| newsletter
> Spring 2007 <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> LETTER FROM OUR PRINCIPAL My Dear Friends, Christmas and the Cracker seems so far away now but I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful Christmas season. I personally found the Cracker rather ‘large’ but was very pleased with the way everyone pulled together to make it a great success! News has it that our lovely Wyvern Theatre will definitely re-open this autumn. I can’t wait! I love this theatre. Fingers crossed for the Cracker on 2nd December! Finding a venue for our May show was quite difficult. We will be using the Arts Centre, as you all know by now, for two performances on Sunday 6th May. I have chosen some wonderful music yet again and am thrilled that Paul Maguire is able to play for us on this occasion. He will be joined by Steve Wiltshire (bass guitar) and Andy Griffiths (percussion) on this occasion. We welcome Andy into our Kentwood Bank of musicians. Sunday 8th July sees the choir “Lazy on a Sunday afternoon” at the De Vere Hotel in the courtyard. A full English tea and concert by the Kentwood Show Choir! What could be better that that? Let’s just hope that the sun shines. If it rains we will move into the lovely Wilton Suite at the hotel. Tickets for this event are available from Brian Taylor Music in Commercial Road from 1st May. As I write the Swindon Music Festival is in full swing and lots of Kentwood members have entered this event. There are so many good musical events in this town aren’t there? 15th June is a red letter day for the choir. Dame Cleo Laine and Sir John Dankworth have invited the choir to open their garden season at The Stables, Wavendon. Needless to say, we have accepted. Holidays, hopefully, are being planned now for this year. Chris and I are cruising in the Med late June. Oh! we have now booked our Christmas present from the choir for a Jazz lunch cruise on the Thames! Not a bad life sometimes? Thank God for health, friends and the marvellous gift of music. Love to you all, Sheila PS: Hope you enjoyed the Christmas CD <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> With apologies to Bridget for not finding room in earlier issues BRIDGET COWLING’S 60th BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS AT THE WILTSHIRE GOLF CLUB WOOTTON BASSETT It’s 6.30am on my big day - yet I’m in Cornwall with our lunch arranged in Wootton Bassett for 1pm - panic not. Readily packed, we left at 7am reaching Taunton for breakfast at 9am. Home at 10.20am, time to change and get ready in plenty of time. Confirmed with husband - seating plans and birthday balloons with willing helpers ready to be set out at 11.30am. At 12 noon, family guests from darkest Somerset arrive ahead of schedule. Julia, events organiser, magics the drinks and all is well and steadily guests arrive bearing unexpected gifts. The excellent meal passes and my big moment arrives, singing the solos with guests from the choir. With Sheila to guide me, confidence grew aided by ample champagne. Further musical treats from Graham, Vicky, Gill and Kathy - all of which were superb. Unfortunately, all too soon, it was over and time for farewells, but outstanding memories remain of my super day, celebrated with family, friends and choir. I would like to say a big thank you for all my presents and for those who took part in the music, especially Sheila, who had only just returned from her own holiday the same day. Bridget <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> THE CHOIR MAKING HISTORY Firstly, the choir were the first to be heard on the new Radio 3 programme, presented by Aled Jones, called ‘The Choir’. It is a weekly Sunday evening programme where choirs from all over the UK are asked to submit a recording for transmission on the programme. From the CDs we were asked to submitted, they chose ‘It Don’t Mean a Thing if it Ain’t Got that Sing, Sing, Sing. The programme went out toward the end of January when Sheila was holidaying in Torquay, so she ensured that the whole of Torbay were glued to their radios. Secondly, music will be filling the air in the Swindon Council Chamber on St Georges’ Day, 23 April, and people across Swindon are being invited to attend the concert and do their bit for charity at the same. All proceeds will go the Advertiser-backed Prospect fundraising campaign. It is thought this will be the first time a musical event has ever taken place inside the chamber in Euclid Street. Sheila said “it will be a rare treat for people to sit in the councillors’ seats and there are microphones in front of them, so we hope that everyone will join us in a finale of patriotic songs such as ‘Jerusalem’, ‘I Vow to Thee My Country’ and ‘Rule Britannia’. <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> RESULTS FROM THE SWINDON MUSIC FESTIVAL Congratulations to all the Kentwood students who took part in this year’s Swindon Music Festival. Here is a list of those who won their classes. Sacred Song (The George Snook Sacred Song Trophy) Abby Bean Duet: Songs from the Shows and Films (The Pauline Grant Memorial Trophy) Jill McRae & Becci Benson Songs from the Show and Films age 15 and 16 (The Kentwood Trophy) Amanda Downes Helen Mack - 2nd Girls Solo age 12 and 13 (The Doris Parsons Trophy) Lily Dodson Girls Solo age 14 - 16 (Festival Medal) Amanda Downes Catherine Forty - 2nd Songs from Shows and Films age 26 and over (The George Snook Trophy) Helen Ryan Jill McRae - 2nd Songs from Shows and Films age 8 and under (The Sheila Marcer Trophy) Eleanor Dixon Imogen Nelson - 2nd Emily Smith - 3rd Girls Solo age 10 and 11 (Festival Medal) Alice Dixon Georgia Pennock - 2nd Soprano Solo (The Cynthia Webb Challenge Trophy) Gemma Hayes Grace Kerrigan - 2nd Junior Vocal Champion (The R G Cripps Challenge Trophy) Amanda Downes Supreme Champion (The Stuart Macpherson Trophy) Amanda Downes Yvonne Walker Secretary Swindon Music Festival <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> AMANDA’S THOUGHTS OF HER EXPERIENCES DURING THE FESTIVAL WEEK During the week I sang three songs. These were: a Song in a Foreign Language, Songs from Shows and Films and the Test Piece. I came 1st in both the Test Piece and the Songs from Shows. I was so pleased because there was a lot of talented singers so it was an honour to be able to sing again at the Junior Championship. I chose to sing my Song from Shows as it was very enjoyable. The song was 'Almost like being in love' from Brigadoon. At the Championships I was very nervous because I knew that the competition would be a lot harder. I did my best and was very anxious to see who the adjudicator was going to pick. When she read out my name as the winner of the Junior Vocal Championship I was very shocked but still so delighted. I thought that was the end of the festival but when I found out that I would be competing in the Supreme Championship I again was very grateful for the opportunity to sing my song once more. I enjoy singing ‘Almost like being in love’ because it has a lot of character and feeling. When I sang in the Supreme Championship I gave it everything I could and put all my emotions into the song to make it as realistic and as entertaining as possible. When the adjudicator announced that I was the overall winner I felt extremely stunned because I was up against so many different talents. I was so excited and proud to win the cup and it has encouraged me to keep working hard so I can compete next year at a higher level. <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> FUTURE CONCERTS 2007 23 April Swindon Council Chamber - SOLD OUT 6 May May Show - The Arts Centre (01793 614837) 20 May March, Cambridge 1 June St Mary’s Church, Akers Way. Don Hodges (01793 536829) 6 June St Mary’s Church, Purton. Heather Harris (01793 770850) 9 June The Bean’s Show at the Arts Centre (01793 614837) 15 June The Stables, Wavendon 6 July Aldbourne Methodist Church 8 July De Vere Hotel, Swindon. Tickets from Brian Taylor Music - 1 May 5 August Macmillan at the Hilton Hotel. Gill Thornton (01367 252535) 21/22 September Junior Show at the Arts Centre (01793 614837) 6 October St Augustines Church, Rodbourne. Chris Done (01793 693230) 19 October St Margarets Church, Stratton. Victor Howlett (01793 822793) 28 October St Bartholomew’s Church, Wootton Bassett. Jean Crump (01793 848744) 4 November Remembrance Service at Wyvern Theatre 18 November Holy Trinity Church, Bradford on Avon 2 December Christmas Cracker 15 December Debenhams <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> Editor: Mrs Yvonne Walker, 23 Bourton Avenue, Stratton St Margaret, Swindon SN3 4LY. Telephone: (01793)823849 e-mail: walker365@ntlworld.com |