Happy New Year to you all!
Choir’s return is pretty close – how good it will be to see you all again! Bill has selected some new, wonderful and interesting songs for the year so we hope you’re all looking forward to Term 1 with enthusiasm. See below how we’ll kick off on the 7th Feb, plus detail of our planned Welcome Back session!
We’re still on the look-out for a better quality, younger piano so our Piano fund-raising campaign will begin in earnest with an Easter Raffle! More detail of course to follow.
First term dates are below – the 2023 Diary will soon fill up so watch this space!
| Tuesday, 7th February |
Choir resumes. 7.30 p.m. Beaumaris |
| Tuesday, 28th February |
Welcome Party, prior to rehearsal. 6 p.m. |
| Tuesday, 4th April |
Last rehearsal for Term 1 |
| Tuesday, 2nd June |
Term 2 commences. Note, Tuesday, 25th May, no rehearsal, ANZAC Day. |
FIRST REHEARSAL – TUESDAY, 7TH FEBRUARY
As mentioned, Bill has been busy selecting music for us this year, resulting in a wonderful mixture of songs which we should all enjoy. For our first rehearsal we’ll start and finish with a couple of familiar pieces, so please bring Nos. 1 and 7 along in your folders, plus the ‘Crazy for You’ Gershwin Medley. Maggie will arrange printing of ‘On Broadway’ and ‘Due Pupille Amabili’ (listen to this on U-tube if you have a moment, it’s delightful) and these will be ‘available at the table’.
Order for the 7th February rehearsal:
1. This Little Light of Mine
2. Embraceable You
3. I Got Rhythm
4. They Can't Take That Away From Me
5. On Broadway (new)
6. Due Pupille Amabili (new)
7. A Place in the Choir.
Remember you can access the ‘Crazy for You’ practice recordings on the Website. If you have time, you may wish to familiarise yourself with the recordings and the sheet music beforehand, then we will be able to hopefully cover all these on our first evening!
The 'roll points' in the rehearsal recordings of Crazy for You (the Gershwin medley) are
- Embraceable You ~ 3:40-5:08 (bars 112-144)
- I Got Rhythm ~ 5:08-6:28 (144-207)
- They Can't Take That Away From Me ~ 8:07-9:28 (bars 284-303)
If you don’t have the music, Maggie will have copies on the table. Maggie does ask that if you have multiple copies of any sheet music, please return them to her – this will keep our printing costs down. For example, if you have forgotten to bring a certain song to rehearsal and borrow it from the table for the evening, please remember to replace it on your way out. Any Christmas Carols sheet music is also welcome.
WELCOME PARTY – TUESDAY, 28TH FEBRUARY, 6.00 P.M. BEAUMARIS HALL
To welcome everyone, especially our new members, we will be having a get-together at our Hall, (outside at the rear if the weather is good). Come along at 6.00 p.m. and then stay for our rehearsal. (Partners welcome too, of course - they may even like to stay to sing!). Food will be supplied, so just bring your own drinks/glasses. We’ll start our rehearsal as usual at 7.30 p.m. and polish off the rest of the food at ‘break time’ if there’s any left!
Don’t forget, bring your own cup, but we have mugs in the kitchen now, so go in and make a cuppa if you wish to.
MEMBERSHIP
Cherry will be sending out invoices for Semester Fees shortly – please note that there has been an increase of $40 per semester. If you have any queries regarding payment of Casual rates, please write to the Committee for approval. For your information, see “Frequently Asked Questions” on our Website. Go to Contact, then ‘Become a Member’. This should help.
Our membership is pretty healthy; however, we are happy to enrol a few more Vocally Wilders, so if you have friends who might enjoy being part of our choir, do ask them to come along and try us out. Maggie will continue providing Loan Folders for use on the night. It would be especially advantageous if we could entice a few more men to join the ranks of the Tenors, Basses and Baritones!
FESTIVAL OF VOICES – HOBART, JUNE/JULY 2023
We are asking for expressions of interest in the possibility of a group from Vocally Wild travelling to Hobart during late June/early July this year, to take part in a non-competitive festival of choirs; choirs attend from across the country. This Festival is well established, well attended and a joyful activity to take part in. Choirs get to sing in a welcoming, inclusive environment, perform in unusual settings and attend special festival events.
There are many choices. We will select the most suitable dates for us – i.e. between the 30th June to 9th July, and once we know how many will be attending, we’ll work out our best program – some of the choices include:
- Pop Up Programmes
- Amazing Festival Singers’ Lounge
- Big Sing Bonfire
- Flash Mob opportunity at MONA
- Opportunity to explore Hobart and Tasmania
The intention would likely be for a 5 day, 4 night visit, but of course many may wish to extend their stay for further travel. When we planned to attend in 2020 (the trip was aborted due to Covid), we were to fly and we had booked our own individual accommodation. However, if we get enough interest, we will look at this in more detail and a Touring Package may possibly be preferred. We are required to register, so we need to get an idea of numbers!
Do have a look at this website link – www.festivalofvoices.com - and when we return to rehearsals on 7th February, Cherry will have an expression of interest sheet at the table for you to add your name. At this stage Bill is available for us, so we would have fine accompaniment and direction!
TRAILER
The trailer, which holds our choir risers, will shortly be transformed! Rod Cripps and Russel are designing a conversion which will cover the trailer, including space for our audio/lighting equipment making it more convenient, safer and efficient. We no longer need to rent space for the trailer, as it will be housed by Russel, under cover. Thank you to Russel and Rod for their time and expertise spent on this ongoing project.
GREEN 'LION STAR' SANDWICH TRAY
This was left behind after one of our Carols rehearsals at the Brighton Town Hall. I will bring it to rehearsal on the 7th February, in case it belongs to one of you.
VICTORIAN WELSH CHOIR – SUNDAY, 19TH FEBRUARY, 2023 – 2.00 P.M.
Some of you may wish to attend this! To celebrate St. David’s Day, the Melbourne Recital Centre will present The Victorian Welsh Choir performing beautiful Welsh, English and Latin hymns, together with modern songs by Australian composer, Paul Jarman. All will be sung in four-part harmony. For more detail look up melbournerecital.com.au
No doubt many of you will soon be observing preparation for school – bet this role wouldn’t go down too well these days!
Enjoy the rest of the summer break.
See you soon.
Pat and Committee
Bill Miles (Music Director)
Emma Lippa (Accompanist)
Russel Barnes (President)
Julie Sergienko (Treasurer)
Pat Lowry (Secretary)
Cherry Tunnock (Membership Secretary
Maggie Cripps (Music Production & Management)
Kerry Holmquest
John Barlow
Vocally Wild Choir proudly acknowledges the Bunurong People of the Kulin Nation as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of this land, and we pay our respects to their Elders, past, present and emerging.
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