Finance is always a problem for any small amateur choir and a great deal of effort is put into ensuring we have enough money to pay the fabulous professionals that work with us both in terms of our preparation and when it comes to performances where we regularly have high quality singers and musicians as soloists.
All sorts of ways and means of making money are used throughout the year: plant sales, cake sales, raffles and so on.
Last night, however, was the Thame Choral Society Quiz Night. Four years ago, in a meeting somebody mentioned the idea of a quiz night as a way of raising money for the choir. One of the committee then looked at me and said "You could do that couldn't you?" Before I had taken breath or even thought I found myself saying "yes" and so a little tradition began.
It appears that we have made a solid sum of money and I also (rather surprisingly) had some voice left this morning. I hope all who were there had a good time and that my questions weren't too taxing! With 12 teams and only 14 marks separating the top and bottom teams it was a true competition!
The hall we used was full to bursting so if you want to participate next year, you'd better hit the books soon, the Strollers have set the bar quite high!
A huge "Thank You" is due to all those who showed up on a filthy night and, of course, to all those who sorted out the administration and enabled me just to ask questions!
Sunday, 26 January 2014
Thursday, 16 January 2014
So last night was the second night of rehearsals for Thame Choral Society's May concert. Our Christmas concert was a huge success and the whole choir is looking to build on this. Helen, our musical director has devised an English program to mark the 1914 / 2014 anniversary.
Starting on new pieces is always the really hard bit of singing in this type of choir. You look at the "dots and lines" and wonder if you will ever make sense of them and, if you do make sense of them, will it be the same sense that the rest of the choir is making? That is, of course, the reason you do it. We all sing for the joy of singing but we all like to feel the buzz of overcoming a barrier too; its good to be challenged.
For the last two rehearsals we have been attacking (is that the right word?) John Rutter's Gloria. I personally find Rutter quite hard to sing, but there is the challenge again.
The "note bashing" of the first few weeks always, always pays off as the choir approaches the concert but we must not leave it so late to shine with this one!
Anyway I'm off to write some more questions for our January 25 Quiz night at The Haddenham Youth Centre.
www.thamechoralsociety.co.uk
Starting on new pieces is always the really hard bit of singing in this type of choir. You look at the "dots and lines" and wonder if you will ever make sense of them and, if you do make sense of them, will it be the same sense that the rest of the choir is making? That is, of course, the reason you do it. We all sing for the joy of singing but we all like to feel the buzz of overcoming a barrier too; its good to be challenged.
For the last two rehearsals we have been attacking (is that the right word?) John Rutter's Gloria. I personally find Rutter quite hard to sing, but there is the challenge again.
The "note bashing" of the first few weeks always, always pays off as the choir approaches the concert but we must not leave it so late to shine with this one!
Anyway I'm off to write some more questions for our January 25 Quiz night at The Haddenham Youth Centre.
www.thamechoralsociety.co.uk
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