Holmfirth Choral Society

Members' Information

Updated 23 November 2023


REHEARSALS:  Thursdays, 7:30pm, Holmfirth Methodist Church.  New members welcome. #

Many thanks for your work towards the November concert.  It attracted an appreciative audience, and the small group of instrumentalists created an accompaniment which added to your singing to make for a good concert.  Well done, everyone!



FUTURE CONCERT DATES:


Saturday 16 December 2023 :  Christmas Concert, Holmfirth Methodist Church, 2:30pm afternoon concert.

Saturday 20 April 2024 :  Holmfirth Civic Hall, 7.15pm (with afternoon rehearsal 2pm; orchestrally accompanied)



Many thanks to those who attended the Kyiv Classic Accordion Duo concert.  Igor and Oleksiy's playing was as usual impeccable, virtuosic and full of atmosphere and musicality.  But your singing at the end of the concert was also very much appreciated, especially by the Ukrainians present.  The concert raised a magnificent £1300 towards Ukrainian relief.

Well done everyone on June 8th.  The concert in the Town Hall was very warmly received not only by the audience there, but by the other performers and organisers, who commented how much they enjoyed our singing.  Organiser John Palmer emailed me his thanks, and said that it "instantly went into our Top Three from the tour so far".  A memorable event, I think.











Rehearsal midi files:  John Hooper has kindly produced midi files for many works we have done in the past, but there are copyright issues with Vaughan Williams' music and the current pieces are not available.   However, he does publish midi files for music by Stanford, Wood and Parry - see http://www.learnchoralmusic.co.uk
If you use the player recommended on John's site, you can have all parts sounding, but control the volume of each part separately.

New members (and others who may want to keep up with what we're doing) -
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].

We still have a few of our CDs (2002 recording) left £5 each; plus recipe books and HCS historical booklets.

REHEARSALS   -  Thursdays 7.30 until 9.15 (normally).    New members welcome! As you know, we are low in numbers particularly in the tenor section, but we need to expand all sections - if you know of any able singers, do please invite them.


OLDER INFORMATION WHICH MAY STILL BE RELEVANT

CHORALINE     20% Discount for Choral Singers

If you order ‘EasyPlay’ via the ChoraLine website you will receive an email with a blue link to click and use on your PC/Laptop and the rehearsal recording will also upload into the Purchased Music section in the App to use on your Tablet/Phone.

 20% discount code :    CHORAL

                 STEP 1

                Visit the ChoraLine website to select the rehearsal recording you require.

                 STEP 2

                Click in the circle by your voice part (eg. Alto) & then click in the circle by ‘EasyPlay’

                 STEP 3

                Click  ‘Add to Basket’

                 STEP 4

                On the Shopping Basket Page type   CHORAL   in the discount code box and click the green arrow to activate the code.

                 STEP 5

                Complete the transaction and use your rehearsal recording on all your devices:

                 Phone & Tablet & iPad: The recording will upload into the ‘Purchased Music’ section in the App.

                PC & Laptop: You will receive an email with a blue link to click to use EasyPlay.  Please click here for tips

­­­­­________

 The ChoraLine App

We recommend the App as the best way to use ChoraLine when rehearsing at home.  Please click the link below for a ‘step by step’ guide on installing the App and watch a video showing how to use all the new features in the App:

https://www.choraline.com/tips-for-the-choraline-app

 ChoraLine CDs are now sold by Presto Music  (01926 886883) who are running a special 25% discount until the 30th September.

 Choral Clinic – Singing Tutorials for SATB Choral Singers (also available on the App)

Theses tutorials were recorded during ‘lockdown’ by two highly experienced choral singing teachers.  There are four levels (Beginner, Elementary, Intermediate, Advanced) for every voice part (Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass).  Please click the link below for further details and to listen to a recording made by the teachers to help you choose the level right for you:

https://www.choraline.com/choral-clinic

 Handel’s Messiah  -  We have put together a special page on our website with tips and advice when learning to sing this wonderful piece of choral music. Please do click the link below:

https://www.choraline.com/handels-messiah

Vocal Exercises (also available on the App)

When singing at home we advise you always warm up your voice and pleased to recommend this recording specially put together by singing teacher Deborah Miles-Johnson - please click the link below to hear a sample:

https://www.choraline.com/store/vocal-warm-up-exercises/vocal-warm-up-exercises-devised-and-demonstrated-by-deborah-miles-johnson-ve1#.X47afdBKiUl

Advice and Support

Please do email music@choraline.com if we can be of assistance and we will do our very best to help.

 Best wishes from us all at ChoraLine

 Andrew

 Andrew Grigg

www.choraline.com

www.choralineapp.com



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

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.


There is also http://www.cyberbass.com/ which offers part learning aids.  This site has been highly recommended by a few people I've spoken to.


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:   Handel's Messiah   
 http://www.cyberbass.com/  has been recommended to me as an alternative.
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


Several of you took part in the RSCM Festival in Leeds Cathedral on 23rd May 2015.    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