Newsletter November 2021
IN THIS EDITION:
CHAIR’S INTRODUCTION
CONCERT WEEK
CONCERT DAY NOTES
FUNDRAISING
CHAIR’S INTRODUCTION
Hello Everyone
Rehearsals have been a great joy for all those who could be there this term. For those who could not be with us, we have missed you and look forward to seeing you again soon. We have been enjoying singing a range of music, as well as the programme for the concert we are working towards. This is packed with terrific music:
Haydn St Nicholas Mass, Vivaldi Magnificat and Vaughan Williams Fantasia on Christmas Carols
It has been a pleasure and an invigorating challenge for us to work with our Music Director, Alex Flood to produce the best possible performance for our first choral Christmas Concert under his direction. Michael’s piano accompaniment has been highly instrumental in this endeavour, supporting our learning and making the music come alive.
The concert will take place on Saturday, 18 December, at St Peter and St Paul’s Church, Great Missenden, at 7.30 pm. It has been planned deliberately to be shorter than usual, with no break for refreshments, in order for us to be able to ensure we can maintain the necessary arrangements for a choral event in these changed times. Tickets are now available from choir members, online with Ticket Master or from the WYE Estate Agents’ offices on the High Street in Great Missenden. So, do please get going on telling everyone about the concert and encouraging all music lovers among us to come to join us and hear the singing and the playing of the St John Chamber Concert and our guest organist. As usual, we have some terrific soloists taking part. We are grateful for the funding by the Josephine Baker and the Countess of Munster Trusts towards their performance fees.
It will be wonderful to see our Friends again and past and current members of the choir who are not currently singing, their families, friends and colleagues. As the concert is so close to Christmas and with the continuing constraints on large social gatherings, we shall not be having our regular Christmas Party this year, though we shall be having our usual rubbing out session on the Monday after the concert, where I am sure we shall be able to partake of some Christmas cheer!
We also have been invited to take part in the festivities at J C Farming by carol singing from 2 – 3 pm on Tuesday, 21 December and once more to have a time slot to sing to raise funds for Child Bereavement UK at John Lewis’ the day after the concert, Sunday, 19 December, from 3.15 to 4.15 pm. If members, Friends and past singers would like to join with us at that time, we would be delighted by their presence. Please do let us know in advance, so that we can have sufficient music on the days. – Afternote: Because of the new Covid variant, these activities have now unfortunately been cancelled.
Our AGM will take place by Zoom once more on 10 January and all members and Friends are invited to take part. Alex is working on a new programme of music for us to sing for our following concert on 7 May 2022. Rehearsals will be starting a little later than usual in January. We will confirm the dates and the concert programme to everyone nearer the time.
We are looking forward to seeing you all and to enjoying music together once more. Then it will be Christmas and New Year and we wish you all a very merry festive season and a happy and healthy 2022.
Vivien Salisbury, Chair
Concert week
Just a reminder that the rehearsal on the Monday before the concert (Monday, December 13th) will take place in the Church as usual. At that 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, leaving it in the kitchen. Thank you.
Please note that we will not be having our usual Wednesday rehearsal that week.
CONCERT DAY NOTES
Dress Code – Women: black long skirt or dress trousers and a black top with long or three-quarter length sleeves. Vivien and Janet will be supplying the sparkle for us! Men: black tie and dinner jacket please. As usual, please no aftershave/perfumes that are likely to aggravate allergies and affect singers’ voices.
Timetable – There will, as usual, be a rehearsal in the Church on the day of the concert, and Alex will confirm timings nearer the day.
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.
Helpers. Helpers. We need more! We are fortunate to have a few people who are always willing to help, acting as Stewards/ Front of House/Security and setting up/clearing away. However, we do need extra help. Could any of you or your friends/partners get involved and join the team? That would be much appreciated. If so, please let a member of the committee know. This is especially important AFTER the concert. Many hands make light work – willing helpers are sought for 10/15 minutes after the performance to tidy the church to its normal setting. Again, please let a member of the committee know if you or someone you know is able to help.
Car Parking –
Access Road – There are double yellow lines on the road leading up to the church. Furthermore, emergency vehicle access must be preserved.
Disabled. Parking spaces are very limited. Those with a real need for priority disabled parking please let Bob Stupples know the name and make, model and registration number of 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 car and registration, and he will give you a parking permit.
These 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.
FUNDRAISING NEWS
ONLINE SHOPPING
With Christmas shopping becoming imminent (?), and more of us shopping online, please consider supporting the choir through on Easyfundraising or, if shopping on Amazon, through Amazon Smile. It’s easy to sign up for these fundraising sites. Here is an extract from Amazon’s website:
What’s AmazonSmile?
AmazonSmile is a website operated by Amazon that lets customers enjoy the same wide selection of products, low prices, and convenient shopping features as on amazon.co.uk. The difference is that when you shop on smile.amazon.co.uk, Amazon will donate 0.5% of the net purchase price (excluding VAT, returns and shipping fees) to the eligible charitable organisation of your choice.
On your first visit to smile.amazon.co.uk you need to select a charitable organisation to receive donations from eligible purchases before you begin shopping. Then every eligible purchase you make at smile.amazon.co.uk will result in a donation.
Great Missenden Choral Society has been set up as an eligible charity to receive donations from Amazon, so please do nominate the choir, and continue raising funds when shopping on Amazon.
Of course, 3,000 other retailers continue to use Easyfundraising, so do continue to support the choir in this way.
Please ask Suzanne if you need further information or assistance with either of these items, and a BIG thank you to those who are already donating to the choir through online shopping.
RUBBING OUT AND SOCIAL EVENING
On Monday 20th December, we shall have our usual get together at the Oldham Hall to clean up the borrowed scores so that our Librarian Ken can return them in good order. Due to the circumstances we continue to find ourselves in, this will not be our usual Christmas party, but do feel free to bring your own drinks and nibbles, and we’re sure festive song may spontaneously break out!
If you are unable to be there, please ensure that scores are returned in advance of 20th December.
FINALLY, a reminder of the choir’s 2021.22 committee members:
Chair: Vivien Salisbury
Hon. Secretary: Amanda Brown
Hon. Treasurer: Suzanne Bryden
Hon Librarian: Ken Darvill
Committee members: Isabelle Reynolds; Chris Purves; and Jo Ottaway
WE LOOK FORWARD TO MEETING AGAIN NEXT TERM, AND DON’T FORGET THAT OUR AGM WILL BE HELD ON JANUARY 10TH 2022 ON ZOOM.
Have a peaceful and safe Christmas!
December 12th, 2021