For Sheilas 60th birthday the choir gave her a surprise lunch with special guests at the Blunsdon House Hotel.  Photo's kindly supplied by Kathy Hobson.

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LETTER FROM THE PRINCIPAL

My Dear Friends

What can I say about my 60th birthday! Sunday January 25th 2004 was a day I will never forget! How did my whole choir and Chris keep this wonderful surprise from me? I certainly believe in miracles! Well done everyone! I will never forget seeing Dame Cleo Laine and John Dankworth arriving at Blunsdon House at the same time as Chris and myself. I said to her “what are you doing here?” Cleo answered “I could ask you the same question Sheila. John and I often come here for Sunday lunch!” I walked to the Garden Room with her and my whole choir were waiting for me together with Geoff and Hilary (Walters), Bob Chilcott, Paul and Geraldine Maguire and of course, Chris. They all sang ‘Happy Birthday’. Blunsdon House did us proud. We had a wonderful cake (my birthday present from Terri Rhind). Every one was happy and in really good spirits especially when Clarry read a comical story all about me and my funny habits and sayings (see the following article). John Marshall and Kathy Hobson were the brains behind this I believe - but sadly John could not attend due to illness.

Thank you Yvonne and Lydia for arranging this for me. Thanks to every one for their cards and presents. An unforgettable occasion! My true birthday is January 27th. I taught my Juniors and then had a quiet but lovely meal with Chris at Inglesham Forge.

I have nearly finished planning our May Concert. This will be our 40th birthday concert so surprises are in store. Do tell all your friends and family to buy tickets.

It was wonderful to see the Wyvern Theatre packed for Gary’s concert. Beryl and Ken (Gary’s parents) were thrilled with the end result. Thank you to every one for supporting this, and to David Wicks (Wyvern Stage Manager) for suggesting and arranging it.

Who would have thought that Kentwood would be having a 40th birthday? I personally think that the choir is singing better than ever. I hope our new CD - The Kentwood Show Choir as ‘One Voice’ will prove this to you. They should be on sale at the May Concert. The choir is once again travelling to Ireland in June. Can’t wait!

Life is very busy and hectic and although we have taken a little cut back, Kentwood is still one of the busiest choirs in England. A big thank you to every one for all your love and support at all time. See you in May (if not before). Here’s to our 50th birthday.

Much Love

Sheila

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THE ‘AFTER DINNER’ SPEECH

Now, the following is a true story, only some of the names and facts have been changed to protect the guilty.

January 1944. The world had been at war for years and, as if the citizens had not suffered enough, the winter that year brought its worst. The streets were deserted across Europe, even soldiers on duty sheltered from the biting cold. Then, suddenly there was movement: a family ran from an Austrian Theatre. In hot pursuit were German Soldiers… demanding a refund.

But here in Swindon, the course of peoples’ lives was about to change…. forever.

Mrs Olive Snook had given birth to a bouncing baby girl. One quick slap (and we’ve all thought that!) and the vocal chords would spring into action, but this wasn’t any old cry that emanated from the child’s mouth, it was a strange, beautifully haunting sound….

The trouble was that she kept making that same sound throughout her early years. It drove George and Olive Snook to distraction. Then one day as he cycled down Ferndale Road, George hit on a great idea. He turned his bike around and headed back home….

Taking Sheila to one side he explained that, beautiful as it was, she needed to develop the sound, so he was sending her to singing lessons. The lessons were good for Sheila but despite the best efforts of her teacher, whenever Sheila was stuck she would revert to that “safe” sound, the sound that would later become known as “The Harrod Chord”.

Being from Salvation Army stock, it was natural that Sheila would also become involved with the Army along with Yvonne Jones, known today as YERvonne Walker. The two girls both learnt to shake and thump that rattley thing that the Sally Army use a lot. Not only that, but Sheila soon became leader of the Tumbrel’s - see I do know what it’s called.

As the musicians definition of an honourable person is “Somebody who can play the tambourine, but doesn’t!”, it was decided that Sheila should learn to play a proper instrument. She tried the trumpet but didn’t do very well, a fact that has been one of her biggest regrets… she had always wished she could blow her own trumpet - well, it’s not likely to happen now. However, she had more joy with the piano.

As a teenager, Sheila was given a nickname that her friends thought was quite fitting, but as we are celebrating her 60th Birthday it would be churlish to remember it today. When Beer Barrel, I mean Sheila, was 20 she had singing students of her own. Sheila and her students, including YERvonne were singing in her parent’s front room and they decided to form a choir. The problem was what to call themselves; the most obvious name was the Sheila Shnock Shingers, The Sela Sno, The Sheila Sh…. They couldn’t agree on a name that was easy to say; “The Beatles” was already in use, as was “The Rolling Stones”. Poor Sheila was devastated. She pondered over a name for days. One morning, while looking out of the window at home she spied her dog. It had been a reward for doing well in her examinations and had been bought from the Kentwood Kennels near Oxford. Watching her dog doing what dogs do in the garden, Sheila knew instantly what she should call the choir. The Kentwood Choir quickly grew… well, all except for YERvonne, and quickly gained a good reputation both locally and at the International Music Eisteddfod at Llangollen. However, Sheila soon realised that learning music which was likely to win a competition, wasn’t necessarily the music that would entertain people best, so the choir gave up competitions. This withdrawal was nothing at all to do with being beaten in the Swindon Music Festival…. (Sheila interjected: “By a Women’s Institute Choir!”)

At some time during all this, she fell in love with Chris and married him in 1967. They had an excellent Choir at their wedding, made all the better for the Bride leaving the altar to go and conduct them, a fact that BBC “Points West” found worthy of note. This was Sheila’s first brush with television and fortunately she was the star because when the Choir were on Opportunity Knocks, she had to sit in the audience. When the Choir were featured in Noel Edmonds’ Gotcha Oscar on Rosemary Ford, an actress played the role of Choir Mistress, and when the Junior Choir went to the Royal Variety Show, she was a bit too old to be on stage. Fortunately she did get another chance to star on screen…. as before all this she appeared with the choir on Harlech Television with Jan Leeming.

Sheila can be adventurous and impulsive at times - her hair changed from a bouffant to a crew cut while on a choir trip to Germany! - but she does tend to be a creature of habit at other times…. Once she has found a holiday destination that she liked, she kept returning. If it’s January it’s Devon. For quite a long time she kept returning to Montegordo in Portugal.

It’s a bad link, but perhaps her love of Montegordo inspired the name of her Tabby, Monty? Which brings us to pets. Sheila loves animals, I believe that’s why she likes to have a Men’s section in the choir. Probably the most important pet was the little dog from Kentwood Kennels, but there have been others. There was Sheba the Dalmatian, a beautiful animal but also a unique creature, the only creature in the history of the world that could get away with defying Sheila. These days it’s Harry that greets you at the house. Harry is a friendly little cat. He used to live in South Wales and as a matter of course enjoyed scrounging from holidaymakers. Then one day, before he could say Llanfair…. go go goch, he was kidnapped and brought to England.

Sheila also has an interest in animals that she doesn’t want in the house…. I can understand why Sheila the Guide Dog doesn’t live there, but surely there is a bit of room for that lovely Hippopotamus the Choir bought for her!?

Sheila has never been one to rest on her laurels; she is always prepared to learn new things that might help her strive for perfection. In the last few years she has been on a course to learn how to be a prostitute…. to learn how to be a prostitute IN “Les Miserables”. She has studied the Alexander Technique and more recently Estelle. She also makes a point of attending ABCD conferences, and she hopes to progress to EFGH eventually.

It seems to be popular for entertainers to develop catch phrases like ‘Nice to see you, to see you …..’ Fortunately Sheila has not gone down this road, she is fresh every time. By the way, how are we doing for time, I really must be finished by quarter to twelve, no really, but aren’t we having a lovely time, turn to your neighbour and say, aren’t we having a lovely time. In a minute we’ll have a singsong, don’t worry if you don’t know the words, just take off your shoes and hum. How much did you pay to come here today? £18.00? How many bananas can you buy for that?

Curiously, “I can teach anyone to sing” has been dropped from the repertoire. (John Marshall admits to being the ultimate challenge to that one). Then there are the off stage sayings: “Tacky Too”, “I’ve got my serious face on”, “I’m very tired”, “I say this with love” plus others which will be fondly remembered by some of us here.

During her 60 years she has met some very influential people, most of you will know about Paul Maguire, whom she first met as a child, then there’s been Dame Cleo and John Dankworth, and of course the Lord Lieutenant when he awarded her the BEM. Although it’s the highest award she has received it is not the only one. She has received the Paul Harris Award for Charity Work… “Roar Roar….. it is the Lions isn’t it, Oh what was that, you are Rotarians?!” The first award though was probably the most prestigious, “Conductor with the Shortest Skirt Award” given to Sheila after she climbed on a chair to conduct the choir at the Oxford Music Festival.

Naturally the piano has played a big part in Sheila’s life, but it isn’t just a tool of her trade, she loves it. No matter where she is, given the chance she will sit down and play. On one holiday there was no piano so she ended up playing a table. It’s a shame there wasn’t a piano because the gods were with her, it was the best she ever played. Part of her house is a shrine to Pianos, with pictures, models and a baby grand.

Sheila is a people person; she will talk to anyone, whether they want to listen or not. To be serious for a moment she is always there if anyone needs love and sympathy.

My penultimate remark is that Sheila is definitely a stalwart, in 40 years of running Kentwood she has only failed to turn up to one concert through illness– what is her secret? Aromatherapy, acupuncture, royal jelly or just positive thinking?. Whatever it is it should be bottled and resold!

I promised I’d keep this to three pages, so finally Sheila and we say this with Love,

(Written by John Marshall, additional material by Kathy Hobson & Clarry Bean)

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A LETTER RECEIVED FROM ELLIOT WHITTINGHAM
FOLLOWING THE CONCERT AT BROMHAM IN JANUARY

Dear Sheila

Once again I find myself compelled to write and thank you for a wonderful entertaining evening of music at Bromham, and for your own inspired performance which is so heartfelt and enthusiastic to be infectious, and from it your audience all go home feeling uplifted and joyful.

In addition, your kindness to me publicly acknowledging my ninetieth birthday, and in so doing making it a memorable one.

To be able to ‘jazz up’ “Happy Birthday” so effectively on the spur of the moment, illustrates the versatility of your unique Choir. Further, it is so good to witness your original Salvation Army Christian background of kindness, and Christ like attitude shining through your presentation. Thank you again.

Elliott Whittingham

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THE RECORDING OF THE CD

The day of the recording dawned bright and early on Sunday 25th Feb at 10.00 am. After rigorous rehearsals to make every note correct, every voice quality sound good, and that dynamics were in the right place the choir was as ready as they were ever going to be.

All members of the choir arrived at the Wyvern in time to do vocal exercises and even physical ones, strenuous for 10 am on a Sunday morning!!! Anyway alive and kicking and in good voice the sound checks started. The band was on full form blasting out ‘Let the Earth Resound’ and those drums absolutely make the sound.

We were given warnings not to tap our feet, or make any slight noise when recording as everything would be picked up. Knowing how hard it would be to resist tapping your right foot most people took off their shoes. I had already pre-empted that may happen and was organised for a brief moment and bought a pair of socks with me.

After the sound checks were completed and the sound department was satisfied, it was time for sing off (take off). Sheila was told that the red light meant “recording” so when the red light shone silence was deemed. Sheila also had a phone, which connected to the sound engineers in the green room. This phone was the cause of many funny moments during the day. Most of which were Sheila answering in her “bucket residence” style and on the many occasions when she forgot the phone was there and would yell down the speaker!!!!!!!

A few songs later it was time for a tea break (well done Bev!) and biscuits. During this time the songs already recorded were played down the speaker. They sounded fantastic, clear, precise, and the most important thing you could tell we were enjoying singing them.

This gave the choir an extra boost of achievement, and we needed it as the dreaded Barcelona was soon on the list. We had been rehearsing it for weeks, line-by-line, note-by-note and Spanish word by Spanish word!!! However I was on part two and had a meagre one line to learn. Not being a natural at languages, I learnt German for five years at school and can barely remember how to count to ten; the prospects of it being right weren’t good. But the trusty bass section surrounded me and we cracked it! And, those part ones, rather you than me, but you all did an excellent job. What a feeling of relief and achievement when that song was over.

Perhaps another moment that stood out during the day was when the recording of ‘Send in the Clowns’ started. Simon had sat out of all of the previous songs and was looking thoroughly cheesed off because his voice was almost gone. But being a trooper he stayed to have a bash at the trio, unfortunately his cold let him down. Although all is well as Simon is recording his part in the studio and will be added to the voices of Sharon and Clarry for the CD. Technology is amazing isn’t it?
So, after approximately seven hours of recording and what seemed like endless takes of ‘Accentuate the Positive’, the choir and band’s input for the CD was complete. Everybody breathed a breath of fresh air as we walked over to the Rendezvous where we ate a delicious meal by cause of celebration; that glass of wine was much deserved by all parties!

Well let’s hope all of the hard work and dedication of everyone involved will make the CD sound fantastic. A great CD to highlight 40 years of KENTWOOD!

Susannah Arnold

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FUTURE CONCERTS 2004

30.04.04    Trowbridge Civic Hall. (01985 213781)

07/08.05.04    Spring Concert at the Wyvern Theatre. (01793 524481)

07.06.04    Night at the Musicals - Kentwood Juniors. Wyvern Theatre (01793 524481)

25.06.04    Winterbourne Monkton Church. Ingrid Foster (01672 539557)

01.07.04    Arts Centre - Old Town Festival. (01793 422827)

09.07.04    Kingsdown School. (01225 763537)

17.07.04    Bath Road Methodist Church - Age Concern. Jackie Shepherd (692166)

08.08.04    Hilton Hotel - MacMillan Nurses. Gill Thornton (01367 252535)

10.08.03    St Phillips Church, Upper Stratton at 7.30 pm. Mr Breakspear (822760)

02.10.04    St Barts Church, Wootton Bassett at 7.30 pm. Mrs Wray (01793 731518)

16-20.11.04    November Show. Wyvern Theatre (01793 524481)

05.12.04    Christmas Cracker. Wyvern Theatre (01793 524481)

11.12.04    Ashcroft Centre, Ashcroft Road, Cirencester. Ann Clarke (01285 860291)

19.12.04    Roves Farm - Kentwood Juniors

21.12.04    Roves Farm - Kentwood Seniors

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Editor:    Mrs Yvonne Walker, 23 Bourton Avenue, Stratton St Margaret,
Swindon SN3 4LY.
Telephone: (01793)823849
e-mail: walker365@ntlworld.com