A capella central

Hello everyone, I’m catching up on my blog posts this week as I missed one due to feeling poorly last weekend.  So it’s a two-in-one as it were.  Firstly a great big thank you to all of you for singing so well at the Easter Sunday service – you’d had a lot of material to learn in the weeks leading up to it and in addition we had the challenge of a new accompanist who wasn’t really used to accompanying (!) so, all in all, despite a few hiccups (piano) on entries, you all stepped up to the plate superbly.  I was very proud of you all and, with the shiny, new sound system installed recently, I can honestly say the sound was augmented beautifully around the whole church.

This Sunday’s practice was fun if slightly unusual because we sung a capella as Alex had a family commitment and couldn’t join us (Alex we miss you!)  The beauty of that for me is that I can hear you all, oh so clearly and every now and again, it’s a useful exercise from the point of view of the conductor.  We had fun with a few rounds and choosing what you’d like to sing for next time at mass.  There were some great suggestions put forward by you all including a number of new hymns which we’ll enjoy learning (don’t worry not all of them at once!)  We refreshed some of our Taize and a capella pieces (Over My Head, Cantate Domino Canticum Novum) as it’s useful to always have them up our sleeve, performance-ready for those extra collections which are often sprung on us at the last minute.

We chatted about the Summer Fair which we’ve been asked to perform at once again (Saturday 28th June this year) and there were some superb suggestions for numbers we could sing around the “Rio” them for the World Cup – yes, some of us who remembered Duran Duran got very excited at the prospect of singing “Her name is Rio and she dances on the sand…..” (I’m looking up an arrangement as I write.)  We’ve also been approached to sing at a care centre in Ewell – have a think about that one and let me know in your own time whether we say “yes” or “no” (don’t forget we are not under any obligation to sing just because we’re asked to.)

Roll on Thursday evening when we resume our week-night choir practice after the Easter break.  See you all then.  Helen X

 

Alleluia, Easter is here!

We’ve been working so hard for the last month almost on the Easter Sunday repertoire that it feels like Easter is already here, even though it’s almost two weeks away still.  The last few rehearsals have felt a bit of an uphill slog for the singers who’ve had an enormous amount of music, harmonies, tunes, rhythms to learn. You’ve coped admirably and I’m really pleased and proud of your efforts.  I’m keeping my fingers crossed you won’t have forgotten it all by the time Easter Sunday comes round.  You’ve also had to cope with a reserve-to-the-reserve pianist (Aaron) who’s kindly agreed to accompany our choir as Alex is on a family break in France as is his usual replacement, Patrick.(who’s in Spain, not France!) Thursday evening rehearsals are now back in full swing for our non-liturgical repertoire and we’re looking forward particularly to our first “gig” in mid October (when we can choose to sing what we like.)  Arrangements of some pop classics are already going down a storm at choir practice and we’re open to ideas, suggestions as to what you’d all like to sing.  Do please come forward if you’d like to perform a solo or duet or ensemble piece at the October concert.  It’ll be a great opportunity to shine and have fun, as always!