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Hi everyone
I do hope you are all safe and well and your loved ones also.
It is good to be able to write this newsletter to you all with so much positive news for a change. You may know some of the news but this is to ensure we are all up to date. I should think by now all our membership has had both Covid injections, which in itself helps us to think a little more positively.
A full page advert and a further smaller one have recently been put in the “Grapevine” (Harleston’s local magazine). We are delighted to report we had 7 prospective members reply to them and I am sure we look forward to welcoming them when term starts.
Speaking of which, the date is Monday 13th September at 7pm (to accommodate collecting new music ready for a 7.30pm start).
We are delighted the members of London Road Church are able to welcome us back but there are a few conditions:
1. We bring our own drinks.
2. We may move any chairs (which are in a certain arrangement for church members) but must replace them at the end.
3. We are undertaking to wipe any surfaces we have touched, (backs of chairs, any surface in the loos, tables etc) but the Committee are considering the best way to do this.
Prospective MDs During the last few months the Committee has been actively searching for a new MD for the Society. We have made great progress and will hopefully be asking candidates to come along and take some of the rehearsal in early October when we have all settled down into singing again.
Repertoire Karen would like to conduct us for the Christmas concert with a small ensemble. The programme will consist of some of the music we have studied on Zoom from “Choral Classics”, some Christmas choruses from “The Messiah”, Christmas carols from just the choir and further ones for audience participation. If you have any of the following books please bring them on 13th:
“Choral Classics”, “Messiah” Prout version, “Carols for Choirs” books 1 & 2. Library copies will be available of the first two.
The concert date is Saturday 18th December with rehearsals on Friday 17th, evening and Saturday 18th, afternoon in St John’s Church, Harleston.
On a sad note: we were sorry to learn of the death of Jethro Free during the lockdown. Most of you will know of this already but we felt we ought to record the loss of this well-loved, wonderfully outgoing member of the choir. Jethro made the little dais for our previous MD to stand on and it has been agreed to put some sort of inscription on the dais in his memory.
Further information: The Committee were pleased that Amanda Fletcher agreed to be co-opted as Secretary. Indeed, she has been keeping brilliant notes of our many Zoom meetings during lockdown.
The website is having a facelift and the Members’ area has a new password:
Happy2Sing
It is already in place and the capital letters are important.
The prospective date for the AGM is 18th October and subscriptions will be due on that date.
Garden Party: A really lovely afternoon was had by all who attended the garden party at John and Julia’s on 1st August. We attempted to sing some of the items we had been practising on Zoom during the previous few months and apparently it sounded quite good! We all took our own picnic and Julia presented us with a very interesting quiz of “First Lines” from classical, pop and show music. Thank you John and Julia for allowing us to use “Awty Manor” as Karen called it.
I hope I’ve remembered everything and you are all still concentrating. I’m sure we are all looking forward to next Monday and singing together again.
Best wishes
Stella (Chair)