member resources

We continue to be guided by “Making Music”, our national membership organisation for music groups and promoters.

The previous mandated restrictions have, of course, been ended, but that does not mean that Covid has been conquered, rather that the impact of contracting Covid is now much reduced following the vaccination programme, increased immunity after having had the disease and mutations in the virus itself.

However, that is a general statement of the “on average” type and we need to remember that some people still get Covid very badly indeed whilst others are more vulnerable to catching the disease. Similarly we can remind ourselves that some of our members have more vulnerable people at home or for whom they are carers and I believe we each owe them a moral duty not to knowingly expose them to the disease as the consequences for them and their loved ones may be significantly worse than any symptoms we experience ourselves.

Making music therefore advise a set of “safer behaviours” which I would strongly recommend we each adopt, please :

1. Getting vaccinated – including all available boosters.
2. Letting fresh air in if meeting indoors, or meeting outside. We will have windows open at rehearsals so please dress appropriately
3. Wearing a face covering in crowded and enclosed spaces, especially where you come into contact with people you do not usually meet, when rates of transmission are high.
4. Trying to stay at home if you are unwell.
5. Taking a test if you have COVID-19 symptoms, (if available) and staying at home and avoiding contact with other people if you test positive; and
6. Washing your hands and following advice to ‘Catch it, Bin it, Kill it’.

The single most important point is that no one should not come to rehearsals if they have the slightest symptoms or if you suspect you have been in contact with someone who is carrying the disease. Can we each, please, adopt this as a personal obligation to your fellow choir-members.

I hope you will agree that these are a reasonable set of clearly-stated behaviours and that you can personally commit to their adoption.

Rehearsals for our Christmas concert are on Tuesdays from 5 September to 28 November at 8pm at Walthamstow Hall Junior School Hall in Bradbourne Park Road TN13 3LD with our performance at St Nicholas Church, Sevenoaks on Saturday 2 December 2023 at 7.30.

Scores

We are using the following editions :

Britten, Ceremony of Carols : Boosey and Hawkes, arrangement by Harrison

Chilcott, on Christmas Night : Oxford University Press

Our Librarian, Brian Shirreff, has sourced hire copies of both works which are available before the start of rehearsals for a hire fee of £1.50 each – please try and have the correct change if you can.

Rehearsal Aids

There are a number of Rehearsal Aid files available for the Britten but very few for the Chilcott. Links are provided to recommended files from know providers. Additionally, both works are available on the John Fletcher subscription service, so if you have this or are willing to pay a relatively modest sum for a few months access then files from this supplier are usually very good.

Britten, Ceremony of Carols :

Cyberbass – Click Here

Choraline – Click Here

Chilcott, on Christmas Night :

Singing Practice – Click Here

YouTube performance – section-by-section : Click Here

Schubert, Hellig ist der Herr :

YouTube – Click Here

Haydn, Heiligste Nacht :

YouTube – Click Here

The Christ-Child’s Lullaby

Facebook Video – Click Here (NB – may need to click the sound on – bottom right of video screen)

As for O Heiliges Kind, I have not found s recording of the version which we are performing – if your researches find suitable files let me know and I will put on the site for everyone else to access. John