Dear Singer
It is some time since I last wrote to you (15th September), so much so that you would be forgiven if you thought that your committee has just been sitting idly by. Happily, nothing is further from the truth. It has ‘met’ twice and set up a small working group to try to get some live singing going again for those who want it, and the members of this group have been in frequent contact with each other. Reams of printed advice and regulations have been read and digested, observations made, draft plans drawn up, and so on. We were not far off being able to turn these plans into action when the second (current) lockdown was announced. You may know that some other choral groups have, to their credit, managed to meet, but they have often had advantages in their favour that we do not have, such as a large or a very large rehearsal venue and/or smaller numbers and/or a number of suitable venues in their preferred area, or, I have to confess, been quicker off the mark than I was. Apologies. Additionally, some of our local venues we investigated did not have appropriate risk assessments as required by government regulation. So now we hope to be absolutely ready to swing into singing again as soon as we are allowed to, and as soon as our plans are completely ready, I will be writing again. By way of preparation for those who want to be involved, being the time of year it will be by then, our singing will be based on the Carols for Choirs green book with any additional music identified by Tom and safely sourceable. If you do not own a copy of Carols for Choirs (and I know many do) these are easily obtainable on the internet. If this is not a familiar or easy route for you to use for purchase, please let me know and I will be happy to help. Another small working group has been busy on bringing our website more up to date. I will let you know the moment of the grand ‘reveal’! (Not yet!)
In the meantime, some forty of us are very much enjoying the weekly zoom-in with Tom who is providing an interesting menu of musical information, analysis and participation some with external singers and speakers (thank you very much Tom), and I believe his programme for the rest of this term is about to be published to members.
Many thanks too go to members who are sending videos and singing opportunities to Gill for circulation to all members – a great boon in these troubled times
Our Treasurer, Hilary, would like to thank the many members who have kindly and promptly paid their subscriptions. Similarly, co-Librarian Pam is most grateful for and impressed by the return of the scores we were to have used for the concert last March. Grateful thanks to all.
You may recall that at the AGM we were able to re-elect for a second three-year term Emma Hole as Social Secretary, (thank you Emma), but had no nominations for Vice Chair. Since then your committee has unanimously voted to co-opt, as Vice Chair, Pam Salisbury who will combine this role for a year in the first instance with that of co-Librarian, much as Philip did for a while as Vice Chair with that of Stage Manager. Thank you, Pam.
This also gives me a good opportunity to put in print the thanks I expressed at the AGM to Philip Unwin for the many years he has served the Society variously as Chair, Vice Chair and Stage Manager. It is happily a long time ago now, but there will be members who will gratefully recall Philip’s skill in navigating the Society successfully through a very difficult period.
The coronavirus situation is also a very difficult period and I hope that what musical activity is available online or otherwise is helping us, until we meet again, to look on the bright side and to wait patiently for the rainbow (to mix up a few song themes!!). Some members I see every week on Tuesday zoom nights. Others I have not since March, so I hope you are all keeping safe and well especially the group not seen at all for a while.
Best wishes,