Category Archives: choirs

two commemorations I missed

Posted on November 10, 2022 by vhk10

In the summer present and past members of the Chandos Singers met to commemorate their recently departed conductor, Malcolm Hill. Although I hadn’t sung with them for a decade, I was invited back, but wasn’t able to sing because I … Continue reading →

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Posted on March 2, 2022 by vhk10

It was my birthday earlier this week and in the evening I went to choir. Every few weeks on average this particular choir sings ‘Happy Birthday’ to one of its members, and I wondered whether this happened for any choir … Continue reading →

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a review of 2021

Posted on January 2, 2022 by vhk10

For obvious reasons most of my musical activity in 2021 was concentrated in the latter part of the year, and in the autumn I became almost ridiculously active (at one point I had 4 rehearsals on successive days in 4 … Continue reading →

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RIP Malcolm

Posted on December 14, 2021 by vhk10

I was sorry to hear of the death of Malcolm Hill for whom I used to sing in the Chandos Singers. In the half-dozen years I was in the choir I sang a huge number of different pieces from outside … 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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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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in praise of … Cathedral choral societies

Posted on February 13, 2021 by vhk10

I was sorry to hear this week of the death of Lucian Nethsingha. One of the tributes I read mentioned that while director of music at Exeter Cathedral he had also conducted a choral society based there. And this set … Continue reading →

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in praise of … the pieces that swallow rehearsal time

Posted on January 30, 2021 by vhk10

I’m not sure I’m really praising these, as in fact they are a nuisance. We have all encountered them – the pieces which seem innocuous and straightforward, yet which consume the lion’s share of rehearsal, possibly leaving others unprepared. How … Continue reading →

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Lockdown encore une fois

Posted on January 23, 2021 by vhk10

So this month everything went online again. No physical rehearsals and indeed after some debate we have stopped our church services as well. But I still spend several evenings a week in choral activities. Gloucester Choral Society has now dipped … Continue reading →

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keeping with the clicks

Posted on November 14, 2020 by vhk10

We have moved our carol competition online, which means recording our own contributions and sending them in to be edited. For this one we have no video of a conductor to guide us, just an audio track. Or rather tracks, … Continue reading →

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