Author: Siobhan Jones

Thanks all, and especially Suzanne, for another lovely little sing last night. It truly is an uplifting, joyful thing, just to make pleasant sounds together.

We sang:
Amazing Grace and Somewhere Over The Rainbow for warm up. In a perfect world, we would learn these by heart so that we can close our eyes and sing them together, relying only on our ears and the singers around us. These are only warm up pieces, but by all means give them a few minutes of your time. It would be lovely to have little pieces like this that we can sing together perfectly any time.
We ran through Linden Lea – this is already solid. Maybe a couple of places where the lower parts could be more precise. Practice tracks are there for you to check at home.
We took our first look at the beautiful Erb arrangement of Shenandoah. We picked up the tune straight away, and there was brilliant work on both sides on staying in tune. Nobody slipped at the two places I highlighted as risks. Excellent musicianship all around. Followed up with a fantastic first shot at the verse 4 ‘stretto.’ Sop 2s got it straight away – but it gets harder with the lower parts trying to throw you off. I’d suggest spending 10 minutes with the practice track, then singing with the YouTube recording by Royal Holloway. Altos – we didn’t get to your second echo in V4 – by all means have a look and a listen. And for all – take a look at the 6-part harmonies of verse 3. Hopefully we could have a bash at this next time we are together.
Then we turned to Danny Boy, and reviewed the 8-part harmonies of verse 1. Again, this will benefit from some practice at home. Tenors, very best of luck with your crazy passage at the top of p2.
And for the simple pleasure of singing something we know well, we had a ragged attempt at the Hostias from the Mozart Requiem, and a much better crack at the Cantique. Suggestions for other things we can knock out without much effort greatly appreciated.

Music and other resources:
Following multiple people telling me that they couldn’t find music, I have reorganised everything and it now resides HERE. You can navigate to this page from the top menu: click on Music and Media Library, and then Repertoire for Autumn 2020 Concert. There are unofficial copies of copyrighted music here, for private rehearsal use only.
The warm-up pieces are in the Downloads page, again accessible from the Music and Media Library dropdown.

Next week, July 28th:
We agreed that it makes sense to have another sectional session to work through some notes before we put things together as a choir again. So look out for an email from your kind section host, and please RSVP promptly.

Have a lovely week!

Hello choristers! After the genuine joy of being able to sing together again last week, we are going for a repeat this coming week: Tuesday 21st – meeting again at Suzanne’s (45 Fife Road, directions below – THANK YOU, SUZANNE!). 7.45 kick-off, sing for an hour or so. Plough afterwards. TWO ADDITION THIS WEEK – PLEASE BRING SOMETHING TO DRINK TO KEEP YOUR WHISTLE WETTED, AND ROBERT WILL BE THERE! (No need for glasses, I have the choir stash. And these two things are entirely unrelated.)

PLEASE RSVP TO LET ME KNOW IF YOU ARE ABLE TO COME. THANKS. chris.hawkins2015@yahoo.com

The draft repertoire for the Autumn concert of traditional songs is now on its own page on the website, with links to sheet music (FOR REHEARSAL ONLY, SOME IS STILL UNDER COPYRIGHT), practice recordings and YouTube recordings. Find it HERE.

Running order for Tuesday evening:
Warm up – Amazing Grace; and another little arrangement of mine – Somewhere, Over the Rainbow. A tiny nugget of musical beauty, and an excellent piece to encourage us to listen to each other. I have uploaded to the Media page (not the concert listing page). Please take 1 minute and 44 seconds to have a listen through and print off.
Singing for fun – Hostias from Mozart Requiem – once through.
Autumn pieces – Linden Lea – run through once; Danny Boy – just verse 1 again. Please take another look at your part, especially those that are divided. Aim to get notes learned ready to move to v2; Shenandoah – NEW, uploaded to the website, please take a look and listen. Work on the tune for all, and stretto last verse to help Sop 2s.
Singing for fun – Cantique de Jean Racine – once through

So, music to bring:

Mozart Requiem (book)
Cantique de Jean Racine (here if you don’t already have it or have lost it!)
Linden Lea
Danny Boy
Shenandoah
Amazing Grace
Somewhere, OtR (here)

And, looking ahead to the following Tuesday, we thought it was worth reconvening as sections, and taking a look at the trickier parts – v2 of Danny Boy, the harmonies of Shenandoah specifically – to get those notes laid down before we try those again as a choir.

The idea is that our time as a full chorus is precious right now, and we want to make sure that we are able to make a nice sound when we are together, not spend those few minutes trying to learn notes.

Any thoughts or suggestions (especially for things we can sing just for fun) please shout!

Directions: Turn left at the top of Sheen Lane if you are facing the park, 45 Fife Road is on the dogleg corner of Fife Road and Sheen Gate Gardens. So you can also get to it by turning into Stonehill Road or Clare Lawn Ave and taking the next right. The garden gate to the left of the house will be open.

Hello all, Hope everyone is well and enjoying the improving weather.

So, we have had a smattering of sectional rehearsals, learning a bit of a couple of songs that Dave is looking to perform in the Autumn. Now we would like to try to put things back together.

Ongoing regulations mean that we cannot all meet, even outside, and sing together, unfortunately. But we have a number of gardens in which we can stand far enough apart, and try singing as a 4-part choir again, with no more than 8 of us in a group. So that is what we are hoping to do.

Right now we have ten people signed up, but I am sure that I have missed a couple of emails – apologies to those who replied who are not listed below. Could I ask for any more who would like to sing a little on Tuesday evening, to remind ourselves (and our neighbours) how wonderful it is to create music together? We really need at least 4 from each part to be able to create 2 minichoirs, 6 of each to go up to 3.

Look forward to making nice sounds in a few days.

Chris – RSVP to chris.hawkins2015@yahoo.com

Currently signed up:
Soprano
Paula Frew
Trish Joshi

Alto
Marilyn Tyler
Lesley

Tenor
Stephanie

Bass
Chris H
Gareth
Nick
Simon
Roger

Hello again. Three updates for you. First, from quizmistress Teresa regarding the quiz tomorrow:

Dear All – if you’re joining the choir quiz on Tuesday, please let me know your favourite composer and favourite piece (not necessarily connected) soonest! Zoom invite to follow in due course. Big surprise for the interval you will not regret it! Thanks
Teresa X.
PS – 7.15 meeting start for 7.30 first question.

Second, on the Media section of the website there are now practice recordings of all 8 parts of Danny Boy. Hope they are helpful – any feedback, please let me know.

And third, we have a good start in terms of sign up for our first reconvening on Tuesday July 14th, but we would love to see many more. Don’t forget to drop me a quick email to tell me that you are able to sing that night. Look forward to seeing you then.

Chris

Well, sort of at least. We have plans for each of the next three Tuesdays, and hopefully beyond. So please read on carefully. There is loads of stuff in here, sorry for the massive post.

First, thanks to all who took part in the garden/Zoom sectionals this week. The idea of laying some solid foundations in the pieces we are hoping to perform in the Autumn seemed to work pretty well given the circumstances, so we are looking to continue on that path.

BUT FIRST, on Tuesday June 30th at 7.15pm we have the FIFTH SGC QUIZ NIGHT.
With Teresa as quizmaster and some special features promised, this is not one to miss. Teresa has asked that people RSVP as soon as possible – I suspect she has found a way to deliver delicious nibbles through Zoom and needs to know how many to cater for. Please can you mark your calendars and confirm with Teresa that you will be joining as soon as possible. And in your mail (which must only go to Teresa) you need to answer two preliminary questions: name your favourite composer, and your favourite piece of music (which does not have to be by your favourite composer). Intriguing, huh?

Next, for the first two Tuesday evenings in July, we are looking to continue with the work on the traditional songs for the Autumn concert. The next piece is an arrangement of Danny Boy which was done for the Kings’ Singers. You can hear it on YouTube. We all need to buy this sheet music. It is only £1.99, postage included. There are no bulk discounts so each singer can go to MusicRoom and order their own copy. Here’s the link: https://www.musicroom.com/product/HL08741129/KS.aspx When my own copy arrives I will make some of the recordings like for Linden Lea so you can rehearse against a backing with your own part picked out.

Tuesday July 7th we will have another garden/Zoom sectional to look at Danny Boy, check we have not forgotten Linden Lea, and we may add a simple arrangement of Amazing Grace in as a warm-up option. You will get an email from your section host in due course. (And if you would like to volunteer to host please let Lesley know.)

Tuesday July 14th is the evening that we are aiming to sing together again in some form. Depending on numbers, we will either meet as one group, suitably spread out from each other in a public place. Or else we will split into mini-choirs of 1-2 per part and stay in back gardens. (This won’t work for Zooming because of the lag.) All with strict observance of current guidance on distancing. It would be helpful if you could let us know if you will be able to join for this so we can figure out the right plan. Could you email Chris H to let him know if you will be there please?

Recap:
* Tuesday June 30th – Quiz night – come and be part of a team!
* Tuesday July 7th – Sectional in gardens or on Zoom
* Tuesday July 14th – singing together again, as one choir or mini choirs in locations TBC

To do list:
1. Block out Tuesday evenings in your calendar again.
2. RSVP Teresa today to say you’ll be at the quiz, with your favourite composer and piece.
3. Buy copy of Danny Boy and have a go at it. Watch out for practice tracks on the choir website.
4. Look out for email from member of your section inviting you to sectional on July 7th.
5. Email Chris re Tues July 14th, and be ready to sing again, even if not in our usual size or setting, in just a couple of weeks!

Phew. Well done and thanks if you have read down to here. Sorry it’s so much, and looking forward to singing with you very soon.

Finally, if anyone has any thoughts, concerns or general inputs into the questions of how choirs work in the post-COVID world – rehearsals, face masks, concert attendance, hopes and fears, whatever – we would love to hear your thoughts. Please email Lesley or Chris.

Chris

Sorry for the short notice – but Quiz Night is back, by popular demand, and with a new, better quizmaster! Yes, it will be the fiendishly musical Robert ‘Haunted’ Bridge who will be in the chair on this coming Tuesday June 16th at 7pm. As usual, we will be in teams and after a bit of chit chat to say hello, questions begin at 7.15. You will be finished an hour later.

WE WOULD LOVE SOME FRESH FACES!

The quizzes are all about fun and staying connected, not about musical knowledge. Previous rounds have included a GBBO connections question, one about the Magic Roundabout and the most frequent musical contributor is Eminem. Whoever she is.

Anyway, please join us! It will be at least September before we can sing together as one, it appears, so let’s make sure we stay connected.

Sign up by emailing Robert, who will determine the appropriate teams – robertdbridge@yahoo.co.uk

And on Tuesday the link will be:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89579874524

Hope to see you then

Chris

Dear Sheen Gate Choir

I am very sad to have to pass on the news that Jerry Wright died at the weekend. As many of you know, he was diagnosed with cancer last year, but, in keeping with his way of life, he still kept coming to rehearsals. At least until lockdown put paid to that. 

Jerry was one of the original members of the choir, back when it was the choir for parents of boys at Tower House School. His powerful, resonant bass was a feature of the choir for all of our ten years. 

His wife, Clare, is an alto in the choir, and she has asked that I pass the sad news on to you all. At some point, we will for sure be looking to sing something in Jerry’s honour and memory. Until then, please cherish the many happy memories of time with Jerry that make so many of us smile. 

Chris Hawkins

For my farewell quiz on Tuesday June 2nd at 7pm, we have a new format: It’s A Knockout. Yes, complete with Stuart Hall, Genaro, Jokers and the Marathon round. But we only have 5 players so far. Any more for any more? New players especially welcomed. You should allow 90 minutes as this time we are actually going to score properly and add up the totals in a spreadsheet!

And for my talk on Temperament, on Tuesday June 9th, I have re-titled the evening: Temperament: Music, Mathematics and Bloodshed to try to spice it up a bit.

For either, please email me at the usual address, chris.hawkins2015@yahoo.com.

Enjoy the sunshine!

Chris

Hello all, hope you are still hanging in there as we start to emerge from our bunkers.

After Robert’s wonderful concert and a couple of chaotic quizzes, we have a couple more events to keep us entertained and connected.

Next Tuesday, June 2nd, SGC Quiz Night returns despite popular demand. Forced out of retirement by a total lack of willing replacements, I will be scraping the bottom of the question barrel to come up with another ridiculous pile of vaguely musical nonsense. Hopefully this time I will remember to connect the sound so contestants can hear the questions… And applications are open for the vacant post of quizmaster – please confirm your interest to me (Chris.hawkins2015@yahoo.com) so I can pass on the baton. Also please confirm your interest in the quizz to me – please give it a whirl if you haven’t before, you will be in a team with others and that of itself is jolly enough. We have now proved this works best on a video WhatsApp call with your team.

Then the following week, Tuesday, June 9th, you are cordially invited to listen to a TedTalk on the subject of Temperament – Where Maths meets Music. If you ever wondered why some notes sound good together and others don’t, or why it is really hard to pitch a major third, or why music from the Eastern hemisphere sounds rather different to that from the Western – there are answers to all of these questions, and there is a spreadsheet for that. Please confirm interest to Chris H as above.

We can’t sing together yet, and are assuming that will remain the case at least until September, so we are thinking that we could informally start some singing/note bashing of our parts on Tuesday evenings over summer on Zoom, getting ourselves familiar with the work for the Autumn. More on this to follow from the repertoire group in due course but we thought you might like something like this to look forward to.

Chris H/Lesley

Hi all

Two quick reminders for upcoming events:

First, this evening at 6pm, Robert will be taking his Knitting Concert series online. If you would like to join, email him at robertdbridge@yahoo.co.uk and he will send you the Zoom link.

Second, on Tuesday at 7pm is our second SGC Quiz Night. More socialisation and giggles than ABRSM-approved learning, don’t worry if you don’t know your Andante from your recapitulation, there are questions for everyone. We will be in teams as last time. Family members welcome! Email me, chris.hawkins2015@yahoo.com and I will circulate the Zoom link on Tuesday.

Chris