Author Archives: vhk10

Laysplaining

Posted on September 27, 2021 by vhk10

Given my interests shown here, it’s won’t come as a surprise that I follow various church and choral music groups on Facebook. I had to give up one when my feed filled up with (rather bad) hymns with words and … Continue reading →

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Portsmouth pointing: 2

Posted on September 14, 2021 by vhk10

We returned from our dumb day (in our case, a first visit to the Isle of Wight) to the second half of the Portsmouth week. This had delighted the script/diacritical mark nerd in me (I update the choir’s website) as … Continue reading →

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Vote for us!

Posted on September 9, 2021 by vhk10

It is an autumn of awards seasons, and Bristol Choral Society covered itself with glory at the Making Music awards, winning Best Project with a Focus on New Music for our carol competition in December 2020. Our conductor Hilary Campbell … Continue reading →

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Portsmouth pointing: 1

Posted on September 3, 2021 by vhk10

Finally I got to sing my first choral evensong in 18 months. The Cathedral Chamber Choir was in residence at Portsmouth Cathedral (rearranged from Salisbury) for a week, many of us staying in Rees Hall towards Southsea. It’s a very … Continue reading →

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encouraging the congregation

Posted on August 15, 2021 by vhk10

As restrictions have been lifted so recently, during August any members of the church choir who are around are free to turn up and sit in the choir seats and encourage the congregation in hymns and service setting. We are … Continue reading →

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Dress code casual (and warm)

Posted on July 20, 2021 by vhk10

We ignored the second part of this directive for my first concert performance in 16 months, in the place where the previous one had been, Gloucester Cathedral. This time we were out of doors in the Cloister Garth (the lawn … Continue reading →

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between the altarpiece and the flower arrangement

Posted on June 26, 2021 by vhk10

My church took the plunge that other churches have been trying for a while now: live singing by a sextet at a service. We have created a rota using those members of the choir who wish to take part and … Continue reading →

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singing in the Palace Garden

Posted on June 7, 2021 by vhk10

No, this is not the party at Buck House which I had hoped to attend a year ago. Members of Gloucester Choral Society dodged the current restrictions (as many groups have done) by rehearsing outside, in this grandly named space … Continue reading →

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Beethoven in the Assembly Rooms

Posted on June 4, 2021 by vhk10

The Bath Festival programme this year included something postponed from 2020: a complete cycle of Beethoven string quartets. (Beethoven didn’t do very well out of his anniversary year really, but then no one’s going to forget that he exists.) We … Continue reading →

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Sign the petition!

Posted on May 21, 2021 by vhk10

Following the DCMS announcement that no more than 6 amateurs may sing indoors together, a petition has been launched here. I was about the 850th to sign (polishes halo); it’s now at almost exactly 20,000 signatures and I’d expect it … Continue reading →

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slipping through my fingers

Posted on May 18, 2021 by vhk10

This week I was all primed to go to two choir practices: over to Gloucester on Thursday for Gloucester Choral Society, and then the return of my church choir on Friday. Next week I was expecting to go to a … Continue reading →

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what has survived?

Posted on May 7, 2021 by vhk10

As choirs begin to poke their head above the parapet again and prepare for live performance, I find myself reviewing the differences between what is returning and what there was in spring last year. As far as I know only … Continue reading →

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