Some helpful hints for practising at home

Here are a few resources you can use to help you practise.

Youtube
Youtube is the best place to find the choruses and songs we are learning.

This is the version of the Easter Hymn performed by King's College Cambridge Choir
https://youtu.be/NJO4hSpfCZU

This is the link to the Tequila Samba version that Sally mentioned. It is sung by upper voices but is quite slow so helpful for learning.
https://youtu.be/GZCPtncd7vA
This is the version by the King's Voices - a group of teenagers. Great fun and gives a feel for the exuberance of the piece.
https://youtu.be/UPUn5SrcE08
There is also a good version on Spotify sung by the University of Johannesburg Choir.

A useful tip when using Youtube:
If you would like to listen to the piece at a slower pace (helpful when you are trying to get your teeth around the Italian!) it is possible to slow down a  youtube video without changing the pitch. 
Go to settings at the bottom right (hover over the bottom right of the picture if you can't see it, settings is the cog in the middle). Click on settings and you will see an option called playback speed. It does sound a bit odd on the longer notes but is helpful although I wouldn't recommend going below 0.75 speed.

Other resources
Most of the opera choruses can be found here with separate files for each voice part. Select the composer and any opera choruses should be at the top of the list for that composer.

http://www.learnchoralmusic.co.uk/complist.html

If you know of any useful resources, please email us and I will add them to the list.

 

 

Concert and rehearsal details

Rehearsals run from 7.30pm till 9.15pm. Doors open at 7.15pm.
 

The concert wil be at St Peter's Church.
 

• We will rehearse at St Peter's on Monday 28th March at 7.30pm. 
• We will rehearse at Christchurch on Thursday 31^st March at 7.30pm (the extra rehearsal for the last week).
• We will have to rehearse in Christchurch on the Saturday afternoon as St Peter’s won’t be available- the café will be running This rehearsal will run from 1.30pm to 3.30pm. Please note this is earlier than usual to allow time to set up at St Peter's. 
• The retiring collection wil be for the Disasters Emergency Committee Ukraine Appeal.
• Dress code: Men: Dinner suit, bow tie, white shirt, black shoees. Ladies: long black skirt or trousers, black shirt/blouse (no jumpers) and MCS scarf. You can buy (£6) or borrow a scarf from Jane Scott

Running order for concert on 2nd April

 
Sprig of Thyme 35 mins                                                 (Soloists: Emma B, Anna, Rob, Robert,Fiona)
NB Sprig of Thyme, Sally Gardens and Willow Song will be performed by soloists
The bold grenadier
The keel row
The willow tree
The sprig of thyme
Down by the sally gardens
The cuckoo
I know where I’m going
Willow song
O can ye sew cushions?
The miller of Dee
Afton Water

Encores for Choirs 10 mins
Londonderry Air
Tequila Samba

 
Interval
 
Opera Choruses
P107 Donizetti – Chorus of wedding guests – Lucia de Lammermoor       Rob & Chorus   
P42 Bizet – Habanera - Carmen                                                                       Fiona & Chorus                
Bizet - Pearl Fishers – Au fond du temple saint - Duet                                       Rob & Robert
P 189 Purcell – Dido’s lament and final chorus – Dido & Aeneas                Emma B & Chorus          
Handel – Solomon - May no rash intruder (Nightingale Chorus)                 Chorus                 
Mozart – Le Nozze de Figaro – Sull’aria (Letters Duet)                                      Emma B & Emma P         
P 253 Chorus of Hebrew slaves – Nabucco                                                    Chorus 
Mozart – Cosi fan Tutti  - Soave el vento                                                             ( Trio : Emma, Fiona, Robert)    
P 245 Verdi – Brindisi – La Traviata                                                                 Rob, Emma P, Chorus   
P 145 Mascagni – Easter Hymn  Cavalleria rusticana                                    Emma P, Chorus 

 

Subscriptions

Please pay your subs by cheque, cash or bank transfer as soon as possible. It is £30 for the term.
Bank details: 
Account name:            Marlborough Choral Society
Bank:                           HSBC
Account number:        91396595
Sort code:                    40-32-07
 

 

 

Covid requirements: 

 
Inevitably we have had to change some of our practises to ensure we are keeping all our members as safe as possible. These are unusual times and we are uncertain how the Autumn Covid infections will impact our singing.
 
From September:

• You must NOT attend rehearsals if you feel unwell
• You MUST sign in each week. We will require you to provide contact details the first time you sign in so we have an effective process for contacting people if anyone tests positive for Covid. Please ensure that if these change at any time they are updated.
• We would prefer you to wear a mask as you enter and exit the building (as soon as you reach your seat you may remove your mask if you would like to)
• We will not be wearing masks for singing
• Although we will want to be sociable, please be aware of keeping a safe distance between yourself and others at all times
• Please enter, using the Church door (to the right of our usual side door entrance)
• We will ask you to sanitise your hands on arrival
• Doors (both ends of the room) and windows will be open to allow plenty of ventilation; please make sure you have extra layers in case the temperature drops
• We will space out in the Church to allow a sensible distance between singers and will keep every other chair free
• We will have a one-way system in place to toilets etc.

If you test positive for Covid and have attended a rehearsal during the last 10 days, you MUST inform our Secretary - Kathy Leach, or our Chair - Sally Banham, by email or telephone.  Contact details below:
 
Kathy Leach: kathy@leaches.co.uk  01793 812175 / 07813 615318
 
Sally Banham: sally.banham4@gmail.com 07778 038963
 
We will then inform all choir members who attended the rehearsal that one of our group has tested positive for Covid, and we may decide to cancel the next choir rehearsal to minimise the risk of spreading infection.  All decisions will be posted on our website.
 
As of 16^th August, Government guidance does not require fully vaccinated adults to self-isolate if they have been a close contact of a positive Covid-19 case, unless they develop Covid symptoms. Getting a PCR test is recommended but not legally required.  Of course, choir members should get a PCR test if they develop Covid symptoms, limit close contact with others for 10 days, and let Kathy or Sally know if the test result is positive.
 
Whilst I recognise all these recommendations may seem overwhelming the Committee have assessed all available best practise in developing our plans. We know that many people are apprehensive about mixing in groups and hope that these plans will minimise the risks of infection for all.
 
We look forward to seeing you all soon – with my very best wishes
 
 
Gill Mortimer
Musical Director
 
Sept 2021



 

 

Concert details

1. There will be boxes at the back of the church in which to place all your borrowed music after the concert. Please do not take any home with you. If for any reason you do not return your music on or before the night of the concert, it is important that you get in touch with Beverley at beverley.lyle@gmail.com  to arrange its return. Late return of hired music incurs large fines for MCS.
2. Dress code: Men: Dinner suits, bow tie, white shirt, black shoes. Ladies: Long black skirt or trousers, black shirt/blouse (no jumpers) and MCS scarf. You can buy or borrow a scarf from Jane Scott.
3. HELP. We usually meet around 1.00pm in the church to set up.
4. There will be refreshments (red and white wine, soft drinks )in the interval.
5. There will be a retiring collection for a local charity.
6. You will be told where to sit for the concert and your name will be on the allotted seat.

 

Useful resources

Cyberbass 

www.cyberbass.com provides a really useful resource. For a large number of works you can listen (for free) to the choral parts played with your part emphasised.

Concert Music on the Naxos Music Library

If you a member of Wiltshire libraries then you have free access to the Naxos Music Library - an online resource of many, many thousand CDs! There are almost certainly recordings available of pieces in our next concert to listen to online.
 
Access is simple:  
Go to http://wiltshire.naxosmusiclibrary.com/page.library_cardno.asp
Enter your library card number without the spaces - 9 999999 001 becomes 9999999001
Once logged on you can search for whatever takes your fancy

Concert Music on Spotify

If you aren't a member of Wiltshire Library then you could try http://www.spotify.com/ which provides free streaming of all sorts of music - you have the odd short advert but probably less than on commercial radio.

Once you've signed up and installed the client you can access all sorts of content.

If you do install the client I'd suggest you look at your Windows firewall settings. Access these via 'Control Panel', 'Windows Firewall', then open the exceptions tab and unclick the selection next to Spotify. That will stop Spotify accepting incoming network connections.