gateshead Classical Performance Programme:

Dear Singer I hope you are well,

As you may know, on Friday 11^th November Northern Sinfonia repeat their successful performance from the BBC Proms as part of our Percy Grainger Festival (more info here) in Hall One.

Two elements of this concert require male chorus (tenors and baritones) and I wondered if you could let me know if you’d be available to perform in this event, as well as the extra rehearsal time this will require.

I would appreciate it if you could please reply to this email and let me know a) if you’re available to perform in the concert on 11^th November and b) if you’d be able to attend all the rehearsals.

We’ve tried to make it as close to our existing rehearsals as possible to make it easier for you. Thank you for letting me know.

Works requiring male chorus:

Scotch Strathspey & Reel

Shallow Brown

The rehearsal dates/times are as follows:

Sunday 23^rd October from 16.30

Sunday 30^th October from 18.30

Sunday 6^th November from 18.30

Friday 11^th November from 17.00, concert at 19.30

Thanks and kind regards and please do let me know at fiona.tobin@thesagegateshead.org

Fiona

European Sacred Music

Do many of you have this great book?

It is a bit of a backbone of our repertoire and is a great book to have for life. Knowing that there are copies scattered about would also help Beth to do less photocopying.

If you are interested in getting it, the best price seems to be here: http://tinyurl.com/3rqwbuq

Urgent Notice!

Urgent Notice: Half Term Now 24^th October as Advertised

At the first rehearsal last night, Chamber Choir members were informed of a half-term date change from the advertised date of 24^th October to 10^th October. However, the usual rehearsal space has now become available on 10^th so half term will be moved back to the advertised date which is 24^th October.  Apologies for any inconvenience this may have caused.  If you have any questions please contact Susanna.Wolfe@thesagegateshead.org

Amsterdam musings.....

This is to pass on and share a couple of messages from Amsterdamers about our weekend.  I know it is now deep Autumn but hopefully we havent left this too late for those who were there to still feel the warm glow of the weekend.......

From Julie (sent a few days after returning from Amsterdam):
Thank you, thank you, thank you everyone for a wonderful weekend. I'm feeling quite flat now but so happy to have had the chance to sing in such a beautiful place. And also, a big thank you for making my friend Liz feel so welcome. You are a very lovely bunch of people.

Look forward to seeing you all in September.
Julie x


From Simon:
....throat dryness and infections notwithstanding, I thought that we performed well and perhaps, even with the smaller choir, as well on some occasions as we have ever done. It is always hard to assess this from the back so I await the DVD with interest. Certainly the comments that Ros picked up from fellow audience members, not the groupies, were extremely positive. If I could put my finger on a reason I guess that it was because we had had a stimulating and stretching term before the trip with the new music and the challenges of the language and the choir responded. Having the time together also helps. On this basis I trust that the next term will give us further challenges ........

Two messages from choir members

Julie has put her photos on the picasa site - here's the link
https://picasaweb.google.com/110300073882102918905/JulieSAmsterdam?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCIy-u_mk0Zj5_QE&feat=directlink&gsessionid=FXKt0xCC-XKtktBSBEMCZg#

Simon has sent us this message about a recent Paris trip:

So there we were enjoying a celebratory meal in Paris at the weekend in a restaurant near the Odeon. We started chatting to the French couple at the next table who had lived in Paris for the last 20 years since they were at university. They live near to St Sulpice and so I said, “The Sage Choir sang there last year...” “Ah, yes” said they, (in French !), “We heard you, it was a lovely concert”.

As Ros would say, it was one of those “Hello, Simon” moments but as a bit of serendipity it was wonderful. We are certainly developing our international reputation.

Nice to be remembered after a year.

Simon

Youth Folkworks Tuesday

The Young Musicians Programme rolls on..................... Let young people know as this will be really great.

Youth Folkworks Tuesday

Ed

Ed's Amsterdam Photos - new link

https://picasaweb.google.com/110300073882102918905/EMAmsterdam?authkey=Gv1sRgCJ_ey7SdybqQYQ

Ed's Amsterdam Photos

https://picasaweb.google.com/110300073882102918905/EMAmsterdam

Ed

New Term!

Dear All,

Sorry I've not been in touch; it's that whole back from holiday, try to work out what the hell is going on, get a grip thing going on.

Amsterdam was BRILLIANT. Thank you to everyone for all your work, support and singing. Big fun was had by all, and please upload your pictures. We're waiting on the video! The singing was complex (we didn't shy from tough repertoire...) and was really well done. Particular highlights for me were the Holst Nunc Dimittis in Sint Nicolaaskerk and anything in Oude Kerk. Really great everyone thank you.

We are collating interesting and nice things people are saying about the trip, so drop us an email and we'll stick some up.

So what now? Well, plans are being made, great thoughts are being developed, empires are being built (in the sky). First rehearsal is on 19 September, half term is on 24 October and last week is 5 December. Champions are meeting on 19 September before the rehearsal - let us know anything you would like us to discuss.

Looking forward to seeing you all on the 19th,

Ed

adam's photos

sorry - still getting to grips with this technology - here is the right link for Adam's photos.

https://picasaweb.google.com/110300073882102918905/AdamSAmsterdam2011#

Photos from Adam now on photo page - see link below

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/myphotos

Amsterdam Photos

Here is a link to my photos from the Amsterdam weekend - if anyone else has any they would like to share let me know and I will give you the password for uploading on the picasa site. (I have saved you the video of the bawdy Geordie "folk" songs in the restaurant.....but for the right price I could be persuaded to post it....)

https://picasaweb.google.com/110300073882102918905/NickySAmsterdam2011?authkey=Gv1sRgCN-A0o21xNqF0wE#

Back from Amsterdam - what a weekend!

So what a weekend we had - sunshine, big churches, sombre churches, sparkly churches, little chapels, apprecaitive audiences (including a standing ovation and hungarians), good food and drink, late night singalongs and of course fantastic company.

Photos coming soon - but in the meantime here's a taster.