Blog

  • Folders for this and future concerts

    Greetings all

    Just a reminder that I will have 45 lovely folders ready for collection next Tuesday.  I plan to get to the church around 7.00pm to give you time to collect, hand over the cash and still be ready to start singing at 7.45pm.

    Please bring along £7.50 in cash.  Usual rule applies – no cash no folder – so that I can balance the books for our treasurer.

    Thanks!

    Stephanie

  • Concert 30th Nov – promotion #2

    DOWNLOAD NOW IN JPEG FORMAT

    Here is a link to a jpeg version of the above flyer. This is useful if you want to send an email with the flyer in the body of the email or add it to a WhatsApp or text message. Either drag it (download) to your hard disk or import into your photo app or simply drag it straight into a message. It can be used just as you would a photo. Now you have no excuse not to broadcast the concert to as many people as you can think of.

    David

  • Rehearsal Roundup 12/11/19

    Hi all

    Huge apologies this is coming round so late this week. I hope these messages remain useful and that everyone is reading to the end – there is a good reason to do so today!

    last Tuesday we worked again on the two piece from the Rutter Birthday Madrigals. These are both difficult sings, and we are now singing them very well indeed. Both need a lot of tidying up and more familiarity, so do keep listening in your spare time!

    We also worked through Let All the World by Vaughan Williams, which was excellent! It has really come together very well and we are making a very good sound. We need to find more variation in dynamics (generally, but especially in this piece), and try to look over the ‘but above all‘ section and the very last phrase, if you can, as we are least familiar with these bits.

    Meal time we worked through the Britten Choral Dances in order. These are also not easy and the choir is really performing them extremely well! Our biggest barrier is that it usually sounds brilliant on the second or third song through, but we need it to be perfect first time for the concert! Each piece has quite a different character and we need to be ready for each one before it starts.

    Finally, we worked through Locus Iste. The performance at the very end is the best I have heard the choir sing this term – well done! I am conducting this without the music – try and learn this off by heart. It’s not a long piece.

    I said that you should read to the end, and here is your reward – the running order for the concert!

    Zadok the Priest (Handel)

    Locus Iste (Bruckner)

    Cantique de Jean Racine (Faure)

    Ave Verum (Mozart)

    Soloist (Victoria Mulley, Soprano)

    Choral Dances from Gloriana (Britten)

    Soloist (Charles McGlore, Tenor)

    Selections from Birthday Madrigals (Rutter

    Antiphon from Five Mystical Songs (Vaughan Williams)

    See you all tomorrow

    Dave

  • Concert 30th Nov – promotion #1

    I will be bringing some printed flyers to rehearsal on Tuesday and I would like you each to take at least 5 and use them to promote the concert.  

    Think specifically of the people you know who have an interest in music.  Aim to give them to friends or colleagues whom perhaps you don’t see so frequently.  Drop one through a neighbour’s door with a message on the back encouraging them to come, or pass one to a work colleague who you know is interested in singing and music.  If you have a good relationship with a local business ask them to put to one on their notice board or better still in their window, if they run a shop or café.   

    Targeted distribution can be so much effective than a neighbourhood leaflet drop, which we have tried in the past.

    Remember: I’m expecting everyone to take at least 5 leaflets.

  • Concert attendance

    As Camilla mentioned tonight, can you please use the link below to respond to a very short survey so that numbers for each part and a seating plan can be laid out. Thanks

    https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/WJ7M9GP

  • Rehearsal Roundup 5/11/19

    Remember, remember the 5th of November… well, just in case you don’t…

    We started with ‘Come live with me’ from the Rutter. This was the only piece with material that we were yet to cover, but not any more – we managed a complete performance! We spent a good third of the rehearsal on the last 3 or 4 pages of this piece, so if you weren’t there please PLEASE have a look in your own time, as we have precious little time left for note-bashing!

    We also looked at the other Rutter (My True Love Hath My Heart), which is really starting to come together nicely. Sopranos were sounding as good as I have heard them on page 32! Tenors and Basses – remember to hold the note in bar 38 (just before B) when I bring off the Sopranos and Altos.

    We then had a working run through Zadok, which is very secure. We spent a long time with the Sopranos nailing their runs in the third section – if you weren’t there please make sure you know those notes!

    Finally we tackled the Britten again, with a sing through each of the SA and TB movements. The SA piece (No4 Country Girls) was excellent, but it showed that only 5 of the Tenors and Basses were present when we learned No5 Rustics and Fishermen! The Ss and As left early so we could note-bash through this. We also sang through the last movement (Homage), which was remarkably good considering we only learned it last week! Counting is the key in this piece – I am bringing in parts where I can, but there are too many competing entries for me to cover them all – you need to take that on yourselves!

    Well, that was bonfire night. I make it just three more rehearsals before concert day – we are on track but still a lot of tidying to do!

    All best

    Dave

  • Concert 30th Nov – flyer

    How you can help promote the concert

    Here is a link to flyer for our anniversary concert on 30th November. Could you please distribute this to your friends, family and contacts through the usual channels (Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, email, etc). We have found in the past that the most effective way to build the audience is through personal recommendation, so please target carefully and make sure the people who might be interested, know about it. 

    This time we are offering pre-performance drinks, to help people relax, enjoy the concert to the full.

    We are not planning to print the flyer this time, so do now ensure you can download the pdf and start broadcasting the message.

    If you have any problems accessing the flyer please contact me directly at info@sheengatechoir.co.uk

    Thanks for your help,

    David

  • Concert Tickets from Rachel and Marilyn

    Hello all

    Marilyn and I are delighted to be organising the ticket sales for the Sheen Gate Choir concert on Saturday, November 30th. I’m sure we’re all looking forward to this first concert with Dave as our choir master and to singing this wonderful selection of music to as large and appreciative an audience as possible.

    Just to confirm: The expectation is that every member of the choir will buy one ticket for themselves, whether or not you will be singing on the day itself.

    The hope is that each of us will also invite at least three of our friends or family to come and enjoy the concert and help to make a wonderful atmosphere on the evening with a full audience in the church.

    The tickets are £10 each. Please put the correct amount of cash into an envelope with your name and the number of tickets you’d like written clearly on the front and bring this with you to the next rehearsal. We’ll then arrange for tickets to come back to you, either on the spot or at the following rehearsal.

    If for any reason you do not want to buy any tickets please confirm this to us by email so we can take you off the list. Otherwise you may be sent unnecessary reminders from me or Marilyn over the next few weeks.

    So:

    Please put your cash into a marked envelope (your name and number of tickets) and give to Rachel or Marilyn. And remember, you can always buy more tickets nearer the time either through us at a rehearsal or on the door on the day of the concert itself.

    If you have any questions please call me on 07595 334 382.

    Best wishes

    Rachel (and Marilyn)

  • Concert logistics/Summer concert DATE/Subs paid?

    Hi All, looking forward to seeing all you lovely people tonight as we gear up for our 10 year anniversary concert on 30th November. Please line up your guests if you have not done so already. YOu should have recieved an email from Rachel Holmes about tickets but this will aslo be posted to the website tonight. The flyer for the concert will be circulate shortly for you to share.

    On 30th November we will rehearse from 2pm to 5pm and the concert will start at 7pm preceded by a pay bar for our guests from 6.30pm (non-singing volunteers please to serve and take money). FOLDERS – some of us have folders which we bought some time ago and quite frankly they are a bit tired. We have decided 10 years mertis new and better folders – these will be on sale for around £10 each soon at rehearsals and you will need one for the concert

    Dress for the concert is proposed to be all black. As previewed, Dave has invited two young adult soloists to perform a piece each. Our soloists slot was very popular in last summer’s concert and this is something we would like to continue from time to time as an inspiration to us all. The full repertoire for us is:

    Bruckner – Locus Iste

    Handel – Zadok the Priest

    Rutter – Birthday Madrigals – no photocopies – if you don’t have a score you will need one

    Britten – Choral Dances from Gloriana – we are renting scores for this which will be available on 30th November and possibly the previous rehearsal but not for taking away

    Faure – Cantique de Jean Racine

    Vaughan Williams – Antiphon

    Mozart Ave Verum

    Any questions on concert logistics to our ops manager Camilla Hall (soprano)

    SUMMER CONCERT – this will be on Saturday 20th June 2020. Mozart Requiem and other fantastic pieces. if you didn’t order a copy of MR and need one, we may be able to put in another smaller bulk order start of next term. Please ask me.

    SUBS! If you have not paid please do so on line. I don’t want to be breathing down your neck on 30th November. It will make me sad. Get into your online banking and set us up as a payee if you have not already. £70 for the term. Account number:47107324 Sort: 60-01-39 with your name as the refererence. Let me know if a problem.

    Lesley, Treasurer lesley.morley1@gmail.com