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For your diary
First rehearsal
Tuesday 30 January
Beaumaris Community Hall
NOTE: This is a date change from the previous newsletter – we’re starting a week earlier.
A welcome back session. Bring your copies of the songs we were working on in Term 4 last year. Don't forget this is a great chance to ask any friends who might be interested in having a sing. Perfect fresh start for their year – they can come along for a couple of weeks free and see what they think. They even get cake and biscuits at the first week!
Festival of Voices
Hobart, Tasmania
28 Jun – 1 Jul 2024
Almost half the choir will be heading to the festival in June. It's going to be a hoot. If you are joining in the trip, don’t forget to pay your own individual registration ($165) at the festival website .
Combined concert with S.A.C.B and Mosaic
Proposed March 2024
Postponed to 2025
Very encouraging to have so many putting their names down to take part, but it all proved a bit too much too soon to organise. We'll work with the Band and Mosaic on plans for 2025.
Summary of dates
| 2024 |
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| Tue 30 Jan |
First rehearsal |
7.30 – 9.30pm |
Beaumaris Community Centre |
| Jun-July |
Festival of Voices |
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Hobart |
Choir news and reports
Apply within
With several long-standing committee members moving on, we are in urgent need of new support from more members to keep Vocally Wild ticking.
So we are delighted to welcome Derek Skues who has put his hand up for committee, and will join in the first meeting on 17 January.
We want to thank Carolyn who each year looks after the kitchen, bringing milk and other supplies for our Tuesday cuppas, cleaning up and so on, willingly assisted by Michele. We are also always very grateful for the motley crew who at different times come early to help set up the chairs and the audio equipment in the hall, and do it all again to put things away when everyone else is already home having their Milo. They also serve who simply know how to coil Russel's cables.
At the moment we are especially in need of people who can offer some time to help with:
- publicity
- membership admin
- organising copies of music.
Bayside Carols
Congratulations to everyone who took part of the very successful 2023 program – watch the officla video here. We inderstand there were over 10,000 people. Special thanks to everyone involved for hanging in for the four lengthy extra rehearsals to make it all possible – there were many remarks about the high quality of the singing this year.
Bayside will shortly issue a new request for tender for the event management of the carols for the next period, usually three years. Russel and a small working group have been busy over the break preparing Vocally Wild’s recommendations to inform the tender process. Some key points are:
- focusing again on local artists as the soloists
- improving coordination of the event through a joint committee
- ensuring everyone performing participates in rehearsals.
Stay tuned for updates.
Being even more merry
Santa, elves and others singing from the VW Little Red Book.
Thank you to those who turned up to sing carols on greens and street corners. Some 25–30 choristers presented street performances in Black Rock and Hampton to small but appreciative audiences. Thanks to Maggie and Cherry for providing us with spunky new red-covered song books so we're all set up for next year. And thanks to Bill 'Bojangles' Miles for multi-tasking again with his gittar.
And also:
Ukeleling Away
From Pat Lowry –
I was going to write a brief review re Mayflower (November), but I think Patty's comments speak for themselves!!
I have been going to talk to you & THANKYOU & BIG BIG BIG THANKYOUS for your wonderful sing-song at Mayflower last Thursday.
VW again surpassed itself – stunning & glorious sounds were made from the throats & lips of all of you Choristers – I can’t say enough – how joyful you all sounded & strong – didn’t miss a beat.
Such rave reviews from all & sundry – they want us back each week – can’t wait for another year!!
Please pass this on to all of your song birds – Tell DR BILL that the praise is ongoing – & as for “I have a Dream" – just fab!! What more can I say – TELL THE WORLD!! such a Glorious Choir – you are a credit to yourselves – I do so wish that I could be part of it. I am blessed to still be an "auxiliary member“ & still able to UKE AWAY a little bit.
If you see fit will you be able to read my little dissertation to your audience on Tuesday Night — so that they will believe that it is a fact & that it comes with love & truth & from one who knows!!!!!!
With much love – Patty
Family Life donations
A big thank you to everyone who donated groceries, toys and vouchers to Family Life. Cherry and Helen made up 10 grocery hampers and delivered them along with the toys to our local Family Life 'house' in Bluff Road. They were gratefully received by the volunteers who distributed them to families.
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Choir links
Connor Dawes Foundation
We included their thankyou for our heroic sub-arctic choral performance at Connor's Run in a previous newsletter, but there's was also a Christmas message to the choir with a video, see attached. Includes dates for their events in 2024.
We knew that
This is typical of some of the research going around showing conclusively that singing in groups induces a sense of belonging and deep cosmic contentment - read the full story here.
We could have saved them all that research moolah. We just call it 'rehearsing'. But if you've got friends and family still frazzled from the silly season, or dropping off their New Year resolutions already, do them a favour and bring them along for a sing at our next mega-bonding session on Tues 30 Jan. Much cheaper than other therapies.
Oh, and did we mention that we are looking for more members this year?
We think 80 is a nice round number for a self-respecting SATB choir with a grand piano and which pulls a cruisy 10K people to gigs. So we'd like a few more.
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