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You sang absolutely beautifully tonight. I just wish you could all hear what you sound like as a complete choir from out front. You watched, you followed, you ignored my mistakes perfectly (thank you, Robert, for recognising that it might be a good idea for the choir to have their notes before we start Sleep….), and you sounded very impressive indeed. I only hope you all enjoyed the concert as much as I did. If the audience feedback was sincere – my kids are not good at masking their true opinions, and they genuinely enjoyed it – then you put on an excellent show. Thank you to our soloists, Claire, Tricia and Sarah. It is so good to have soloists within the choir. Huge thank yous to Robert, as always, the Chopin was brilliant. Thanks to those who introduced the segments, for your lovely words. And thanks to all of you for your hard work at home and in rehearsals which made the whole term’s music possible. And thanks to our new joiners, who sang a concert with us for the first time tonight. We love having you as part of our choir family.

I look forward to having a spicy meal with you on Tuesday night (thank you Roger for organising) and I look forward to next term and a totally different musical experience!

Chris

Happy Holidays to all

Chris

Black Salt Sheen. Address – 505-507 Upper Richmond Road West, East Sheen, London, SW14 7DE. Date and time – Tuesday December 20, 8pm. Drinks in the restaurant bar, from 7pm. Please let me know, if you haven’t already, if you’d like to come – Roger.blitz@ft.com

Dear All

Please see below concert timings and directions for Saturday, as outlined last night (note change to seating during Robert’s performance):

Tickets (£10):                     

May be bought in advance or on door

For advance purchases: transfer money to choir bank account (include your name and ‘tickets’ in reference) then email me at jonezfamily658@virginmedia.com advising number of guests 

On the door: cash or card payment

Bar:

Cash payment at the bar

Or card payment on entry (collect ticket to exchange for drink at bar)

Timings:

16:15                     Set-up (AS MANY VOLUNTEERS TO HELP AS POSSIBLE PLEASE!!)

**16:55                **Arrive for short rehearsal

17:00                     Rehearsal

17:30                     Bar opens

17:50 Gather in side room ready to go on stage

18:00                     Concert start

19:30ish               Concert end – clear up

Concert Directions:

Walk on stage from side room, back row first (NB railings remain in place)

Stand in arc formation, probably 3 rows – will confirm at short rehearsal

10 Sops , 10 altos, 6 tenors, 7 basses

Simon introduces first three pieces (see running order below)

After “Sleep” move to side aisles adjacent to audience (NB not choir stalls as suggested on Tuesday) for Robert’s solos

Return to stage from side aisles after Robert’s performance

Remain in place for Chris’s thank yous – ready for Rusby encore

Introductions – given from centre front of choir

Soloists – performed from front of section or wherever soloist feels comfortable

Dress – black + red &/or green

Running Order:

Introduction (Simon Renton)

Rameau, Hymne a la Nuit (O Nuit), Soloist Sarah Mackenzie

Rachmaninoff, Bogoroditse Dyevo from the All Night Vigil

Lauridsen, Sure on this Shining Night

Introduction (Tricia Joshi)

Rheinberger, Abendlied

Whitacre, Sleep

Introduction (Robert Bridge)

Piano interlude – Chopin Nocturnes

Introduction (Siobhan Jones )

Gjeilo, Dark Night

Christmas segment: Introduction (Lesley Morley )

Beamish, In the Stillness

Stopford, Lully, Lulla, Lullay, Soloist Tricia Joshi

Adam, Cantique de Noel (“O Holy Night”)

Thank yous (Chris Hawkins)

Encore: Rusby, Underneath the Stars, Soloist Claire Michelet

Thanks all for braving the cold to come to rehearsal last night. I hope that those who have been unwell are feeling better.

We spent our time running through the entire program, just tidying up a few little things. It sounded very good in places, a little ragged in a couple of spots, but I am confident that these will click into place on the night. If there is one overarching comment it is to think about expression more. Louder in the loud bits, quieter in the quiet bits please.

But overall, huge kudos to you all for the great efforts you have made to learn the pieces for the concert. Some are straightforward, others definitely not. You have obviously worked hard between rehearsals, and I know I have pushed you quite hard on Tuesday evenings. So now, it’s time to enjoy the fruits of your labours and sing for our friends and family.

Please read carefully Siobhan’s post on logistics, which she will be sending out in the next couple of days.

See you on Saturday evening!

Chris

Our final rehearsal before the concert, and our last rehearsal of 2022.

If you have any little bits of any piece that you are not 100% happy about, please bring that thought with you.

See you tomorrow.

Chris

Dear All

Reminder that we need to sell tickets for the concert on Saturday (£10 each). We ask that every choir member sells at least three tickets (including one for themselves). Sue Eustace deserves a special mention having sold 8 tickets already. Thank you Sue!!

If you are able to collect payment in advance all the better – please transfer money to the choir bank account, including your name and ‘tickets’ in the reference. Tickets may be bought on the door with either cash or card (with our new card machine!). 

Thank you!

to everyone who was a part of the Holly Lodge concert this evening, and that includes those that were able to be there and those who weren’t too – all of the effort and practice you have all put in paid off in beautiful fashion. I was right to assume that we didn’t need to rehearse the hymns, that you would sing those as needed, with power and expression and top As in the descants. The 3 choir festival of O Holy Night was perfect. Our role was really only to provide the base that the kids performed on, and we did that just right, you adapted to a very different tempo and the school children were brilliant and I think genuinely enjoyed singing with an adult choir. And then, when it came to your turn to sing two tricky, unaccompanied carols, you sang them better than you ever have before – in tune, with expression and drama (I will be working on my Herod face, apparently) and you fully deserved the applause and plaudits afterwards. I was already looking forward to Saturday 17th but now even more so.

Enjoy the weekend, c’mon the Ingerland, and see you on Tuesday.

Chris

I have a couple of tickets for a concert at King Place tomorrow, Fri 9th at 7:30. Agnes and I can’t make it, so if you would like them you’re most welcome, no charge.

The concert is: A Ceremony of Carols: Pembroke College & Anna Lapwood

They are e-tickets, which I can easily send to you. Just email me at here

David Corless

Thanks to those who were able to come and run through things with Sheen Mount choir. I think this is going to be a lovely event.

I know we have lost a couple of people to the bugs that are everywhere. I hope those stricken ill are feeling OK.

By my count we have 7 sops, 7 altos, 4 tenors and 5 basses. A perfect chamber choir!

I have printed off sheets that have all the ups and downs on them to help us know where we are meant to be. Our carols on stage, obviously. 3 of the hymns from the stage, 2 from the choir stalls.

See you this evening, or if you are not with us tonight, on Tuesday.

Chris

Hello all

Not a long one today, just a big Thank you to everyone who has worked so hard to get us to where we are. You sounded fantastic last night. Dark Night was a stand out, but everything you sang sounded performance-ready and genuinely impressive. I’m looking forward to Holly Lodge on Thursday – see a good number of you then – and then one last chance to brush everything up before our own concert.

Special thanks to Robert, Sarah, Tricia and Claire, our in-house soloists, and to all those who work behind the scenes, whether in picking the program, printing flyers, arranging the bar, getting the heating turned on or putting chairs out or loads of other things that have to happen to keep the choir running.

Any questions, please shout, otherwise stay warm and see you soon.

Chris