Thank you for another good rehearsal last Friday. It was great to welcome Jane and Nancy back into the fold; Vicky was especially pleased to see them.

If ye love me is beginning to sound really good. The transitions from simple time to compound time in the madrigals are sounding more natural. Exsultate justi was new to some and had slipped the memory of the rest so it was like starting on a new piece – we’ll explore that more thoroughly this week.

Recording the rehearsal is a useful exercise for three main reasons:

1. I learn a lot from it
2. those who weren’t there can keep up to date
3. all of us can use it in our personal development

However: editing a full rehearsal for posting takes a long time. I will continue to record rehearsals (perhaps not every one) but will only post one or two pieces.

This week’s recording is of Fair Phyllis and Exsultate justi.

This Friday we are at Woodborough and will rehearse:

CC3 196	The Crown of Roses
ESM 364	Jesu, dulcis memoria
ESM 344	Exsultate justi
ERP 79	When daisies pied
OTA 84	Haec Dies (SSATTB)
MP 110	My spirit sang all day
Sheet	Love is the sweetest thing

I particularly want to do some work on Haec Dies before we start to think about the December concerts.

Talking of which – if you have any requests/ideas for the December concerts please let me know soon as I hope to be able to announce the programme next week.

I had a phone call from Fanny Saywell today. She is well, sounded on good form and sends her love to us all. The reason for the call was to inform me that Tony Shillingford had died. There are not many of you who would have known Tony but he was the founding conductor of the Newstead Abbey Singers back in the 1960s.

Your committee is meeting on Thursday (7th); there’ll be some feedback on Friday no doubt.

See you Friday.