All posts by Chris K

Chairman’s Newsletter

Lins Emails
Hi there,
I hope you are going to be able to enjoy this lovely weather that we have for the weekend, but don’t get burnt too much.
Here is a message from Chris concerning next week’s rehearsal:-

Hello everyone
We have 3 rehearsals left before our Summer Spectacular.  This week I want to focus more on specific songs again.  We will look at the following…
Beatles Abbey Road Medley – Timing
The Rose – Word endings
The Parting Glass – Dynamics
Can Can – Standing/Sitting
Circle of Life – Rhythms
Something Inside So Strong
Fix You
The Bare Necessities – clapping
Celebration – Memory
We will finish about 9pm to give me some time with the men to work on The Wellerman

Please have everything else with you in case there is time to run through other songs.  If our soloists could bring their music too and we will give you time with Keziah in the interval/at the end.
Have a good week and see you on Thursday!
Chris
Local Vocals are at Sunnycroft, West End, on Tuesday – 1.45 for 2.00 start.
As I said last night, tickets for the Summer Spectacular are now on general sale, so if you need some for your friends or relatives, you will need to get them quick.
Well, that’s all for now, so I will see you sometime next week.
Bye for now.
Eric

NMM Christmas Music 2026

Lins Emails

Dear New Music Makers,
 
Some weeks ago, your Music Committee chose the songs the Christmas programme that we’ll start rehearsing from 3 September. Our suppliers have been prompt delivering the new music we have chosen. I have also assembled the music we will be singing that is drawn from our archive. I’m pleased to tell you that I can start issuing this additional music to you from tomorrow (18 June). Don’t worry if you’re not here this week. I’ll bring in anything that I’ve not issued along to subsequent rehearsals. And if there is still anything left, you’ll be able to get it from me from 3 September onwards.
 
New music  – in the music pack you’ll be issued with from this week

A Pentatonix Christmas Medley (arranged by Mark Brymer)

It’s Beginning to Look Like Christmas (arranged by Mark Hayes)

From our archive – in the music pack you’ll be issued with from this week

Do You Hear What I Hear? (arranged by Harry Simeone)

Midwinter’s Chill (arranged by Greg Gilpin)

The Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth (SAB) (arranged by Jay Althouse)

Walking in the Air (arranged by Audrey Snyder)

From your personal libraries – you have these already

A Muppet Christmas Carol Medley

All I Want for Christmas is You

Fairy Tale of New York

Grown Up Christmas List

Somewhere in My Memory

Step into Christmas

The First Noel/Pachelbel’s Canon

We Wish You the Merriest

Choir Carols – From 100 Carols for Choirs

Cradle song – No 41, page 178

The Shepherds’ Farewell – No 89, page 344

Audience Participation Carols – From 100 Carols for Choirs

O little town of Bethlehem – No 57, page 234

Once in royal David’s city – No 61, page 260

See amid the winter’s snow – No 70, page 283

Kings of Orient – No 95, page 370

To be used when we are singing out and about at our “gigs”

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Most, but not necessarily all of you, hold this in your personal libraries already. If not, please see Tony.

 

And for those of you who want to get any early start with your learning, Jerry has kindly uploaded the necessary training music to the website already.

 

Please direct any queries about any music you hold to Tony too (librarian@newmusicmakers.com).

 

Best

 

Tony

Music Librarian, New Music Makers

 

 

 

 

 

Chairman’s Newsletter

Lins Emails
Good morning to you all, especially those of you on holiday, and I hope the weather where you are is better than it is here at the moment.

Firstly, here is a message from Chris regarding next week’s rehearsal:-
 
Hi all,
As promised here is the running order for the Summer Spectacular – 
Let’s Dance Medley
(Welcome)
Can Can
SOLO 1
Go the Distance
Circle of Life
SOLO 2
Beatles Abbey Road Medley
The Rose
The Wellerman
Shine
INTERVAL
The Sound of Music Medley
Flying Free
SOLO 3 – Amelia
Galway Girl
The Parting Glass
SOLO 4
Something Inside So Strong
Fix You
The Bare Necessities
RAFFLE
Celebration
In our last rehearsal we spent time looking at The Beatles Medley, The Parting Glass, The Rose and learning the “Optional Small Group” part for the bridge section of Fix You.  This week we will start with The Beatles Medley, The Parting Glass and The Rose and then work through as much of the rest of the program as possible.  Looking forward to seeing you on Thursday!
Chris
 Secondly, we are looking for cakes for the Summer Spectacular, and the list will be on the table as you enter the hall on Thursday, so if you are able, please put your name down for some.  They can be homemade or shop bought.
Thirdly, due to the lack of number, we have decided to cancel the Local Vocals on Tuesday at Anacsta House, Swanwick.
Well, that’s all for now, so I will see you next Thursday.
Bye for now.
Eric
Dates for the Diary

11th July – Summer Spectacular at Hedge End Village Hall
16th July – AGM and finish for the summer
3rd September – Return to rehearsals
26th November – Bishops Waltham Christmas Fayre – 5.30
28th November – Freegrounds Infants School Christmas Fayre – 11.30 to 1.30
5th  December – Singing at John Lewis – 12.00
10th December – Last rehearsal before Christmas
12th December – Christmas concerts at Hedge End Village Hall
13th December – Singing at Haskins, West End – 1.30
20th December – Singing at Haskins, West End – 1.30
All information regarding these dates can be found on our website.

Chairman’s Newsletter

Lins Emails
Hi there,

Firstly, here is Chris’s email for this week.
Hi all
I did not get chance to speak to many of you after the concert but can I say a BIG THANK YOU to you all for your hard work this term learning songs, and then delivering them to such a high standard in Saturday’s concert.  It was an excellent event. I was thrilled by both the sound that we made and the response of the audience.  I have heard so many positive comments, both by those who have been to lots of our concerts before and by people who were new.   We’ve got a fantastic programme of songs and now one more chance to display them in the “Summer Spectacular” in 5 weeks time.

This Thursday’s rehearsal will be a little different.  We will look at the three songs that we are doing in the Summer Spectacular that did not feature on Saturday –
– The Rose
– The Parting Glass
– The Beatles Medley
We have done these before though so I’m not anticipating this taking too long.  Because we are so well up on everything else I would like to look at the “second choir” section in the middle bit of “Fix You” and start to learn this – either for the Summer Spectacular or for next year.  I will pull together a final list of songs for the Summer Spectacular this week so please have all of your music with you on Thursday as if there is time we will run some of the other songs to practise a few of the things that didn’t quite carry on Saturday.
Most importantly on Thursday we will be auditioning for soloists for the summer spectacular.  We have space for 3 soloists/small groups in the Summer Spectacular as Amelia will also be with us again and doing a solo.  If you would like to audition on Thursday please could you message/email me with your name and song so we know how much time to leave for auditions (cmallison1974@gmail.com / 07860 800277).   
We will finish our whole choir practise earlier on Thursday (around 9pm) to give time for auditions.
See you on Thursday!
Chris
Can I only reiterate what Chris has said regarding yesterday, and a big thank you to all those that came and help set up and clear away afterwards, it really was a team effort.
Secondly, we have the “Nominated ” Local Vocals at Snowdrop Place on Tuesday, at the usual time of 1.45 for 2.00pm.
On the bottom of this email, I have included all the dates that we have for the rest of the year, so that you can make sure you are available and know what’s going on in the future.  These dates will be on each email going forward.
Well, that’s all for now, so I will see you during the week.
Bye for now.
Eric
Dates for the Diary

11th July – Summer Spectacular at Hedge End Village Hall
16th July – AGM and finish for the summer
3rd September – Return to rehearsals
26th November – Bishops Waltham Christmas Fayre – 5.30
28th November – Freegrounds Infants School Christmas Fayre – 11.30 to 1.30
5th  December – Singing at John Lewis – 12.00
12th December – Christmas concerts at Hedge End Village Hall
13th December – Singing at Haskins, West End – 1.30
20th December – Singing at Haskins, West End – 1.30

Chairman’s Newsletter

Lins Emails

Hi there,
 
Here is Chris’s message for NMM this week
Hi all,
This Thursday is our final rehearsal before our Summer concert!  I’m really pleased with the sound and it’s a great programme of songs we have.  I hope that you feel ready to go into our Summer performance confident and ready to enjoy it.   
This week Amelia will be with us again, Keziah will be back and we will run through our entire programme.  As I have said over the last few weeks the biggest improvement we can make now is to all know our words and notes well enough so that we only need to glance at our music.  The majority of the time I want you looking at me, looking at the audience, and making our music expressive both in terms of dynamics and what shows on our faces!

Here is a reminder of the running order. Please try to arrive a bit earlier on Thursday so we can make a prompt 7:30pm start!

FIRST HALF

Bohemian Rhapsody

Believer

Circle of life

Go the distance

Dance a Cachucha

The Sound of Music medley

All things bright and beautiful

The Wellerman

The Seal Lullaby

Shine


SECOND HALF

Let’s Dance Medley

Let the River Run

Fix You

Something Inside So Strong

Can Can (standing and sitting!)

Flying Free

Galway Girl

Why We Sing 

The Bare Necessities

Celebration

See you on Thursday.
Chris
If you are going to make a donation for the raffle prizes for next week’s concert, can you make your donation before Wednesday, we that we have time to purchase the prizes.
Next Saturday, we will be setting up the hall from 10.00, so if you are available to come and help, it would be greatly appreciated.
Local Vocals om Wednesday is at Rosewood, Swift Road, Woolston, at the normal time of 2.00 start.
Well, that’s all for now, so I will see you next week.
Bye for now.
Eric

Chairman’s Newsletter

Lins Emails
HI there,
I hope you going to be able to enjoy this nice weather we have for the Bank Holiday weekend.

Here’s a message from Chris for next Thursday’s rehearsal
Hi all,
Two rehearsals to go before our Summer concert!
This week we haven’t got Keziah so rather than a full run through we will spend time on a few things that we can still improve on and songs we didn’t manage to do in our last rehearsal.  Keep your music in the running order for the Summer Concert but this Thursday I will be specifically working on the songs in bold.

FIRST HALF

Bohemian Rhapsody

Believer

Circle of life

Go the distance

Dance a Cachucha

The Sound of Music medley

All things bright and beautiful

The Wellerman

The Seal Lullaby

Shine


SECOND HALF

Let’s Dance Medley

Let the River Run

Fix You

Something Inside So Strong

Can Can (standing and sitting!)

Flying Free

Galway Girl

Why We Sing 

The Bare Necessities

Celebration


Looking around last night and observing the choir the biggest improvement we can now make is to know our notes and words really well so you are looking up more to engage with me and engage with the audience.  We will also be more unified in our starts and ends of words and dynamics if we can achieve this.  It comes from repetition and we will be doing as much of that as we can in our final two rehearsals but please also do all you can to go over parts at home too.
Thanks for all your hard work.  It is all sounding really good – just a final push now to make it the best we can 😀
Have a good bank holiday weekend and see you on Thursday.
Chris
At the last count, we had 63 tickets sold for our concert on the 6th June, so can you please push the sales forward.
We would like some more donations for the raffles for both concerts if you are able.
Local Vocals are at Netley Court on Wednesday, 2.00 for 2.15. 
Well, that’s all for now so I will either see you at the “Nominated” Local Vocals on Wednesday, or at rehearsal next Thursday.
Bye for now.
Eric

Nomination for Local Vocals

Lins Emails
HI there ,
Would like to share some news that we have just received regarding Local Vocals.
We have been nominated for the BBC Radio Solent’s “Make a Difference” Awards, with the results being given out at an awards ceremony in September if we manage to get through as a finalist.
Here is the email we have received.

Dear Local Vocals

 

YOU HAVE BEEN NOMINATED!

I am delighted to tell you that you’ve been nominated for a BBC Radio Solent Make a Difference Award for 2026. Congratulations!   

The Awards recognise individuals and groups who make life better for people in our communities across Hampshire, Dorset and the Isle of Wight!

 

YOUR NOMINATION 

For data privacy reasons I cannot share who nominated you. However, I can share some of the nomination submission:  

 

The Local Vocals are an extraordinary group of people who volunteer to bring joy, connection, and comfort to people living with dementia across our Musical Moments groups. Their contribution goes far beyond entertainment; they create moments of recognition, calm, and pure happiness for individuals who often struggle to engage with the world around them. Music reaches people in a way words sometimes cannot, and our performers use their talent to open that door every single week.

They give their time freely, travelling to our groups, setting up, adapting to the needs of each room, and performing with warmth, patience, and genuine enthusiasm. Many of our group members light up the moment the first notes begin. People who may arrive withdrawn or anxious often start tapping their feet, singing along, or sharing memories sparked by familiar songs. These are small moments with enormous emotional impact — for our members, their families, and our staff.

Their generosity extends throughout the year. At Christmas, they join us for our Carols and Mince Pies events, again volunteering their time and talent without hesitation. They bring festive spirit, connection, and a sense of community at a time that can be particularly difficult for families affected by dementia.

They are not just volunteers; they are partners in creating safe, uplifting spaces where people living with dementia can feel seen, valued, and included. Their dedication transforms our groups, and we are incredibly grateful for everything they bring to our community.

________________________ 

 

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT 

 Our panel of judges will consider all entries and shortlist 32 finalists.  

  • We’ll be announcing those finalists live on BBC Radio Solent in the summer.   
  • Finalists will be invited to join us at our BBC Radio Solent Make a Difference Awards ceremony in September.  

 

FOR YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA 

I have attached a picture for you to share the news of your nomination.  

image001.jpg

 

Congratulations again on being nominated for a BBC Radio Solent Make a Difference Award! 
So well done everyone involved.

Regards

Eric