HCS Newsletter Number 96 (8 April 2008)

All God’s creatures got a place in the choir; some sing low and some sing higher.
Some sing out loud on the telephone wire and some just clap their hand

Trad. American

Achieved is the Glorious Work
I make no apologies for my lack of originality! But glorious it was, and many congratulations to you all. The Creation is perhaps not the most ambitious work we have tackled, but it ticked all the boxes – a pleasing work from a happy composer with great audience appeal. We had a strong team of soloists and orchestra, and, under Derek’s guidance, we put in a creditable performance. We had an excellent crit., from which we can draw much encouragement and it was a financial success to boot!

What we must do now is to build on that success. We have a delighted audience who will come again if you ask them We have another concert with great audience appeal, and we know we will give a fine performance. Let’s go for another full house.

Our new working structure has been well tested by The Creation. I understand there are one or two details to be ironed out, but the universal opinion is that the new arrangements are working well, with the working teams involving so many members who are gaining a real sense of ownership of the society. We now have the correct structure to carry us forward.

It has been my privilege to chair the Board of Trustees during the changeover, but, as was intended, I shall step down at the AGM in June. The job is not without its challenges, but it is not unduly onerous. The focus is strategic rather than functional – you don’t get involved in the nitty-gritty and you get free drinks before the concert! If the job has attractions for you, come and talk to me.

Victor Knowles

What a great time we had with The Creation!
I was very pleased with it all – and enjoyed it very much. There were so many good things: an interesting series of rehearsals where we had time to experiment with different approaches; a fascinating talk from Derek McCulloch at the workshop; the very effective opening from memory leading up to the “Let there be light” moment; excellent soloists and orchestra who brought out the tremendous colour and detail of the music that reflects the words so well. It was good to see the pictures from the Art Society and to be involved with another Hertford arts group. A good audience and financial result were both good to see. It was a pity about the confusion over the final rehearsal but thanks to everybody for your tolerance of a situation where it is difficult to know what exactly is going on! We also received a very quotable and encouraging review from David Penrose : “another excellent performance”, “the choir wanted to share their enthusiasm … with great warmth and conviction”, “the performance …. was not a moment too long”, “Diction … was excellent” and finally “Hertford can be proud to have (and HCS members too, to be part of!) such a highly successful and rewarding society”. Thanks and congratulations to everybody who made this happen.

Now we have “Sparkling Brass and Soaring Voices” with the YBS Band. If you were not around when the band joined us last time (in 2001), you are in for a treat and a half! Bands of this quality are something special both musically and visually. Finding music that is available for this unusual combination is tricky but I hope you will enjoy what is programmed. It is certainly going to take us across a variety of areas : Parry (Blest pair of sirens, and Jerusalem for the audience to join in), choruses from operas, Handel (Zadok the Priest), a Zulu song and the Harmony chorus and the great symphonic poem Finlandia by Sibelius. The band will also play pieces on their own – and may be thinking of this as part of their preparation for the English National Championships. Perhaps you would like to take a look at their website which traces the history of the band : www.ybsband.org.uk. We should expect another large audience – it is certainly a performance not be missed! There should be something for everybody so I hope you will find it easy to sell!

Derek Harrison

Aiming for Perfection in Performance.

1. Check: Hold you music up supported by both arms/hands so that you can see Derek and your music by only moving your eyes i.e. not moving your head.

2. Prepare for your entries: start breathing early (mark copy) and take a top-up breath in the approaching bar, ready to come in with Derek, not your ears! Breathe Listen Watch Prepare and Sing (BLWPS).

3. Turn over each sheet of music silently: have you practised this at home? It may need you to turn up the corner of some pages and curl them silently across. Avoid bangs and crashes of paper patting: this sounds to the audience like a Stansted emergency landing!

4. Use paper clips to move between chorus sections so that you are seen by the audience to be listening and watching the soloist and the orchestral sections and NOT rudely following the music from the copy.

5. Freeze at the end of each piece until Derek lowers his arms.

By now you will have received the final newsletter relating to the Berlioz Royal Albert Hall Concert in November. In it are suggestions about developing this into a permanent charitable status with trustees to ensure that the concept of Hertfordshire choirs having the opportunity of singing together for a charitable cause continues. Please do read it and respond, giving your ideas to Christine Muskett, Hilary Laidler or Diana Salthouse.

As a teacher with specialist knowledge and experience of working with both dyslexic children and adults, I welcome this recently published sequel to the successful 2001 edition, ‘Opening New Doors’, from the same team of knowledgeable writers and editors, as an additional resource. It is particularly useful for those whose work is in the field of music.

This publication has something for everyone: practical advice for teaching in both classroom situations and one-to-one: specific case studies to illuminate potential challenges and rewards: more up-to-date theoretical analysis of research into dyslexia, and discussion of the implications.

Whether read in its entirety, or dipped into as a source, ‘Music and Dyslexia’ informs, stimulates and smoothes away prejudices, with the emphasis always on nurturing the creative possibilities of the dyslexic brain, as well as helping to ease the difficulties encountered in this ever more recognised condition. It is of particular interest because research suggests that music education can benefit young dyslexics as it helps them to focus on auditory and motor timing skills and highlights the rhythms of language. At a more advanced level, contributors provide specific strategies that can help them sight-read, as well as meet the requirements of music examinations and manage to overcome extreme performance nerves.

The clear message conveyed throughout this book is that this syndrome, provided teachers have a sympathetic approach and combine the best of multi-sensory methods of working with their pupils, need not be a barrier to achieving outstanding levels of creative accomplishment and success.

Amongst many famous musicians and composers, who, despite having symptoms of dyslexia or related learning problems, which were not recognised at the time of their learning, are John Lennon and Nigel Kennedy and possibly one or two classical composers Fortunately for us, their sheer grit and determination, and innate brilliance, carried them on to more than fulfil their potential.

Hopefully, in the year 2008, with the help of advanced research, inspired teaching, and helpful resources, such as this publication, it need not be such a struggle.

If you are interested in purchasing a copy of this book, it is available on-line at amazon.co.uk at the discounted price of £16.24 along with another highly recommended book ‘Instrumental Music for Dyslexics’ by Sheila Oglethorpe, at the same price.

Chris Taylor 27 March 2008

HCS Summer Garden Party 2008
Sunday 8 June noon to 3pm

Once again we are having a 'Bring it and Share it' Garden Party; this time at Francis and Hazel Spear's extensive garden at Old Hall Green, near St Edmunds College, north of Ware. Family, friends, HCS Patrons and Friends and all those who support our concerts are all very welcome. Keep the date free! Sally Paque will be organising this event with other helpers. The lists for lunch contributions will be put out in May. Arrangements will be made for transport for any one who would like it.
Tickets £1 (free for children under 16)

The European Commission has just announced an agreement whereby English will be the official language of the European Union rather than German, which was the other possibility. As part of the negotiations, the British Government conceded that English spelling had some room for improvement and has accepted a 5- year phase-in plan that would become known as 'Euro-English'. In the first year, 's' will replace the soft 'c'. Sertainly, this will make the sivil servants jump with joy. The hard 'c' will be dropped in favour of 'k'. This should klear up konfusion, and keyboards kan have one less letter. There will be growing publik enthusiasm in the sekond year when the troublesome 'ph' will be replaced with 'f'. This will make words like fotograf 20% shorter. In the 3rd year, publik akseptanse of the new spelling kan be expekted to reach the stage where more komplikated changes are possible. Governments will enkourage the removal of double letters which have always ben a deterent to akurate speling. Also, al wil agre that the horibl mes of the silent 'e' in the languag is disgrasful and it should go away. By the 4th yer people wil be reseptiv to steps such as replasing 'th' with 'z' and 'w' with 'v'. During ze fifz yer, ze unesesary 'o' kan be dropd from vords kontaining 'ou' and after ziz fifz yer, ve vil hav a sensibl riten styl. Zer vil be no mor trubl or difikultis and evrivun vil find it ezi tu understand ech oza. Ze drem of a united urop vil finali kum tru. Und efter ze fifz yer, ve vil al be speking German like zey vunted in ze forst plas.

If zis mad you smil, pleas pas on to oza pepl.
From Lucy, daughter of Christine Taylor
Lucy is in Germany at present, rehearsing for a role in Rene Jacob’s production of Handel’s Belshazzer at the Staatoper in Berlin. After Berlin, it goes to Aix-en-Provence; then to Austria.

Hilary’s Lasagne Anyone who would like a copy of the recipe of that wonderful lasagne that Hilary made for an HCS social event some years ago, please see June Crew.

Cost 50p towards choir funds.

>> HCS Newsletter Number 95 (January 2007)

>> HCS Newsletter Number 94 (September 2007)

>> HCS Newsletter Number 93 (April 2007)

>> HCS Newsletter Number 92 (December 2006)

>> HCS Newsletter Number 91 (September 2006)

>> HCS Newsletter Number 90 (April 2006)

>> HCS Newsletter Number 89 (January 2006)