Many thanks also to those who volunteered last week to sing at the Rugby Club Christmas event on Friday 16 December. As we don’t have quite enough Soulsters available, we have declined taking part this year.  So you get to put your feet up with a festive drink instead!

And so, onto Friday’s rehearsal.. with the concert and Remembrance behind us, we’re now looking ahead to our next event, the Isabel Hospice Lights of Love celebration, which will take place at 4pm on Sunday 4 December in the Market Square.  The songs chosen by the hospice as well as those we select ourselves, are in the rep list below.  In the absence of Susie, (who is off doing things wonderful at South Mill Arts), we will be welcoming Jonathan, a colleague of Peter’s, to our rehearsal.  Luckily for Jonathan, Peter and his wiggle warm-up will come as no surprise!

Repertoire – Friday 18 November, 7:15pm

• Advent Carol
• Candlelight Carol
• First Tree in the Greenwood
• In the Bleak Midwinter
• Little Drummer Boy
• Merry Christmas (Shakin’ Stevens)
• Merry Christmas (Slade)
• Once in Royal David’s City
• Santa Claus is Coming to Town
• Silent Night

All the music and the sectionals are now on Dropbox and can be accessed via the Members area.

See you all Friday, lovely people!

Herts and Soulster HQ xx

Soulster Event Calendar:

2022

Sunday 4 December, 4:00pm – Lights of Love, Market Square, B/S
Friday 9 December, 7:15pm – Christmas Party! – Herts & Essex High School

2023

Friday 6 January, 7:15pm – First rehearsal of 2023!

The post Whilst (one) cat’s away… appeared first on Herts and Soul Community Choir.

I trust you are all keeping well and have had a good week.

Firstly, don’t forget that this Friday is cake day, thanks to Sue G! If you’d like to eat a slice (or two) during the break, please come armed with some change as a donation for the Stroke and Alzheimer’s societies. I’m reliably informed that there is more than enough to go around..

Secondly, this week’s Soulster Express contains quite a lot of information about the Choir Festival on 8th October. Thank you to everyone who is taking part – Herts & Soul will well represented. It promises to be a fine and heartwarming kinda day! As the arrangements are not applicable to everyone, the details of the festival, including timings and line-up are at the end of the email.

Thirdly, many thanks to Susie who has now uploaded all her guide vocals to Dropbox. Much appreciated, Susie; we’re one step further to sounding even more fabulous!

For this Friday’s rehearsal, we will be singing the following:

900 Miles
Firework
Hold Back the River
Oklahoma Medley
Piano Man
Summertime
The Things We do for Love.

The ensemble rehearsals will take place this week at the following times and with the Soulsters listed:

6:45pm – Both Sides Now
8:00pm – (during the break) – Wake Me Up (a few more Sops needed please!)
9-9:30pm – Livin’ on a Prayer

Wake Me Up
Sop 1s: Shazza, Liz E, Carol G, Brenda, Anne R, Jo B
Sop 2s: Colleen, Pam, Jenni
Altos: Wellsie, Beccy, Kate C, Melanie, Helen, Sunny, Zoe, Kate W

Livin’ On a Prayer
Sopranos: Liz E, Gill H, Carolyn G, Jayne R, Rosie, Jenni, Shazza, Sue W, Maggie B
Alto 1: Trish, Wellsie, Sunny, Beccy
Alto 2: Melanie, Katy D, Annette, Kate W, Fran
Lowers: Simon, David J, Alan, Matt

Remember that all the music is Dropbox and can be accessed via the Members area.

Soulster Event Calendar:

Friday 4 November, 7:30pm – Concert at Herts & Essex High School
Sunday 13 November – Remembrance Service – Memorial Gardens, Bishops Stortford
Saturday 8 October, 2:00 – 4:30pm – Bishop’s Stortford Choir Festival, St Michael’s Church, B/S
Sunday 4 December, 4:00pm – Lights of Love, Market Square, B/S
Friday 9 December, 7:15pm – Christmas Party! – Herts & Essex High School

Bishop’s Stortford Choir Festival – St Michael’s Church, Windhill, Saturday 8 October

The timings of the Choir Festival are below. Please note that they are approximate. Unfortunately, because there will be so many people singing, it is not possible to make this a public event. This may change once numbers are finalised but we will be notified if this is the case.

1.40pm – choirs can begin to arrive. NO EARLIER PLEASE!

2.00pm – Festival begins with an ‘all choirs’ warm up
2.15pm – The Bishop’s Stortford Gospel Choir
2.30pm – Fusion
2.45pm – Herts and Soul Community Choir
3.00pm – Amicii Cantate
3.15pm – Break

4.00pm All Choirs Together (Freedom Train/Shosone Love Song)
4.30pm U3A Choir
4.45pm The Harmonaires Choir
5.00pm Festival closes, thanks and goodbye
5.10pm volunteers to clear and pack up

Repertoire:

• 900 Miles
• Piano Man
• The Things We Do For Love

Songs will NOT be off copy. Please bring red folders.

—

The post Let them eat cake… appeared first on Herts and Soul Community Choir.

We hope you all had a calm and reflective bank holiday weekend – it was certainly quite something, was it not? – with some very beautiful moments, plenty of emotion and a lot of pause for thought.

So now in the spirit of looking to the future, our November concert is shaping up quite nicely. This Friday’s arrangements are as follows:

We will rehearse 2 ensembles this week. Please do not worry if you have said that you are absent this coming Friday. The recordings will be in Dropbox soon for you to practise.

Both Sides Now – this will be rehearsed at 6:45pm, prior to the main rehearsal with the respective Soulsters:
Sopranos: Liz E, Sarah C, Val, Janet A, Brenda F, Elaine L, Colleen, Liz J, Sarah L-E
Altos: Fran, Kate W, Elaine K, Joan T, Helen E, Annette, Katy D
Lowers: Simon M, David J, Mick S, Alan, Barbara, Matt

Life on Mars – this will be rehearsed at 9.00pm after the main rehearsal with the following Soulsters:
Sopranos: Maggie, Lisa, Lucy, Jo B, Brenda, Jo B-M, Jan W, Sarah C
Altos: Wellsie, Kate C, Gladys, Zoe, Nettie, Kate W, Fran
Tenors: David J, Barbara, Simon, Lesley, Alan
Bass: Paul B, Mick S
(Music for both of these were attached to last week’s Soulster Express and are in Dropbox.)

There are still some spaces in the following ensembles, so please reply to this email with your preference or sign up on Friday:

Life on Mars: a few more basses needed
Livin’ on a Prayer: sopranos and more lowers please
Wake Me Up: (we are not sure of the original line-up so please let us know if you couldn’t come last week, but were in the original ensemble). We are short of Soprano 2s. Soprano 1s could sign up for Sop 2 part for this ensemble.

Thank you to everyone who has signed up for the Choir Festival on 8 October. We’ll give you the finer details in the next week or two. It’s only 3 weeks to go, but don’t panic! The songs will NOT be off copy; folders will be allowed.

The most popular Christmas Party date was Friday 9 December, so put it in your diaries. All Soulsters, their families and friends are welcome to join us for some party fun (and maybe a little bit of singing too)! We’ll let you know what’s what nearer the time and in plenty of time to dust down your gladrags!

A reminder that Sue Giles will be bringing cake to the break on Friday 30 September, so please bring some change with you as a donation to the Alzheimers and Stroke societies.

And finally, a very big shout out to Peter who has done all his Dropbox guides – what a superstar! I am reliably informed that Susie is also ‘chipping away’ at hers. We know how much time and work this takes, so thank you to both our amazing MDs for their part in this. It’s much appreciated and makes us all sound fabulous! Thanks also go to Trish for uploading recordings and music to Dropbox behind the scenes. Awesome teamwork all round!

with love from H&S HQ
xx

Friday 23 September 2022 Repertoire:

900 Miles
Days
Hold Back the River
Piano Man
Summertime
The Things We Do for Love
Wellerman
You’re the Voice

All music is available on Dropbox and can be accessed via the Members area of the website and enter the password: https://hertsandsoul.co.uk/members/

Soulster Event Calendar:

Friday 4 November, 7:30pm – Concert at Herts & Essex High School
Sunday 13 November – Remembrance Service – Memorial Gardens, Bishops Stortford
Saturday 8 October, 2:00 – 4:30pm – Bishop’s Stortford Choir Festival, St Michael’s Church, B/S
Sunday 4 December, 4:00pm – Lights of Love, Market Square, B/S
Friday 9 December, 7:15pm – Christmas Party! – Herts & Essex High School
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