All posts by Chris K

Thank you to NMM

Lins Emails
From: David Farnell <farnell1946@hotmail.com>

Subject: Thank you to NMM

Dear members of NMM
We apologise for taking this long to thank you all for the very generous gifts we received from you and lovely messages from many of you in an e-card. Thank you also to those who have contacted us by email or phone. We appreciate your kind thoughts and words. Due to the newly enforced lockdown, we have not yet been able to spend the M&S Voucher but will let you know when we have made a purchase.  We have, however, already enjoyed a “Dine in for Two” meal which was lovely, and of course, a bottle or two of the wine as well as some other goodies.
Leaving the choir was a very difficult decision for us to make, as neither of us had ever considered not being part of the choir at all until recently. We always thought we could be in the choir, without any responsibilities, while our voices were good enough but, unfortunately, that is now not the case. Some of you have asked if we might join another choir.  For myself, I am not sure I would have the heart to do that. The NMM has been, and continues to be, the choir of my choice and focus and Sandie feels the same.
I would personally like to say thank you for the friendship and solid support many of you have given me over the last fifteen years that I have been a member, and the privilege and pleasure I have felt serving the choir as Assistant Conductor. I hold fond memories of the many good musical performances we produced together in concerts. These are amongst my best musical memories and will always remain so.  There have also been many occasions when we have brought much pleasure to our audience in the way we have performed our items.
We will miss much about the choir, especially the friendships and making music together. We wish the choir every best wish for the future and trust all will go well when rehearsals can restart and a more normal life resumes for all of us. Always remember to do the best that you can do to be the best you can be for the choir. 

We would be most happy to keep in touch with you all by phone or email should you wish too. We have already enjoyed sharing time with some of you in the Kettle and Cake in Hedge End, which could also be an option after lockdown.

Best wishes to you all.
David and Sandie
    

Week 35 Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81691367380?pwd=RUg4SFNPbnRxbUVwQ1gwb1ZKUWZhQT09

Lins Emails

Hi All

Hope you are all well and surviving the latest lockdown and keeping safe and are managing to keep yourselves busy.  Chris and I are decorating the kitchen, thats fun ☹️, but filling time when it is raining.  On the good side  it is giving us all time to practise and do our recordings for the virtual Christmas Concert.

We have one birthday this week it is Hilary Green on Tuesday.  I would imagine that she  and Tony would have had something amazing organised as I believe it may be a significant one and they normally have a wonderful trip organised.  Hopefully you will be able to recreate it at a later date.

No Apologies for using this photograph again it is all about Hilary this time.  Have a lovely day whatever you are doing.
 
Not a lot of other news.


Zoom this week – message from Lillian

I’d like to run rehearsal similar to last week. We’ll rehearse:

The First Nowell (#81)
Away in a manger (#13)
O come O come Emmanuel (#55)
Star Carol (#72)

The following week 19 Nov:

Once in Royal David’s City (#61)
The Twelve Days of Christmas (#60)
Still, still, still (#76)
Silent night (#75)




Topic: New Music Makers Online

Time: Nov 12th 2020 07:30 PM London

        Every week on Thursday until Dec 24, 2020, 


        

        Nov 12, 2020 07:30 PM

        Nov 19, 2020 07:30 PM

        Nov 26, 2020 07:30 PM

        Dec 3, 2020 07:30 PM

        Dec 10, 2020 07:30 PM

        Dec 17, 2020 07:30 PM

        Dec 24, 2020 07:30 PM


 

Meeting ID: 816 9136 7380

Passcode: Gold

See you tomorrow

Lin


CHRISTMAS VIRTUAL CONCERT INFO

Lins Emails

CHRISTMAS VIRTUAL CONCERT

Hi All

We have until the end of this month (November)  to submit any recordings for the virtual Concert.  It would be really lovely to have everyone participating and included in the video.  There is an alternative  for the recordings.  You could just send in a recording without the video but please send a photograph of yourself so you can be added.  If you don’t want to do any of the singing then perhaps you could send a short video of yourselves saying Merry Christmas (or something appropriate) or failing that just a photograph of yourself in uniform so that it can be included somewhere, can you do one with a christmas hat and one without please.  

Lillian would also like some individual performances, solos, duets (if you are in a bubble with someone),  and readings. Perhaps it might be a good idea to let her know what you are doing just in case someone else chooses it.

WHAT TO WEAR

Ladies could you wear your sparkly red tops, silver jewellery (a nice display of suitable ones in the photograph). I know some ladies do not have the  red tops and wear sparkly black.  I do have some spare red ones but of course with the lockdown it may be difficult to get them to you.  

image1.jpeg

 Men Jerry has already submitted a video wearing the sparkly red ties so could everyone wear that one please, and of course your dinner suits and white shirt.   


image2.jpeg

And for “THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR” could you wear a Christmasy hat/thing on your head.    


image3.jpeg

Don’t you all look amazing in your christmas hats especially Chris 😆 


The carols that will be included are as follows:-


1. Hark! The herald-angels sing (#23) – ALL

2. We wish you a merry Christmas  – ALL

3. O come, all ye faithful (#54)

4. The first Nowell (#81)

5. O little town of Bethlehem (#57)

6. In the bleak midwinter Holst (#39)

7. Joy to the World (#47)

8. Once in Royal David’s City (#61)

You have been informed which songs Lillian would like you to record.  She has requested could you please send those one in first and the ones that everyone is recording at the end.  If you are only doing the three with everyone send them in when they are ready. Make sure it is clear which recording (which song) you have sent in.  

It is not too late to add you to the recording of the other carols just let Lillian know which ones you would like to do.

Here is the link to the backing tracks again. You can record to  any of the backing tracks as the accompaniment is the same on all of them.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvjwwNZmolrLahnbNEDhUlTAdxcCq9JtF

Below are Lillians tips on recording again, (numbers have gone a bit weird with copy and pasting but you get the idea).

After you’ve recorded yourself, you can send them to Lillian (lillian.sediles@gmail.com) using the website: wetransfer.com

Some tips for creating your own video:

  • Please set your camera running before you press play on the music and sing along to it.
  • Please wear earphones with video in so that your microphone just picks up you. (Ideally earphones – not massive headphones)
  • Please stand still for a few seconds after Chris has finished before stopping the tape, rather than as soon as you have stopped singing.
  1. Which room should I film in? Please be in a room with soft furnishings (i.e. living room rather than kitchen), as this helps with sound recording. It helps if your background is at least slightly different to your skin tone. Please consider whether there is anything distracting in your backdrop, eg flags, reflective surfaces, personal pictures, posters etc (a blank background may be your best, safe option – having said that, a few homely touches are nice!). There are too many issues with noise outside so please stay inside. 
      1. What should I film with? Use a mobile phone, rather than a webcam, as the cameras are generally superior. A DSLR or camcorder will generally be even better.
    1. Which way round? Generally please shoot landscape.
  2. What about lighting? You probably need more light than you think you need. Natural light is good! Ideally make sure natural light is coming from behind the camera roughly 45 degrees to the line between you and the camera (ie not behind you). One tip: try having the camera on the window sill and face the window. If you have to just use artificial light, try to use whiter lights rather than warmer (orange) lights. 
  3. Where should I put the camera? Please make sure you are not holding the camera – either use a tripod, or try putting it on some books / a steady surface. If you visualise the screen as three vertical sections, your eye-line should be approximately a third of the way down the image. If you are standing (as you normally will be) please shoot from approximately the waist up. Have the camera horizontal to your eyes – don’t peer down into it. You may find this video helpful.
  4. Where do I send it? This link. To my email address (lillian.sediles@gmail.com) Please give the files names which describe them eg. the name of the song and your name.

Hope this is helpful.

Lin

Fwd: Three FREE courses for choral singers

Lins Emails
This may be of interest?

Are you looking for some inspiring, high-quality online activities for your choir this winter? 

We know that some choirs have managed to keep activities going online using ZOOM and YouTube but many, perhaps the majority, have not gathered at all since March. 

Also, many choirs that have been rehearsing online for the past six months are now looking for something new and inspiring for their members. 

We want to help. 

At the heart of Koor is a collective of professional singers, instrumentalists and conductors. We are all painfully aware of how devastating COVID-19 has been on the activities of choirs across the country. 

We thought that one way we could support choirs – bringing some light and inspiration during a second lockdown – is to present a series of FREE online courses.

Each course will be led by musicians that make up the professional performing element of Koor; hand-picked singers and instrumentalists, many of whom are soloists in their own right: A stellar group of musicians who, under normal circumstances, would be performing with groups such as The Tallis Scholars, Tenebrae, The Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists, The Gabrieli Consort, The Sixteen, the Choir of the Age of Enlightenment and the BBC Singers.  

Between them, these artists have an immense wealth of experience working in all the major concert halls in the UK and abroad and they excel in both historical and modern music. 

We’re bringing this incredible knowledge and talent together in our three, exceptional online courses:

Beethoven’s Mass in C (Nov 11 to Dec 9)

As we come to the end of Beethoven’s 250th anniversary year, we offer an opportunity to learn a work that deserves to hear far more frequently.

Handel’s Messiah – (Nov 12 to Dec 10)

What would Christmas be without Messiah? Join us as we explore this perennial favourite in the contexts of history and performance. 

Christmas Fantasia – (Nov 16 to Dec 14)

A programme of beautiful Christmas music from the 20th & 21st Centuries with a satisfying balance of the well known and new. 

So how do the courses work? 

Just head over to www.koor.app and register for as many courses as you would like to attend. Remember, they are free. 

Once registered, we will send out:

  • further information on how to access sheet music for each course
  • what each workshop will consist of
  • links to each workshop

Practise your part with professional singers. 

Inspired by our singers, you will want to practise your part between each weekly workshop. With Koor, you can learn your notes by engaging with interactive recordings of professional singers. You can isolate your part or create a personal mix with the other voices. 

If you haven’t already got an account, sign up for Koor via www.koor.app. The app is also free. 

I hope that these courses will be of interest to you and your choir, and we look forward to welcoming you to our virtual workshops. 

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to drop me a line. 

Yours sincerely, 

Eve

Fwd: MOZART REQUIEM – Sing at Home – STARTS IN 5 DAYS!

Lins Emails
This may be of interest?

Subject: MOZART REQUIEM – Sing at Home – STARTS IN 5 DAYS!
Reply-To: music@choraline.com

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presents

MOZART REQUIEM
in
VIRTUAL VIENNA
Sing from Home
10 November to 5 December 2020

Starting in 5 days – the perfect ‘lockdown’ project

Join over a thousand singers from the UK, US, Australia and across the world as we come together online to rehearse and perform this incredible work.

Organised by the ‘RunbySingers’ team the course will include online access to sectional (voice part) rehearsals, full choir rehearsals, the concert performance with Baroque orchestra, online chat, a high quality PDF choral score, Viennese recipes and a private lecture by former King’s Singer Jeremy Jackman.

Last but not least, you have chance to be part of a new CD recording and raise money for Cancer Research.

Please click here for all the information on the course and to watch a video by Matt Finch, the musical director, introducing himself and the course

Matt Finch – Musical Director for Mozart Requiem

Musical Director for Bath Light Operatic Group for over 25 years, Matt completed his music degree at Bath Spa University where he conducted the choir and orchestra. 

Since Lockdown Matt has recorded six virtual choirs on video which led him to organise Choirshow – a live broadcast of 13 virtual choirs of over 250 singers which has already had over 1200 views and has raised over £1000 for charity.
Please Click here to watch a sample of an Alto rehearsal with Matt 

The Baroque Orchestra

Members of the Baroque orchestra have completed and submitted their recordings. All we need now is YOUR voices.

This is Louise Strickland our Bassett Horn player – one of the top players in the country , We also feature two Guildhall professors on sackbut (trombone) –  Adrian France and Emily White

Mozart Requiem – Preparation

Prepare in advance of the course with a ChoraLine rehearsal recording for Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass.

Please click here


ChoraLine ‘with singer’ – For Soprano and Alto – listen and join in
Please click here >

ChoraLine App – all the ChoraLine Rehearsal Recordings for Mozart Requiem are available on our App 

Please click here to watch a video on how to use
ChoraLine App

Vocal exercises to warm up your voice and acquire good singing habits when singing at home

Please click here to hear a sample

The whole recording has:

Graded vocal exercises to warm up your voice and acquire good singing habits:

Track 1         Introduction

Track 2         Exercises

Track 3-25    Lower Voices

Track 26-49  Higher Voices
Please click to hear a sample

ChoraLine

email : music@choraline.com

Tremough Innovation Centre – University Campus – Penryn – UK 

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ChoraLine – 01285 644 845
Registered Address: 504 Tremough Innovation Centre, Penryn, TR10 9TA

Fwd: Notification from Making Music

Lins Emails
Hi All

Sharon has sent this as it may be of interest to some of you.
Lin

You have received a message from (laurie@carryonsinging.com) via the contact form at Making Music:

Hi there,

My name is Laurie Denman, and I’ve written to you previously using the Making Music website Contact Form regarding an exciting online choir programme, Carry On Singing.

As we enter into another lockdown for November, I would be very grateful if you could share the below information with your choir members once again. I think many of us were confident that we were back in the clear and that we were able to sing in our communities once more, however the uncertainty of Coronavirus has meant that this can’t happen for a while longer.

As such I have created an all new and exciting Christmas Choir Course which your members may well be interested in! This course focusses on a unique and creative SATB arrangement of ‘Merry Christmas Everybody’ by Slade, as well as learning important vocal techniques and festive exercises throughout the programme! The course begins on Friday 13th November (unlucky for some, but lucky for us, I say!) and lasts 4 weeks, with the fourth being reserved for our members to record their vocal parts at home which will later be added to our Virtual Choir Performance. You can find out more information about our Christmas Choir Course on our website:

www.carryonsinging.com

With over 200 singers from across the world coming together in our previous programmes, I’m really pleased with the results we produce, so if you’d like to see what that looks like, do check out one of our previous Virtual Choir Performances here:

https://youtu.be/XkdCpSIM3As

I would again be extremely grateful if you could please share this information with your members by forwarding them this message, keeping your choir in good health and happiness as we enter another uncertain time! We must all remember the power of song in these usual circumstances and, with your help, we can cut through the chaos of Coronavirus, embrace the magic of music, and, of course, put the sing in social distanc-sing.

Laurie
www.carryonsinging.com

Week 34 Happy Guy Fawkes Night And not quite so happy Lockdown No 2. Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81691367380?pwd=RUg4SFNPbnRxbUVwQ1gwb1ZKUWZhQT09 Meeting ID: 816 9136 7380 Passcode: Gold

Lins Emails
 
 
 
 
Hi All 
Happy Guy Fawkes Night tomorrow a bit different to other years here  are some for you to watch.
                https://www.videvo.net/video/fireworks-display/5358/
We also go into lockdown again, I guess that does not effect us too much with the choir, good old zoom.  Hope you all keep safe and if anyone needs anything let me know and I can see if we can sort it out.  We have ways of contacting people.
 
We don’t have any birthdays this week but it would have been Martin Small’s who passed away earlier this year, his was on Guy Fawkes Night.  
As I have mentioned we inherited all of Martins videos which Chris will go through eventually and save them to hard drive.  This does leave me with a lot of excess video copies (around 30) that I inherited from Mon these are no longer needed but before I dispose of them is there anyone that would like them?
image1.jpeg
These are the ones from Martin, it may keep Chris busy for a while!
 
I spoke to Mary Gunn the other day and she is much better, she is still very weak and can’t manage the stairs yet but she is pleased to be home she found it very cold in the hospital.  She has a good friend who goes in every day and also her daughter manages most evenings.
 
Our Zoom this week will be singing over Oh Come All Ye Faithful and we are having some Rutter in our lives.  You can’t have Christmas without Rutter, OK maybe not everyones choice?
 
O Come all ye Faithful   Number 54
 
Rutter – Jesus Child.     Number 24
Rutter – Nativity Carol. Number 14
Rutter – Shepherd’s Pipe Carol.  Number 20
 
All of these can be found in the Carol Book and Jerry has very kindly put them on the one drive under Xmas and also put PDF’s if you do not have the music.  
 
Topic: New Music Makers Online

Time: Nov 5th 2020 07:30 PM London

       Every week on Thursday until Dec 24, 2020, 

 

         Nov 5, 2020 07:30 PM

        Nov 12, 2020 07:30 PM

        Nov 19, 2020 07:30 PM

        Nov 26, 2020 07:30 PM

        Dec 3, 2020 07:30 PM

        Dec 10, 2020 07:30 PM

        Dec 17, 2020 07:30 PM

        Dec 24, 2020 07:30 PM