Music News August-September 2021

Friday 11 June was a joyful day. First the Junior Choir, and then the Adults held socially distanced outdoor but, crucially, in person rehearsals outside the West door, with Oli standing on the church steps with microphone at the ready, and Jeremy on trusty portable keyboard.

There was a second outdoor practice later in the month, at which Jeremy and Lorna were presented with a rose, appropriately named “Dawn Chorus”, to plant at their new home in Bury St Edmunds. For the moment the choir will be alternating Zoom and outdoor rehearsals, depending on weather and regulations.

In other good news, Eden our head chorister recently passed his grade six violin exam with merit.
Sadly, due to rising C-19 infection levels in our local schools, the planned early July recruitment day for Joyful Noise and the Junior Choir had to be postponed until the autumn. It is very pleasing, however, that there was a lot of interest shown in the advertisements, which we are following up. We hope that this will translate into good attendance at the re-fixed event, and then entry into our choirs. Meanwhile some of our current Juniors will be progressing into the Senior Choir as Choral Scholars.

The next planned event is a “Come and Sing” Fauré Requiem at St Mary’s on Sunday 25 July from 2-6pm. Further details will be put on the website, once it is clear what the revised regulations will be after 19 July. There will certainly be a workshop and performance, but at this stage it could be either inside or outside the church. The musicians are on standby with harp, violin, portable keyboard and organ, depending on final arrangements. As this is a fundraiser for the church, there will be a £15 participant fee for adult singers, with a retiring collection for the audience. Under 18s can participate, or just listen, for free. The performance will be at 5.15pm.

On 6 August the choir will be undertaking one of its favourite roles, ie singing at a choir wedding. We shall be joining Helen and Matt in celebrating their marriage on Friday 6 August at 1pm.

After the summer holidays, the choir will be supporting 2 Memorial Services in September, for Mary Knight at 2.30pm on Saturday 4th and Jeremy Collingwood at noon on Saturday 18th.

Then on 26 September our Director of Music, Oli King, will be giving an afternoon piano duet concert with Martin Huggett in aid of church funds. The programme and exact timing are yet to be finalised, but it will be light and fun, with 2 halves each of around 40 minutes, with the opportunity to drink a glass of Prosecco in the middle. A very happy note on which to end this summer Newsletter.

Ottilie Lefever

With thanks to Patrick Li for the photography.