Lins Emails

This Week’s Newletter

Lins Emails

Good morning everyone,
I hope you have all got over yesterday.  Gods know what it would have been like if the hall did not have the air-conditioning that has recently been installed, it was rather warm yesterday.
Many thanks to all those that turned up to help set up, serve and pack away afterwards.  We were set up by 11.30, so we were not in any rush to finish, and we were pack up by 6.00, which, again, meant there was no rush to finish.  We are very lucky to have partners who are happy to come along and help because without them, we would not be able to put on these type of events. 
Here’s a message from Chris:-
Also here is a short paragraph from me if an email is going out to the choir this week – 
Hello Everyone,
I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who was able to take part in our “Summer Spectacular” this year. The concert certainly lived up to its name!  From the moment we opened  with our Beatles Medley to the closing bars of “Shine” it felt like we had the attention of the room.  The sound was full and expressive and it felt like we had stepped up a level even from our Summer concert a few weeks ago.  All of our soloists and small group worked hard along with all of you in the choir to deliver a brilliant finale to our Summer 2025 season.  A special mention must go to Roy who, at 90 delivered an outstanding solo and the response almost brought the house down!  Also a big thank you to Keziah who has fitted in brilliantly as our accompanist and to Amelia for joining us again.  I am also aware that the success of our “Summer Spectacular” goes beyond the music, so a big thank you to everyone who also helped with the set up, cooking and providing cakes, refreshments, front of house, raffle, tidy up etc…
We missed everyone who couldn’t be part of this event this year.  For me, this concert was a wonderful finale to our first term of working together and I left feeling extremely proud to be MD of a choir that can produce this quality of music.

Just a reminder that we have Local Vocals on Tuesday, at a new venue for us, Rosewood Nursing Home, Swift Road, Woolston.  There is difficulty parking at the home, so you will probably need to park in the road.
Next Thursday is our AGM, so please attend and have your say in how the choir is run etc.
Enjoy the rest of your Sunday.
Bye for now.
Eric

Help List for Saturday

Lins Emails
Hi there,

Here is a copy of an email from Sharon regarding the jobs that require doing on Saturday for the concert.

Regards

Eric

Eric – could you send out the attached to the choir members so they can see in advance what is needed for help on Saturday, prior to looking at the list (which not everyone does!).  That way they can decide what they want to do and hopefully write it down on Thursday.

 

Thank you.

Sharon

pdf icon Helpers-rota-Spectacular.pdf

Snowdrop Place

Lins Emails
Hi there,
In case you have not received an email from Eunice, Local Vocals at Snowdrop Place this afternoon has been cancelled, due to the home having COVID.
See you all on Thursday.
Regards
Eric

Thank you!

Lins Emails
Hi there,

for those that attended the Gospel concert on the 28th June, here is a copy of the email I have received from the organiser.
Dear Eric and The New Music Makers Choir,
On behalf of Churches Together (HEWEB) I would like to thank you all for taking part in the Gospel concert on 28th June.
Everyone had a wonderful time, we have had many messages saying how much people enjoyed the event.  Even asking when the next one is.
We also raised £1090.45 which will be split between The Countess Mountbatten Hospice and The Food Bank based at KCC.
Thank you all so much.
Warm regards
Rachel Owton (she/her)
St James’ Church
Churches Together Rep
PCC Member
Regards
Eric 

This Week’s Rehearsal

Lins Emails

Hi there,
Firstly here’s a message from Chris about what we are doing at this week’s rehearsal:- 
Hello Everyone
We are almost there for our Summer spectacular!  This Thursday I want to run the entire programme in order with our soloists also performing their songs for the choir.  We will run normal timings this week, 7:30-9:30pm with a break in the middle when we have finished the first half.  Here is a reminder of the order of songs.  
First Half
Beatles Abbey Road Medley
(Welcome)
Alexander’s Ragtime Band
Chattanooga Choo Choo
Liz Solo
Circle of Life
Come What May
Craig Solo
Thank You For the Music
Bohemian Rhapsody
Old Macdonald

(Break)

Second Half

Galway Girl
(Amelia Solo – Defying Gravity)
To Make You Feel My Love
Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You
Ladies Small Group- I Couldn’t Live Without Your Love
Jane Solo
Comedy Tonight
Roy Solo
Tell Me It’s Not True
(Raffle)
Shine

This is our last rehearsal before the concert so please make it a priority to be there.

See you Thursday.
Chris
Secondly, just a reminder that we will need help in setting up the hall on Saturday morning. We will be getting to the hall at 9.00am, and some of us will be going to the lock-up to get all the equipment and tea services, so any help would be greatly appreciated.  A list of the jobs that will need doing will be on the table as you enter the hall on Thursday, if you could put your name down for any.
Thirdly, the following week will be our AGM, and a list of the nominees for the Officers and Committee will also be on the table so that they can be proposed and seconded before the meeting.
Lastly, we are singing at Snowdrop Place tomorrow, for Local Vocals, at the usual time of 1.45 for 2.00pm.
So if I don’t see you tomorrow, I will see you at rehearsal on Thursday.
Bye for now.
Eric

NMM rehearsal next week

Lins Emails

Hi there,
Firstly, many thanks to those who put themselves out to turn up at the Gospel concert this afternoon. Although we were few, we received a good response from the members of the audience.  It is a little frustrating that when 25 persons put their name down on the list to say they are going to attend an event and only 15 turn up. If you decide not to attend at least have the courtesy to let me know.
Here’s a message from Chris regarding Thursday’s rehearsal-
 Hello Everyone
 We are now two rehearsals away from our Summer Spectacular and I hope you are all looking forward to it – I certainly am!  I am pleased with how the new songs are sounding.  In practising along to tracks this week three things to particularly work on ahead of Thursday are 
1. Rhythms of the verses of “Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You”
2. Rhythms in Circle of Life
3. The final page of “Shine” (basses)
This week Amelia will be joining us at the start of the rehearsal so we will run through “Galway Girl” and “To Make You Feel My Love” first and then the rest of the programme in order. 
First Half
Beatles Abbey Road Medley
(Welcome)
Alexander’s Ragtime Band
Chattanooga Choo Choo
Liz Solo
Circle of Life
Come What May
Craig Solo
Thank You For the Music
Bohemian Rhapsody
Old Macdonald
(Break)
Second Half
Galway Girl
To Make You Feel My Love
Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You
Ladies Small Group- I Couldn’t Live Without Your Love
Jane Solo
Comedy Tonight
Roy Solo
Tell Me It’s Not True
(Raffle)
Shine 
We will be rehearsing until around 9pm then Keziah will rehearse the soloists in the church and I will take the ladies small group to continue to rehearse I Couldn’t Live Without Your Love.
Have a good week and I look forward to seeing you again on Thursday.
Chris
 
 We have no Local Vocals this week, so I will see you all on Thursday.
Bye for now.
Eric

NMM newsletter this week

Lins Emails

Good morning everyone, and I hope you were able to enjoy this lovely weekend we just had.
This is the message from Chris for this week’s rehearsal:- 
Hello Everyone
Well done with how the new songs for the Summer Spectacular are coming together.  I have now put together a draft programme for the Summer Spectacular (I may tweek it slightly as Amelia is doing a solo but I don’t know what yet).  Currently though it looks like this – 
First Half
Beatles Abbey Road Medley
(Welcome)
Alexander’s Ragtime Band
Chattanooga Choo Choo
Liz Solo
Circle of Life
Come What May
Craig Solo
Thank You For the Music
Bohemian Rhapsody
Old Macdonald
(Break)
Second Half
Galway Girl
To Make You Feel My Love
Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You
Ladies Small Group- I Couldn’t Live Without Your Love
Jane Solo
Comedy Tonight
Roy Solo
Tell Me It’s Not True
(Raffle)
Shine 
This Thursday we will run through the 3 “New” Songs – Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You, Comedy Tonight, Tell Me It’s Not True.  We will then run through the programme from the beginning.  We will be rehearsing until around 9pm then Keziah will take a practise for the people singing in the “Gospel” concert on Saturday 28th June and I will take the ladies small group to continue to rehearse I Couldn’t Live Without Your Love.
See you Thursday!
Chris
For those of you that will be singing at the Gospel Concert on Saturday, if you don’t have the three pieces of music that we will be singing, can you let me know asap, and I will get them from the lockup for you.  We will need to be at the church for 1.00pm as that is the time allocated to us for sorting out where we are going to stand etc, and we are first on at 3.00pm.  If you are bringing anyone with you, can you please let me know asap so that I can reserve a seat for them.
 
Don’t forget we have Local Vocals on Wednesday at Sunnycroft Nursing Home, West End.
Well, that’s all for now, so I will see you sometime during the week.
Bye for now.
Eric

Note for the newsletter this week

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

Hello Everyone
This week we will continue rehearsing for our Summer Spectacular.  We will be focussing on the following songs – 
Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You
Comedy Tonight
Tell Me It’s Not True
Galway Girl
Bohemian Rhapsody
Circle of Life
Come What May
Shine
We will finish our main rehearsal around 9pm.  We will then give some  time for the small group to start rehearsing I Couldn’t Live Without Your Love.
Have a good week and see you on Thursday! 
 
Chris
Thanks for all those that have offered to get cakes and scones for the Summer Spectacular, it is very much appreciated.
Over the next few weeks, we will be rehearsing until 9.00, without a break, and that will mean that the four soloists and the small group of ladies will be able to rehearse their songs, and those that are going to the Gospel Concert on the 28th June will also have a chance to go through the three songs with Keziah.
Well, that’s all for now, so I will either see you at Local Vocals on Wednesday at Hawthorns on Wednesday, or at rehearsal on Thursday.
Bye for now.
Eric

Fw: Note to NMM this week

Lins Emails

Hi there,
Well, what a great day yesterday, it certainly seemed to go well.
Here’s a message from Chris:- 
Hi all
First of all a huge WELL DONE for Saturday’s concert!  I was really pleased with how it went and I’ve heard a lot of very positive feedback. I’ve really enjoyed watching the videos and I hope that you feel we did ourselves proud and all our hard work paid off – though I do have a few things we are going to come back to this Thursday 😉   
We now need to start working on the Summer Spectacular.  This Thursday we will be learning….
– Comedy Tonight
– Tell Me It’s Not True
– Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You
I then want to do some additional work on bits of Galway Girl, the Abbey Road Medley, Annie’s Song, Come What May and Circle of Life to help us get more confident on certain bits before the Summer Spectacular.
This Thursday we will run our rehearsal from 7:30pm to around 8:50pm without a break. From 8:50pm-9:30pm we will audition soloists for the Summer Spectacular.  If you didn’t sign the list last week and want to audition for a solo please could you let me know before Thursday (cmallison1974@gmail.com or 07860 800277).
The following Thursday we will run similar timings and I will start working with the 12 ladies on “I Couldn’t Live Without Your Love from 8:50pm-9:30pm.
I really appreciate all your hard work and look forward to seeing you on Thursday.
Chris
One other thing we need to do is get your opinion on the venue.  I know that there was a problem with the number of staff serving in the cafe, and that is something I will talk to them about, but we need to decide if the venue was suitable, or do we need to find somewhere else.
From a numbers point of venue, we had about the same number as we had at KCC last year, so moving the concert out of Hedge End and into Eastleigh seems not to have made a difference.  The set up was much easier although if we decide to go there again, we will need an extra hour before hand so that Isaac can set the lights up properly, not in a rush to get them done before the audience comes in. We had much better room on the stage, instead of being squashed together.
We have a Committee Meeting on Tuesday, so it would be helpful to get your thoughts.
Well, that’s all for now, so I will see some of you at Snowdrop Place on Tuesday for Local Vocals, or the rest of you on Thursday at the rehearsal.
Bye for now.
Eric