Members Page

GMCS News Update – October 2025 

 

Concert Week – November Information & Timings 

 

Concert Venue is Amersham Free Church, Woodside Road, Amersham, HP6 6AJ  

Entrance to car park is via Sycamore Road.  Exit from car park is on to Woodside Road. 

 

 

 

 

 

Concert programmes will be available for purchase in advance (£2 per copy – cash please). 

 

Ensure that you have music scores in a black folder.   

 

Car park stewards will be present from 6.30pm before the concert.  They will direct you where to park. 

 

Dress Code 

Women: long black skirt or dress trousers and a black top with long or three-quarter length sleeves.   

Men: white shirt, black bow tie and dinner jacket/trousers OR open-necked black shirt and black trousers. 

As usual, please no aftershave/perfumes that are likely to aggravate allergies and affect singers’ voices. 

Tickets for collection at the door – if you wish to organise tickets to be collected at the door, please place them in a white envelope marked with the name(s) of the person collecting them and whether payment has/has not been made. 

 

And last, but not least……please continue to sell tickets. 

 

And very finally……many thanks to Alex and Michael for guiding us through the 3 months rehearsals with their customary mix of encouragement, patience and good humour.  Now it’s down to us to deliver a great performance! 

 

Advance Notification for Spring Term 2026 

 

Monday 12th January at 7.45pm – first rehearsal at Oldham Hall for concert at GM Church on Saturday 25th April.  The programme of music will be… 

 

Handel – Let God Arise 

Bach – Cantatas 72, 111 

Bach – Mass in G major 

 

Best wishes – Mike (07738 273615) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GMCS News Update – October 2025 

 

Concert Week – November Information & Timings 

 

Concert Venue is Amersham Free Church, Woodside Road, Amersham, HP6 6AJ  

Entrance to car park is via Sycamore Road.  Exit from car park is on to Woodside Road. 

 

 

 

 

 

Concert programmes will be available for purchase in advance (£2 per copy – cash please). 

 

Ensure that you have music scores in a black folder.   

 

Car park stewards will be present from 6.30pm before the concert.  They will direct you where to park. 

 

Dress Code 

Women: long black skirt or dress trousers and a black top with long or three-quarter length sleeves.   

Men: white shirt, black bow tie and dinner jacket/trousers OR open-necked black shirt and black trousers. 

As usual, please no aftershave/perfumes that are likely to aggravate allergies and affect singers’ voices. 

Tickets for collection at the door – if you wish to organise tickets to be collected at the door, please place them in a white envelope marked with the name(s) of the person collecting them and whether payment has/has not been made. 

 

And last, but not least……please continue to sell tickets. 

 

And very finally……many thanks to Alex and Michael for guiding us through the 3 months rehearsals with their customary mix of encouragement, patience and good humour.  Now it’s down to us to deliver a great performance! 

 

Advance Notification for Spring Term 2026 

 

Monday 12th January at 7.45pm – first rehearsal at Oldham Hall for concert at GM Church on Saturday 25th April.  The programme of music will be… 

 

Handel – Let God Arise 

Bach – Cantatas 72, 111 

Bach – Mass in G major 

 

Best wishes – Mike 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Below you will find links to recordings of all the music. Please bear in mind that we will inevitably be interpreting the music slightly differently from what you hear on any recording, so they are only a guide.

All best,

Alex

 

 

 

Mozart Regina Coeli K108

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mSAeHCZgXA

Individual parts

Soprano https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRpEAW6tLcg&list=PLPFGhRoY0-ZWGyQPuiLP2AjuxXWPNOQW0&index=3

Alto https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbLmfaDPaW4&list=PLPFGhRoY0-ZWGyQPuiLP2AjuxXWPNOQW0&index=4

Tenor https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2dwqYq2eHw&list=PLPFGhRoY0-ZWGyQPuiLP2AjuxXWPNOQW0

Bass https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98HV5kdflTE&list=PLPFGhRoY0-ZWGyQPuiLP2AjuxXWPNOQW0&index=3

Mozart Regina Coeli K127

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAkyR9UHv0Q

Individual parts

Soprano https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3rWCRyJuoI&list=PLPFGhRoY0-ZUlnjtXkhuInMdRDG1hNmpZ&index=2

Alto https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-g8WimkZL8&list=PLPFGhRoY0-ZUlnjtXkhuInMdRDG1hNmpZ&index=4

Tenor https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=St8L-5d0ZDY&list=PLPFGhRoY0-ZUlnjtXkhuInMdRDG1hNmpZ

Bass https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfrCi_uHno0&list=PLPFGhRoY0-ZUlnjtXkhuInMdRDG1hNmpZ&index=3

 

 

Haydn Insanae et vanae curae

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUf0oJ8ZMgs

Individual parts

Soprano https://youtu.be/CPgyFCWkAC8?t=34

Alto https://youtu.be/M2Mr1q3QqM8?t=34

Tenor https://youtu.be/lSxlUDnArXc?t=34

Bass https://youtu.be/a5pdoaSOE3M?t=34

 

 

Haydn ‘Little Organ Mass’

Kyrie https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVpgTbGmujs

Gloria https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0VGI8JIJPU

Credo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VGZLywKE-8

Sanctus https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cvA-sgQbI4

Benedictus https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oi7HOFIuzr4

Agnus Dei https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52J8bvBBoPs

 

Individual parts

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLt7FBWInVt7LtwK0Xsk5YoCdluCzRdoqT

 

 

Mozart Placido è il mar

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rkx5nhwC84Q

 

 

Mozart Ave verum corpus

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjAaU6LgTLs

Mozart Laudate Dominum                    

https://youtu.be/fu5BxdViN2A?t=51

 

 

 

This page shows information for our choir members from the committee. 

AUTUMN 2025

 

Our next concert is on Saturday 22nd November at Amersham Free Church, Woodside Road, Amersham.

The programme will be based around 3 medium-length (15-20 minutes) works: 2 Mozart settings of the Regina Coeli K.108 and 127, and Haydn’s Little Organ Mass.  Various other shorter works will make up the length of the concert.  Alex is in discussion with the soprano soloist but is fairly certain that we will also perform Mozart’s Laudate Dominum, Ave Verum Corpus and Placido e il mar, Andiamo from Idomeneo.  The string quartet will be asked to play one Mozart and one Haydn string quartet movement in each half of the programme.

WINTER/SPRING TERM 2025

NEWS UPDATE – JANUARY 2025

A belated happy new year to all Choir Members, Friends & Supporters, and it was good to be back singing at last night’s first rehearsal as we tackle Schumann’s ‘Requiem’ & Puccini’s ‘Messa di Gloria’ for our spring concert on Saturday 12th April.  Our best wishes for a speedy recovery go to those suffering various seasonal illnesses and accident injuries at this time. This update covers progress on items in last newsletter, members’ comments/feedback, latest Committee deliberations and some future dates for your diary……in no particular order.

Mike Longman (Chairperson) – 14th January 2025

PRE-CONCERT NEWSLETTER

November 2024

NEXT REHEARSAL: MONDAY 2ND DECEMBER AT 7.45 IN THE CHURCH!

At the rehearsal, Jean will be circulating labels noting the items required for the orchestra tea.  Please take a label and bring your food donation to the Church to the concert day rehearsal and leave it in the kitchen.  Thank you.

CONCERT DAY NOTES

Dress Code

Women: long black skirt or dress trousers and a black top with long or three-quarter length sleeves. 

Men: Black Tie (with white shirt, bow tie and dinner jacket) OR open-necked black shirt and black trousers.

As usual, please no aftershave/perfumes that are likely to aggravate allergies and affect singers’ voices.

 

Concert day timetable Saturday 7th December

Alex requests that we are in our places and ready to start at 2.15pm. He hopes to release the choir before 5.30pm.  We need to be back in our places by 7.15pm.

Access to the Church

When you arrive for Saturday’s rehearsal and the performance please enter through the vestry door. This avoids disturbing the orchestra area – but see Security below. 

Security

The Church itself and surrounding area is a high-risk area prone to opportunistic theft of personal property.

 

It is important that valuables are not brought to rehearsals or the performance. There will be a volunteer steward providing security at the vestry door.  It is important that the vestry door is not left open or closed “on the latch” at any time.

 

Take the normal precautions of not leaving any items on display in your car and lock your vehicle.

Car Parking

Car sharing As parking around and near the Church is so limited, please try to arrange car-sharing or family/friend drop off and collect, both Monday and Saturday.

 

Access Road There are double yellow lines on the road leading up to the church. Emergency vehicle access must be preserved.

Disabled parking spaces are very limited. If you have a genuine need for priority disabled parking please let Bob Stupples know the name and make, model and registration number of the car.  Bob will give you the appropriate permit.

 Choir/Volunteer Helpers Parking on the unmade road down from the top gate in the evening of the concert is limited to those members who help clear afterwards.  Please let Bob Stupples have your name, make and model of your car and registration, and he will give you a parking permit.

Parking permits should be fixed or held inside the windscreen on the left side to be seen by the parking stewards on arriving at the car park entrance.

Tickets for collection at the door

If you wish to organise tickets to be collected at the door please place them in a white envelope BOLDLY marked with the names of the person collecting them and whether payment has/has not been made.

 

Scores and flower button holes

Please return these to the appropriate location in the Vestry after the Concert.

 

Rubbing out party

Please come and have a glass of wine and a mince pie to aid the work of cleaning up the scores at the Oldham Hall on Monday 9th December from 7.15pm.

INTERIM UPDATE 18TH NOVEMBER 2024

As previously notified, instead of weekly/monthly, the Committee decided to arrange one major fundraising raffle per term. So, as advance notice, on the two remaining Monday rehearsals at Oldham Hall (18th and 25th November), Jo Ottaway will be selling tickets at £5 per strip. Please do come prepared preferably with £5/£10 notes, but card reader will also be available for card payments, and purchase many tickets for yourself/family/friends. The draw will take place during the rehearsal interval on 25th. There will be no raffle at the actual concert.

All pre and post-concert information will be e-mailed to members next week, but a reminder in advance of the key dates/times…..

Monday 2nd December – rehearsal at the church – 7.45pm

Saturday 7th December – rehearsal at the church – 2.15pm

Saturday 7th December – concert performance at 7.30pm

As most of you know, car parking is limited within the church grounds and is ‘challenging’ after dark. Car-sharing on both dates can help as can arranging for a family member/friend to run a drop-off and collect taxi service…..just a thought!

Best……….Mike (07738 273615)

NEWS UPDATE 28TH OCTOBER 2024

A brief update covering progress on some items in last newsletter, members comments/feedback, latest Committee deliberations and some future dates for your diary……in no particular order.

• The words ‘Choral Society’ in our title will be retained. It best reflects what we are and the type of music we perform. 75 years existence must count for something.

• GM Christmas market on 30th November – not happening, so no outdoor carol singing.

• Raffles – thought by many to be either inappropriate and/or to time-consuming at the Church on concert days. Intention now is to have a single bumper raffle per term to raise funds

• The idea of a bring-and-sing workshop will be considered by the Committee in the new year.

• Men’s dress code – large majority feedback is preference for existing traditional DJ, white shirt and black bow-tie. However, the option of black open-neck shirt and trousers is offered.

• Christmas concert – 7th December at 7.30pm – afternoon rehearsal from 2.15 to 5.30pm. Alex hopes very much to release choir before 5.30pm.

• Spring Concert – 12th April at 7.30pm – same afternoon rehearsal times.

• 1st evening rehearsal after Christmas will be Monday 13th January 2025.

• 2025 Christmas concert – Saturday 22nd November (ignore previous information about 29th) – date brought forward to avoid clash with another local choir, with whom some of our members sing, on 6th December 2025 – also implications for audience attendance/ticket sales. For this concert, feedback to date has shown strong support for an afternoon concert at say 3pm, so that everybody involved can actually arrive in daylight. This would require your commitment to a morning rehearsal, e.g. 10.00am to 1.00pm or 10.30am to 1.30pm. Potential problems we could face include soloists/musicians availability for such timings, stage assemblers having a very early start and uncertainty around funding assistance from Josephine Baker Trust. Clearly these and other issues to be resolved before we commit to an afternoon start. Watch this space!

Mike (Chairperson)
27th October 2024

OUR CONSTITUTION

You can download the Society’s Constitution by clicking here

NEWSLETTER OCTOBER 2024

Welcome to the newsletter – designed to enable the Committee to improve communication to all members with information items and updates on issues currently being considered/decided upon, and areas where we hope you can ‘do your bit’ for our great choir’s benefit. Communication is a 2-way street, and in my few weeks as Chairman, I am pleased that many of you have talked to me about ideas, suggestions and observations regarding the items mentioned below. So, in no particular order, let’s go!

Recruitment of New Members

• Obvious benefits – to increase choir member numbers and therefore subscription income.

• Members encouraged to continually ‘spread the word’ about the choir via word of mouth, social media, etc, to family, friends, colleagues at work, fellow-club members, your local church or other choir. Mention the commitment of Monday evening rehearsals before 2 concerts (December & April) after which a summer break.

• The idea of a reduced first-year subscription for new under 40’s is popular with Committee. Bursary funding is also available for offer to younger members…. we are aware that under 18’s would involve DBS checks…. perhaps not so popular!

• We considered that the words ‘Choral Society’ in our title might be off-putting for potential members but drew no conclusion on this.

• The GM pre-Christmas shopping evening is on Saturday 30th November where hardy souls amongst you may like to sing a few carols and hand out recruitment leaflets. We are checking the location and feasibility of doing so.

• Apart from more choir members, it would be great to increase our ‘Friends’ membership, so please ask your various family members and friends to consider this. The weekly cost is about £1.30, which buys less than half a cup of coffee these days!

Sponsorship & Fundraising & Financial Savings Ideas

• Approach local traders, service providers, contractors that you and/or your family members engage to increase adverts in our 2 concert programmes.

• Sponsors (even just once) for anything that costs, e.g. venue hire fees, music score hire, musicians’ fees being just 3 examples. Please speak to me or Treasurer/Secretary/Librarian for more information.

• Do you or your family members work for companies that provide grant funding for the Arts?

• Raffles – rather than a weekly raffle at rehearsals or the introduction of a 100 Club scheme, the Committee’s preference is for one big raffle per term which is far less time-consuming and easier to organise.

• Recent concerts have made a financial loss with audiences circa 120. More ‘bottoms on seats’ at concerts is vital. We encourage you to buy/sell a minimum of 2 tickets each which immediately accounts for 90-100 sales, and we are very grateful that some of you already sell more. In addition, people buy tickets externally or turn up on the night. Our aim must be 150 tickets sales please at each of our next 2 concerts.

• Quiz Supper or Quiz Evening (no food) – after the spring concert in late April or May. We are looking at 2 options – venues Oldham Hall or Cross Keys pub annexe, and obviously the cost and whether it’s worthwhile as a profitable fund-raiser. A social event open to family and friends. Before doing more meaningful work on this, we need to gauge potential level of interest. I envisage at least 8 of you being prepared to organise a table team of 6-8 people paying say £50 per team…..that’s £400 plus a raffle! If at Oldham Hall, the choice to bring your own food or not and drink. I am prepared to provide an interesting quiz at no cost. A great way to end the choir year…..if only? Could you be one of the eight I seek? Please contact me.

Concert Dress Code (Men)

• The Committee was asked to consider an alternative to the existing DJ with white shirt & black bow-tie. We are happy to give men the choice between the existing and open-neck black shirt and black trousers…….printable comments please!

Other Items

• Snow Cascade (nothing to do with the weather – although it could be!). Many of you use WhatsApp, a simple way for us to contact you quickly and dates/events reminders. If you are not a WhatsApp user, could you please identify yourself.

• Choir website – being updated and just to remind you that it exists and tell your friends.

And finally, reminder for EGM – Monday 14th October – 7.30pm

Best…………….Mike Longman (Chairman) – Mob: 07738 273615