HCS Newsletter
Number 91 (September 2006) :
Chairman’s message
A warm welcome to everyone at the start of our 2006/2007 season.
We have a splendid programme of concerts to look forward to
and I hope that everyone enjoys the season
Thank you to everyone who attended the AGM in July. At this
meeting we said a huge thank you to Trish and Hilary who had
reached the end of their time on the committee. Two ladies who,
over the years, have devoted a large amount of their time and
energy in supporting HCS. Trish will be continuing as membership
secretary but will be relinquishing her role as advertising
coordinator. Hilary, who has worked on numerous projects during
her four years, will be taking a well-earned rest. At the AGM,
we welcomed Miriam Nendick on to the committee. We will be discussing
how best to use her many talents.
I am sure everyone would agree that our last concert at St Albans
was an amazing experience; it was a wonderful day. My thanks
go to all those members of the committee, Christine, Hilary,
Diana, Ted and Juliet, who worked so hard to make the organisation
of the concert such a success.
And so, on to this season. We have four wonderful concerts to
put on, performed to audiences similar in size to St Albans
– we hope! One change to our normal programme will be
the timing and number of our open rehearsals. Instead of putting
on one a year, we will be holding an open rehearsal during the
third rehearsal of each term. So, the first open rehearsal will
be Tuesday 19 September. Please remember that you may invite
singers as well as listeners. Just let Trish know as she will
be welcoming the visitors.
I hope you will enjoy all that Hertford Choral Society has to
offer over this season.
Jane Turner
Music Director’s message
It seems more than just six weeks ago since we were in St Albans
Abbey. I hope you remember, as I do, what a great occasion it
was. HCS on top form and a spendidly full audience to hear it.
I hope we shall be able to fill All Saints’ in the same
way for the concerts this season.
We start with a brace of M's – Mozart and Mendelssohn.
Although there have been many performances of Mozart’s
Requiem in this anniversary year, I’m sure ours
will be another special occasion for our audience as well as
ourselves. I have not performed Mendelssohn’s Psalm
95 before and I imagine few of you will have either but
I hope you will agree that it is an attractive work. It seems
appropriate that its title is Come let us sing! It will be a
pleasure to have a young team of soloists and to welcome back
the Milton Keynes City Orchestra who last played for us a few
years ago.
Then we shall follow that with another Christmas entertainment
for our audience. Altogether some sparkling music-making coming
up – I hope you will enjoy it all.
Derek
St Albans revisited
A long time ago, in another life, I lived in Spicer Street,
next door to a chapel. Not far away was St Albans Abbey. We
had little money; indeed our rent was more than half our (my)
weekly income. Our home was a two up, two down terraced cottage,
with a sit-up bath in the kitchen with a lid over it, and an
outside privy. I used to shop in the market for a 6d bacon hock
and half a pound of mushroom stalks to make stews. I bought
my clothes from jumble sales. I once made a summer dress from
a pink and white striped sheet which had been a wedding present
– I needed it more than the bed did. There was a flu epidemic
while we lived there. My mother came to see me on my sick bed
and told me that people were dying like flies. However, my life
was saved by penicillin and a wonderful doctor. He didn’t take
antibiotics but dosed himself with whisky and aspirin and rumour
had it that he passed out on the end of a patient’s bed, the
worse for drink but she didn’t split on him – he was too good
a doctor. So, with poverty guiding my footsteps, I spent hours
in and around the Abbey, walking down to the lake, past the
Fighting Cocks (never went in), along to St Michael’s, up to
the Roman wall. I loved it and I was happy to see that it was
mostly the same – but I’m not too sure about the café and the
shop at the Abbey. One thing has changed that I don’t like at
all. The rose window used to be delicately set in plain glass.
It had a simple beauty. Now, that has been replaced by modern,
haphazard, coloured glass. Perhaps it means something, but not
to me.
About the concert – when I was a ragamuffin all those years
ago in St Albans, I never dreamed I would ever sing there and
I am very proud that I have been able to do so. It was a wonderful
and emotional experience for me and I would like to thank everyone
who made it possible, especially my fellow altos. Thank you.
Anonymous alto
Treasurers comments
We sold 516 tickets for St Albans, well in excess of the capacity
of All Saints. As a consequence, we know that many members now
have extensive lists of concert-goers to contact. We expect
as a result that centre aisle tickets, which are usually sold
out before the time of the concert anyway, will be more quickly
sold out this coming year. This makes the season ticket option
more attractive as you are guaranteed a specific seat at each
concert.
To avoid disappointment, therefore, we suggest that this year
you make use of the season ticket offer for your friends and
relatives where you might not have considered it before. Application
forms are available from Morna Braybrook.
Ted Sharp
Other dates
QC Chamber Choir
Sat 28 Oct 7.30pm
St Andrew’s, Hertford
Baroque concert with strings
Sat 9 Dec 7.30pm
St Joseph’s RC, Hertford
Advent and Christmas music Gospel Singing Day
Sat 23 Sept
workshop and concert
Braughing Music Society
Sat 23 Sept 7.30pm
St Mary’s Church, Braughing
Hilary James and Simon Mayor, mandolin and guitar duo present
‘a unique blend of folk and classical music.
British ballads to blues and Berlioz’
Sat 25 Nov 7.30pm
St Mary’s Church, Braughing
Ware Brass Christmas Concert Tickets tel 01920 822167 or on
door www.braughingmusicsociety.co.uk
Hertford Symphony Orchestra
Sat 11 Nov 7.45pm
Castle Hall Hertford
Handel Music for the Royal Fireworks
Grieg Piano concerto,
Bruckner Symphony No 4 Tickets
Castle Hall Box Office tel 01992 531500
Sat 16 Dec 7.30pm
Christmas concert with HCS Hertford Music Club 3.00pm at Friends’
Meeting House, Railway Str.
Sun 8 Oct
Pegasus Wind Trio – Mozart, Milhaud
Sun 12 Nov Cavey Sisters String Trio – Beethoven,
Dohnanyi, Moeran
Sun 3 Dec Serenata Chamber Choir - seasonal
Tickets on door £7 or £28 for 6 concerts (a bargain)
Hoddesdon Music Club
7.30pm at The United Reformed Church, Broxbourne.
Sat 23 Sept Sacconi String Quartet
Sat 21 Oct Ramzi Yassa – piano, Chopin.
Sat 25 Nov James Harrison, baritone and Lindy
Tennent-Brown, piano, song recital
Soundbites at All Saints’ Church
A lunch date with a difference, admission free, donations
welcome.
Lunch 12.15pm – 1.00pm. Concert 1.00pm
Wed 6
Sept Brian Bromley – organ, Bach, Franck
Wed 13 Sept Helen Goatley & Simon Marlow
– viola and piano, Bach, Hindemith, Rebecca Clarke
Wed 20 Sept Emma Dogliani & Lilian Wilson,
soprano and piano song recital, operatic arias
Wed 27 Sept Farewell Concert for Bill & Jean
Kemm Choir and musicians of All Saints’ Church
And every Wednesday until Wed 6 Dec
Ware Choral Society
Sat 17 Dec
7.30pm Drill Hall, Ware Christmas Concert
St Nicholas Church, Great
Munden
Sat 9 Sept 7.30pm
Hearts of Fire – recital
Rowena Calvert (cello), Eleanor Turner (harp)
Faure, Ravi Shankar, Bach, Mozart and Le Grand Tango by Astor
Piazzolla.
Tickets £12.50 to include interval wine and nibbles.
Sat 21 Oct 7.30pm
London’s Burning by Spiritus
A musical anthology of the works of Samuel Pepys written and
directed by Aiden Oliver
Tickets £20 to include refreshments
Tickets Hertford Tourist Office tel 01992 584322
Sun 5 Nov 6pm
Candle-lit patronal festival with Evensong
Gospel Singing Day - Sat 23 Sept
Workshop and evening concert
at the United Reformed Church, Cowbridge, Hertford.
Parking; Hartham Common car park.
Singers will be taught to harmonise, by ear, traditional Gospel
songs which will be sung at the evening concert.
Training by LD Frazier and Scott Stroman with the help of
Eclectic Voices. LD Frazier has toured the world and inspired
hundreds of singers through workshops and concerts. Scott
Stroman is a conductor, composer, singer and educator in the
UK and Europe. He is Head of Jazz at the Guildhall School
of Music and Drama.
Eclectic Voices is a London choir, which challenges musical
boundaries and performs a wide-ranging repertoire of classical,
contemporary and gospel music, spirituals and jazz. The workshop
is open to everyone and promises to be an enjoyable and fulfilling
day.
Workshop for all singers (no musical training required!) 11am
- 1pm and 2.15pm – 5pm
£10 or £8 (young people)
Concert 7pm United Reformed Church
Tickets £8 or £6 (young people)
Tickets and enquiries tel Harold & Jane Chaplin
01992 304606
Peter John Branker FRCO(CHM), LRAM, ARCM, Dip Ed
10.4.1930 – 22.4.2006
Peter was a true friend and inspiration to a great many people.
People travelled from South Africa, New York and Scotland to
attend his memorial service. Peter was born in Islington in
1930, named Peter John Brankaer, the surname reflecting his
father’s Belgian descent. I understand that Peter always went
by the name of Branker, but he didn’t actually change his name
formally until May 1962. As a youth, Peter won a place at Minchenden
Grammar School. He was introduced to choral music as a choirboy
at St Michael’s, Wood Green. After the war, he did his National
Service in the Royal Navy at the Chatham Port Division. Peter
was a writer in the Navy, the branch for the brighter candidates
at the time! Having completed his National Service, and after
a short time working for Shell, Peter decided to become a teacher
and went to the College of St Mark and St John in Chelsea to
do his teaching degree. A quote from a friend at that time will
ring bells with many.
“Peter was a much respected student at Marjons, he took
his studies more seriously than many of us, but was a valued
friend and cheerful companion with strong convictions that were
appreciated by the discerning. Life was never dull in his company
as he had such an alert mind, an infectious laugh and a strong
sense of humour.”
After graduating, Peter went back to St Michael’s to teach at
the Primary School. Peter became the organist at Christ Church,
Southgate where, during his long tenure, he not only organised
the music at the Church and various external events, but also
inspired and encouraged many choristers to take up and enjoy
choral music as he did. The other significant part of Peter’s
working life was his time teaching at Goffs School, where he
was Head of Music. Again he was inspirational – there are very
few schools where every child plays a musical instrument, as
was the norm under Peter’s rule. Peter often kept order, in
the classroom, by wandering around adding names to his “list”,
and woe betide anyone who was added to the “list”. The truth
is that the list was in fact Peter’s shopping list, and as many
of us know, Peter was a very keen and talented chef. Towards
the end of his time at Goff’s, Peter was enjoying teaching less,
and decided to take early retirement, a decision that I don’t
think he ever regretted. This last phase in his life was certainly
not a time when he slowed down. For a start Peter became a devoted
dog-lover, and derived immense pleasure from his two dogs, Sandy
and then Cocoa. Peter served as a conservative local councillor
for a few years, and also undertook a vast amount of travelling,
in between caring for his father. He travelled on the Trans
Siberian railway, all over Europe, and most recently went on
an extensive cruise around Africa and the Far East. Peter was
an active member of many clubs and societies, in particular
the Organ Club, Hertford Choral Soc. and other local choirs.
He very much enjoyed going into London to see a play, spend
time at his club and have dinner with friends. It is said that
“In the end, the true measure of a man is not the wealth he
leaves behind, but the richness of the memories he gave to others”.
In that respect, Peter left a great legacy and will be sorely
missed. He will be remembered for his loyalty, his great sense
of humour, and his ability to turn a fairly mundane story into
something hysterical by the pure force of his personality and
an infectious story-telling ability.
I am indebted to Peter’s Godson, David Stroud, for allowing
me to précis his eulogy at the Memorial Service. I came to know
Peter only four years ago after joining HCS. We became good
friends, not only sitting together on Tuesday evenings, but
with Peter helping me out on the organ stool on several occasions.
I still miss the warmth of his greeting and the pleasure of
his conversation. It was a great pleasure and privilege to be
invited to read a lesson at Peter’s Memorial Service on June
24th at Christ Church Southgate. This was a splendid occasion
incorporating much of the music Peter loved. It began with the
choir singing ‘O Thou the Central Orb’ by Charles Wood
and included the hymns ‘How shall I sing that majesty’
to the tune ‘Coe Fen’, ‘The duteous day now closeth’
and ‘Thine be the Glory’. Part of Psalm 139 was sung
and the anthem was ‘Like as a Hart’ by Herbert Howells
from Psalm 42. Our MD, Derek, played the Widor Toccata and Rachel
Stroud (David’s niece) played ‘The Lark Ascending’
by Ralph Vaughan Williams. The Service concluded with Stanford’s
setting in B flat of the ‘Nunc Dimittis’ leading into
the interment of Peter’s ashes in the Garden of Remembrance.
A truly memorable occasion which I am sure Peter would (and
possibly did) enjoy!
Robert Sibson
Walking … and singing … in Wales (but not at the same
time!)
It was early June, and the countryside was looking wonderful
as I drove to Knighton, Powys, to take part in a 'Singing Break'
organised by the Royal School of Church Music.
It felt rather like that first day at school as a group of thirty
six of us gathered in the parish hall, were given coffee, name
badges and a set of music (not necessarily in that order) and
were welcomed. Several of us were first-timers, others had been
before, and I admit to being extremely nervous as I found a
vacant seat and looked around. I had no idea what standard was
expected. Have you ever tried to work out, just by looking at
someone, what their singing might be like? It's an interesting
but (in my experience) often highly inaccurate exercise!
The first warm-up was all very familiar and reassuring; there
was even a me-mé-ma-mor-moo or two! Then our leader for the
weekend, Geoff Weaver, took over and we started on the music.
This included a wide variety of styles which began with Tallis
and took us via Mozart, Taizé and African chants, Britten and
Chilcott to Psalms and anthems arranged as recently as 2005.
After the rehearsal we set off on our first walk, to a tiny,
whitewashed church at Pilleth with a stunning view, where we
sang a short service followed by a picnic lunch. The walks appeared,
in theory, quite short - three miles or so, but I'd over looked
the fact that parts of them were verging on the perpendicular!
Another walk, over the hills to Discoed, another tiny church
(with a 2000 year old yew tree) and another service to sing,
prefaced by a welcome cuppa and cakes provided by a group of
local folk who then became the congregation. Then the last lap,
by bus, to Old Radnor, for another rehearsal, supper in the
pub (with more fantastic views) and then we sang 'Night Prayer'
in Old Radnor Church as darkness fell.
Quite a day. Saturday followed a similar pattern, possibly with
less walking and more singing, but only two services; mid-day
in Knighton Methodist Church and an evening Pentecost Celebration
in Llandrindod Wells. Our leader took us to a hill which he
said we were to 'run up' - not quite true but he set a cracking
pace and we followed….in our own time (he would probably suggest
that that also described our singing, but he was very patient).
Sunday saw us rehearsing at 9.30am (!) for the final Eucharist
Service in Knighton Parish Church, followed by lunch and the
drive home. As to the musical standard I was so worried about
– I needn't have been - like most choirs we were a mixed bunch,
but I was grateful for my HCS training. It was all most enjoyable
- and as it's an annual event, I now have to decide whether
to repeat the experience next year. It's very tempting……
Trish Goldsmith
Hertford voices
This local choir, formed last year, gathers singers together
for a few weeks of rehearsals in preparation for a singing tour.
The first tour was to Wildeshausen, Hertford's twin town in
Germany, last October and was considered by the thirty singers
who took part to be successful and very enjoyable.
The current plan is to arrange a tour somewhere in Europe every
two years, with the possibility of a 'UK weekend' during the
intervening years. Local people have been asking when they can
hear ‘Hertford Voices'; so a short informal supper concert is
planned in St Andrew's Church, Hertford on Saturday 7 October
at 7.30pm, conducted by Derek Harrison. Tickets for this will
be available from choir members early in September. Do come
and *join us - basses and tenors will be especially welcome!
Rehearsals will be from 4pm - 6pm in the Methodist Church Hall,
Ware Road on Saturdays 2, 9, 16 Sept and Sunday 24 Sept. On
Saturday 30 Sept the rehearsal will be in St Andrew's Church
(time tbc). Next year the Wildeshausen Kantorei plan to visit
Hertford from 17 - 20 May to sing with Hertford Voices.
There will be a concert in All Saints Church on Saturday 19
May, and possible involvement in a morning service in one of
the Hertford churches on Sunday 20 May.
Please put these dates in your diary if you wish to take part
- we will need hosts as well as singers! We then hope to sing
in Hertford's other twin town, Evron, in the Mayenne region
of France, during the autumn of 2007. You will need to let us
know if you plan to join us for either the Oct or May events
so that enough music can be obtained.
Gospel Singing Day - Sat 23 Sept
Workshop and evening concert at the United Reformed Church,
Cowbridge, Hertford.
Parking; Hartham Common car park.
Singers will be taught to harmonise, by ear, traditional Gospel
songs which will be sung at the evening concert.
Training by LD Frazier and Scott Stroman with the help of Eclectic
Voices. LD Frazier has toured the world and inspired hundreds
of singers through workshops and concerts. Scott Stroman is
a conductor, composer, singer and educator in the UK and Europe.
He is Head of Jazz at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
Eclectic Voices is a London choir, which challenges musical
boundaries and performs a wide-ranging repertoire of classical,
contemporary and gospel music, spirituals and jazz. The workshop
is open to everyone and promises to be an enjoyable and fulfilling
day.
Workshop for all singers (no musical training required!) 11am
- 1pm and 2.15pm – 5pm
£10 or £8 (young people)
Concert 7pm United Reformed Church
Tickets £8 or £6 (young people)
Tickets and enquiries tel Harold & Jane Chaplin
01992 304606
Guide to the Chorus
In any chorus, there are
four voice parts; soprano, alto, tenor, bass. Other voice
parts are known as baritone, countertenor and mezzo soprano
but these are usually people who are soloists or belong to
some hotshot, classical a cappella group and applies especially
to countertenors, or else they are trying to make excuses
for not really fitting into any regular voice parts. They
will be ignored for now. Each voice part sings in a different
range and each one has a different personality. You may wonder
why singing different notes makes people act differently.
This is indeed a mysterious phenomenon but it is a fact.
Sopranos are the ones who sing the highest. They have longer
hair, fancier jewellery, swishier skirts, always wear make-up
and are usually female. They are insulted if they are not
allowed at least one top A in any piece. When they have a
high note, they hold it for at least half again as long as
the composer and/or conductor requires – and then complain
that their throats hurt and that the composer and conductor
are sadists. (This is probably true). Sops have varied attitudes
towards other sections of the chorus, though they consider
all to be their inferiors. Altos are to sops as second violins
are to first violins – nice to harmonise with but not
strictly necessary. All sops think that the altos could drop
out and the piece would sound essentially the same. They don’t
understand why anyone would want to sing in such a boring
voice range in the first place. Tenors, on the other hand,
can be quite exciting to have around. Besides the flirtation
possibilities, sops like to sing duets with tenors because
they are working very hard to sing in a low-to-medium soprano
range, while the sops are showing off somewhere up in the
stratosphere. Sops don’t like basses; they sing too
loud and are difficult to tune in that low range. However,
most sops are married to basses; they are more reliable than
tenors and have proper jobs.
Altos are the salt of the earth – in their opinion at
least. They are unassuming people who would wear jeans to
concerts if they were allowed to. Altos can’t complain
about having to sing too high or too low (because they don’t)
and they know that the other sections think their parts are
pitifully easy. Altos know otherwise. While the sops are screeching
away on a top A, the altos sing elaborate passages full of
accidentals and tricky rhythms but nobody notices because
the sops are singing too loud (and so are the basses). Altos
have an innate distrust of tenors because the tenors sing
in the same range and think they sound better. Altos like
the basses and enjoy singing duets with them; the basses just
sound like a rumble anyway and it’s the only time the
altos can be heard. (to be continued)
author unknown
Ask Auntie Di
I. Stedford: Have you any good ideas for a
present for my good friends, Don and Elsie, who are celebrating
their Ruby Wedding next month? They said ‘no presents’ as they
have enough tut already - but it is a special occasion.
Di: For our 40th anniversary, Ron and I were given
two pots of homemade strawberry jam (special vintage) labelled
‘His’ and ‘Hers’. Or what about a red
rose for the garden?
Iris: mmm
Di: What about a goat?
Iris: Now you’re just being silly.
Di: No - serious suggestion. There is an *organisation
whereby you can improve the lot of poor people in other parts
of the world by providing them with basic needs, like a water
kit, cooking pots, a latrine, a shelter, a bike, a donkey or
an alpaca. You receive a certificate which you can give as a
‘present’ to a friend.
Iris: An elephant would be nice.
Di: Now who’s being silly? GOT IT. I
have just the thing; a season ticket for all the HCS concerts.
Just collect a form from Morna.
Iris: Why didn’t I think of that?
Di: You don’t get a season ticket as
such but you could make a mock- up of a season ticket with a
promise to hand over the actual concert tickets as they appear.
You could even tie them up with red ribbon.
Iris: Perfect
*www.practicalpresents.org
Not one new Limerick was submitted despite a plea (and promise
of prizes) in April’s newsletter but I did get a suggestion
from a choir member that a Limerick competition would be a good
idea…. I rest my case. Here’s another one;
There is a conductor called Harrison
With whom there is just no comparison
He bears with us all
When we sing flat, or drawl
And produces a musical marathon
Mary Gregg 1989
Ruffles Remembers
A nostalgic evening of photographs and memories with the ubiquitous
Peter Ruffles, town councillor, district councillor, county
councillor, retired teacher, ex Mayor of Hertford.
Thurs 7 Sept 7pm
Sele School, Hertford
Tickets £5 (includes light refreshments and complimentary
glass of wine) in aid of the Hertford Museum Development Appeal
Tickets from Hertford Museum tel 01992 582686.
hertfordmuseum@btconnect.com
Part of a letter from Maisie Ditton
I am glad to learn that Derek was pleased with The Kingdom……There
is no doubt that his reputation has spread among many reputable
soloists; it is just a question of the choir keeping up with
him, not forgetting the help we get from Peter – surely
the best pianist in the world.
Tinkling the ivories, jangling the nerves – from Weekend
Guardian (edited)
The most popular instrument for beginners is the piano
though I don’t know why this is so; it’s expensive,
a b****r to play and weighs a ton. Being difficult to play (10
notes at once!) the piano could make you vulnerable to a syndrome
known as Lipchitz’s Dilemma. Lipchitz was an Austrian
behavioural psychologist who observed that setting out to acquire
a difficult skill leads to one of just two alternative results.
Either, because of lack of talent or lack of application, you
reach only a low to average level of attainment, which leads
to general dissatisfaction and maudlin sessions of wandering
about the house, kicking the furniture, muttering ‘I’m
hopeless at everything’. Or you reach a very high attainment
level but, because you spend 18 hours a day practising, other
aspects of your personality do not develop properly which leads
to general dissatisfaction and maudlin sessions of wandering
around the house, kicking the furniture, muttering ‘Up
the Villa’. Having established that no good at all can
come of any sort of endeavour, Lipchitz gave up behavioural
psychology and took a job in a post office.
By David Stafford
>> HCS
Newsletter Number 95 (Jan 2008)
>> HCS Newsletter Number
94 (Sept 2007)
>> HCS
Newsletter Number 93 (April 2007)
>> HCS
Newsletter Number 92 (December 2006)
>> HCS
Newsletter Number 90 (April 2006)
>> HCS Newsletter Number
89 (Januar 2006) |