Woodstock Music Society Newsletter
Autumn 2015
July concert
With only a week or so to go and a record low for ticket sales, the situation looked pretty bleak. Then
sales started to pick up and we ended up with a total of 271. Well done, everybody. That last-minute
push obviously worked. The Music Makers touched everyone’s hearts and was particularly
appropriate for our fortieth year of making music. Paul sends: A big thank you to both orchestra and
choir for a very moving performance of both choral works. I‘m looking forward to another year of
great music making.
Woodstock Music Society’s 40th Anniversary
Regrettably, the anniversary dinner did not take place. We were sorry to disappoint those who had
signed up, but when we received some cancellations, the final number was insufficient to make the
event financially viable. However, Isabel Knowland came to the rescue by suggesting we continue
with the entertainment part of the evening anyway. Thanks to her and the Oxford Concert Party, we
were able to celebrate the Society’s 40 years of music-making by promoting a very enjoyable concert
in St Mary’s Kidlington. There were over 100 in the audience, not only our own members but also
good number from the community.
Chamber Choir trip to Bowness-on-Windermere
We had glorious weather for our trip in July, and when we weren’t rehearsing we were able to enjoy
some sightseeing around (and on) Lake Windermere. Culver Church proved an excellent venue for
the concert, with a good acoustic and a balcony which we used to good effect for the double choir
items in the programme. As well as anthems and part songs, we gave our first performance of Chris
Brown’s Godstow, his companion piece to Rosa Mundi. Chris wasn’t able to attend, but he asked Paul
to pass on his best wishes to the choir. There were about 50 in the audience and the retiring
collection raised £313 for Tools for Self-Reliance, a charity whose volunteers repair old tools for
shipment to Third World countries. We got back on Sunday in time to give a repeat performance in
Woodstock which raised £247 for St Mary Magdalene Church. David Shepherd, the chairman of their
Friends organisation has written to say: I’d be grateful if you would pass on to your committee and
indeed to the whole music society our thanks for providing us with such a wonderful finale to our
AGM. I was not exaggerating when I said in my welcome that the Music Society is one of the
outstanding organisations in our town and one which makes as great a contribution as any to our
cultural and social life.
Elizabeth sends a reminder for those who were on the Windermere trip: Please return your music
and folder at the first rehearsal in September.
Future Chamber Choir trips
There is no trip planned for next summer, but if anyone has any ideas for future years, Gilliane will be
glad to hear from you ([email protected]). As well as finding a good concert venue, other
aspects have to be considered: somewhere where we can all stay, and if possible a contact with a
local charity to which we could donate concert proceeds.
Autumn term
We start rehearsals again on Thursday 10th September for the choir and on Tuesday 22nd September
for the orchestra. The concerts are on Friday 11th & Saturday 12th December. There are no
rehearsals in the weeks beginning 19th and 26th October.
There is a theme tune running through the first half of the programme. It appears in Nicolai’s
Christmas Overture, in Mendelssohn’s cantata Vom Himmel Hoch, set to Martin Luther’s text sung in
German, and in two of the three chorales selected from Bach's Christmas Oratorio. Baritone soloist
Quentin Hayes will be singing the aria Mighty Lord from the Christmas Oratorio and he also has a part
to play in the Carol of the Magi by John Rutter and Three Kings from Persian Lands by Peter Cornelius.
In Ronald Corp’s Christmas Mass the melodies of well-known carols are linked to the words of the
Latin mass, and although the work has been sung before, we are giving the first performance with the
composer’s own orchestration – a world premiere, in fact. The non-choral items in the programme
are movements from the suite Swanwhite by Sibelius, and a chorale prelude for organ by Pachelbel,
to be played by Alistair Eden.
Blenheim Festival of Literature, Music and Film: Thursday 24th to Sunday 27th September
The annual festival of literature has been extended this year to include interviews with musicians.
The speakers whom you may find of particular interest are John Suchet on Friday, Alfred Brendel and
Sir Karl Jenkins on Saturday, and Andrew Gant on Sunday. John Suchet will be in The Gallery at
Blenheim Palace, and the others will be in St Mary Magdalene Church. There is a link to the Festival
on the Members Page of our website www.woodstockmusic.info which gives the titles of their talks
and the time they take place.
Annual General Meeting
This is to give you notice that the AGM will be held this year on Thursday 15th October at 7.30 in the
Community Centre, New Road. The choir rehearsal will follow and finish at 10 pm. You are very
welcome to ask questions at the meeting, but if any question requires a detailed answer, it would be
helpful if you could let Evelyn have advance notice. At the time of writing, all existing committee
members are intending to stand for re-election.
Utopia Limited, or the Flowers of Progress
The KAOS show this year is Gilbert and Sullivan’s penultimate operetta. First performed in 1893, it is
remarkably relevant to today’s world with its subtle debunking of established English institutions and
advice to dodgy company directors: As a Company you’ve come to utter sorrow, But the Liquidators
say, “Never mind - you needn’t pay,” So you start another Company tomorrow. The dates are
Wednesday 21st to Saturday 24th October and the performances are in Gosford Hill School. Tickets
will be available from some of our choir members nearer the time.
Verdi Requiem in the Spring
On Saturday 23rd April we are giving another joint performance with the choir of Kidlington Amateur
Operatic Society, after a gap of five years. We will have an afternoon rehearsal with the soloists and
our own orchestra, supplemented by some extra players. There will then be a 2-hour break before
the concert which starts at 7.30. From January each choir will rehearse separately on their usual
practice night (except for half-term 18th February) until the Easter break. We begin on Thursday 14th
January. All the joint rehearsals come after Easter and will be in St Mary’s Church Kidlington on
Thursday 14th April, Monday 18th April, and Thursday 21st April. John has already circulated the spring
rehearsal schedule for the orchestra.
Summer term 2016
Because of the refurbishment planned to take place in St Mary Magdalene’s Woodstock next year,
we have booked St Mary’s Kidlington for our summer concerts on Friday 8th and Saturday 9th July
and we anticipate getting a good audience for Handel’s Messiah. The first choir rehearsal is on
Thursday 5th May and the first orchestra rehearsal on Tuesday 3rd May. There is no choir rehearsal on
2nd June.
Evelyn Hendy, Secretary