Weekly Updates

Next rehearsal is Tue 27 May 2025 at St Andrew’s Psalter Lane Church 7-9pm

We will rehearse Creation. If you missed last week’s rehearsal, you will still be able to sing in the concert as long as you attend two of the final three rehearsals, ie 20 and 27 May and 3 June.

• Rehearsal notes, recordings and rehearsal tracks for Haydn’s Creationare on the website at Members Area / Rehearsals / Prepare the Music.
• For buses to St Andrew’s, see https://www.travelsouthyorkshire.com/.
• Street parking BUT NOT CHERRY TREE DRIVE! Take bikes into the foyer.
• Car parking spaces available by arrangement only
• Toilets at front of church, through doors either side, follow signs. Accessible loo in foyer.
• All members welcome to The Stag after rehearsal, only a short walk from St Andrew’s.
• Many thanks for your consideration regarding mobile ‘phone interruptions and distractions. Please nudge the person next to you if they get out their mobile during the rehearsal; it’s okay in emergencies of course but please leave the room.

Revised rehearsal schedule: http://www.dariusbattiwalla.com/currentschedule.pdf)

Please return English Anthems

Please return your English Anthems – and do try your best to rub out the marks you made so that Alan and Rosemary and their rubbing out team don’t have to meet more than once to get it all done before the scores are returned. Don’t forget that any fines charged to the Chorus for the late return of hire scores will be passed on to the members concerned.

Come and Sing day

The Come and Sing on Saturday was a resounding success – over 50 visitors and more than 100 Chorus members had a smashing time. The atmosphere was wonderful – informal yet well organised, friendly, fun and joyous – mostly because of the glorious music, what a treat it was to sing such great pieces! Many thanks to Darius for selecting such uplifting works, for preparing us well and for leading the day so marvellously. Rachel and Peter accompanied us extremely well, and some of Rachel’s Congleton choir came as visiting singers – many thanks!

Thanks to everyone who helped to make the day such a success, including Marianne, Kirsty, Jane and Christine on the door, Kate, Jo and Andy in the car park, Alan and Rosemary on the music stall, Helen and her amazingly efficient catering team of Nicky, Alex, Lizzie, Diane, Lydia and Magdalene, who kept everyone fed and watered in record time and with cheerful smiles throughout, and all the folk who helped front of house, who did a super job showing people to their seats and generally providing a friendly welcome. Thanks to those who did the unseen organisation beforehand, including Jo, Jim, Marianne, Georgina and Anne – and of course to Chorus members, who were warm and helpful to visitors and had prepared the pieces to great effect, as well as donating scrumptious goodies to eat during the breaks.

We took £1,350 of online sales, plus a small amount on the door and donations for refreshments. The day will therefore probably break even financially, which is great!

Chatsworth music

Thank you to those who have signed up to sing. We could still do with a few tenors!!! The music will be available soon. Information, including a list of the music and rehearsal dates, is on our website at Members Area / Electives.

Georgina’s final workshop

Georgina’s final pre-rehearsal workshop will be in the room at the front of church 18.30 to 18.55. All welcome.

Photos and artifacts from Bochum visits

Anne is meeting the City Council’s Bochum exhibition organiser again this week, so please bring any items you are happy to loan on Tuesday – preferably marked with your name so we know who to return them to. Many thanks for your help.

Chris Wiltshire piano fund-raiser 12 and 13 July 2025

Chris Wiltshire’s next fund-raising effort will be on July 12th and 13th when he will be joined by Jonathan Lazell to play ALL of Schubert’s Piano Duets. Among many famous composers who wrote duets (Beethoven, Brahms, Dvorak …), Schubert led the way with over fifty Marches, Polonaises, Rondos, Variations and superb Sonatas. Chris is the widow of ex-member Pat, who sang with the second sopranos for many years, and he and Jonathan are aiming to beat the £3,000 which was raised for Alzheimer’s Research last year.  The two day event will take place at Chris’s home – further information next week.

Rehearsal schedule

Full schedule is on Darius’s website at http://www.dariusbattiwalla.com/currentschedule.pdf, there’s also a link from the members area of the Chorus website (in Rehearsals). See also Diary dates (below and Chorus website at Members Area / Diary dates)

Diary dates (dates in italics are voluntary electives; attendance expected at all others)      

Confirmed concert dates and details, including piano and tutti rehearsal dates, times and locations, are posted on Chorus website as soon as they become available so that members can plan ahead, at Members Area / Diary dates 

2024-25

• Sunday 8 June 2025 16.00, HaydnCreation, Matthew Hamilton and the Halle at City Hall SICS*. Conductor rehearsal is now Tuesday 20 May, Matthew can only come that day. Apologies but he has only just let us know. On-the-day rehearsal 11.00 to 14.00.
• Saturday 12 July 2025 Chatsworth, 13.00 Elective event. Free garden ticket per person who signs up. Georgina Hulse will conduct.

2025-26 – all but the Come Sing date now confirmed (see below)

• Saturday 1 November 2025, St Marie’s Cathedral, organ 150^th anniversary concert. Jonathan Dove Seek Him that maketh the Seven Stars, Cassie White for music like the sea, Stanford Blue Bird, organ solo (Darius), Coleridge Taylor Lea Shore & Summer is Gone, Balfour Gardiner Evening Hymn INTERVAL Lili Boulanger Hymne au Soleil, Durufle motets, organ solo, Messe Solonnelle Jean Langlais (double organ). Soloists from choir. Organists: Neil Taylor, James Mitchell and Darius. There will be seating for the choir when we’re not singing (and for those who need it on the altar).
• Tuesday 9 December 2025, City Hall. Halle orchestra live accompaniment to big-screen showing of Home Alone; we’ll sing the main theme and the in-film carols
• Saturday 13 December 2025, 30, City Hall (SICS) Carol concert with Black Dyke Band, presenter Josie D’Arby, programme to include a carol by Rachel Fright
• Sunday 14 December 2025, 2pm cathedral, St Luke’s carol service – date confirmed
• Friday 6 February 2026, 19.00, City Hall (SICS) Arvo Part Lament with Manchester Camerata
• Saturday in April/May – Come and Sing event – date to be confirmed
• Friday 9 May 2026, Crookes Social Club, SPC Ceilidh plus Pie and Pea supper, date confirmed
• Sunday 7 June 2026, City Hall, 16.00 (SICS) Elijah with Halle conducted by Matthew Hamilton

*SICS = concert is part of the Sheffield International Concert Season