NEWS FOR MEMBERS
DIARY DATES
2025
7 January - rehearsals commence for the spring season
5 April - Saturday workshop
15 April - Easter break, no rehearsal
10 May - Spring concert - Mozart Requiem and Mass in B flat by Hummel (with orchestra )
Rehearsal attendance
The Trustees (Committee) ask that, in normal times, choir members should aim to attend at least 75% of the rehearsals for any one concert if they wish to sing in the performance, or be otherwise sufficiently rehearsed. If you think you may not be able to achieve this, please do have a chat with our MD Peter.
It would be helpful if returning members who have missed a year or more could please contact the Secretary before returning to rehearsals so that we can welcome you and add you to our mailing list. Thank you.
Rehearsal aids
Peter suggests a number of aids in his weekly emails (Peter's Notes) and encourages us to practice, consolidating what we have learned and preparing for the next week. All current choir members should receive Peter's Notes (during term time) and occasional email updates from the choir - if you have not had recent updates please check your Spam folder and if they are not there contact the Secretary ([email protected]) to ensure that she has your correct email address.
Singing in our concerts
There is an assumption that members will sing in our concerts, but we accept that there may be occasions when that might not be possible. Please do let our Secretary and MD know if you're unable to sing in the concert.
Improve your sight reading with
Getting involved
Thank you to those of you who kindly help with tasks including running coffee evenings, selling cakes or raffle tickets, setting up our staging, librarian, website, publicity, box office and concert management to name but a few. Your help is greatly appreciated by all in the choir. More helpers are always welcome.
Please don't hesitate to contact the Committee/Trustees to offer your help. Your choir needs you!
'Easyfundraising'
Please help support Exeter Choral Society by shopping online.
Use Easyfundraising to shop with over 3,600 retailers including Amazon, Argos, John Lewis, ASOS, Booking.com, eBay, Boden, and M&S.
Every time you shop online, you’ll raise a free donation for Exeter Choral Society every time, it’s that easy!
Find out more: https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/exeterchoralsociety/
Some past concerts and charity collections:
May 2024 - Haydn's Creation
Our MD reported that "The Creation concert was absolutely brilliant … The standing ovation was fully deserved! The singing had energy and life, and the hard work on technique enabled you to sing with a wide range of dynamics and expression, really capturing the drama of the work. Tuning was excellent all round. So really well done and thank you. The orchestra was perfect and so responsive, … [thanks to] Julie Hill for finding such good players for us. The soloists were a dream. They gave us such delightful performances, [and] were wonderful to work with … I think the audience left fully entertained and very impressed with the standards they can expect from an evening with ECS!"
December 2019 - a sell-out concert!
Featuring Karl Jenkins' The Armed Man, with Andrew Millington on the organ and with much brass and percussion. By complete contrast, the second half featured the sublime and sunny Vivaldi Gloria.
Thank you to our audience and choir for your donations to Refugee Support Devon Ltd. An amazing £596 was collected. The money raised will go to an Emergency Fund which is used to support destitute asylum-seekers and refugees who are suffering financial hardship.
May 2018 - A celebration concert, in our 75th anniversary year
Music included Mozart Coronation Mass, Handel Coronation Anthems, Haydn Little Organ Mass
A glorious celebration with a full house! Our collections raised a very much appreciated £663 for Exeter, Mid & East Devon Samaritans. Thank you everyone!
November 2017 concert with our partners from Exmouth and Wellington - Vaughan Williams A Sea Symphony
At the end of an amazing evening in Exeter Cathedral, the retiring collections raised over £1300 for Exmouth RNLI - thank you to all our supporters for your generosity to this amazing charity 'saving lives at sea'.
May 2017 concert - Handel Messiah
Our collections raised a much appreciated £440.27 for SnackPack. We received many comments about how much performers and audience enjoyed the evening, our packed audience even giving us a standing ovation!
- Peter has announced that we will be singing Mozart Requiem and Mass in B flat major by Hummel next term and we will be performing this with orchestra - rehearsals start on Tues 7 Jan 2025.
DIARY DATES
2025
7 January - rehearsals commence for the spring season
5 April - Saturday workshop
15 April - Easter break, no rehearsal
10 May - Spring concert - Mozart Requiem and Mass in B flat by Hummel (with orchestra )
Rehearsal attendance
The Trustees (Committee) ask that, in normal times, choir members should aim to attend at least 75% of the rehearsals for any one concert if they wish to sing in the performance, or be otherwise sufficiently rehearsed. If you think you may not be able to achieve this, please do have a chat with our MD Peter.
It would be helpful if returning members who have missed a year or more could please contact the Secretary before returning to rehearsals so that we can welcome you and add you to our mailing list. Thank you.
Rehearsal aids
Peter suggests a number of aids in his weekly emails (Peter's Notes) and encourages us to practice, consolidating what we have learned and preparing for the next week. All current choir members should receive Peter's Notes (during term time) and occasional email updates from the choir - if you have not had recent updates please check your Spam folder and if they are not there contact the Secretary ([email protected]) to ensure that she has your correct email address.
Singing in our concerts
There is an assumption that members will sing in our concerts, but we accept that there may be occasions when that might not be possible. Please do let our Secretary and MD know if you're unable to sing in the concert.
Improve your sight reading with
- The book Novello Guide to Sight Singing - shop around for the best price but c. £14.
- Free short course from OpenLearn https://www.open.edu/openlearn/history-the-arts/music/introduction-music-theory/content-section-0?active-tab=description-tab
- Download the fun, free Perfect Ear app to improve your timing and pitch.
Getting involved
Thank you to those of you who kindly help with tasks including running coffee evenings, selling cakes or raffle tickets, setting up our staging, librarian, website, publicity, box office and concert management to name but a few. Your help is greatly appreciated by all in the choir. More helpers are always welcome.
Please don't hesitate to contact the Committee/Trustees to offer your help. Your choir needs you!
'Easyfundraising'
Please help support Exeter Choral Society by shopping online.
Use Easyfundraising to shop with over 3,600 retailers including Amazon, Argos, John Lewis, ASOS, Booking.com, eBay, Boden, and M&S.
Every time you shop online, you’ll raise a free donation for Exeter Choral Society every time, it’s that easy!
Find out more: https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/exeterchoralsociety/
Some past concerts and charity collections:
May 2024 - Haydn's Creation
Our MD reported that "The Creation concert was absolutely brilliant … The standing ovation was fully deserved! The singing had energy and life, and the hard work on technique enabled you to sing with a wide range of dynamics and expression, really capturing the drama of the work. Tuning was excellent all round. So really well done and thank you. The orchestra was perfect and so responsive, … [thanks to] Julie Hill for finding such good players for us. The soloists were a dream. They gave us such delightful performances, [and] were wonderful to work with … I think the audience left fully entertained and very impressed with the standards they can expect from an evening with ECS!"
December 2019 - a sell-out concert!
Featuring Karl Jenkins' The Armed Man, with Andrew Millington on the organ and with much brass and percussion. By complete contrast, the second half featured the sublime and sunny Vivaldi Gloria.
Thank you to our audience and choir for your donations to Refugee Support Devon Ltd. An amazing £596 was collected. The money raised will go to an Emergency Fund which is used to support destitute asylum-seekers and refugees who are suffering financial hardship.
May 2018 - A celebration concert, in our 75th anniversary year
Music included Mozart Coronation Mass, Handel Coronation Anthems, Haydn Little Organ Mass
A glorious celebration with a full house! Our collections raised a very much appreciated £663 for Exeter, Mid & East Devon Samaritans. Thank you everyone!
November 2017 concert with our partners from Exmouth and Wellington - Vaughan Williams A Sea Symphony
At the end of an amazing evening in Exeter Cathedral, the retiring collections raised over £1300 for Exmouth RNLI - thank you to all our supporters for your generosity to this amazing charity 'saving lives at sea'.
May 2017 concert - Handel Messiah
Our collections raised a much appreciated £440.27 for SnackPack. We received many comments about how much performers and audience enjoyed the evening, our packed audience even giving us a standing ovation!