Fleet
House
Hookheath
Road
Woking
Surrey
August
GU22
OQD
1993 .
Dear Members,
That was a season that was!
I hope you enjoyed the season's works as much
as I did, not many choirs could look back on such a full and varied series
of concerts with such professional support from the orchestra, soloists and
conductors, not forgetting Kathy and her team in the office - there is however
a danger in being so fortunate - we can become complacent.
At the risk of being unpopular I feel I must raise the matter of support for
our concerts from you all as members of the choir.
I know that some of you feel that you chose to become members of the choir
to make music not to sell tickets or help raise money.
You are busy people,
you have other occupations which demand your time, you are "not good at selling
things"!
Some feel
that we already give generously of our precious time in
rehearsals and it is for others to do the helping.
All these reasons are
quite valid but, in the present financial conditions, the choir can't exist
on the largesse of the Borough alone if we are to continue to enjoy the
Standards and pleasure we all want and have been used to.
Surely it is not fair that some people make the effort to support the concerts
and others do little or nothing.
Please ask yourself - have you played your
part in this last season and, if not, offer your help - which can take many
forms:searching out possible sponsors,
no matter how small.
selling tickets.
getting handbills and posters out to the public in your area.
helping to set out chairs and clearing up after rehearsals etc.
You could help by serving on The Committee, only one volunteer, Penny Baxter,
came forward last AGM.
Please remember that at the next AGM in May 1994,
not only do I retire as Chairman but at least three of the senior committee
members retire as well.
This is your chance to bring in new blood who may
be able to run the choir more to your liking!
Enough of the lecture,
for which
I apologise, but it is now up to you.
This season we lost Lynette as our fantastic accompanist, a great loss, but
how lucky we were to find Jeremy Filsell who like Lynette makes it all look
So confoundedly simple!
But what about his accompaniment for the Summer
Concert - Rossini.
Those of you who were not there have missed hearing a
Steinway piano 'sing'.
Praises for his performance came from all quarters.
What a pity the nave was only half full - enough said!
Our concerts could not have been more varied from Sir Charles' Memorial
concert, Mozart's Requiem to Belshazzar's Feast;
the Haydn Mass to Brahms'
Requiem with the Freiburg Bach Choir.
This year's season will be as varied and as challenging,
as it will
include:-
Nov 6th and 14th
The War Requiem, Britten
Dec 5th
Christmas Carols with, we hope, Michael Buerk
Feb. 5th
Choral Workshop, Guildford
March 5th
Sancta Civitas - Vaughan Williams.
May 7th
Carmina Burana - with David Willcocks.
July 2nd
Concert of 'Opera Pops'
in the Guildford Cathedral and in Freiburg.
of TV as presenter.
**
** only if we can have your full support and agreement to sell at least
4 tickets each.
Our season starts with the First Rehearsal on 1st September, Wednesday - due
to Bank Holiday.I will, I fear, be in Freiburg having driven there on the
I have been invited to attend their rehearsal and will be
previous day.
clearing up the final arrangements for the "Dormi List" with Cornelia and
their Chairman.
I will be able to give you all the latest details when I
return in time for the rehearsal on 20th September.
We will then compile
the final lists for those wishing to go and matching it with the available
In the meantime we have prices for travel by coach which
accommodation.
will be an all-in cost of about £70, with air travel in the region of £145.
Please
Enclosed with this letter is an envelope addressed to Jean Radley.
post your subscription to her so as to ease the last moment rush which she
It will be
tends to experience on the first night in order to sign you in.
a great help.
Until then - have a great summer break and get in good voice for an even
greater 1994 season.
Yours sincerely,
Maxwell
j
i/ I >
S New
Chairman - Guildford Philharmonic Choir