Winter concert follow up

Dear Singers
 
El coro triunfa en el concierto navideño local!!
 
Well, that WAS fun, and as the banner says, a real triumph – what an evening!
Thank you for a super concert, to a capacity crowd, after an intense term of hard work. I really appreciate what everyone has done to make Saturday happen like it did. There were many challenges – in a good way – and we met them well. Tackling that repertoire was very exciting, and stretched everyone, and to put it together in just one dress rehearsal was remarkable – I am deeply grateful and indebted to you for your tenacity and determination! Although not perfect – the Mass wobbled in places - but Navidad was brilliant, full of energy and sparkle and we reallyperformed it, giving a good account of ourselves. Congratulations! Our 3-pieces went well; Niño lindo was very moving when we sang quietly.

You will all have your favourite moments, and there was much to be proud of. Overall the evening was a triumph, and so very different. Well done and thank you.  A friend in the audience commented:
“ I loved the first half – especially the mass – partly because of the lovely music, partly because the mezzo had such a beautiful voice enjoying herself so much, and partly because the choir’s slightly imperfect performance made it feel somehow more authentic and rootsy.”  
 
I am particularly pleased about our collaboration with Francisco and Emily, and what they brought to the success. Thank you Jo (soprano), for connecting us! The band put the icing on our cake, and the individual contributions from Francisco’s guitar solo and Emily’s voice (Mercedes Sosa look out!!) were just incredible. Ian Honeyman delivered the eccentricity I expected, and Stephen kindly provided support and security at the keyboard. Francisco wrote a lovely email, from which I quote:
 
“Saturday’s concert was an absolute pleasure from our side as well. The choir’s spirit, openness, and commitment to diving into this repertoire made the whole collaboration feel very special. Working on such a culturally rich and rhythmically demanding piece is never easy, but the way everyone embraced the challenge was genuinely inspiring.

Your friend’s comment made us smile, there was something wonderfully human, sincere, and “rootsy” about the performance, and that honesty is a huge part of what makes this music come alive. And you shaped the whole programme with such care and sensitivity; it was clear to us how much the choir trusts you.

On behalf of everyone I wish to thank all who contributed to our success this term in ways other than singing: David for language coaching, Juliet for publicity, Ian for the staging, Alan for managing it, and the team for setting up; Yvonne for taking care of our money and so many admin tasks, and the committee for planning/decision-making and motivating helpers etc; everyone who volunteered for something, and those who hosted our overnight guests. I am particularly indebted to Christine for getting me a very tasty bottle of wine – Argentinian of course! Also thanks to Sarah for liaising with EDKPA for our charity collection.
 
Finally, a member wrote to me:  “…As a newcomer to the choir this term I was very excited when I heard the music we were going to sing. Totally different from any choral music I’ve sung over the last 40 years, but very much music that I enjoy listening to.”

Over the term many people have remarked how they were responding to being stretched, and exploring the boundaries of their comfort zones!  I am grateful for this ‘can do’ attitude, your trust is evident beyond our borders, as Francisco has highlighted!
 
I am looking forward to next term,  when we can return to more familiar repertoire. That said, we still face challenges – singing a European choral masterpiece first performed in Milan on 22 May 1874, in Latin, with a dynamic range from pppp to ff and dividing into 2 choirs. If you have any friends who would enjoy this, bring them along please!
 
As a taster, here is the iconic Dies irae movement, in the arrangement we will be singing…

On Spotify click HERE

And on YouTube click HERE
 
I hope you all enjoy some festive singing before the month is out, and that you and yours have a Happy Christmas.
All good wishes for a peaceful start to the new year – see you on 6 January.

Peter Hunt