Holmfirth Choral Society

Members' Information

updated June 14th 2019

OUR AGM WILL BE HELD AT THE BEGINNING OF OUR FINAL REHEARSAL BEFORE THE SUMMER BREAK, JULY 18th

REHEARSALS are at Holmfirth Methodist Church, Thursdays 7.30 until 9.15 (normally).    New members welcome! As you know, we are low in numbers particularly in the tenor and bass sections - if you know of any able tenors and basses, do please invite them.
Rehearsals continue until 18th July.   We will then have a summer break until (probably) 22nd August.

CONCERT DATES . 
Sunday 14 July 2019 - summer concert, with the Kyiv Classic Accordion Duo.  Holmfirth Methodist Church, evening.
9 November 2019 - Handel Alexander's Feast
14 December 2019 - Handel Messiah

We are affiliated to MAKING MUSIC, an organisation which provides resources for choirs and other music groups throughout the UK and beyond.

SIGN UP to the Members' Newsletter - this will be emailed using MailChimp only infrequently (because the information will be on this page anyway) and will be used primarily for emergency purposes, e.g. if there is a short-notice rehearsal or concert cancellation or alteration.  You can sign up by clicking   here;  Mailchimp allows you to unsubscribe at any time too.  The MailChimp database is fully compliant with GDPR [General Data Protection Regulations].


Rehearsal Aids:
ChoraLine have produced a new "app" allowing you to download rehearsal material - see  www.choralineapp.com - I have fliers available at rehearsal for this.  The app is free, but there may be a charge for the downloads, which are likely to be of much higher quality than the free material I have previously recommended (mentioned below).

I've  been told about a music teacher who records rehearsal CDs and has built up quite a reputation, I believe.  You can order your own part from him.  Some recordings seem to be piano only, others include a vocal line.   He is called Quintus Benziger, on 01799 586269, and his business is the Saffron Choral Prompt.
See also:  http://www.saffronchoralprompt.co.uk/    and   http://www.quintusbenziger.co.uk/    for further details.

A good source of midi files which are useful for playing parts through if you have a computer is http://www.learnchoralmusic.co.uk/
Covered by this site:  Borodin's Polovtsian Dances   Handel's Alexander's Feast   Handel's Messiah   Brahms' German Requiem
The midi player program I have mentioned before, MidiPlay_v2p6.exe  (actually this link is to a later version) will allow you to play files from this site, and adjust the volume of your own part to suit your learning.

Recordings:
We still have a number of items for sale, proceeds to Holmfirth Choral Funds, including:  our 2002 CD Holmfirth in Harmony (which includes Last of the Summer Wine and Pratty Flowers, hated by some but loved by others!!!);  our 50th anniversary souvenir booklet,  a recipe book (recipes submitted by members a few years ago), and still a few copies of Postcard Pops, a cassette (if you remember these!) made some years before the CD, and also with performances of those favourite(!) pieces.   Speak to me or email me for details or to buy one.  These are of course also for sale to people outside the society (who may or may not be viewing this members' page!)

Geoffrey Lockwood
OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST

REGULAR FRIDAY EVENT IN HOLMFIRTH:
On 1 May 2019, we received from Jennifer Goodman singing.jennyg@googlemail.com

Do come along to my lovely drop-in singing group - you'll get a warm welcome, lots of smiles and some great singing!

AMAZING ACAPELLA

Drop-in singing group for all with Jenny Goodman - no auditions, no solos (except by choice!) all songs taught by ear so no previous experience needed. 

May 3rd - 19th July (no sessions May 31st & June14th)
10 til 12
Holy Trinity Church, Towngate, Holmfirth HD9 1HA

£7 (£5 if you're really strapped for cash)
or pay in advance and get a discount - £60 for the whole term (£30 if you're strapped for cash)

What do you get with Amazing Acapella? Lots of smiles, heaps of laughter, bucketfuls of glorious harmony - and a cuppa and a biscuit too!

Here's what the Amazing Acapellers say ....

"Fantastically friendly, fun-filled Fridays"
"We sing beautiful harmonies every week"
"Lifts my spirits every time"
"Friendly, fun and safe group to let your voice find itself"
"The music pops into my mind all through the week"
"Makes me more creative in my life"
"Excellent teaching - it really engages my brain!"
"A great way to make lovely friends"
"Singing on a Friday morning - a great way to start the weekend"
"Great sense of achievement"
"It makes me feel WELL"

No need to book - just turn up - for more info contact Jenny on singing.jennyg@googlemail.com or 07984 584923


Choral course run by Thom Meredith and his wife Lyn Hudson.  Printed flyers are available at our rehearsals:-
CHORAL SUMMER SCHOOL at Lincoln  - Download the full poster (includes more detail).




THE SIXTEEN are touring the UK in 2019, and will be performing at Manchester on 8 July - see https://thesixteen.com/the-choral-pilgrimage-2019/
They have sent the following email to our member Paul Clarke

Dear Paul,
The Sixteen is delighted to invite Holmfirth Choral Society to our Choral Pilgrimage 2019 concert on Friday 12 July at Hull Minster

Our 19th Choral Pilgrimage brings together music past and present, highlighting The Sixteen’s choral journey over the last 40 years. A new commission from Sir James MacMillan and works by Tavener and Eric Whitacre are contrasted with music by Fayrfax, Wylkynson and Sheppard in our 2019 Choral Pilgrimage.  It will be wonderful to return to Hull to perform this fantastic programme.

 We offer a 10% discount for groups of 10 or more, and hope this is something your choir members can take advantage of. For more information, and to book tickets, please visit our website https://thesixteen.com/events/the-choral-pilgrimage-2019-hull/

or call our National Box Office on 0333 010 2850.

 Please could you circulate the attached poster with members of your choir? I’d be very happy to also send hard copies of this and/or our flyer if you reply with a postal address.

 We hope that you’ll be able to join us for this special event.

Best wishes

Bethan



An email received from Phillip Tolley:

The latest edition (April 2019) of the British Choirs on the Net ‘Chorister’ Newsletter is now available online at  http://www.choirs.org.uk/chorister/2019/april2019.pdf

 Please feel free to share this newsletter which I hope you will find both useful and interesting - feel free to print it off, forward or simply ignore.

 If you would like to view past editions of the ‘Chorister’ Newsletter please visit http://www.choirs.org.uk/chorister.htm

 Thank you,     Phillip Tolley

For those new to this mailing British Choirs on the Net,  www.choirs.org.uk,  is a free listing of over 4000 choirs across the UK.  Listings are both alphabetical and geographical.  The site was originally set up in 1995 to help people who were relocating to a new area/town/city to find new choirs to join. Since then it has grown into so much more, but retains the UK’s largest free listing of choirs at its core. To see how email data is collected and how it is used please visit www.choirs.org.uk/mailings.html

philliptolley@colcanto.co.uk

www.concertfinder.co.uk

 British Choirs on the Net is a member of the Singing Network UK and an associate member of the Association of British Choral Directors (ABCD)


Several of you took part in the RSCM Festival in Leeds Cathedral on 23rd May 2015.  If you are not on the local RSCM mailing list, and you would like to receive information about upcoming events of interest to choir members, you can sign up the the mailing list at http://hudds.org.uk/rscm .   I've also some spare music copies from that event for sale at £3.50 each. 

Please try to communicate information with those of your colleagues who might not have access to web pages such as this.
G.L.  688487