Petersfield Community Choir MD report for AGM 19 Oct 2016
It is now 5 years since I took over running Petersfield Community Choir and two years since the PCC committee was formed which continues to offer a varied and dynamic programme of social events and workshops.
The choir continues to include Hampshire folk songs in its repertoire as well as folk songs from round Britain and further afield. We sing a wide variety of songs from different genres, including some contemporary songs and gospel songs. Occasionally choir members bring or suggest songs which I try to incorporate if suitable.
This year in June we went to Cherbourg for a weekend by coach and sang in two wonderful church venues. Our first foreign venture! We revised some old favourites for that occasion. We all stayed together in the same hotel to make rehearsing more convenient. We travelled by coach and ferry from Petersfield which gave us more flexibility when over there. The trip helped cement relationships and greatly enhanced the performing skills of the choir. People were able to mix with others from different choir sections.
The choir performs two major concerts a year; one in the summer which consisted largely of the songs revised for France which included songs and arrangements by Sarah Morgan, Nancy Kerr, Sandra Kerr, Lal Waterson, Graeme Miles, Craig Morgan Robson and the Tabbush Sisters as well as a new song with text from St Columba; and one concert in winter. We have been working on some new material for our Christmas concert including a song by Maddy Taylor called the Greatest Gift and a classic, White Christmas.
I have continued to focus on the overall tone of the choir as well as phrasing.
I am able to introduce more challenging arrangements now that the choir has developed skills in intonation and harmonisation which is very exciting. The numbers continue to grow including in the bass section. But sadly we are to lose our Basso Profundo who is moving out of the area. In September we moved to a new rehearsal venue which acoustically is much better though not quite as spacious.
As before there is no limit on the membership numbers and we continue to run the choir in lines with the ethos of community choirs of no auditions and no need to read music. Again I am grateful to Ysanne Bonner who deputises when I am away and brings new songs to the repertoire and is of great support.
The PCC continues to go from strength to strength
Carolyn Robson