Rehearsal 24th October

Very happy with our work this half-term on our winter concert programme.Starting early (and ignoring those comments about carols in September!) makes for a much more relaxed second half-term, as we polish up all those new items. Tonight, it was the Saint-Saens Ave verum, then a new lollipop by John Rutter, The Colours of Christmas. Is that description 'soft porn for choirs' fair? He seems to be in the same class as the sainted Mr Malone. Audience bait? We'll do anything to fill those seats! Then another Rutter arrangement of a Welsh traditional carol, Deck the Hall. Lots of counting needed to get it right, especially at the lick our Val likes to have it sung.... but we're getting there, and actually starting to enjoy it, I think! Finally, Douglas Cook's 'He wishes for the cloths of Heaven', which is absolutely lush. Next week is the half-term holiday, so see y'all on 7th November

Rehearsal 17th October

More note-bashing tonight. Working hard at memorising the Saint-Saens Ave verum. Then to the Carols for Choirs book, from which we practised Angelus ad virginem (lots of Latin tonight!), followed by Rutter's Deck the Hall (n.b. there's only one hall...) Friday's fund-raiser with John Crouch demonstrating French provincial cookery, followed by a meal, was a most enjoyable night, and thanks are due to all those who pitched in to help - making puddings, distributing samples of John's delicious food, pouring drinks, and then helping with all the washing up and tidying away. I'm not sure how much was made yet, as there are still a couple of bills to be paid, but it was a respectable sum, and I will let you know via this forum when the final accounts are done! I did take a picture on my new phone, but have yet to learn how to upload it....

Rehearsal 10th October

The Christmas programme is becoming gradually populated, if that's the word, with pieces that, initially tricky, are becoming more pleasurable to sing, and therefore sounding better! Tonight, John Rutter's Deck the Hall (tricky rhythms!), David Willcocks's Angelus ad Virginem, Douglas Cook's He wishes for the cloths of Heaven, and then Wherever you are, as a bit of light relief to round off the evening. Oh, and a rousing chorus of Happy Birthday for Sadie Best, who celebrates her **nd

birthday tomorrow. And will be celebrating in style at our fund-raiser on Friday evening at the Christ Church Rooms on South Street, when we have a demonstration of French provincial cookery from John Crouch, followed by a meal. Still a few tickets left at Billy Bowman's, if you've left it till the last minute!

Rehearsal 3rd October

Tonight we worked on the Saint-Saens Ave verum (I never see that composer's name without thinking of Peter Ustinov's brilliant voice-over recording for the Carnival of the Animals, which has to be about fifty years old... "Camille Saint-Saens (pronounced correctly as a very nasal San-Son, or something like...) was wrecked with pains, when folks addressed him as Saint Sains.." I digress. Then Sing until Sundown, followed by Douglas Cook's setting of Keats' He wishes for the cloths of heaven. These last two are quite tricky, so it was a spot of light relief when we started work on 'Wherever you Are', which the sainted Gareth Malone took to the number one spot last Christmas with his Military Wives group. I think we will do it justice!!

Rehearsal 26th September

Good work on our winter programme. Val would love us to sing the Saint-Saens Ave verum from memory. It's beautiful and not overlong, so we are gradually getting there. Next, from our Carols for Choirs book, a David Willcocks arrangement of Angelus ad Virginem. Then a Rutter arrangement (take note, Wendy!!) of the Welsh traditional carol, Deck the Hall. Followed by his Shepherd's Pipe Carol, which is challenging enough to remain propped up at my piano all week for a quick sing through whenever I have a spare moment! Finally, a sing through of Sing till sundown. Some lovely numbers here, but also quite tricky! Another concert for our diaries (the Google calendar will be updated when I have a moment!). Eaglesfield church, Thursday 13th December, 7 pm. A reminder that we have a social evening organised for Friday 12th October, at Christ Church Rooms. It's an evening with John Crouch, who will be doing a demonstration of French provincial cookery, to be followed by a two course meal. Details in this month's Cockermouth Port. Tickets £15 per head, available from Billy Bowman's or choir members.

Rehearsal 19th September

First, personal news: Naomi has had twins, and Enise has also had her baby. How lovely!! Jim Stafford (Jean's husband, and one of our most faithful and long-standing groupies) has health problems. We wish him all the best, and have him in our thoughts at all times.. Tonight's rehearsal, Saint-Saens Ave Verum; John Rutter's Shepherd's Pipe Carol, which has taxed us all somewhat but is gradually getting easier; and Malcolm Edward's 'Sing until Sundown', which Wendy Sanders sourced for us.

Rehearsal 12th September

Three pieces worked on tonight: John Rutter's Shepherd's Pipe Carol, which we didn't quite get to performance standard last year - so this time we're starting early. It's gorgeous, but not simple!! This time we'll do it. Next, An Ave Verum by Saint-Saens, a medieval text for Corpus Christe. Then we worked through to the end of Malcolm Edwards' Sing till sundown. Welcome to Heather, whose first night it was. Much laughter, as always - such a great atmosphere. Are all choirs so much fun, like this one?

Autumn term begins...

5th September and back to work after our (rainy) summer hols....and how very nice to see some new faces, thanks in part to the article in this month's Cockermouth Post, and in part to Wendy Sanders, who is just brilliant at persuading people to do things they didn't know they wanted to do - like join a choir! So hello Caroline (past member), Nicola (just moved to Cockermouth from Borrowdale) and Deborah. Tonight we worked first on a Douglas Cook setting of Keats' 'He wishes for the cloths of heaven'. Then 'Sing till Sundown' by Malcolm Edwards; and finally a lovely setting of the spiritual 'The Virgin Mary had a baby boy'. Next week we will need our copies of Carols for Choirs and we will also work on a fresh number from our Six Motets by Faure and Saint-Saens. Tickets will be on sale from next week for our fund raiser, An Evening with John Crouch. This will take place in South Street church rooms on Friday 12th October at 7.30pm. John will demonstrate French provincial cookery (with tasters!) and this will be followed by a two-course meal. Tickets will also be on sale at Billy Bowman's, cost £15, and there is a vegetarian/vegan option available (which must be prebooked). More on this in later bulletins!

Last rehearsal of the season!

An early start to our autumn learning programme, following a really good concert on Saturday night. Not one of our bigger audiences, but our guests (Papcastle group players) were wonderful and played superbly. Full justice to a (difficult!!) Phil Wood composition that was premièred at the Wigmore Hall over ten years ago. Tonight we began a fresh Douglas Cook composition, a setting of Keats' 'He wishes for the cloths of Heaven'; a lovely Christmas seasonal piece by Malcolm Edward, 'Sing until sundown', and two Christmas spirituals. Val then treated us to a summer celebration Pimms (whilst the committee hammered out the boring financial details of paying for increasingly expensive music, and the new committee for the coming year; Chair, Val Leach; Vice chair, Lindy Wilson; Secretary, Liz Jackson; new members, Sue Hellier and Janet Mansfield. Still one committee member short, but Sue Cumella has promised to think about it. Val presented us with a list of music that she thought would suit our group, and members were able to vote on their preferred options. Numbers will now be collated and final decisions made during the autumn. Final events before the summer hols begin are the Marvejols planning meeting on Monday, and our end-of-season party at Sheila and Bob Harwood's in Crosby on Wednesday next.

Rehearsal 4th July

Last rehearsal before Saturday night's concert. Worked on the accompanied numbers, as we have only recently sung all the unaccompanied programme so that's much more secure!! The dire weather this summer has led to a number of members escaping ANYWHERE where there is a chance of sun for a few days... oddly, this seemed to inspire those of us there tonight to superhuman efforts and Val was very pleased with most of our work... Guests at the concert will be from the Derwent Wind Group, who will be playing a work by Philip Wood - reason enough to go to a concert anywhere, in my book! One more post concert rehearsal to come next week, followed a week later by our summer party, and then it's feet up for the summer. Possibly in a deck chair...