If you haven’t already paid for concert tickets in advance and plan to do so, then please pay directly to choir bank account rather than through Sum-Up to avoid Sum-Up fees! Put name and tickets in reference.
Account Name: Sheen Gate Choir
Account Number: 47107324
Sort Code: 60-01-39
Thank you
Dear All
Well done to everyone for an excellent last run through ahead of our concert this Sunday. Everyone’s efforts are clearly paying off. Don’t be afraid to sing out on Sunday and it will sound great!
Timings & ticket sale details for Sunday’s concert are below.
No rehearsal next week but there will be CURRY – 17th Dec, 19:15, Annapura East Sheen (see below). With thanks to our Social Secretary extraordinaire, Barbara.
First rehearsal back will be Tuesday 7th Jan – bring Beethoven’s 9th!
One other thing: we have learned that dear Ben’s funeral will take place tomorrow 14th December at 12:30 in Cambridge. It will be for family, with close friends welcome to attend. There will be a large Memorial Mass at St George’s Cathedral in January. As soon as we learn more details of the Memorial service we will pass them on.
On this subject, some of you may have noticed there is a new page on the choir website dedicated to the memory of Ben Thapa. It can be found under the ‘About Us’ tab and is labelled ‘Ben Thapa’. This beautiful tribute was put together by Simon Renton with the help of David Corless and other contributors from the choir. Thanks also to David Howell for sorting out the recording of Ben’s performance with Robert at our Come and Sing. Everyone is welcome to add their thoughts to the page should they wish to – just message me and we’ll add any contributions. Please do take a look – it’s a moving read, especially when you’ve been practising Vast Eternal Sky, which, as Penny said, feels almost as though Ben is sending us a message.
Merry Christmas and Happy Singing.
SGC Concert Sun 15th Dec, Christ Church:
Dress Code:
All black
Timings:
Music (running order):
Once in Royal
Ecce Novum
Silent Night
Seeing the Star
Good King Wenceslas
Across the Vast Eternal Sky
O Come All Ye Faithful
Gloria
Tickets:
Tickets are £12 (U12s free) and can be purchased via link on website here or via QR code on flyer here or on door.
Draft Programme for December Concert:
Link to draft programme here
Choir Curry:
Date: Tuesday 17th Dec ‘24
Time: 19:15
Venue: Annapura East Sheen
£30 per head plus booze (various starters, mains of chicken/lamb/veggie, rice naan. Basically, as much food as we can eat!)
Scores for next year:
If you missed the bulk order you can order directly using links below.
Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, Barenreiter edition
Brahms Requiem, Novello edition
Calendar for 2025:
Lambeth Concert – Sat 8th Feb ‘25
SGC Jun Concert – Sat 7th Jun ‘25
New term starts – Tue 7th Jan ‘25
See Calendar tab for fill list of rehearsal and concert dates to June 2025
Dear All
Great effort yesterday running through our Holly Lodge pieces which were sounding beautiful by the end! Sing like that and it will be fab!
Timings & other details for Holly Lodge are below.
Next week will be our last rehearsal before our concert on 15th Dec and we’ll run through the whole programme. See below for timings for 15/12.
Holly Lodge Concert Thurs 5th Dec, Christ Church:
Dress Code:
Christmas jumper/fun top, black bottoms
Timings:
Music (running order):
*denotes audience carol
Where we sit/stand:
We’ll be seated in the choir stalls.
All audience carols are sung from choir stalls.
12 days: we will move from stalls to stand at back of altar stage behind children. Exactly where will be advised during warm up.
Seeing the Star and Ecce Novum: these are sung straight after interval so we will take position on stage at start of second half then move back to stalls for remainder of concert.
SGC Concert Sat 15th Dec, Christ Church:
Dress Code:
All black
Timings:
Music (running order):
Once in Royal
Ecce Novum
Silent Night
Seeing the Star
Good King Wenceslas
Across the Vast Eternal Sky
O Come All Ye Faithful
Gloria
Revised Flyer for 15/12 Concert:
Link to flyer showing Penny’s full name is here. Tickets will be £12 on the door or via the QR code on flyer, U12s free. We’ll send the flyer to section WhatsApp groups as well. Please distribute widely!
Thank you again to David Corless for producing the flyer.
Draft Programme 15/12 Concert:
Link to draft programme here
Thank you to Simon Renton for producing the programme for our concert.
Scores for next year – re-ordering the Brahms:
If you missed the bulk order you can order directly using links below.
Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, Barenreiter edition
Brahms Requiem, – we ordered the wrong edition! We need to return the new Brahms and re-order German edition!! Details to follow
Choir Curry:
Date: Tuesday 17th Dec ‘24
Time: evening
Venue: Sheen
Calendar for year
SGC Dec Concert – Sun 15th Dec ‘24
Lambeth Concert – Sat 8th Feb ‘25
SGC Jun Concert – Sat 7th Jun ‘25
New term starts – Tue 7th Jan ‘25
See Calendar tab for fill list of rehearsal and concert dates to June 2025
Dear All
Really good rehearsal with Penny last week with the whole choir making a great sound – well done everyone!
At this week’s rehearsal on 3rd Dec we will be looking at the carols for the Holly Lodge concert this Thursday (5/12) plus the pieces for our concert on 15th Dec. As well as concert music, please bring copies of carols all of which can be found on repertoire page and below. Most can also be found in the white 100 carols book as indicated.
We will be singing some of these carols at our concert as well (see below for draft programme showing which carols and verses)
Rehearsal Schedule SGC Autumn Term
See below for amended concert flyer for circulation.
See you Tuesday!
Revised Flyer for our December Concert:
Link to flyer showing Penny’s full name is here. Tickets will be £12 on the door or via the QR code on flyer, U12s free. We’ll send the flyer to section WhatsApp groups as well. Please distribute widely!
Thank you again to David Corless for producing the flyer.
Draft Programme for December Concert:
Link to draft programme here
Thank you to Simon Renton for producing the programme for our concert.
Carols for Holly Lodge:
Scanned copies of all carols may be found on repertoire page and are linked below.
Twelve Days of Christmas – Sheen Mount arrangement, link here
Silent Night – NOT the 100 carols version, link here
Once in Royal David’s City – 100 Carols, white book version, link here
The First Nowell – 100 Carols, white book version, link here
Good King Wenceslas – 100 Carols, white book version, link here
O Come All Ye Faithful – 100 Carols, white book version, link here
Scores for next year:
If you missed the bulk order you can order directly using links below.
Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, Barenreiter edition
Brahms Requiem, Novello edition
Choir Curry:
Please could you let Barbara Brown know availability by emailing barbarabrown5@virginmedia.com
Date: Tuesday 17th Dec ‘24
Time: evening
Venue: Sheen
Signing Language for Twelve Days of Christmas
Here is a linkhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txV8NLvfhKU to a video produced by Clarendon teacher Claire O’Neil showing us how to sign the Twelve Days of Christmas. It would be great if we could manage even a bit of it to join in with the children.
Calendar for year
SGC Dec Concert – Sun 15th Dec ‘24
Lambeth Concert – Sat 8th Feb ‘25
SGC Jun Concert – Sat 7th Jun ‘25
See Calendar tab for fill list of rehearsal and concert dates to June 2025
Subs:
£90/term to be paid into choir bank account:
Account Name: Sheen Gate Choir
Account Number: 47107324
Sort: 60-01-39
Repertoire list
For list of repertoire see Autumn 2024 Repertoire page under Music & Media Library.
Dear All
Despite enjoying the very entertaining rehearsal last week with Ed Bonner, we missed Penny and I’m delighted to say she’ll be back with us tomorrow evening!
As well as pieces for our concert, please bring carols (see repertoire page for list) in case we have time to run through. Penny will also be running the auditions at the end of our rehearsal.
Rehearsal Schedule SGC Autumn Term
Flyer for our December Concert:
Huge thanks again to David Corless for producing another beautiful flyer for the choir.
Link to flyer is here. Tickets will be £12 on the door or via the QR code on flyer, U12s free. We’ll send the flyer to section WhatsApp groups as well. Please distribute widely!
Carols for Holly Lodge:
Scanned copies of all carols may be found on repertoire page and are linked below.
Twelve Days of Christmas – Sheen Mount arrangement, link here
Silent Night – NOT the 100 carols version, link here
Once in Royal David’s City – 100 Carols, white book version, link here
The First Nowell – 100 Carols, white book version, link here
Good King Wenceslas – 100 Carols, white book version, link here
O Come All Ye Faithful – 100 Carols, white book version, link here
Scores for next year:
If you missed the bulk order you can order directly using links below.
Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, Barenreiter edition
Brahms Requiem, Novello edition
Choir Curry:
Please could you let Barbara Brown know availability by emailing barbarabrown5@virginmedia.com
Date: Tuesday 17th Dec ‘24
Time: evening
Venue: Sheen
Signing Language for Twelve Days of Christmas
Here is a linkhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txV8NLvfhKU to a video produced by Clarendon teacher Claire O’Neil showing us how to sign the Twelve Days of Christmas. It would be great if we could manage even a bit of it to join in with the children.
Calendar for year
SGC Dec Concert – Sun 15th Dec ‘24
Lambeth Concert – Sat 8th Feb ‘25
SGC Jun Concert – Sat 7th Jun ‘25
See Calendar tab for fill list of rehearsal and concert dates to June 2025
Subs:
£90/term to be paid into choir bank account:
Account Name: Sheen Gate Choir
Account Number: 47107324
Sort: 60-01-39
Repertoire list
For list of repertoire see Autumn 2024 Repertoire page under Music & Media Library.
Dear All
What a great first rehearsal back last week! Well prepared and sounding really good. Penny was very impressed, especially after the two week break.
Check Penny’s rehearsal schedule for this week’s music (remember it’s a live document so may change from week to week. Rehearsal Schedule SGC Autumn Term
Please also bring carol scores from now (listed below) on as Penny will run through them at some point.
Vivaldi Gloria – soloists:
Don’t forget to let Penny know if you’d like to sing a solo – thank you to those who have got in touch already.
At least one soprano and one alto (although there is scope to have different soloists for each solo/duet movement).
If you would be interested, please email sheengatechoir@gmail.com to make yourself known (if you have a preference for a particular solo movement, do let us know that as well).
Should we have more volunteers than solo movements, we will have auditions on 19th November.
Carols for Holly Lodge:
Scanned copies of all carols may be found on repertoire page and are linked below.
Twelve Days of Christmas – Sheen Mount arrangement, link here
Silent Night – NOT the 100 carols version, link here
Once in Royal David’s City – 100 Carols, white book version, link here
The First Nowell – 100 Carols, white book version, link here
Good King Wenceslas – 100 Carols, white book version, link here
O Come All Ye Faithful – 100 Carols, white book version, link here
Scores for next year:
If you missed the bulk order you can order directly using links below.
Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, Barenreiter edition
Brahms Requiem, Novello edition
Beethoven, 8th Feb ’25 Availability:
If you haven’t done so already, please advise your availability by messaging your section Whatsapp group.
Date: Saturday, 8 February 2025
Time: 19:30 – 20:30
Venue: St John The Divine, 92 Vassall Road, London SW9 6JA
Choir Curry:
Please could you let Barbara Brown know availability by emailing barbarabrown5@virginmedia.com
Date: Tuesday 17th Dec ‘24
Time: evening
Venue: Sheen
Signing Language for Twelve Days of Christmas
Here is a linkhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txV8NLvfhKU to a video produced by Clarendon teacher Claire O’Neil showing us how to sign the Twelve Days of Christmas. It would be great if we could manage even a bit of it to join in with the children.
Calendar for year
SGC Dec Concert – Sun 15th Dec ‘24
Lambeth Concert – Sat 8th Feb ‘25
SGC Jun Concert – Sat 7th Jun ‘25
See Calendar tab for fill list of rehearsal and concert dates to June 2025
Subs:
£90/term to be paid into choir bank account:
Account Name: Sheen Gate Choir
Account Number: 47107324
Sort: 60-01-39
Repertoire list
For list of repertoire see Autumn 2024 Repertoire page under Music & Media Library.
Dear All
I hope you enjoyed your half term and are looking forward to getting back to singing tomorrow, 5th Nov.
Check Penny’s rehearsal schedule for the music we’ll be covering. In addition, please bring the 100 Carols White Book if you have it & print off copies of the Twelve Days of Christmas & Silent Night arrangements that we’ll be singing at the Holly Lodge concert.
Don’t forget to let Agnes know by close on 5/11 whether you’d like to order scores for the two concerts next year (details below) agnescorless@btinternet.com
Scores Bulk Order:
We will be placing a bulk order for the Beethoven 9th & Brahms Requiem scores. Big thank you to Agnes who is organising this.
Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, Barenreiter edition
Brahms Requiem, Novello edition
To be included on the bulk order please email Agnes Corless on agnescorless@btinternet.com by Tues 5thNovember . Please specify which scores you would like to order.
Many people will already have the Brahms score from a previous performance so do check before ordering!
Beethoven, 8th Feb ’25 Availability:
Our first concert next year will be a performance of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony on Sat Feb 8th (details below). There’ll now be another visiting choir (from Bexley) as well as us joining the choir of St John the Divine, Kennington at their home church and accompanied by Lambeth Orchestra. Peter Welwyn, the director, has also invited some of Ben’s singing friends to join; Ben was due to be singing the solo. The date was fixed by Lambeth, but we hope most of the choir can make it. Please could you advise your availability by messaging your section Whatsapp group.
Choir Curry:
Barbara has marvellously agreed to organise our Choir Christmas Curry this year – hurray!! It will be at an excellent curry house (tbc) in Sheen. We are going to go for Tuesday 17th in the hope that most people will be able to make that day (as they won’t have realised we finished term the week before…).
Please could you let Barbara Brown know availability by emailing barbarabrown5@virginmedia.com
Date: Tuesday 17th Dec ‘24
Time: evening
Venue: Sheen
Signing Language for Twelve Days of Christmas
Here is a linkhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txV8NLvfhKU to a video produced by Clarendon teacher Claire O’Neill showing us how to sign the Twelve Days of Christmas. It would be great if we could manage even a bit of it to join in with the children.
Calendar for year
SGC Dec Concert – Sun 15th Dec ‘24
Lambeth Concert – Sat 8th Feb ‘25
SGC Jun Concert – Sat 7th Jun ‘25
See Calendar tab for fill list of rehearsal and concert dates to June 2025
Subs:
£90/term to be paid into choir bank account:
Account Name: Sheen Gate Choir
Account Number: 47107324
Sort: 60-01-39
Repertoire list
For list of repertoire see Autumn 2024 Repertoire page under Music & Media Library.
Dear All
I hope you’re all enjoying your half term ……and maybe getting a little practice in?!
On that point, I found the practice tracks for Vast Eternal Sky (copied below & thanks to altos). Penny is also being kind to us and we’ve agreed to put aside the final Gjeilo song, The Rose, to ease the load for this concert. We’ll return to it in future for sure but it just gives us that extra time to finesse the rest of our programme and the carols we’ll be singing for Holly Lodge.
Looking ahead to next year, we will have two (German :)) concerts:
Sat Feb 8th ’25 – Beethoven’s 9th with Lambeth Orchestra (rehearsing upon return in New Year)
Sat 7th June ’25 – Brahms Requiem with Richmond Orchestra (rehearsing post Feb 8th concert)
Please advise availability for 8th Feb & if you’d like to order scores (see below).
See you at next rehearsal – 5th November.
Rehearsal Schedule SGC Autumn Term
Practice Tracks Vast Eternal Sky:
Beethoven, 8th Feb ’25 Availability:
Our first concert next year will be a performance of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony on Sat Feb 8th (details below) . We will be joining the choir of St John the Divine, Kennington at their home church and accompanied by Lambeth Orchestra. This is the concert where Ben was due to be singing the solo. The date was obviously fixed by Lambeth, but we hope most of the choir can make it.
Please could you advise your availability by messaging your section Whatsapp group.
Don’t forget to advise availability for Holly Lodge as well if you haven’t already done so. Thank you to all those who have.
Date: Thursday, 5th Dec ‘24
Time: 7pm – 9:30pm
Venue: Christchurch
Scores Bulk Order:
We will be placing a bulk order in the next couple of weeks for the Beethoven 9th & Brahms Requiem scores. Big thank you to Agnes who is organising this.
Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, Barenreiter edition – £10.50
Brahms Requiem, Novello edition – £11.50
To be included on the bulk order please email Agnes Corless on agnescorless@btinternet.com by Tue 5th November . Please specify which scores you would like to order.
Many people will already have the Brahms score from a previous performance so do check before ordering!
Choir Curry:
Barbara has marvellously agreed to organise our Choir Christmas Curry this year – hurray!! It will be at an excellent curry house (tba) in Sheen. We are going to go for Tuesday 17th Dec in the hope that most people will be able to make that day (as they won’t have realised we finished term the week before…).
Please could you let Barbara Brown know availability by emailing barbarabrown5@virginmedia.com
Date: Tuesday 17th Dec ‘24
Time: evening
Venue: Sheen
1885 Choir Come & Sing for anyone who fancies it!
MOZART’S REQUIEM – COME & SING
All Saints’ Putney is hosting a ‘Come & Sing’ of Mozart’s Requiem on Saturday 2nd November to mark All Souls’ Day. The morning workshop will be followed by a liturgical performance accompanied by Robert Bridge and June Rippon. Entry is completely free, and all are welcome. We won’t be singing the whole work, but we will be performing the best-loved sections!
9:00 – Tea/Coffee (provided)
9:15 – Workshop
10:45 – Break
11:00 – Performance (liturgically as part of a Requiem Eucharist)
12:15 – End – more tea & coffee
Music is provided.
Cost: There is no cost to join, but donations of £5 per singer would be gratefully received.
If you’d like to come, please sign-up through this link
Calendar for year
SGC Dec Concert – Sun 15th Dec ‘24
Lambeth Concert – Sat 8th Feb ‘25
SGC Jun Concert – Sat 7th Jun ‘25
See Calendar tab for fill list of rehearsal and concert dates to June 2025
Subs:
£90/term to be paid into choir bank account:
Account Name: Sheen Gate Choir
Account Number: 47107324
Sort: 60-01-39
Repertoire list
For list of repertoire see Autumn 2024 Repertoire page under Music & Media Library.
Dear All
Key points to remember from last Tuesday’s excellent rehearsal:
Make it sound beautiful by thinking of the musical phrasing – Cum sancto spirito etc….
Don’t rush to the consonant : S-AAHH-ncto …, Glori-AA-m, S-AA-n L-AA-ight
Hot potato! Especially for the higher notes
And most important: don’t forget Penny said we were excellent at one point!!
Rehearsal Schedule SGC Autumn Term
Holly Lodge Availability, 5/12 :
Please could you advise whether you are available for Holly Lodge concert by messaging your section whatsapp group:
Date: Thursday, 5th Dec ‘24
Time: 7pm – 9:30pm
Venue: Christchurch
Section points of contact:
Sopranos – Caroline Cuss
Altos – Sinead Thomas
Tenors – Sue Eustace
Basses – Simon Renton
Vivaldi Gloria – soloists
Let Penny know if you’d like to sing a solo (soprano/alto) by emailing sheengatechoir@gmail.com – thank you to those who have got in touch already.
Calendar for year
SGC Concert – Sun 15th Dec ‘24
See Calendar tab for fill list of rehearsal and concert dates to June 2025
Subs:
£90/term to be paid into choir bank account:
Account Name: Sheen Gate Choir
Account Number: 47107324
Sort: 60-01-39
Quick reminder this week that music for tomorrow’s rehearsal may be found on Penny’s rehearsal schedule document. Have a listen to Gjeilo’s Across the Vast Eternal Sky in preparation.
The link may also be found at the top of the Autumn 2024 Repertoire page under Music & Media Library.
Vivaldi Gloria – soloists
Don’t forget to let Penny know if you’d like to sing a solo – thank you to those who have got in touch already.
We are looking for soloists from the choir for the Vivaldi Gloria – at least one soprano and one alto (although there is scope to have different soloists for each solo/duet movement).
If you would be interested, please email sheengatechoir@gmail.com to make yourself known (if you have a preference for a particular solo movement, do let us know that as well).
Should we have more volunteers than solo movements, we will have auditions on 19th November.
Subs:
£90/term to be paid into choir bank account:
Account Name: Sheen Gate Choir
Account Number: 47107324
Sort: 60-01-39
Calendar for year
See Calendar tab for rehearsal and concert dates to June 2025
Repertoire list
For list of repertoire see Autumn 2024 Repertoire page under Music & Media Library.