Dorset Police Male Voice Choir & Friends In Tune Newsletter Spring Edition 2015, Volume 9 Recent Concerts Welcome The concert season of 2015 started on Saturday 28 February at St. Peter & St. Paul Parish Church, Blandford in aid of the Cupola Project. This fine Georgian church built in 1732, following the great fire of Blandford in 1731, provided a magnificent setting for some of the choir’s best musical pieces. Two soloists, Emily Clarke from Clayesmore School and Holly Fripp from Sturminster Newton School gave excellent renditions of three pieces each. The concert was very well attended with many favourable comments, including those from the two music teachers that accompanied the students. May I welcome you all, to the new style Newsletter of the Dorset Police Male Voice Choir & Friends - Spring Edition. This quarterly newsletter, now renamed the In Tune Newsletter, will we hope, provide a friendly and consistent format. In addition to the new format, we will include a personal profile for a member of the choir each quarter. In this edition we start with our Musical Director, Dr Jane Oakland. The original Newsletter was started in the January of 2013 by Chris Searle, to provide an opportunity for those interested, to follow the activities of the choir and to become involved through its concerts and social activities. I would like to thank Chris for initiating this project and for the hard work that he has undertaken over the past two years, and Henry Feilden for agreeing to carry it forward. The Cupola restoration project raises funds for the restoration of this wonderful listed building, which sadly has incurred water damage from a leaky roof. A sum of £500 net of expenses was raised on the evening. As Jane has said before (Spring 2013), a choir is only as good as it's MD, and a MD only as good as it's choir. We are fortunate in having a wonderful MD, and so join us on this exciting journey. Programme for Saturday 28 February Graham Chambers, A Roman War Song Nessun Dorma Finlandia African Prayer Gwahoddiad Chairman Goodbyes This quarter we said farewell to Eric Smith (first tenor) after 10 years of service and Tony Taylor (second Tenor) after 20 years of service. We would like to thank them for their loyal support and committed service and in Tony's case, from the early years of the choir. Solo – Emily Clarke Give Me That Old Time Religion The Lord’s Prayer With Cat Like Tread Anthem (From Chess) Rhythm Of Life Bridge Over Troubled Water Medley from Les Miserable (I Dreamed a Dream & Do You Hear The People Sing) Hellos We are delighted to welcome two new baritone members to the choir this quarter. Geoff Bevis and Trevor Jenkins. We wish them a long and happy association with the choir. Solo – Holly Fripp Sinatra There is Nothing Like a Dame 1 Monies Raised for Charities The following concert of the 2015 season was the Choir’s own Annual Concert which raised approximately £1200 for choir funds. It was held on Saturday 14 March 2015 at St. Peter's Parish Church, Bournemouth. This fine church in the centre of Bournemouth, so often overlooked by passers by, provided an exciting and majestic setting for a wonderful evening. The choir sang 13 pieces from its extensive repertoire. The MC for this event was Mr. Martin Baker QPM former Chief Constable of Dorset Police. The guest spot was taken by The Dorset Police Brass Ensemble conducted by Mr. Bill Evans and accompanied by soprano and trombone soloists. The large church, built in the period 1844 to 1879 and the oldest in the Parish, hosted a very well attended event on a wet and blustery evening. In Chris Searle's June Newsletter 2014 it was stated, that at that time the Choir had raised in excess of £260,000 for numerous charities since the choir was formed 4 July 1995. It was also noted that individual amounts raised from our most recent concerts, which many of you had supported, were not always reported. This will now be highlighted under Recent Concerts. An event that should not be forgotten and not reported on in the Winter Edition of the Newsletter, was The Dorset Police Christmas Carol Service held at Wimborne Minster on 18 December 2014. This historic Saxon Church with Norman and Gothic architecture and a tomb of the brother of Alfred the Great, provided a wonderful backdrop for this annual seasonal event. Programme for Saturday 14 March Soldiers' Chorus Nessun Dorma The Lord's Prayer Llanfair It was well attended and proved to be a magical experience for all those who braved a wet winters evening. Guest Spot: The Dorset Police Brass Ensemble Anthem (from Chess) You Raise Me Up This Is The Moment African Prayer The program included the Boscombe Salvation Army Songsters and the Dorset Police Brass Ensemble. There was a retiring collection for the work of the Salvation Army and Wimborne Minster. Medley From 'Les Miserables' This Old Man Future Events Guest Spot: The Dorset Police Brass Ensemble with Trombone and Soprano Soloists Eight future concerts are planned for this year to which the Friends of the choir and public are invited. A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square With Cat-Like Tread There is Nothin' Like A Dame We will start with a concert on: 2 • Saturday 16 May at St George's Church, Darby's Lane, Oakdale, Poole in aid of Poole Africa Link. Our guests will be The Ladies Cantilena Choir. • On Saturday 23 May at St Peter's Church, Church Road, Parkstone (Ashley Cross), organised by Parkstone Rotary Club in aid of Rotary Charities. The concert will be with The Salvation Army Songsters and the MC for this event will be David Buck. • On Saturday 20 June at The Trinity Centre, Christchurch Road, Ringwood, organised by The Royal British Legion - Ringwood Branch. • In the second half of the year, the choir will be singing in Sherborne Abbey on 25th July. This is a joint concert that has been organised by the choir together with the male voice choir of the Avon and Somerset Constabulary. The proceeds will be going to the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance Service and COPS (Care Of Police Survivors). Tickets are already available. She has published widely on this subject and has presented papers at conferences worldwide. She is affiliated to The British Association of Performing Arts Medicine (BAPAM) in her work as a Music Psychologist. As well as MD of DPMVC Jane is also MD of Highcliffe Youth Choir. Last month Jane celebrated her marriage to Michael Huntriss, recently retired clarinetist with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. Jane and Mike have been making music together for over 40 years, a tradition they hope to continue. Further concerts in the latter part of the year will be in Verwood in September, Swanage in October, Bournemouth in October and Ferndown in November. Social Events The social events of 2015 started with the Choir’s Annual Dinner Dance, held on Saturday 31 January at Bentley's Restaurant, Dudsbury Golf Club, Ferndown. More details will follow in future newsletters. Personal Profile This Black Tie and frocks event is one opportunity for the Friends of the choir to meet old friends and choir members. As predicted the event proved to be an evening of good food, fine wine, good company and inevitable singing in the pleasant surroundings of the large restaurant. Some 80 people attended including 34 choir members, wives and friends. Photograph taken 25.4.15 Dr. Jane Oakland began her professional singing Our MC for the evening was Colin Evans and the event was organised by Charlie Challenger. We would like to thank them both for organising the event, and those who took that leap of faith and found themselves on the stage. A number of new acts appeared this year, showing that the choir has plenty of hidden talent. We look forward to future events, to which friends are invited. career with the Scottish Opera. She showed her remarkable potential at a very early age and when she was spotted for greater things. Other Events In 1990 Jane moved to Holland, where she sang primarily with De Nederlandse Opera, but also with Nationale Reis Opera, Groot Omroep Koor and Vlaamse Opera in Antwerp. Throughout the year members of the choir who enjoy a game of golf, will meet up for a breakfast bap and a few rounds of Golf. She has worked with conductors such as Leonard Bernstein, Pierre Boulez, Carlo Rizzi and Simon Rattle. Her work has taken her to opera houses in Venice, Frankfurt, Mannheim, Santander, Paris, Luxembourg and the Salzburg Festspiel, as well as concert performances in the Cayman Islands. In 2007 she created the role of "Betty" in the world premiere of Jonathon Harvey's opera 'Wagner Dream' for De Nederlandse Opera, a role she recently performed for Welsh National Opera in 2013. The choir’s last Golf Society Competition was held in April at Queens Park GC. Four teams of three took part and the winning team was Pat Lander, John Dunford and Charlie Challenger. Jane returned to the UK in 2009 and completed a Ph.D. researching career stress for professional musicians. 3 Final Comment from your Editor According to Charlie, all three played outstanding golf. The next golf competition will be on the 10 June at Bulbury Wood. I joined the DPMVC in July 2014. I had sung before both at school and in other smaller choirs and received a marvellous welcome from this warm and friendly body of fine men when I joined. Introducing ‘Friends’ of Dorset Police Male Voice Choir By simply coming to one of our concerts, you will automatically become a friend. Please ensure that you complete a friend's Membership Form available at the time of the concert. Please provide your name, postal address and postcode, telephone number and most important of all your email address, so that you can receive invites to all future concerts and receive our In Tune Newsletter. There is something very special about this choir and the chemistry that exists between its members and their MD, Jane Oakland. Tuesday nights at the time of rehearsals are happy nights. I consider myself very fortunate to be a member and look forward to watching the choir grow and develop under the highly talented leadership of its MD. Henry Feilden Edtor Further details about any of the concerts can be obtained from the Choir Concert Secretary, Tony Gibson. Telephone: (01202) 535058 Email: [email protected] or www.dorsetpolicemalevoicechoir.co.uk For further information regarding the activities of the choir, please contact us at: Email: [email protected] 4 5
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