All posts by Chris K

Plan for NMM rehearsal next week

Lins Emails
Hi there,
Here is a message from Chris concerning next week’s rehearsal:-

Hi all,
First let me say well done last Thursday!  I appreciate it was quite a “full-on” rehearsal but it did mean we managed to finish going through all of our new music (we have a few extra songs to learn for the “Summer Spectacular” but we will come to those in due course). 
We have now sung through everything we are going to do in our Summer Concert and you will now have a good idea of what you know and what you find difficult. Please could I ask you, if you are not already doing so, to practise to the tracks that Jerry kindly puts on the website for us.  These will help you with notes/rhythms that you are not sure of that there may not always be time to go through on a Thursday night rehearsal.
For this coming week I’d like you to put your music in a draft programme order.  This is…
First Half
Bohemian Rhapsody
Conquest of Paradise
The Music’s Always There With You
Galway Girl
Annie’s Song
The Parting Glass
Abbey Road Medley
Chattanooga Choo-Choo
Alexander’s Ragtime Band
Old Macdonald
Second Half
Rocket Man Medley (SOLOISTS NEEDED FOR Rocket Man; Crocodile Rock; Don’t Let The Sun Go Down)
Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You
Nella Fantasia
Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life (3 or 4 SOLOISTS NEEDED)
To Make You Feel My Love
Circle Of Life
Shine
(Raffle & Thank Yous)
Thank You For The Music (SOLOIST NEEDED FOR THE BRIDGE)
Please note that some songs have an opportunity for soloists. If you would like to try out for a solo in one of the songs please could you email (cmallison1974@gmail.com) or WhatsApp me (07860800277) so I can plan for these.
This Thursday we will spend the first part of our rehearsal singing all the songs for the first half of the concert.  We will then spend the second part of the rehearsal practising bits from these that we need to work on.
Finally, as Eric mentioned last night, we are going to experiment with a change of seating on Thursday.  I’d like to bring our Basses and Tenors to the front and centre of the choir to see if that gives us a better balance of sound.  Please look at the attachment which shows where you will be sat this Thursday.  This is just an experiment and subject to change but I’d like to try that this week.  
 
Have a good rest of the week and I look forward to seeing you on Thursday.
 
Eye diddle eye!
 
Chris
As I mentioned in my notes last night, there are two Sign Up Sheets on the table as you come in for you to sign up to the two additional concerts that we have been asked to perform.  The first is at Bitterne URC on Thursday, 24th April at 2.00pm, and the second one is a Charity Gospel Concert being organised by the Churches Together in Hedge End, West End and Botley, in aid of the Countess Mountbatten Hospice and the Local Food Bank, and will take place on Saturday, 28th June, at 3.00pm, at St James Church, West End.  We will only be singing three songs which will be One Voice, You Raise me Up, and The Music is Always There for You, and Keziah will be playing for us.
Well, that’s all for now, so I will either see you at Florence Court on Tuesday for Local Vocals or next Thursday at rehearsal.
Bye for now.
Eric

doc icon Copy-of-Seating-Plan-2025-3-lines-modified-A4.docx

Plan for next Thursday’s rehearsal (20th March)

Lins Emails
Hi there,
I hope that those of you who attend the dinner last enjoyed the food and the company.
Here is a message from Chris concerning this week’s rehearsal:-
Hi all,
Below is a list of songs for this week.  My aim is to finish teaching new music for our Summer Concert (Saturday June 7th) by the end of March.  We only have part of Shine, part of Galway Girl and Thank You For The Music left to learn for this concert!  I’ll then  work out a programme order and we can spend April and May getting really familiar and confident with all of our music! 
This week’s plan is…

First Half: (7:30- 8:30pm)
Rehearse –
Shine – revise b1-24; learn b 25-46
Galway Girl. learn b46-53 and run through the whole song
Revise/Refine – Conquest of Paradise
Second Half (8:40pm – 9:30pm)
Rehearse
Thank You For The Music

Revise/Refine
Abbey Road Medley
Circle of Life
Can’t Take My Eyes off You

Focus any practise time you have on the above and as always I look forward to seeing you on Thursday!
Chris
Don’t forget that the Local Vocals are singing at Hawthornes, Woolston on Wednesday, 1.45 for 2.00pm
Well, that’s all for now, so I will see you sometime during the week.
Bye for now.
Eric

NMM on Thursday 13th March

Lins Emails

Hi there,
Firstly, the Local Vocals for Snowdrop Place, Botley, on Tuesday has been cancelled, so please do not turn up for this event.
Secondly, here is a message from Chris regarding this week’s coming rehearsal. 
Hi Eric

Here’s my note for the next newsletter.
Hi all
Well done last week! We covered a lot of music. Thank you everyone who signed the sheet for “Galway Girl”. If you were not at last week’s rehearsal (or you forgot to put your name on the sheet) could you whatsapp (07860 800277) or email me (cmallison1974@gmail.com) with your name and voice part and let me know which of the following groups you want to be in for this song. Options are….
1. You are confident and happy to sing the verses of Galway Girl as part of a group
2. You don’t want to sing verses but will join in with other harmonies
3. You are happy to be in either group depending on what is needed.
I need people in both groups and want to achieve a balance of sound so let me know where you are happy to go and we will continue rehearsing this song this week.
Here is the plan for this Thursday….
First Half: (7:30- 8:30pm)
Rehearse –
Galway Girl. Learn the introduction b1-9 and revise everything else
Can’t Take My Eyes Off You – Learn
Shine – Learn b1-24

Second Half (8:40pm – 9:30pm)
Revise/Refine – 
The Parting Glass
Bohemian Rhapsody
Beatles Medley
Circle of Life

Focus any practise time you have this week listening and working on the above songs.
Appreciate all your hard work and look forward to seeing you again on Thursday!
Chris
Thirdly, do not forget all those that are attending the dinner on Saturday, to pay your dues before then into the choir’s bank account.
I mentioned last Thursday about the concert we are putting on for Bitterne URC on Thursday, 24th April at 2.00pm.  Chris and I have agreed to end our rehearsals on the 3rd and 10th April at 9.00 so that we can have sometime to practice some of the songs that we will be singing at this event.  This list that we are thinking of singing are as follows:-

Alexander’s Ragtime Band

Chattanooga Choo Choo

To make you feel my love

Annie’s song

The Parting Glass

The Music’s always there with you

Old Macdonald

?Nella Fantasia

? Can’t take My eyes off you

At Last

Happy Talk

It’s a grand night for singing

Java jive

One

Pinball Wizard

Shenandoah

Sing sing sing

Sweet Caroline

The Rhythm of Life

You Raise Me Up

Well, I can’t think of anything else at the moment, so I will see you next Thursday.

Bye for now.

Eric

This Week’s Rehearsal

Lins Emails

Hi there,
I hope you are all enjoying the lovely sunshine that we have been having and are able to get out.
Here is a message from Chris regarding this week’s rehearsal:- 
Hi all
This Thursday’s rehearsal will focus on the following…
First Half: (7:30- 8:30pm)
Warm ups
Nella Fantasia 
The Beatles: Abbey Road Medley learning b143 to the end and b66-81. We will then do a complete run through (remember we have chosen to drop “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer”)
Galway Girl – Revising all of the sections we have covered so far.  On Thursday there will be a sign up sheet available with the following options –
1. Confident to sing the verses as part of a group
2. Do not want to sing the verses – will join the other harmonies
3. Happy to be in either group depending on what is needed.
I will ask you to put your name and whether you are SATB and I can then focus our rehearsals of this song accordingly.
Second Half (8:40pm – 9:30pm)
Learn Circle of Life 

Revise/Refine – 
The Parting Glass
Bohemian Rhapsody
Annie’s Song
Old Macdonald

Any practise time you have this week would be especially well spent on NELLA FANTASIA, THE BEATLES MEDLEY and CIRCLE OF LIFE.
Really appreciate all your hard work.  I hope you are enjoying the songs and look forward to seeing you on Thursday!
Chris
Thanks for all those that have returned your choices for the dinner, and I look forward to seeing you there on the 15th. 
 
At the recent Committee Meeting, what we are going to wear at the summer concert and spectacular was discussed, and it was decided that for the ladies we will be wearing the pink tops for the concert, and white tops for the spectacular which you can add scarfs etc, like we did last year.  For the men it will be white shirts for both events, with the pink bowties for the concert. All of us will be wearing black trousers, shoes and socks/pop socks.
Well, that’s all for now, so I will see some of you at Sunycroft, West End on Tuesday, for Local Vocals, or the rest of you on Thursday.
Bye for now.
Eric

New Music Makers this coming Thursday

Lins Emails

Hi there,
Here is a message from Chris for this week’s rehearsal:- 
Hi NMM
I’m looking forward to being you again this coming Thursday and thanks to Hilary for all she covered last week.  It looks like you got through a lot!
This week we will be working on the following. If you have time to practise prior Thursday I would especially like you to listen to and work on the Beatles Medley from b66 and Nella Fantasia.

First Half: (7:30- 8:30pm)
Galway Girl – Revising all of the sections we have covered so far and learning b54-57
The Beatles: Abbey Road Medley learning b66 to the end
Second Half (8:40pm – 9:30pm)
Nella Fantasia
From about 9pm we will revise as many of the following songs as we can
Conquest of Paradise
Alexander’s Ragtime Band
The Parting Glass
Old Macdonald

I look forward to seeing you on Thursday!
Chris
If any of you are coming to dinner on the 15th March, I need your choices in this week as I need to hand them into the Prince Consort on Saturday.
The email address I gave for Eunice was not correct.  The correct email is eunicemdeuchar@icloud.com.
We have Pat Jenkins joining us this week, so it will be good to see her back.
Well, that’s all for now, so I will see you on Thursday.
Bye for now.
Eric

This Week’s Rehearsal

Lins Emails

Good Evening,
Firstly, here is a message from Hilary regarding this coming week’s rehearsal:-
Hi there! 
As Chris mentioned at last week’s rehearsal, this week we will be looking at some of the more familiar pieces in our summer programme, running through these and giving us the opportunity to refine. Bring your whole summer pack in case I change my mind (and a pencil) however, these are at the top of the list: 
Always look on the bright side of life
Annie’s song
Bohemian Rhapsody
Conquest of Paradise
To make you feel my love
The parting glass
Come what may
Comedy tonight
Old McDonald. 
Please have a look at the dynamics, how long we hold notes on for, where we don’t breathe or do breathe for the phrasing etc. 
Any questions, please let me know. 
Hilary
Secondly, here is a message from Chris:-
 

Here are some practise tracks for the second verse of Galway Girl. Build up from the spoken track to the 60bpm track, 70bpm track and finally the 80bpm track.

For now I want everybody to learn all of the words and ‘tune’ for all three verses (b9-17, b25-33, and b45-53).  Because our soprano, alto, tenor and bass sections are different sizes it’s not going to work splitting lines around the choir as the music does. I have a few ideas for how we can make this piece work best for us but to try these out I need everyone to learn the verses. Bear with me! There will be method in my madness!
All other sections (the introduction and choruses) will be sung in parts as written, just with soprano 1 doubling the tenor melody in b18-21,33-37, 53-57.
Hope this helps to bring a bit of clarity to what we are doing with this and well done for where we’re at with it!
Well, that’s all for now.

Bye for now.

Eric

Galway-Girl-v2-80bpm.m4a
Galway-Girl-v2-70bpm.m4a
Galway-Girl-v2-60bpm.m4a
Galway-Girl-v2-Spoken.m4a

Annual Dinner

Lins Emails
Hi there,
Just to let you know that Rebecca has managed to get a choice for the dinner on the 15th March of either two courses or three courses.
The cost for the two courses will be £30, and for the three courses £36.
Regards
Eric

NMM next week

Lins Emails

Hi there,
Firstly, here is a note from Chris regarding this coming Thursday’s rehearsal:-
Hi all 
 
Well done for another really productive rehearsal last week.  I’m really pleased with where we are up to after just one month of practising!  Below is the plan for Thursday 13th Feb.  Any time you have to listen and practise these songs/sections with the practise tracks will be greatly appreciated and will really help us in the rehearsal.  Look forward to seeing you next Thursday!  Chris
First Half: (7:30- 8:30pm)
Galway Girl – Learn b25-44 //  Revise other sections
The Beatles: Abbey Road Medley 
Rocket Man Medley
Second Half (8:40pm – 9:30pm)
Come What May
Nella Fantasia
Thank You For The Music
From about 9pm we will revise as many of the following songs as we can
Bohemian Rhapsody (we will start by looking at b34-74)
Alexander’s Ragtime Band
Chattanooga Choo Choo
Secondly, we now have a confirmed date for the Annual Dinner which will be held on the 15th March, at the Prince Consort in Netley, and I enclose a copy of the menu together with the form to fill in your choices.  The cost of the 3 course meal will be £36 per person, and there is a couple of supplements that you need to take notice of for the Crusted Rump Lamb and the Cheese and Biscuits if you choose any of these.  We need to have your choices back by the 27th February together with a £5 deposit per person.  I will bring some copies of the menu and Choices Form with me on Thursday.

We hope as many of you will be able to come to this event as it is a chance to get together outside of our normal rehearsal, and is usually a good evening.

Don’t forget that there is Local Vocals at Anacaster House, Park Gate on Wednesday afternoon if you are free.

Well, that’s all for now, so I will see you later.

Bye for now.

Eric

pdf icon Annual-Dinner-Menu-2025.pdf
pdf icon Annual-Dinner-Choices-2025.pdf