Wayns Weekly 12th January 2026
Gerontius Tickets - 27th March 2026
As mentioned last week in the ‘extra WW’, advanced booking is now available on the Cathedral website. Remember to use the following code ELGAR26C. Booking can be in person, by phone 01962 857275 or on the website . for a reminder of the details click here to take you back to last week’s information.
There was a glitch earlier where members and friends were being charged a booking fee. This should not have happened. The box office has put this right, but, should you have been charged a booking fee then please get in touch with the booking office, either by phone or by person. They will cancel and then rebook the tickets without the fee.
Open Rehearsals
They are this Thursday and next (15th and 22nd January). We have 10 people but mainly women. Just 2 Basses and not a Tenor in sight. Please welcome them as you always do. Thanks.
Rose Road Carols - The End of an Era - A Message from Heather Aspinall - please read!
The Carols in December 2025 was the last one. I organised it for 16 years and it's time to hang up my hat. Over those years the service, which included 9 congregation and choir only carols each time, raised a total of over £47,000. Young people and families from Rose Road attended. Click here to find out more about Rose Road.
I had a dual facing relationship because I was the CEO of RR before I retired and have continued doing it for the last 9 years as a volunteer, very willingly, but all things change and move on.
Rose Road is a fantastic local charity and I'm sure will continue to get huge support. They have said "we completely understand your decision and sadly at some point these things do come to an end. Please pass on our thanks again to the choir for all the hard work they have done over many years."
You have all been magnificent, many of you signing up eagerly every year and singing with commitment whatever has been demanded of you. Turning up in car parks in December's wet and rainy Winchester streets for rehearsal and service, on top of the Cathedral concert and all your other commitments in the same busy month. Thank you, each and every one. Some of you - you know who you are! - have done it every one of the 16 years. You've made it a joy for me to do.
I would like to thank Clare Talks for her support all those years at the College.
Enormous thanks go to our conductors and organists, such as David Owen Norris in the earlier years. Thanks especially since 2017 to Mark Williams, who has been an inspiration and pleasure to sing for. He always drew up a stimulating and balanced programme and organised it without me needing to chase him. And Andy Hayman who has been our fantastic versatile organist since then too, introducing us to a wide range of voluntaries.
Prior to this commitment, the Wayns sang Carols in the Brooks for a number of years for another very deserving charity, and I'm sure this won't be the end of Wayns (including me) giving hearts and voices for others.
On behalf of the choir (and Rose Road) thank you Heather for all you have done over those 16 years.
Local Concerts
I have been given details of 2 concerts; one from Martin Tomsett on March 7th in support of Home Start Winchester (he is a trustee) https://www.equinoxsax.org.uk/ and the other is a Come and Sing Opera at Southampton University’s concert hall, Turner Sims, on Sunday 15th February. led by our friend David Owen Norris (who is joining us for our summer concert) https://www.davidowennorris.com/dickens-opera/ .
More details will appear on our Local Concerts page, shortly.
Some of you may have heard a bit of David’s Organ Symphony on Radio 4 this week (organ as in bodily organ not the keyboard kind!). https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002bs1n