- Weston Choral - Greetings to all and hope you're enjoying a great summer
-
Date Posted: Thu, 28 Jul 2022
Dear singers
The great news is that we start reherasals again at 7.30pm on October 4th at All Saints' - we're guaranteed some really wonderful singing experiences this coming term so please do come along, join or re-join Weston Choral and get your friends to join as well! If anyone has difficulty getting to All Saints' we will try to set up car shares to make things easier and ensure everyone can come along to enjoy the singing. Use the contact form to send us a message if you need a lift...
Our next concert will take place on January 28th 2023, but please also note that the date previously given for our December 2023 concert has changed and is now booked for 9th December 2023.
Here is a message from Howard about the pieces we will be rehearsing in the coming term for performance in January 2023....
"For our January 2023 concert we are tackling two very contrasting pieces. The first is a beautiful Requiem by the French composer Durufle. For the style of music think ‘Faure with sophisticated extras’. The themes of the Requiem are based on chants and will fit really well with the acoustics in All Saints’ Church. It will sound ethereal and heavenly!
The second group of pieces is a brand new work by Bob Chilcott: Songs my heart has taught me. It’s a set of four contrasting songs in various styles, one of which is musical theatre. There is tranquil beauty and high energy contrasted in this set.
The whole calendar timing and time of day of this concert is new for Weston Choral. We decided, for 2022, to dispense with a traditional Christmas concert (that will be back for December 9th 2023!) and place the concert at the end of January 2023 when the Christmas and New Year rush is over! Again, to ring the changes the concert will be in mid-afternoon and will be finalised with a ‘tea and cakes’ session at the end!"
We already have some new singers signed up to join us on October 4th and it would be a great opportunity to welcome back singers who had to drop out during the pandemic or for other reasons.
It’s great to keep reading and hearing about how good singing is for everyone: physical and mental health flourish when we sing. Of course, we knew that already before the scientific studies confirmed it all! So come and be part of the growing movement and join in the revolution!
First rehearsal Tuesday October 4th at All Saints’ Church, All Saints’ Road, WSM. 7.30-9.30pm"
More information on the two works:
Further info on Duruflé requiem:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Requiem__(Duruflé)
Further info on Bob Chilcott's Songs my Heart has Taught Me
https://en-gb.facebook.com/OUPChoral/videos/bob-chilcott-delphine-chalmers-songs-my-heart-has-taught-me/898126560988199/
- Sublime summer singing season concludes with a gorgeous garden recital
-
Date Posted: Wed, 27 Jul 2022
Well done to all Summer singers and thanks to everyone who came to Jane's lovely garden - it was a thoroughly enjoyable experience with music and refreshments in a lovely setting which we were free to explore. The weather was superb too, so it was a fantastic conclusion to our brilliant summer singing sessions. There was a raffle for one of our super hampers and the event raised £200 for the choral society.
A huge vote of thanks is due to Howard for organising and running the summer sing and to Jane for organising the garden event hamper, drinks and cakes!
A few pictures of the event and the garden are shown below....
PS - Singers - look out for an email later to tell you all about our upcoming rehearsals working towards the next Weston Choral concert set to take place at All Saints' on January 28th 2023.
PPS - Don't forget to book your place on the 2022 Singing Day (happening on November 19th). Click the "Upcoming events" link on the website homepage to secure your place.
- Weston Choral Concert Poster May 7th 2022
-
Date Posted: Wed, 9 Mar 2022
Please share the attached poster which gives details for out May 7th 2022 Concert with everyone you know.... Attachment: 
- Weston Choral May 7th 2022 concert success
-
Date Posted: Mon, 28 Feb 2022
Dear Singers
We all know that the rehearsals for our May Concert have been something really special. The work is intense, the music incredible and so diverse.... there must be something in there to touch the heart of absolutely everyone.... and that being the case, why not get absolutely everyone you know to come along! We do seriously need to make a huge success of this and with your hard work we can do just that.
Tickets for what promises to be an absolutely stunning musical journey are now available - you can book online and get your tickets by email or alternatively use the attached booking form to order your tickets - hand your completed form to Helen at rehearsal and we will either email or hand your tickets to you (tick your preference on the form). Bring all your family and friends! They may want to join us when they see how good this is!
Let’s really get behind Weston Choral and sell the concert out - there are only 150 tickets available (well 148 now as I've got mine!) - that's less than 3 tickets each... not counting the school choir's family and friends! Get your order in early.....
Please also share the attached poster I will send out separately with your connections.
How to book
To book by credit card / debit card online click the link below:
https://tinyurl.com/wcs-may-07-2022
To pay by cheque or bank transfer members can download the attached form and hand it to Helen at rehearsal. Your tickets will then be emailed or brought to a later rehearsal according to your choice. If you have a question about the booking process please ask Helen or myself any Tuesday at rehearsal.
Maria
Graphic designer / webmaster for Weston Choral
On behalf of Weston Choral committee
Attachments:
Booking form
Attachment: 
- Weston Choral Are Back !
-
Date Posted: Fri, 27 Aug 2021
- Togetherness and Inspiration
-
Date Posted: Sat, 19 Dec 2020
Wishing all and lovely Christmas season and lets hope and look toward a better 2021. YouTube Video URL:
- Cantique - with Weston Choral singers!
-
Date Posted: Tue, 7 Jul 2020
Members will remember singing this at our Faure concert in November.... here a few of our singers got involved in a worldwide version with an ensemble under the fantastic name "Musique Sans Frontières" . Have a listen! Lovely sunflowers too.... YouTube Video URL:
- Laughed Out Loud - A LOT at this video
-
Date Posted: Thu, 18 Jun 2020
For those who have tried out virtual singing in this lockdown period - and even if you haven't this will make you laugh - the brilliant "Birth of the Virtual Choir". Well done Julie Stanley and St. Giles Festival Choir! and thanks to John for sending us the link.... :-) YouTube Video URL:
- SAVE OUR CHOIRS!
-
Date Posted: Wed, 17 Jun 2020
We need to speak out and strongly support our cause if we are to get back to singing as we knew it and loved it.... The Guardian has published a letter from Bob Chilcott, John Rutter, Harry Christophers and other leading lights of singing:- here is a quote from the letter:
"We need the government to show how we can restart singing together on an equal footing with opening theme parks, shopping and kicking a football around. It is imperative that we find a way for choirs in this country to resume as soon and as safely as we can.
Singing in a choir is not only about communality, social cohesion and harmony; for many it is an essential source of emotional wellbeing and positive mental health. Moreover it is a powerful expression of our culture and humanity, and it cannot be allowed to fade away."
Those responsible for managing churches, village halls and similar spaces are unlikely to act without government approval / guidance so it's up to all of us to speak out for our singing! Our own leading light Musical Director has set the ball rolling by writing to his MP John Penrose.
Let's all tell our MPs how we feel about this and get choral singing firmly on their agenda!
Please share and encourage all the singers you know
Email sent to John Penrose MP for Weston-super-Mare:
to get involved.
" Hello John
I don’t know whether you read the article in The Guardian today about the plight of British Choirs during the pandemic?
I am the Musical Director of Weston Choral which has been established in our town for over 150 years.
We are currently trying to make plans for our forthcoming season commencing in September where we will start rehearsing music for our Christmas concerts.
Could I ask that you raise with the Culture Secretary / Prime Minister the need for us to have some guidance and possible timetable ( depending on the progress of improvement in the containment of the virus) as to how we might need to plan to rehearse safely at the beginning of September? I understand that over 2 million people in the UK belong to choirs and it would be a huge boost if we could have some reassurance. We would then be delighted to share our music with our communities which, by Christmas, will be sorely in need of uplift gained from listening to live music.
I look forward to your commentsYours sincerely "
Link to Guardian letter:
https://amp.theguardian.com/music/2020/jun/16/covid-19-has-silenced-choirs
- Cantique - singing it again... and a tiny issue is sorted
-
Date Posted: Tue, 16 Jun 2020
In the latest international virtual choir collaboration of Faure’s "Cantique de Jean Racine" which several Weston choral members are involved with, our very own Maria Redman was the first alto to spot a discrepancy between the rehearsal track and the score… just shows what a talented lot we are in Weston! Here is what the Musical Director (Jeff Ward), said to all the choristers:
Dear Altos,
Thanks to the excellent hearing of one of our members, an error in the ALTO MP3 backing track has been found in bars 73 and 74.
We have fixed the mistake now so please can you download the corrected MP3 before you start.
Apologies for any confusion!
All the best
Jeff
- Like a Rainbow used for International Conference
-
Date Posted: Mon, 15 Jun 2020
The wonderful "Like a Rainbow Shining" recording, in which some of our Weston Choral members sang along with Worle Chorale and Spanish / Portuguese choir members, was used during the opening ceremony at the online Model United Nations@ Newton International Academy conference which was live streamed over the weekend. Unfortunately the stream was not super quality so not really able to listen effectively here.... however it's great that we were a part of it! Well done all!
- Howard Interviewed on BBC Radio Bristol!
-
Date Posted: Tue, 2 Jun 2020
In case you missed it... here is a link to Howard's interview on BBC Radio Bristol talking about "Like a Rainbow Shining"....
CLICK BELOW:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/cvwqevmzov5wi9l/Howard%20Sayer%20interview%20BBC%20Bristol.mp3?dl=0
- Like a Rainbow Shining - Well Done to All!
-
Date Posted: Thu, 28 May 2020
You may have heard that my ensemble choir, Worle Chorale, were hosting a Spanish and Portuguese choir here in Weston during April this year. We were planning a couple of concerts and social events together. Obviously everything had to be cancelled, along with our own Weston Choral concert....much to everyone's disappointment. However, as many other choirs, we have tried to keep in touch via zoom. Every Friday two choirs from the UK, one from Spain and one from Portugal have been meeting virtually and having a chat and as far as we can, a sing! When I heard that Will Todd had composed an anthem called ‘Like a rainbow shining’, specially for this ‘lockdown’ period it seemed an ideal opportunity to have a go at this together... albeit from a distance. So each person, including some Weston Choral members, recorded their track and sent it to Ellie our sound mixer, who did a fantastic job producing this final version. The words and music are inspired and really are a message for our time.
Enjoy!
Howard
PS:
Howard sent the above message to Will Todd (composer of the piece) and received this response:
Wow
this is SO LOVELY
thank you guys
Wx
(Will Todd, Tyalgum Press and Will Todd Music)YouTube Video URL:
- Weston Choral Singers doing it in Lockdown!
-
Date Posted: Fri, 1 May 2020
Ellie has done a fantastic job putting together this video of Haydn's "The Heavens are Telling". Well done to all the singers and big thanks to Howard and Ellie for organising everything.... YouTube Video URL:
- Carols for Weston Hospice Care....
-
Date Posted: Wed, 18 Dec 2019
Well sung all the intrepid WCS members who turned out for carol singing! I wonder... did Sainsburys actually notice we were there? No idea - didn't see any of their representatives.... Thanks though to the many lovely people putting coins in the Weston Hospicecare boxes which we eventually found via a pleasant security guard....
Maria
:-)
Many thanks to those members who turned up for the Carol Singing at Sainsbury’s on Tuesday 17th December. It was a blast! Special mention to the men who gave a stirring rendition of the verse in Good King Wenceslas!
The interpretation of the "wind" deserves another thumbs up!
It will be interesting to know how much we raised for Weston Hospice Care.
When we know, we will let you know.
Happy Christmas.
Bill and Kay.
YouTube Video URL:
- Feedback from the Faure concert...
-
Date Posted: Fri, 6 Dec 2019
Hope you all enjoyed the experience - some of the feedback received is shown below...
- A date for your diary...
-
Date Posted: Thu, 14 Nov 2019
Just to let you know that the premiere performance of Bob Chilcott's Christmas Oratorio (which Weston Choral will be singing for our Christmas 2020 concert), was recorded live by BBC Radio 3 and will be broadcast on Thursday 19 December at 7.30 pm.
- Blooming Brilliant...
-
Date Posted: Thu, 17 Oct 2019
Please do have a listen to Ellie’s version of Les fleurs et les abres. I was asked, "Is this good enough for homework this week?" Accolade for the best reply please...
YouTube Video URL:
- Very Pronounced French...
-
Date Posted: Tue, 15 Oct 2019
Maybe we can take a few tips and improve our accents for all the French pieces we are practicing at the moment.....?
YouTube Video URL:
- Brilliantly Blues'd !!!
-
Date Posted: Wed, 19 Jun 2019
The anticipation, excitement and commitment certainly paid off with a concert , that I think, will be one of the Society’s finest.
Having the musicians there for the afternoon rehearsal just brought it all together. Hearing the double bass come in after the first fews bars in the opening Kyrie, made my tears run rendering me voiceless for a minute or so, as my late father was a great bass player, playing with the big dance bands plus other jazz groups. I could see him so clearly strumming and bowing away getting wrapped up in every note that was played. It was a very poignant moment for me.
Will was so easy to work with and very encouraging about the sound we were producing. Well, we certainly could not let him nor Howard down after all the work we had put in.
Performance here we come! Wasn’t it great ? You just know after the opening notes that all will be well and we took it to another level.
I think we were rather tentative for a while about the Songs of Peace buy maybe having Will there playing made us relax and get into the pieces. Even the D sharp was spot on !! All the parts were secure and you couldn’t help but be swept away with a glorious sound and feel for the music.
There was a real energy throughout the pieces of the Mass. I don’t know about you but when the opening bars begin and then it blasts into the double time, the adrenaline is swirling around and you become very focused for the start of the Kyrie.
We didn't appear to be phased either by the faster tempo in the Credo ! How good was that ? HEADS UP for the last chord.... and at the end, well how much longer were we going to hang onto that note ? For as long as Will Todd wanted to , is the simple answer!!
All soloists, musicians and performers were TERRIFIC making this a truly memorable evening.
As Will Todd said, singing is a wonderful thing to be involved with.
We are so fortunate to be able to experience moments like these throughout our singing. We enjoy coming together as a group to sing, support each other, socialise and rub out !! Some of us ,one day, may win a hamper !!
Long may it continue. VIVA LA MUSICA !!
Kay Blake
- Latest on the Todd Tendon....!
-
Date Posted: Tue, 28 May 2019
Check this out
When you click the link, go to the bottom right corner and click on the little speaker icon to turn on the fabulous sound!
https://twitter.com/i/status/1131469611596169216
- Songs and How to Sing Them... With Help!
-
Date Posted: Wed, 1 May 2019
It all began when my wife Kay was practicing a duet and needed the tenor part to be sung. So I volunteered.... one could say this was truly my Eric Morecombe moment,
when I sang all the right notes (so I thought), but not necessarily in the right order!
From there on I was encouraged to join you all in Weston Choral. I enrolled in
September 2018 to be confronted with 'The Twelve Days of Christmas'! What had I let myself in for? However, I was warmly welcomed, given a seat with the tenors and then introduced to "Papa’s got a head like a ping pong ball" - one of Howard’s warm-ups. Could it get any better, I asked myself?! Simple answer: yes.
It took many hours with Kay, going over a few bars of music at a time trying to get my head around all the notes! With sheer perseverance I cracked it! Within the 'Twelve Days' there was a lovely spiritual melody and I found myself totally absorbed by the tune. I made it my go-to piece for a warm-up on my own.
After 68 years I had almost mastered English... but what now? Gaudete... LATIN! Good old Youtube came to my rescue and I spent many hours (and still do), finding the songs we were learning. Anything from Steeleye Span to the Kings Singers gave me a step up and hope!
The final rehearsal for the Christmas concert in St. John’s church was the moment of enlightenment for me. Our seating was organized in our SATB parts. We stood, then began to sing. I was surrounded by the most wonderful sound of voices coming together. It took my breath away. The concert was a step up again and I was really enjoying being a part of this company of singers supporting each other to perform at our very best. Maybe the glass of wine at half time helped!
My first term concluded on a high. Why had I not done this before? Music transports you to another level. Working with others gives you great satisfaction and when the end results sound like my first concert I can only imagine at the moment, what Mass in Blue will be like. BRING IT ON!!!
Bill Blake
- Weston Choral in New York!
-
Date Posted: Sun, 28 Apr 2019
What exciting things we do as Weston Choral members....
After a 7.5 hour flight a gruelling 3 hour wait to process through US immigration and a further 2 hours to battle along the 6 lane highway we finally made it to New York City! All that was left was to collapse into the absolutely massive bed and get some much needed shut-eye... Thursday dawned and we were off exploring! Spent much of my time that first day in the city trying hard not to look as gobsmacked as I truly felt. NYC can really feel like an assault on the senses - especially anywhere in the vicinity of Times Square where whole skyscrapers flash with the biggest and most intense media show ever and every other person on the street is intent on selling you a tour of the city.... Captivating in one sense but very quickly becoming overwhelming.
Friday dawned and we had an early rehearsal call for 8.30am. After preliminaries and issue of lanyards / security passes we met the Musical Director for our section of the concert Dr James Meaders. Due to my lack of inches I ended up in the front row... bang in front of Dr Meaders! No need to worry though - an excellent and tough but brilliant and charismatic MD, he really showed us how to bring out the best in the music. The choir itself was fabulous - around 250 voices producing a super sound. When towards the end of the intensive morning's rehearsal, Will Todd our composer entered the room, the younger members of the American choirs present might have been welcoming a rock star!
On Saturday we settled in well to our afternoon rehearsal call and did an amazing warm-up routine directed by Will Todd which energized everyone for the session. These rehearsals will live in my memory - so special and the music full of emotion.
The day of the concert was the first time anyone in our choir had seen the inside of David Geffen Hall - a cavernous space in warm wood tones. Filing onto the stage risers and rehearsing was thrilling - now I could understand why the 250 singers were appropriate... I had to keep mentally pinching myself to think that here we were, onstage in a famous hall in New York City singing with an amazing composer and musicians...
Later that day, waiting our turn in the Green rooms backstage the familiar excitement and nervous anticipation seemed to stretch the brief wait to climb to the stage... but finally there we were - front and centre facing a huge audience and singing Will Todd's fabulous music. We remembered what we could of Dr. Meaders’ advice "the expression on your face will come out in the music" and followed his direction to our best ability... We sang with all the joy and hope that we all felt.
The emotion in the hall was incredible and despite a programme instruction not to applaud until the end of the set of pieces, the audience responded to each movement. At the end we received rapturous applause and a standing ovation. The whole experience lived up to and went beyond
my expectation and I wouldn't hesitate to do something similar again given the opportunity. The DCINY organisers were really brilliant and they organised a reception banquet after the concert to round things off and give everyone time to come down from the musical high... it took a while!
- Our MD Howard Sayer on Will Todd...
-
Date Posted: Sat, 27 Apr 2019
Below is an interview where Howard, our MD talks about Will Todd's influence, music and our upcoming Mass in Blue Concert on June 8th...
"I first discovered Will Todd’s music in 2008 when I conducted MIB at Worle School. We performed in Clifton Cathedral and had Will and his trio come to accompany us as we do this time. So for me this is a chance to re-visit this fantastic piece that audiences love. The difference with this concert is that Weston Choral are also going to be performing the more recently composed Songs of Peace by Will. I’ve not conducted these before, so it’s always good for me to have a new challenge too!"
"I really appreciate Will’s gift for melody...there are always beautiful melodic shapes..some often unexpected but always work sensitively in context. He has a distinct harmonic language which I’d equate to ’Faure/Rutter plus’..and then there are the jazz harmonies of course."
"From my experience of conducting it before the MIB has a wide appeal to audiences. There was a tremendous reception from the audience when we did it before..and I’m pretty sure very few people had heard of it then. There are catchy rhythms, virtuosic solo lines, exciting choral parts, tender moments and spectacular vocal fireworks at times! I think Weston Choral are ready for a challenge that takes us a little bit out of our comfort-zone..though of course we have done a shorter jazz composition of his, and other non-jazz choral pieces of his fairly recently."
"The concert itself is primarily to showcase Will Todd’s music. I’m a great believer in performing music by living composers. He’s now a highly regarded world-renowned composer so it’s such a privilege to have him here in Weston. There will be some contrasting music in the concert too: solos from Martha McLorinan ( mezzo-soprano), Tessa Ractliffe ( saxophone) and of course the talented Worle School Youth Choir."
"I think Will Todd’s musical style is accessible to those interested in classical, jazz and popular. He can write exclusively in those styles but also combines them cleverly. Melodies are memorable and he creates atmospheric beauty in many of his pieces. Choirs enjoy singing his music and audiences enjoy listening to it. It’s never dumbed down either..often clever challenges that keep musicians alert and yet transcends traditional boundaries which opens it up to a wide audience."
