NEWS FOR MEMBERS

ALAN SHIELD PRESENTED TO LADIES

Following our report of the award of the CMVC Alan Shield to the choir ladies at the annual dinner, the shield itself was presented to the ladies at Sandilands on Thursday January 26.   The shield was handed by chairman Kim to Jean Cantrell, with Gloria Rowe, Dot Stevens and Margaret Jacob also in attendance.

Kim repeated his thanks to the ladies for all their help and support.   Jean thanked the choir for the award, giving a special mention to the large team of helpers who host visiting choirs when the CMVC stages a joint concert.  The choir serenaded the ladies with a rousing rendition of There is Nothing Like a Dame.

Gloria, Jean, Dot and Margaret receive Alan Shield from Kim (photo: JWT)

ALAN AWARD FOR CHOIR LADIES

Choir chairman Kimball Ormond awarded the CMVC Alan Shield to the choir ladies at the choir's annual dinner at Shirley Golf Club on January 14.  The "ladies", otherwise known as the choir WAGs, were thanked for their stirling support on all fronts, from selling choir CDs to providing sandwiches on rehearsal nights at Sandilands.

Jean Cantrell agreed to receive the shield on the ladies' behalf.  She was asked to stand as Kim made the announcement, and she gestured around the room at the numerous colleagues who had made vital contributions to the ladies' efforts.  The formal presentation of the shield will be made later, once it has been inscribed with the recipients' names. The Alan Shield is awarded annually in recognition of significant contributions to the choir and its charitable activities.

Kim also presented flowers to our accompanist, Lana Bode, whose playing he described as vital to the choir's success, and to deputy pianist Veronica Barnes.   There were further thanks to choir director Richard Hoyle and deputy director Darren Wilkins, as well as to the choir's committee members for their unstinting work on the choir's behalf.  Choir member Dick Jones was praised for his work in organising the summer apres rehearsals and the choir's training workshop, tutored by Stephen Brown,  and there was a special mention for choir stage manager Dick Diplock.

The dinner was held at Shirley Golf Club for the second year and was widely hailed as a success.  There was dancing to hits from the 60s and 70s following the excellent meal.

Chairman Kim thanks ladies at choir dinner

Deputy pianist Veronica Barnes receives flowers from Kim

Choir barrie Keith Sandland contributed the following photos (and captions)

Keeping score of the wine bottles (five and counting...)

Stewart dunks his tie

Mitch's finest hour (A rose by any other name....)

Lana spots a crumb on JWT's tie

ALL DOWN MART'S ON JAN 28

Your genial host Martin Perkins, choir stalwart since goodness knows when, has invited the choir to help initiate his new boozer, The Gardeners Arms in Southfields, on Saturday January 28.  Martin, who recently transferred from the popular choir venue the Royal Standard underneath the Croydon flyover, has invited his pals to sing, eat and drink the night away.

Choir members are asked to arrive from 8pm, with singing starting around 9.  Route-finding directions to the wilds of Southfields - a long way from the Croydon choir's comfort zone - will follow.  No need to wear choir uniform, but touring shirts or other apparel bearing the choir logo would be nice.

Your genial host, second tenor Martin Perkins

Martin's new boozer, the Gardeners Arms in Southfields

NEW YEAR MESSAGE FROM RICHARD

2011 has been a busy year with some memorable occasions and performances. The highlight, however, was the laughter I got from saying that with 13-year-old Cameron Clark's membership of the choir, the average age  had plummeted from 81 to 79. Best joke I ever told.

2012 will be a bumper year. Three events stand out for me: the Jubilee Concert; performing in Canterbury Cathedral; and the recording of our next album in the autumn.

All the participating choirs have been ticking over as they learn the programme for June's Fairfield concert but once Christmas is over the pace will pick up. The fact that the concert will be a threefold event - a concert, a CD recording and a film - make this really exciting to look forward to. This will be the third massed choirs concert I have directed and, if the other concerts are anything to go by, my regular waking up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat will start in about a month!

The choir sounded fantastic in the brilliant acoustic of Bath Abbey last June and so my anticipation of the sound we might be able to create in Canterbury Cathedral is already tantalising my senses. We will be singing half an hour of sacred music.  I have begun to pick over ideas for the programme and have already arranged something that will take advantage of the special atmosphere and aura of that particular cathedral.

As it is four years since Voicemale was released, we have many numbers in our existing and recent repertoire that can be committed to disc. We will be recording in St Mark's, Purley again which was such an ideal recording location in 2008. The (revised) recording dates are 29th September and October 13th.

Add to all this our joint concerts with The Swift Singers in Essex and The Canadian Orpheus MVC (to be conducted by our Assistant Musical Director as I am otherwise engaged on that date) and 2012 should be a year to remember.

CHOIR PHOTO GALLERY

In response to popular demand, Phil Talmage and Peter Gillman have compiled a photo gallery showing choir members.   It now contains all but one member shown in Dick Diplock's latest list (and one who isn't).  Click on this link:

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/petercgillman/ChoirGallery#

There are photos from the Holland tour on this link:

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/petercgillman/Holland2010#

(If you can't click on to this link directly, paste it into your browser address line)