Weekly Notices

  • 1 September 2024

    I trust everyone has had a wonderful Summer and no doubt looking forward to resuming on Thursday 12th September at 8pm to commence rehearsing the wonderful St John Passion.


    Message from Duncan

    Dear SCS member,

    I hope you are having a lovely Summer and I’m looking forward to seeing as many of you as possible next month for the mighty St John Passion! Please do spread the word. No initial charge for people trying us out.

    Some news on our 17th May 2025 concert;

    Dvořák Mass in D (1887)

    Tippett Five Spirituals

    Holst Five Partsongs (1902/3)

    The Dvořák is a lovely sing and highly regarded. An important early press review wrote “A work of remarkable power and effect…This is truly a magnificent piece of music, that can only be written at rare intervals even by Dvořák”. The great Czech composer spent time in America and it is no coincidence that one of the greatest “classical” melodies, the “New World” Symphony Largo theme, is drawn from the great African American Spirituals that he loved. 

    It therefore seems fitting to sing Tippett’s Five Spirituals. These beautiful songs, placed like Bach chorales in the Passions, are from the secular oratorio “A Child Of Our Time”. Written in 1939 and 1941, it was inspired by the assassination of a German diplomat by a young Jewish refugee in 1938, and the tragedies that ensued.

    In lighter vein, Holst’s Five Partsongs (opus 12) are delightful miniatures written by an underrated master. (Surely The Planets Suite is as good as anything!?).

    Our May concert is important for funding our expensive Winter orchestral concerts. It would be brilliant to have an equally big turnout.  Beautiful music to discover (or sing again!) and a fascinating contrast to our big one work Winter concerts.

    Best wishes,

    Duncan


    Payment of subscriptions: 
    The subscription for this term remains at £95 (the subscription for the following, shorter, term will be £75). It remains half-price for under-30s or for full-time students aged 30 or over. It may also be reduced for those in financial hardship.  If you think this may apply to you please contact Lindsey Charles our Treasurer by email to discuss it.

    Payment online
    1. Please pay online if possible, and, to save time on the night, by at least a few days before 12 September, so that we have time to register your payment. Please use the information on the Bank Details page of the website. Subscriptions can be made from today onwards. 
    2. Please add your name and voice part (e.g. B1, A2) as a payment reference as names do not always come through on the bank statement.  
    3. Importantly, please also email our Membership Secretary, Maria Scott, to let her know that you have paid. 
    4. If you are a new member, let Maria know in that email and she will ask for further contact details from you. 
    If you pay ahead online, you will not need to register when you come to your first rehearsal. Just go directly to Caroline Best, our Librarian, to pick up and/or pay for music.    

    Payment on the night
    If you prefer to pay on the night, you can pay by cash or cheque (made out to ‘Summertown Choral Society’), but not credit card. You should in that case go first to the registration desk (from where you will be directed on to Caroline for music). 

    According to our Constitution, payment is required at the start of the term. We are thankful that the majority of members adhere to this. However even a small number of late payments result in extra work for a number of committee members. It is also very unfair to all members when some people come to a number of rehearsals then leave mid-term without having paid at all. We kindly request all members to pay by the third rehearsal, 26th September, at the very latest.

    Registration
    Registration will begin at 7.45pm on 12th September. In general, if you arrive before that time, please do not enter the main church and keep conversation to a minimum. This is because St Michael’s own choir (also directed by Duncan) is rehearsing until 7.45.

    A drink will be held a few weeks into the term, date TBC.

    Newcomers
    We welcome new singers to give us a free evening’s trial in one of the early weeks. If that applies to you, go first to the registration desk. Music will then be lent to you for the evening. In exchange for the music, you will be asked to leave a deposit of something of a little value (e.g. keys or a credit card). 

    Scores
    We will be using the New Novello Choral edition of the J S Bach St. John Passion, ed Jenkins, ISBN 0-85360-959-4, singing in English. If you do not have your own copy, hired copies will be available to members, free of charge, for collection at the first, and, if needed, subsequent rehearsals

    John Fletcher Website
    For those wanting to do some pre-term practice, the music is available via our subscription to the John Fletcher website. If you have sung with us recently you will already have access (login and search for “Summertown”). Click here to go to our rehearsal aid webpage for more information on this and other practice sites.

    Next Concert
    The Next Concert page of our website has the poster for the St John Passion and some interesting reading please click here.