So much for good intentions. Having stated on 20th January this year that I intended to update the site regularly, I notice that the last update was, errr, that very same 20th January. My apologies, and I can tell you that the site will be updated regularly from now on. Further news to follow.
However, we are now on the cusp of a new season, and a noteable one at that. As you all know, the RMDS celebrates its centenary in 2011; not only that, but the RMDS Choir itself will be 25 years old. Since Ivy and I started working with the Choir in 2005, we have been working towards these landmarks, and we hope very much that the concerts in June 2011 will prove to be memorable. (As well as all the other ones that we have performed and will perform, of course!).
Regarding the concerts next summer: as you know we were planning for these to be held at the hall in Waldorf School, hence our change of venue from the usual Ringwood Parish Church to the Waldorf, as a sort of "dry run" and familiarity exercise in preparation for next year. We're very glad we did have a dry run: we hadn't anticipated the savage reduction in audience numbers that resulted from this move. Although in time we could well have built up numbers again, we really don't feel that we can take such a risk of our celebration concerts being performed before similarly small audiences. We have therefore decided that we will return to perform in the Parish Church next summer as in previous seasons.
This decision has had a further effect on our plans for the Centenary Concerts. As you know, we have been planning for these concerts to take place with an orchestra. To our great disappointment, and despite a great many hours spent considering options (and spent leaping around the church with a variety of tape measures), the practicalities of fitting Choir and orchestra into the Parish Church in a fashion compatible with ease of performance have proved insurmountable. We have therefore decided with great regret to dispense with the idea of bringing in an orchestra, and instead to perform with the accompaniment of two pianos and percussion. We are confident, however, that we can still produce something special and fitting for a Centenary: having taken the decision now, we are able to plan with a clear vision ahead.
There will still be two concerts next summer, as planned, with the first taking place in Trinity Church on Tuesday 7th June 2011 and the second on Thursday 9th June in the Parish Church. We are, of course, extremely disappointed that the Choir will not have the opportunity to perform with an orchestra - this has been a long-held ambition of ours - but we hope that you understand that this decision has not been taken lightly and for sound reasons (no pun intended). We are looking forward very much to what we very much hope will be a rewarding and memorable series of Centenary Concerts.
However, we of course have the new Christmas programme on which to concentrate first! We will be starting rehearsals on Thursday 2nd September, in Trinity Church, starting at 7.45 as usual. Further dates for the season (including the Summer) will be included ASAP on the dates page.
We are delighted to be welcoming new members again this season. Stella Roberts will be joining the alto section, having recently moved to the area from Winchester, where she has for a number of years gained experience in singing with a number of choirs. Amy Oulton is also joining the altos, whilst at the same time providing us with a sharp decrease in the average age of the Choir. We welcome them both, and hope very much that they find their experiences with the Choir rewarding and satisfying. Furthermore, we're equally delighted to be able to welcome David Hookway back into the ranks of the basses, alongside an entirely new bass, Fred Priestley. Fred is in fact David's grandson, and so we're most grateful to the Hookway clan for allowing us to take advantage of their special "two-for-the-price-of-one" offer. And apologies to Amy, as her claim to being the youngest member of the Choir didn't even last out the week.
We also welcome a new pianist to the Choir. Nicola Perry joins us having recently returned from the USA, where she has been living for the past eight years. Nicola hails from Fordingbridge, and studied at the Royal College of Music. We have been incredibly fortunate that she and her family have chosen this moment to relocate to the UK, and are thrilled to have been able to find such an accomplished musician to work with us. Again, we hope very much that Nicola enjoys her work with the Choir, and we're delighted to welcome her.
The other major thing to mention is the CCP: Celebratory Choir Party!!!!!! We felt that such an occasion as a 25th anniversary shouldn't be allowed to pass unnoticed, so please make a note in your diaries that the party will be on Saturday 2nd October, starting around 7.30, at Poulner Church Hall (this is still to be confirmed, but it seems that this will be the venue; however I'll confirm this ASAP). The evening will consist of the RMDS style race night (nags courtesy of the Burns Brown stable of thoroughbreds) and a fish and chip supper, followed by music which I'm informed will be suitable for dancing: this last is BY NO MEANS compulsory!!!! Whether or not one chooses to honour the terpsichorean muse, it should be a good fun evening, and a chance for us to get together to celebrate the Choir's 25th in purely social atmosphere. To which end, significant others will of course be most welcome. There will be a bar, and news of the cost of the evening will be available as soon as we know.
Since typing the above paragraph a couple of days ago, it has been pointed out to me (in RELATIVELY polite tones!) by Ivy and Anita that in fact the CCP will be taking place next year. The party on 2nd October is merely a Choir social do, and as such isn't really to celebrate anything much other than ourselves in all our unbounded glory. Sorry to all about my confusion, but still hope very much that we'll all be able to go on 2nd October and have a rip-snorting time roistering and doistering. Details about the "Official" anniversary party as and when. It did occur to me that a fish and chip do seemed a quaintly eccentric way of celebrating 25 years.
Further stop press regarding the party on 2nd October: as there are one or two licensing snags associated with Poulner Hall, there will now be no bar, so you're all encouraged to bring your own vintage Chablis (or nearest aproximation) to accompany your seafood platter. (Purely a propos of nothing at all, it has always been a mystery to me why the meal we describe as "fish and chips" in England is known as a "fish supper" in Scotland. What are the consequences for the meaning of the word "supper" in Scotland? It's almost a whole new language.)
STOP PRESS
The programme for this Christmas and relevant dates for rehearsals and concerts are now on the appropriate pages of the website. At this stage I'm not 100% sure of the venues for each dress rehearsal, but I'll put them in as soon as I've spoken to Anita and confirmed them.
I think that's about everything for now. Very best wishes to you all, and we look forward to seeing you again on Thursday 2nd Sept at Trinity Church.
