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

 

Tchaikovsky!

I have found a recording of Dostoino Est. I feel empowered by knowledge.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CCwH3goFO4&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Ed

17 December Concert and Details

Dear All!

Here are the music details leading to 17 December. The Champions will give you the operational details (where to turn up when etc) soon.

First, the big news! We have sold around 250 tickets for the concert, which meant we were going to have serious issues (including Health and Safety!) getting the choirs singing together. We have therefore been moved to Hall 1. YES! HALL 1. Now the large Hall 2 audience will look pretty small in Hall 1 obviously, but Simon and I didn't want to turn down the opportunity to sing in the Hall.

All three choirs will sit on stage throighout on risers and perform from where they are or at the front. we will practive movements on Monday.

Here's the programme: 

FEMME CHORALE (SF conducting)

CHAMBER CHOIR (EM conducting)

Sing Joyfully (Byrd), 2.5 mins

Geistliches Lied (Brahms), 4 mins

Dostiono Est (Tchaikovsky), 3.5 mins

Rytmus (Hrusovsky), 1.5 mins

Sleep (Whitacre), 5 mins

CHAMBER CHOIR AND PHILHARMONIC VOICES

Cantique de Jean Racine(Faure), 6 mins, EM conducting

INTERVAL (20 mins)

2nd Half (40 mins)

ALL THREE CHOIRS AND AUDIENCE

Good King Wenceslas (arr. Willcocks), 5 mins, EM conducting 

PHILHARMONIC VOICES (SF conducting)

ALL THREE CHOIRS & AUDIENCE 

Hark the herald-angels Sing (Mendelssohn arr. Willcocks), 5 mins, EM conducting 

ALL THREE CHOIRS

The Lord is My Shepherd (Goodall), 3 mins, SF conducting 

ALL THREE CHOIRS & AUDIENCE 

O Come all ye faithful (Wade arr. Willcocks), 5 mins, SF conducting 

I know some of you don't want to do Sleep but I do, and singing it really brilliantly in Hall 1 will give it just the send off it needs.

On Monday, you will have the joy of Len AND me. Two for the price if one. Here is the plan:

1900, warm up (EM or LY)

1910, sectionals (EM and LY:

Goodall, The Lord is my Shepherd 

Bach, Lobet den Hern BMV 230

Ticheli, There will be Rest

1955, Breather

2000, 17 Dec programme (EM)

2050, something nice in the Gathering Space (EM or LY)

2100, End 

Please do be prompt as we have lots to do.

This should be a really great end to the year, so please do get some more peeps along if you can. Let's great a nice crowd for our Hall 1 debut!

Ed