A really nice end of year concert

A really nice end of year concert we’ve had, at the West End Hall, for an audience of appreciative kids and attentive parents.

Thank you so much, to Wendy and the whole choir, those who could make it on the day and those who, with great regret, had to miss it. And thanks to our wonderful Steering Group, with whom it’s such a pleasure to work.

It has been a tough and weird year, hard to deny that, with the lockdowns and the stop/start nature of it all, but we’re here still and singing better than ever.

Rehearsals will resume towards the end of January,
pandemic regulations and commonsense permitting
Our 2022 starting date is yet to be set –
we’ll let you know as soon as we have it

Have an Xlnt break. Love to you and yours, take it easy and stay safe.

The choir news archive is Here
& on facebook, there’s the Tearoom

We really look forward to welcoming you back to Choir, and we have some notes here on the way things will happen over the next couple of weeks …

Fees – Pay by EFT, or it’s Cash & The Tin –

To make payments simpler in these confused times the money tin has been exhumed for fees being paid “per session on the night”. The session price $15 (or see Alicia to make arrangements).

• If you wish to ‘Pay by Tin’ please bring cash for payment of $15 per session.
• If you wish to pay by EFT, you will have received an invoice with bank details included in a previous email.
• Please let one of the Steering Group know if you would like a credit from your Block Three fees.

In order for us to be COVID Safe & Sensitive –

• Regulations now make it necessary for us to declare our vaccination status. Individually we need to have at least our first shot or have an exemption certificate.
• Please bring your mask
• We will not have access to the kitchen, so please bring your own snacks & water bottle

Hello Songsters

Who would have thought so little activity could lead to so much happening, even as so much is being called off?

Block 3, cancelled

With our “small groups method” we managed to squeeze in four nice rehearsals during our current Block, but lockdowns have played havoc with us and the Steering Group considers that there are slim prospects of restrictions easing sufficiently to allow any more face-to-face singing in this Block. So, we’ve cancelled the remaining sessions up to and including Wednesday 15th Sept.

Block 4, not scheduled … yet

At this stage we’re leaving Block 4 (from the end of Sept up to Christmas) unscheduled and we’ll wait to see how the lockdowns look leading into October, and we’ll let you know as soon as we know, etc.

The Flexible Choir

With the virus and lockdowns messing with our best laid plans we realise that we have to be flexible in our approach to our group activities, and the real aim of our efforts now are to maintain the continuity of the Choir and work to that point a few weeks or months from now when most of us are fully vaxxed and the dangers of the virus have receded. At that time we want to be able to pop out of our burrows at speed and get properly singing once more.

Zooming the Choir

As something to bridge the gap from now until we resume we’ll be running zoom sessions each Wednesday. These are not as a replacement for real choir, Alicia considers them to be more like what happens during tea break – a way to discuss the repertoire and keep it in mind, some rehearsal singing with mute turned on, swapping news, talking about music generally and simply keeping in touch. There’s no obligation for anyone to attend these zoomings (which are non-billable items, ie. no choir fees attached), but the two zooms we’ve had so far have been good fun and have served to keep our voices and heads going in the right direction. There’ll be weekly emails going out with the zoom session details that will allow you to login at the Wednesday time slot, so if you’ve a mind to drop in for some chat, please do.

Simon, Virginia, Alicia, Sue & Barry
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Small group for Tenor/Bass
no choir this week for Soprano/Alto

Hello Folks

Lockdown thankfully has lifted on cue, but with restrictions on the size of gatherings.
This week we’re able to have a small group, and it’s now the turn of Tenor/Bass to receive Wendy’s ‘focus’ treatment.

So – 

• Tenor/Bass only this week, at the usual time
• No choir this week for Soprano/Alto

We’ll be monitoring things over the next few days and will let everyone know ASAP about what’s happening next week.

rgds
Simon
– for the Steering Group
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Choir Wed. 21st July has been cancelled

Hello Folks

Our lockdown has been extended beyond tomorrow Tuesday, which means this Wednesday’s choir 21st July will not proceed.

We’ll keep our eye on the situation and email you with updates for the weeks following and let you know when it’s safe to resume.

If you’re aware of anyone else who should get this message please pass it on.

If you have any questions email choir.mainesong@gmail.com any time.

regards
Steering Group

1st July 2021

News from the Steering Group

This newsletter was distributed with the choir invoices for the 10 Sessions of Block 3 for 2021

Welcome to Block Three of Mainesong for 2021 –
Yes, it’s the Mainesong Ship, Lollipop!

(Please read this ‘Welcome to Mainesong, Block Three 2021’ in conjunction with the Mainesong Newsletter No.1 which was emailed to you on 2nd July)

Term 1 has worked so well (Thank you Everyone!) that we’ve decided to continue singing without break, and move straight into Term 2