And from Felicity!

It was a great thrill -scary but fun - even Rytmus! Thanks so much for making it possible - and of course to Jenny too.

Some photos and feedback from Monday....

from Jean Thompson stuck at home:

I was so pleased to hear that the concert was such a success. I have never known such a long evening at home, imagining what the choir would be doing at each moment of time!

from Anna in the sopranos:

Thank you Ed for a fabulous night! I really enjoyed it and the buzz was electric.

from Julie

Thanks Ed.  I really really enjoyed singing in Hall 1 once I got over the scariness of it all and the weird acoustic on stage.  Jules and Xan loved it too and said we were awesome! Thank you so much for giving us the opportunity to sing in such a wonderful venue

And some lovely photos from Adam's Chinese friend Bei Way:

St James Park Carols - again

The St James Park Carols is on Saturday 22nd not 20th December

Carols at st James park

Short notice BUT

probably your largest ever audience:

Newcastle United Football Club is looking for singers to sing carols on the pitch next Saturday (20  Dec).

The deal is:

• be there for 2 PM. 

• sing for about half an hour. 

• free by 3 PM – unless you want to watch the match: FREE TICKET for the match and entertainment by the  club.

If you'd like to take part contact Glyn Evans (Chaplain) atbanana@nccc.me.uk

from cc's friend Alison Stancliffe

Dear singers

If you are free on Saturday 19th January you may like to know about the singing opportunity described below. The local organiser would like to have places filled before Christmas but you can discuss a later booking with her (contact number below and on the pdf).

Maybe see you there! I thoroughly enjoyed your performance in Hall One by the way. 

Alison Stancliffe

If you enjoy singing early music, here is an opportunity to take part in a workshop of wonderful early music on a glorious scale for singers and instrumentalists.  This NEEMF (NorthEast Early Music Forum) workshop takes place next year in Newcastle on Saturday January 19th 2013.

We have invited an exciting young early music conductor James Weeks to run this workshop and he has chosen two early 17th century German composers: Rosenmüller and Schütz, both of which he is passionate about.  Both composers worked in the Venetian tradition like Monteverdi and Gabrieli and James Weeks has chosen some of their Vespers Psalms for this workshop.  This is a unique opportunity to sing some of these large scale choral works, with baroque instrumentalists - in our area. 

The workshop takes place at St Bartholomew's Church Hall, Station Road, Benton, Newcastle starting at 10am till 4.30pm.  This is a very pleasant hall, with good car parking and easy access from Benton Metro.  Further details are on the attached form.

The booking form is attached.  Please book up as soon as possible so we can prepare music and plan ahead.

If you are wondering if this kind of workshop is for you, you might find the NEEMF website useful: www.neemf.org.uk.  This is also where you can find out about other early music workshops in the north east of England and how to join the forum.

If you have any questions please feel free to email or ring me.

 Alice Brunton

NEEMF Workshop coordinator

13 Lily Crescent, Jesmond

Newcastle upon Tyne

NE2 2SP

0191 281 2936

07505 148982

In response to Ed's last message from Adam

You make it happen, Ed. It's thanks to you. I think your message is worthy of being printed off and framed! As for the next leg of the madcap journey, I have some suggestions: Jonathan Dove Jonathan Dove Jonathan Dove Jonathan Dove Jonathan Dove Jonathan Dove Jonathan Dove Jonathan Dove Jonathan Dove Jonathan Dove Jonathan Dove Jonathan Dove Jonathan Dove Jonathan Dove Jonathan Dove Jonathan Dove, the perfect replacement for Sleep, and finally, the Bach Hope this helps Thanks to everyone who has been so supportive and encouraging during my last grim month and a half. Have a great Christmas. Adam Adam Nichols adamnicholshome@yahoo.co.uk

Hall 1!

Dear Choir,

CONGRATULATIONS on such an amazing concert last night.

The last minute move to Hall 1 was frankly inspired (and god knows how we were really going to fit that many singers in Hall 2....) as it set up a lovely evening of singing; a real choral celebration.

Honestly, I am so proud of you all. To stand in unfamiliar places, in two rows, exposed half way up the risers with singers all around, in Hall 1 with hardly any rehearsal and then pull off some seriously mature singing of some complex music was beyond what I could have expected from any choir. Chamber Choir is building from strength to strength and I can now get the really challenging music out! There were quite a few highlights. Rytmus really rocked, the Brahms was idyllic and Tenors – you stole. the. show in the Tchaikovsky. There has been lots of lovely feedback (including from choir members Nicola and Lesley sitting in the audience, do ask them about it…) but the Head of Adult Programme here, Sally Kat, called our singing ‘exquisite’. It doesn’t get much better than that.

Finally, let us not forget how great it is that we have these opportunities to sing alongside with other leaders and choirs. We always enjoy catching up with Simon and Philharmonic Voices, but good for Femme Chorale. Starting off the concert like that set us all off on the right foot.

We are already talking of booking Hall 1 again for next year and adding more choirs so I hope you enjoyed the experience, there could be plenty more to come.

So thank you all of you for your work, energy and enthusiasm and hopefully you feel that it really does pay off. We would be flailing blindly in the dark if it wasn’t for our magnificent Chamber Choir Champions so thanks to them and thanks of course to the wonderful Jenny for joining us on our madcap journey.

Looking forward to seeing you all on Monday 7 January and Merry Christmas,

Ed

timings for tonight

Please arrive before 17.30 if at all possible -  come to stage door at the rear of the building, from there we will be told where we need to go

17.30 rehearsal

18.15 break

19.00 concert starts

21.00 concert ends

21.15 drinks in Sage bar if people fancy it

Stairwell Singers

Calling all Stairwell Singers
and any friends..........

and an invitation to become an instant member of the  'Stairwell Singers'  if you haven't sung part way up the stairs to the top carpark before..

Anyone who fancies a bit extra after formal proceedings have ended tonight, how about forming up on the middle landing for some carols? There'd be an appreciative (possibly participatory) audience on its way to the car park...

We enjoyed our impromptu Away in a Manger l;ast week, so how about brining your Carols for Choirs 1 and see what we can do?

Adam

Longframlington 9 Lessons and Carols

Dear All,

For those able to make it to lovely Longfram, here's some details:

There is a rehearsal on Friday 14th December at 7:30pm but that is optional as most choir people can probably just rock up on the night.  If people can be there to start rehearsing at 6:30 on Wednesday 19th December for a 7:30 service - that would be perfect.  

Four choir pieces - In dulci jubilo (easy 3-part version), Adam lay ybounden (Carols for Choirs 2), Torches (Carols for Choirs 1), the Angel Gabriel (easy 4-part version).  

Please email Steve even if you think you have already told him you can do it: steven.buckley@talk21.com  

Thanks