newsletter > Winter 2005 WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY AND HEALTHY NEW YEAR <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> CHRISTMAS MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT Well, once again we are drawing towards the end of another varied and successful year for the Kentwood Show Choir. A lovely concert at Hillside Methodist Church in Wootton Bassett for Burton Hill Special School near Malmesbury was one of my highlights of the spring concerts followed in May with the choir certainly ‘Putting on the Style’ at the Wyvern Theatre for three nights of music featuring a variety of different styles. The new May Show has clearly given the choir a more balanced programme to the year. The end of August saw the choir singing at the prestigious Association of British Choral Directors Conference held at the University of Surrey and Guildford Cathedral as well as singing at a workshop for the delegates led by Sheila. So to October, and for me, the highlight of the year. Kentwood was invited to sing with the Chepstow Male Voice Choir at their 17th Annual Concert - and what an evening it was - two wonderful and highly contrasted choirs providing a large audience with an evening of superb choral singing culminating in a combined moving rendition of Morte Criste - things don’t get much better than this! November opened with a visit to the Playhouse Theatre at Weston and a thoroughly enjoyable concert given to a small, but very appreciative audience and the month ended with the Kentwood Dinner held at the Chiseldon House Hotel. A memorable evening, an excellent venue, a fabulous meal with great company - all the ingredients for a really special evening - oh, I nearly forgot, wonderful entertainment from Kathy and John! And so to December, showing Kentwood at its best with the sell-out Cracker at the Wyvern Theatre followed by an intimate Christmas evening especially for the children at Roves Farm, Sevenhampton showing us what Christmas is really about. Thanks to all of you who have been, in any way, involved with Kentwood this year for your hard work and dedication and, of course, to Sheila for her guidance and leadership. We all owe her a huge debt. A happy Christmas to you all and a peaceful and healthy New Year. Geoff <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> LETTER FROM THE PRINCIPAL My Dear Friends Our Christmas Newsletter. Can you believe it? Where has this year gone? Again Kentwood has had a very entertaining and happy year performing at many different venues. Highlights for me are Hillside Methodist Church at Wootton Bassett, our May Show, The Hilton Hotel , Guildford Cathedral, the Children’s Show and Weston-Super-Mare. I’m sure our Christmas Cracker will be a good one again this year. The standard of the choir continues to rise. This is due to a lot of dedication, hard work and commitment second to none. On behalf of Chris and myself, I would like to thank everyone concerned with Kentwood for a very successful 2005. Thanks also to our new sponsors, Handy Garden Machinery. Long may they reign!! Have a wonderful Christmas and, we hope, a peaceful and healthy new year. Much love Sheila and Chris <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> VOCAL WORKSHOP WITH GILLYANNE KAYES Gillyanne has been training voices for the last 21 years and has numerous clients working in professional theatre and film. She is author of ‘Singing and the Actor’, a text book widely used in Musical Theatre and non-classical vocal training. On 25th September she came to Swindon to share her expertise with the Kentwood Show Choir. We started with physical and vocal warm-ups and then had the opportunity to say what challenged us musically, what we would like to improve and what we would like to do differently. The list was quite long, which only goes to show that we have all thought about our shortcomings, but there were some areas where many of us agreed. These included breathing control, using different voice qualities, singing quietly with good control and sustaining high notes. For those who could not attend the workshop it is difficult to describe the mechanisms by which Gillyanne helped us feel what the vocal folds and various other parts of the larynx were doing but it often involved making particular noises and then singing in that position and mind set. So if you can imagine meowing like a pathetic kitten, then like a hungry (and rather assertive) cat and then singing like that you might get some idea of the training involved. The best, and of course most difficult, part was putting the techniques into practice but we showed real improvement in “Every time I feel the Spirit” (well the Sopranos did) and picked up some useful hints for John Dankworth’s Celebration song, which we sang shortly afterwards at the Wavendon Stables. The benefit of our training will be measured over months and years rather that hours and days. I know this because it took me months to achieve a siren but the commitment in the choir to improve is very strong and I am sure we will get there. Our grateful thanks to Gillyanne for working us so hard and to Sheila for offering us the opportunity, attending with us and for organising the lunch. Also a big thank you to Sharon, Chris and Nicki for keeping us well-watered with tea and coffee. I am going off to practice my cat, mouse and creaking door noises and hope to show some improvement in my belt, twang and cry qualities. If I don’t, it won’t be through lack of trying! Gillyanne’s report and a photo of the choir practising on the day are on the Vocal Process website www.vocalprocess.co.uk and follow the Ezine link. Penrose Shackel <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> LETTER RECEIVED FOLLOWING THE VERY SUCCESSFULL CONCERT AT CHEPSTOW Dear Mr Harrod I am writing, on behalf of my wife and myself, to congratulate the Kentwood Choir and its Musical Director for the truly brilliant performance at the 17th annual concert of the Chepstow Male Voice Choir on Saturday 1 October at the Chepstow Leisure Centre. The quality of the singing and the sheer vitality of the Choir and its Director had an uplifting effect on all present. The Kentwood Choir contributed in a very large measure to a wonderful evening and I would like you to pass on to the Choir and its Musical Director our congratulations and thanks for such marvellous entertainment and we very much hope that the Choir will be able to pay us a further visit in the not too far distant future. Yours sincerely K I Trotman <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> After a wonderful evening celebrating the 5th Anniversary of the opening of the Stable Theatre at Wavendon, the choir received the following note from Dougie Squires, the show’s Producer. Dear Sheila Just a quick note to say how terrific you were on Saturday and what a great contribution you made to the show. You were the backbone and made it swing. It was great to work with you again and thanks Polly for all her help. Hope we do something together soon. Best wishes to each and every one of you. Sincerely Dougie <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> WESTON SUPER MARE Sunday 6th November saw the Kentwood Show Choir travelling by coach from Swindon to Weston Super Mare for a concert at the Weston Playhouse. There was some concern regarding this particular concert because up until Sunday 30th October only 18 tickets had been sold! Sheila told us at choir practice that she had suggested to the theatre management that the show should be “pulled” (cancelled to you and me) but the theatre had insisted that the “show must go on”. Long standing members of Kentwood were quick to recall advice that we had been given by Sheila many years ago - “you sing as well for one person as you would for 101”. However, it transpired during the journey down to Weston that the latest number of tickets sold was actually 64! We made very good time and arrived at Weston some one and a half hours after leaving Swindon. After a short impromptu tour around the streets leading off the seafront road, our coach driver managed to locate the theatre and dropped us off right outside the entrance. The choir had actually sung at Weston Playhouse on at least one previous occasion, possibly as much as 17 years ago. (I only know that because I overheard Carolyn saying that she was pregnant at the time and her daughter is now 16 years old). I definitely remember that Carolyn was pregnant at the time because after that particular show the coach wouldn’t start and various members of the choir, including myself, decided that it might be helpful to see if we could “jump start” the coach by pushing it! Don’t laugh - it’s true, it worked and the coach started and our journey home wasn’t unduly delayed. Once inside the theatre we were directed to the changing rooms, mostly on the upper floors. They were very cosy (that means they were a little cramped). “Curtain up” was at 7pm and amazingly there were just over 100 people in the audience. They were a really receptive, warm crowd and they seemed to thoroughly enjoy the varied programme which Sheila had put together. All in all we received a very enthusiastic response and I think that Sheila and all the choir members were really pleased that the whole evening went so well. Luckily there were no problems with the coach on this occasion and we were back in Swindon by 11pm. Sue Hatchard PS: To save Sheila any further embarrassment, I have not mentioned the classic “bloomer”. <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> CHOIR PULLS OUT A CRACKER OF A CHRISTMAS SHOW As always Ros Hollands from the Swindon Advertiser attended the Cracker and here is her review: There was a full house for the second showing of the day of Kentwood Choir’s Christmas Cracker at the Wyvern Theatre. And what a cracker it was. As always, Kentwood, under the direction of principal Sheila Harrod, sang their hearts out with a multitude of Christmas songs, carols and comedy. The audience joined in singing numerous carols and we all entered into the spirit of Christmas. Joining the choir this year was the Aldbourne Brass Band. Sheila said “Christmas isn’t Christmas without the brass band”. The children from Kentwood’s class Bambi were cute and well rehearsed. The junior choir sang with charm and elegance. The senior show choir sang a range of numbers including the spectacular Scrooge Anthem which finished the show with Sheila conducting the band. Kentwood wouldn’t be Kentwood without Kathy Hobson dressed as a fairy. The spoof Three Little Fairies, written my Kathy, was funny. Once again the choir, Sheila, along with her band and the Aldbourne Band produced a magnificent show that was full of style and outstanding talent. They have raised up to £70,000 for the Rotary Club with the Christmas concerts in the past. All proceeds go to various charities. A great time was had by all. <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> Editor:    Mrs Yvonne Walker, 23 Bourton Avenue, Stratton St Margaret, Swindon SN3 4LY. Telephone: (01793)823849 e-mail: walker365@ntlworld.com