Thanks for your efforts last week; I enjoyed it.

This week’s music list:

ESM 344	Exsultate justi
MP 10	All creatures now
MP 103	Fair Phyllis I saw sitting all alone
MP 22	The Evening Primrose
Sheet	Cherry blossom white
Sheet	Give us this day

Thanks, also, for your input into the discussion at the end of the rehearsal; your committee will meet soon and begin to sort out the “nitty gritty”.

The recruitment leaflets have arrived and will be available on Friday evening. Please take them and put them where they can be noticed. Think about where people who might be interested frequent i.e. places that you go, and places that folks might visit to find out about “things to do”. We could do with at least one more in the alto, tenor and bass sections; the soprano section has plenty but we wouldn’t turn a good one away! If we can be proactive amongst our singing acquaintances and entice those who might be looking for a different challenge in a friendly atmosphere!

When I started Nick’s Notes my intention was to comment on musical aspects of our activity. They have evolved into other things by necessity and through circumstance, I’ll try to get back to more musical matters. For largely practical reasons my recordings have dropped off, which I will also reinstate (not this week though).

I was pleased with everything last Friday, all the pieces showed progress.

Oculi Omnium	Notes fine. Sing very legato and pay attention to dynamics – grade the crescendo in the middle system.
Give us this day	Very good first go. Chording in the first two verses needs work.  Be aware that this is likely to go flat.
Haec Dies (SSATTB)	This is coming on very well. The Alleluia section fell into place quite well. The rhythms of et laetemur were very good, except for the three bars leading into the Alleluia.
Aka-Tonbo	A good first go. Listen to this performance by a Japanese choir to get the pronunciation. Listen out for that “u” sound that John H mentioned.

I went to Colin Miller’s funeral on Monday. Colin was the husband of Ann, the conductor of Derby City Singers. Ann, very kindly, asked me to sing with Derby City Singers in the choir. It was a sad but celebratory event with lots of good singing. I spoke with one or two who send their good wishes to us. Ann would very much like to collaborate with us again, even if only for a “social” rehearsal. We’ll think about it.