Choirs and Music

Vale Choir Programme 2010

(To Be Confirmed)          

Next Choir Practice will be 13th Janauary at Long Clawson.

Choir practice alternates weekly between Long Clawson and Harby Churches. at 7.30pm (ready to begin at 7.45pm)

THE VALE CHOIR CONTINUES TO SPREAD IT'S WINGS

The Vale choir, whilst singing mainly at the west end of the Belvoir Benefice, has continued to spread its wings. During the last year members of the choir have supported services at seven of the nine of our parish churches as well as a large wedding at Long Bennington and a very prestigious wedding in the Duke of Rutland’s private chapel at Belvoir Castle.

During December, a traditionally busy month for all church choirs, they sang an Advent Service at Long Clawson and then sang for the service of Nine Lessons and Carols at Harby, Hose, Long Clawson and Redmile churches whilst some members were able to join with our organist, Bob Harriss, for his Nine Lessons and Carol Service at St. Paul’s Church, West Bridgford.

This coming year promises to be just as interesting with a Choral Evensong at Newark Parish Church date to be confirmed.
There will be a joint choir performance of Stainer’s Crucifixion with St Mary’s Church Choir, Bottesford on April 5th at 6.30pm, at Bottesford Church. There will also be the usual weddings and other special services. i.e. Easter, Harvest and Remembrance throughout the year to cover. Funerals whilst a sad time for families involved are always supported, when required by the choir, and I would like the choir to know how much this is appreciated by those families.

Time moves on as Connie Kinchin from Stathern, and Doreen Morrison from Long Clawson, have both recently decided to hang up their ‘blue gowns’. Their support to the choir over many years has been terrific and we all thank them for singing with us.

Membership of the choir is thirty plus and while this is a very good position we would welcome any new

members. The choir meets alternatively on Wednesday nights at Harby and Long Clawson churches at 7.30pm. If you would like to come along and see if you might like to join us just contact any choir member of the Benefice Office. Remember all you need to join us is willingness to sing and a capacity to enjoy yourselves.

Finally a big thank you to all the choir members for all the effort you put in.

Paul Willcock – Choirmaster 
 

THE VALE CHOIR A History
by Paul Willcock

In 1989 Colin Newell put an article in the Harby Journal to see whether there were any budding choristers who might like to get together to sing a service of Nine Lessons and Carols. From this very humble beginning was laid the foundation stone of today's Vale Choir, with some 20 people arriving at the school for the very first rehearsal.

For the first two years the Vale Choir only met in October in preparing to sing at Christmas, but they soon received requests to sing at weddings and they used the fees to buy blank cassettes on which they recorded the carol services. Profit from these sales was used to buy new music for the choir.

With Simon Bailey as Rector the Choir expanded, joining forces with singers from Hose and Long Clawson. This enabled the choir to take on a momentum of it's own and before long they were rehearsing all year round, singing on high days and holidays as well as at weddings, funerals and christenings.

In recent years, The Vale Music Festival proved to be a great success and has led the choir on to sing a lot of secular as well as religious music. The suggestions of music, which included music from Bach to the Beatles, is indeed something of an understatement as The Vale Choir frequently sings music which precedes Bach and some of which is written long after the "Fab Four" had gone their separate ways! They now regularly include compositions by their own organist Bob Harriss. We have 32 members who have sung in the choir with us in the past year from Long Clawson, Harby, Hose, Stathern, and Bottesford.

Over The last couple of years we have seen even more changes. David Cox, with whom Colin shared the role of choirmaster retired and the Newel family, Colin and Carolyn, have emigrated to New Zealand. In September last year Paul Willcock took over the baton, and working closely with our organist Bob Harriss, the choir continues to go from strength to strength.

The Vale Choir is the only choir in the Belvoir Team who sing in more than one church - singing regularly at Long Clawson, Harby, Hose and Stathern churches, undertaking the normal Sunday morning services, evensong, Good Friday meditative services, songs of praise services, weddings, christenings, marriage blessings and funerals.

The choir recently showed their great diversity with a very well attended and successful evening of music at Long Clawson Church. The music included the themes from James Bond, music from the shows such as My Fair Lady, Singing in the Rain, Hair, Hello Dolly, West Side Story and Summertime as well as including music from the Beatles. Bob's own "Rolph Harriss Trio" also treated us to their own special brand of music.

At the other end of the music spectrum the choir has joined forces this year with St. Mary's Church Choir, Bottesford (for Palm Sunday) to sing Josef Rheinberger's Kyrie (Mass in E b Major). Bob Harriss has also written a new setting for the Eucharistic Service which we have sung during evening communion service at Long Clawson.

This year we shall be joining forces again with St. Mary's, Bottesford for two events, a Festival of Anthems a programme put together jointly by Paul Willcock, Nigel Day and Bob Harriss (date to be confirmed but it is hoped it will be May/June time), and Palm Sunday Service at St. Mary's Church Bottesford.

If anyone is interested in further details of the Choir and it's activities David Cox at Long Clawson