Happy New Year

A very Happy and Prosperous New Year to choirs and singers everywhere.

A nice review... & more work!

Had a nice e-mail with a very nice review of our Christmas concert.  It's going in the Woldingham magazine February edition (January's already out!) and I've sent a copy to Ian D to put in the New Year Consortium.
I reproduce the review here as it's so heart-warming to be appreciated;

Berry Butler recalls a magical evening

I was so glad to be in the audience in St Paul’s Church, Woldingham on Saturday 15 December for a Christmas Family Carol Concert performed by the excellent North Downs Consort, with enjoyable readings from Sue and Roger Simpson of the Woldingham Players and perfect organ solos from Ian le Grice.  The rich selection of Christmas material included pieces by Rutter, Poulenc, Handel, Howells, Willcocks and Vaughan Williams – with some traditional carols for us all to sing together.  The Concert was conducted with flair by Paul Provost – only the fourth Music Director of the Consort in over 30 years – and under his highly competent and enthusiastic direction we had a thoroughly enjoyable and inspiring evening.              BHB

With thanks and kind acknowledgements to Berry Butler.  I've also been hard at work preparing rehearsal CDs for members so that they are ready for the first rehearsal on 7 Jan.  Still they're all done now.

It's almost Christmas

It's 18th December and I've been very remiss in not posting anything all this term!  The October concert in aid of the Village Memorial fund went very well and we were able to donate £500 to the fund. Very good reviews and comments from many of those who came, but it was a bit disappointing that there were not as many folk from Woldingham in the audience as I'd hoped.

We were invited to sing at the Lingfield Church Christmas Tree Festival on December 8th, together with a young student who played flute and harp - so talented at such a young age!  John Sharples, a former organist at Lingfield accompanied us and also played a couple of organ pieces.

On Saturday 15th December we gave our Christmas concert in St Paul's - remarkably well received, with an audience of almost 100.  Great fun, with "Twelve Days of Christmas", " I saw three ships" and a slushy encore of John Rutter's "I wish you Christmas"

Finally, yesterday evening, a number of us got together for a drink and socialise at Botley Hill Farmhouse, something we haven't done for some time.  A nice end to an action packed term

See you all on 7th January!

Friday 23rd June2012
Some considerable time since I last posted to the blog.  Concert tomorrow - today I've set up part of the staging, put the sparkling wine in the fridge and collected glasses.  We had a good rehearsal on Wednesday, Paul even complimented us!
Looking forward to the concert, the music is divine - all of it! - and I think we're as well prepared as we have ever been.  It's been a good term, and it'll be good to have a break over the summer.  Maybe we can fix up a social if the weather improves.

Good concert!

Concert last night went very well.  Paul really is an excellent MD - a great communicator, he has raised the choir to a new level.  He really engages with both the choir and the audience and this really shows in the comments I've heard, both last night and in church this morning.  "The choir sounds so much fresher now",  " I really enjoyed the music" .....
Looking forward to next term already, Paul has already produced a rehearsal CD and I'll start making copies for members straight away.  I'll be collecting the next lot of music from Dorking shortly, when I take back this terms lot!

Monday 6 February

A good rehearsal, I think, tonight.  Fortunately the weather didn't keep too many away, although Sally and Jan are not feeling too well and weren't in attendance.  I've passed the key to the Church Room to Ian D, together with the lead for the piano as he'll be opening up and looking after things while I'm on holiday.  Good luck to Ian and Ed  - tenors against the rest - I'm sure they'll cope.
We're taking our music and CD away with us and will spend time trying to be ready for anything when we return.  I've just got to e-mail out mp3 files of the last two pieces that Paul hasn't rehearsed yet and then I can concentrate on packing my swimming trunks (too much information?)

Getting ready to go on holiday

Tomorrow is the last rehearsal for Jasmine and me for a while as we're off on holiday! (Hooray).  Been getting things ready to pack (including CD walkman to study music for 24 March).
Ian Skipper has done some work updating our website and the past programmes are now right up to date. 
Reviews of our concerts are now accessible direct from the home page and our Facebook page is working.
I took some photos of the choir last week and I have sent these to Ian D as he asked me.  I'm not sure that they are really good enough and will take some more soon.  Meanwhile, I'll try and upload them to this blog.

Monday 23rd January

Spent most of the afternoon making CDs (version 2) to help members to learn their notes etc. for the March concert.  Also located, downloaded and copied 2 additional pieces chosen by Paul, "Quick, we have but a second" by C V Stanford and "Rest" by R Vaugham Williams.

Rehearsal was in the Church as the PCC were meeting in our usual rehearsal room.  An accident closed the road at the viaduct by the entrance to Woldingham School, so several people were a bit late arriving, but the rehearsal was not too much delayed.

A good rehearsal and I thought we got to grips with the Howells Magnificat rhythms quite well.  Our second sopranos got a chance to shine as Paul asked the firsts to sit down for part of the Holst song.  Well done girls!

Getting ready for tomorrow

I've not been too well for several days now, but I hope to be fit and well for the start of term. Went to Dorking on Thursday to pick up the music for this term and retured to bed in the afternoon with this wretched cough that's been hanging around since November..  Sue J came and collected the music from me so she could number the copies and make up sets for each singer.  This is a great help and a load off my mind; I am so grateful for Sue's help.  The first tablet from my second lot of antibiotics made me violently sick, so back to bed and a call to the doctor, who prescribed a third sort!  Hope these work.

In bed all day Saturday.  Up this morning feeling a bit better so now making compliation CDs to aid members (including me) learning all the music for 24th March.

See you all tomorrow!