Spring Concert 2019

Didsbury Baptist Church at 7.30pm on 

Saturday March 9th 2019

Popular Songs 

from the 1920s to the 1960s

Admission free - All welcome

AGM for 2018 - Minutes

Minutes of Cavendish Singers AGM 9^th January 2019

38 members present

Chairperson’s Report 

Carol Bodey reported that it has been another busy year for the choir, who have sung a wide variety of music, both challenging and not so challenging but fun.

The main concert was in June, where we performed Hiawatha, which was a challenge we rose to. Various other, shorter items of English music were performed, some of which were well known and other newer ones have become favourites, such as the folk songs by Vaughan Williams and Holst.

At Christmas we performed as usual at Manchester Central Library, which was well received and one of our best performances there, and we also sang outside of Didsbury Library to raise money for Oxfam, raising £140, as well as enjoying ourselves.

Plans for 2019 include another café concert on 9^th March, which will comprise music from 1920s – 1960s and end with some nibbles, and our main concert on 8^th June, where we will perform 8 or 9 choruses from Haydn’s Creation.

Apart from preparing for performances, we have enjoyed complete relaxation times after concerts, as well as at the end of each evening rehearsal, and when we sing from Bill’s end of term “favourites lists”.  

Warm-ups have proved to be useful and are appreciated, but Carol recognises that she has a limited number of ideas, so asked for people to consider volunteering to lead a session or two in order to provide more variety and share the role.

Treasurer’s Report

Tony Craven explained that, following the failure to break even during 2017, when a loss of £200 was incurred, the opening balance for 2018 stood at £620. The increase in subscription charged during 2018, together with costs being adequately contained, has resulted in a surplus of £15, giving a closing balance of £635. 

The number of subscribing members during the year was 52, which is the same as during 2017. 

As no sudden increases in cost are expected for this year, the annual subscription will remain at £60.

The number of members choosing to pay subscriptions in advance through bank transfer has continued to rise and this continues to aid the management of the Choir finances. The opportunity to pay subscriptions through six instalments of cash will, however, continue to be available during 2018. 

A full statement of the Accounts for 2018 can be obtained from the Treasurer. 

Conductor’s Report

Natalie Marshall had very little voice, but thanked everyone, and noted that the Tenor soloist at our June concert had complimented the choir on their unaccompanied Vaughan Williams folk songs.

She also mentioned how well people sang outside Didsbury Library, watching her much more because they knew the words, and therefore suggested that we try to learn the words for much of Haydn’s Creation next June.

Election of Committee Members

Chair of Committee – Carol Bodey

Musical Director – Natalie Marshall

Librarian/Accompanist/Composer in Residence – Bill Birkhead

Treasurer – Tony Craven

Secretary – Elaine Wilkinson

Choir member – Tony Matthews

It would be helpful to have a ‘Publicity Team’ and someone to help maintain the website, so choir members were asked to consider this and see Carol if interested in joining the Committee.

John Eden gave a vote of thanks to Natalie and Bill, for their good choice of music and for Bill’s astounding versatility on the piano.

In memoriam

Carol mentioned how much we miss and remember with great affection two members of our choir who died this last year:

Margaret Hampson, at whose funeral many choir members sang

Alan Ingram, whose moving Quaker memorial was attended by a number of choir members, and where the recorder group, that he had been part of, provided the opening music.

Thanks

Carol gave thanks to the following:

• To all the Committee, for its continued commitment
• To all choir members for coming every week, for their commitment and for helping to make our choir special, having heard that from several members recently – special in its inclusivity, its friendships and friendliness, its challenges as well as its fun-based activity
• To Bill, for his amazing organisation, storing all the music (no mean feat), dealing with Henry Watson Library and writing new pieces just for us!
• To Elaine for her organisation and efficient sending of emails
• To Tony for his attention to detail and dealing with the accounts
• To Natalie, without whom it wouldn’t happen! Thanks for all her hard work, and for coping with us and our noise, chatter, interruptions, and for living with the acoustics of the room

She made one request, due to the bad acoustic, that we should try to concentrate on listening during rehearsal time, rather than chatting, and asked that if anyone had a suggestion or an issue or suggestion for an improvement, then they should talk to Natalie or one of the Committee during the break. This way we would gain more singing time!

Natalie thanked Carol for making the committee meetings so enjoyable, and for carrying out her role as Chairperson so well.

Future Concerts and performances

Saturday 15th December 2018     Manchester Central Library  10.45 am

This year we are delighted to have been invited once again to give a free public performance at the Central Library.  Our Christmas songs this year will be a mixture of old traditional favourites and some newer less well known carols.  This performance will last 45 mins.

Saturday 9th March 2019     Didsbury Baptist Church  7.30 pm

We are planning a more informal style of concert than usual, with cafe-style tables, nibbles and drinks.  The songs will principally be of the early 20th Century style, ie 20s and 30s.

There will be an admission fee for this concert, and the evening will last about 2 hours.

Saturday 8th June 2019     Didsbury Baptist Church  7.30 pm

This will be our main concert for the year and will include solos and choruses from Haydn's Creation.

There will be no admission fee for this concert, and the evening will last about 2 hours.

Spring Term 2018

We are currently learning some English Folk Songs by Vaughan Williams and Hiawatha's Wedding by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor for performance later this year.

Christmas Carols

The Cavendish Singers will be singing some carols at Manchester Central Library on

Saturday 16th December 2017 at 12.30 pm

Admission free

October Concert

Music We Love

A concert with songs from our repertoire 

Didsbury Baptist Church. 7.30pm.  Saturday October 14th

Free Admission

Summer Break

The last meeting before our summer break will now be on Wednesday 5th July.


On that evening, we will sing some of our favourite songs and then have a social hour.


The Choir will reconvene on 6th September.

Concert at Didsbury Baptist Church 13th May 2017

Change of Rehearsal Venue - April 26th

Please note that the rehearsal scheduled for April 26th 2017 will now take place at Didsbury Baptist Church instead of the Cavendish School Hall.

Christmas !

The Choir performed a 40 min programme of Christmas music at the "Extravaganza" at Manchester Central Library last Saturday. This event always starts the season off in style !

Our last meeting of 2016 will be on Wednesday 14th December when we will sing some of our favourites, hold our AGM, and have a festive snack !

We start in 2017 on Wednesday 11th January continuing to learn and rehearse the pieces we will be performing in our Annual Spring Concert on May 13th.

Autumn Term

With the leaves beginning to fall, the choir is busy preparing music both for Christmas and for our  concert next spring.

So far we are enjoying learning several pieces by Mendelsohn and four recently published works by Karl Jenkins.  Each meeting, we also manage to fit in several favourites from our enormous repertoire !

See a tab above for more details of our upcoming CONCERTS

See a tab above for next year's MEETING DATES

And onwards towards Summer !

Following our Concert on May 21st at Didsbury Baptist Church, we move into our fourth half term of meetings taking us from June 8th to July 20th, seven weeks in all.

Each evening we will be singing some old favourites as well as learning some new pieces for our repertoire.

Come and join us !

Concert - 21st May 2016

CONCERT AT 

DIDSBURY BAPTIST CHURCH

Saturday 21st May 2016 at 7.30pm 

Songs by Arthur Sullivan

Bassoon Trio

Songs from the 1940s

£8 at the door

Spring is sprung

After our AGM at the end of December, we elected our committee for 2016, and discussed the programme for the coming year.

January, February and March would be meetings with a varied and eclectic repertoire.

April and May would concentrate on rehearsing for the concert on 21st May.

In June and July we would return to singing an assortment of music, adding the ones we like to our repertoire.

We didn't get as far as discussing what to do after the summer break !


Don't forget :

Didsbury Baptist Church. Saturday 21st May - Songs by Sullivan and Songs from the 40s

Christmas Carols at the Library

A good time was had by all !  Thanks to the Library for its organisation and mince pies.

Annual General Meeting on Wednesday 16th December -- See you there !

First meeting of the new year  - Wednesday 6th January 2016

Christmas and year-end events

Carols at Manchester Central Library

As in previous years, we have been invited to sing some carols and festive songs at Manchester Central Library on 

Saturday 12th December starting at 12.30pm

Our provisional programme includes :

• Make we joy now in this feast
• Up good Christen folk and listen
• Lute book lullaby
• In dulci jubilo
• It came upon the midnight clear
• Silent night
• The Virgin's slumber song
• El Nacimiento  (from Navidad Nuestra)
• Los Reyes Magos (from Navidad Nuestra)
• And the glory of the Lord (from the Messiah)
• O thou that tellest good tidings (from the Messiah)
• Have yourself a merry little Christmas
• White Christmas
• Winter wonderland
• We wish you a merry Christmas

Choir Annual General Meeting

Our final meeting of the year will take place on 

Wednesday 16th December starting at 7.15 pm

After a short singing session, we will conduct our AGM with election of officers.  This will be followed by BYO refreshments --

See you again in January 2016 - first meeting January 6th

SPRING CONCERT

As our contribution to

THE DIDSBURY ARTS FESTIVAL

we have a concert organised for 

FRIDAY 26TH JUNE at 7.30 pm.

The works to be performed include pieces by Haydn and Mozart and the feature work is Vivaldi's Gloria.  There will also a premiere of a composition by a local musician and member of the choir.

The venue will be at DIDSBURY UNITED REFORMED CHURCH on Palatine Rd.

The church is at the corner of Palatine Rd and Parkfield Rd South.

Admission £5  Refreshments will be available after the concert.

Plans for Spring 2015

We are currently learning some English folk songs written by Gustav Holst in addition to some other new pieces, some by our resident composer, Bill.

We are learning the Haydn "Te Deum" and the Haydn "Organmass" in preparation for a concert during the Didsbury Arts Festival, which takes place during the last week in June 2015.

Christmas 2014 and beyond

The choir will be singing carols as part of the Manchester Central Library "Christmas Extravaganza" at 12 noon on Saturday 13th December.  We will be on the minstrels' gallery overlooking the main entrance !

The programme will be a couple of well known carols, some modern carols which you might not know so well, and a round-up of bouncy Christmas songs.

The following Wednesday evening meeting, December 17th at 7.15 pm, will consist of an hour's singing, our Annual General Meeting and then a sampling of some seasonal food and drink !

We start again on Wednesday 7th January at 7.15 pm, continuing our rehearsals to take part in a concert on Saturday 31st January at 7.30 pm at Christ Church, West Didsbury - just off Princess Parkway after the Barlow Moor Road crossing.  The fund-raising concert is being organised by "Freedom from Torture".  We will be singing the Choral Section from The Armed Man Mass.

Summer break

After an enjoyable couple of months singing a collection of old favourites and new pieces just for fun, we are now on our summer break.

First meeting after the summer is on Wednesday 3rd September, 7.15 pm

See you then !