Chairman's New Year message

Type of post: Newsletter
Sub-type: No sub-type
Posted By: Alison Makepeace
Status: Current
Date Posted: Sat, 30 Dec 2023
Dear Members

By the time you are reading this I hope you have had a lovely Christmas, enjoyed singing carols, meeting friends and family and are looking forward to the New Year.  We start rehearsals for our English Music concert (May 11th) on Monday 8th January.  We shall be singing the following:
  • B. Britten - Rejoice in the Lamb
  • R. Vaughan Williams - 5 Mystical Songs
  • R. Vaughan Williams – Benedicite
  • G. Holst – Psalms 86 &148
If you don't have access to a printer, please let us know if you want a printed copy of the Holst Psalms and we will bring extra ones.  

In addition, we have a fun Skittles Evening planned for Saturday January 27th in the Skittle Alley of The Wheatsheaf public house, (opposite the URC), at 7.30pm.  Here we can order Ploughman’s suppers for £10.00 including a tip and food for the young people who will set up the Skittles.  Do come and join us.  Lists will be available at the first meeting and orders and payment are needed by 22nd January.  Please pay in cash to me by that date.

Our TCS Workshop will be on Saturday 24th February in the Baptist Church, Thornbury.  We will be singing 'From the Bavarian Highlands' by Elgar and Booking Forms will be available at the first meeting.  Please support this venture and stay to lunch if possible as we try to raise as much money as we can towards our concerts and for a charity (this year it is Great Western Air Ambulance Charity) with a retiring collection.  If you would like to help, please sign up to either bring a salad or bake a cake for the day, and thank you to those who have already offered to help.

Thanks again to all who helped with the last concert in November where over 150 people filled our audience, to Angela and Annis for a very enjoyable Social evening and to Kate and Olwen for our carol singing.  The Gables audience were very enthusiastic!  For your information, we get paid a donation of £150 by the Gables for the Afternoon Tea event which we split between ourselves and the year's chosen charity.

Don’t forget too that Jos Gregson is collecting bookings for the South Cotswold Big Sing Group Workshop on April 20th which is part-preparation for a Cheltenham Festival concert on July 12th 2024 in Gloucester Cathedral.

Thank you and Happy New Year,
Alison