Wayns Weekly 20th January 2025
Verdi choir priority tickets
A reminder that choir priority booking closes at the end of this week, and public booking will open from Saturday. A massive thank you to the many people who have prebooked tickets – we have had a fabulous response and at the time of writing (Monday 20th) there is only one top price ticket remaining. If you still wish to send in a priority order, please do so as soon as possible to Sarah Jones sj@luminaconsulting.com. The £40 price tickets too are selling fast and will disappear quickly.
For full information, including selling points for this concert , please see the Wayns weekly of 7th January.
Physical flyers will be available from next week, but in the meantime please don’t forget that you can download the flyer from the website to share with family and friends, via email , Whatsapp or social media.
2. Bayeux Tour - Details and Payments
As I mentioned at the last rehearsal, plans for the tour are coming together, thanks to lots of work done by the organizing committee. This will be the first of several updates from me as we get towards our departure on May 29th.
i. We now have a pretty firm agenda / itinerary, which in summary is as follows:
May 29th - travel to Bayeux and check into hotels.
May 30th - morning tour of the tapestry. Afternoon rehearsal. Evening concert in the Cathedral.
May 31st - concert at the American Cemetery. Group meal in the evening
June 1st - visit to Arromanches and Vers Sur Mer, before travelling on to Caen and home.
We will provide a more detailed itinerary in a little while, but we are trying to balance bring busy enough with being relaxed enough to ensure we all get to spend time with each other and have a bit of a holiday. Particularly on 29th, as those coming from Winchester by coach will have a very early start, we are not planning group activities, but are happy to do so if there is demand.
ii. Payments
But for now, we need to think about payment. We have already made commitments to hotels and travel is booked. You have all already paid a deposit, and we will split the remaining payments into two. The first of these will be due by February 15th and the balance by the end of March. We have made an allowance in our costings at this stage for the group meal, but final costs and possible exchange rate movements may mean that we have to make small adjustments later. Helen Longworth has done a wonderful job of working out exactly who owes what and will be handing out personal invoices at the next rehearsal, or by email for those of you who are not physically about. I know it's fairly short notice for payments, but the tour is fast approaching : please let me know directly if there are any concerns/cash flow issues and I'll see what we can do to help.
Thanks
Daniel
Wayns Weekly 14th January 2025
A Message from Heather Aspinall re the Rose Road Carols 2024
This event in 2024 was a great success.
Around 50 of the choir signed up this year, and it was a full chapel of supporters for Rose Road.
Many people have said how beautiful the music was, the choir sounded better than ever, and what a joyful positive programme it was.
Mark Williams made inspired choices of music which really worked. We'll not forget the contrasts in the hush of the angel Gabriel, the Rutter skipping to Bethlehem, and those Joy to the World modulations! Mark's tuition and conducting was inspiring and Andy Hayman's playing of the merry organ included a great voluntary at the end.
The dedication of choir members to this event is exceptional.
And this is from Rose Road:
"I am thrilled to say that this year has been a triumph! We have made £7,426.50… so far.
So many come to hear the Waynfletes sing. Please do pass the total and our thanks and very best wishes for Christmas to the choir and to Mark and Andrew. As always I thought you were all just wonderful".
This will really help Rose Road to provide much needed activities and support for the young people and families.
Voice Stock Take for Some S2s and S1s
A reminder that there is a voice stock take this Thursday for some Sopranos. Please bring last term’s Beethoven and arrive at least 5 minutes before your allotted time. You can access the lists here. Thanks
Open Rehearsals
These are taking place this Thursday and next, with auditions on 30th January. So far we have 5 sopranos, 1 alto and 1 bass coming. If you know of anyone who might be interested - particularly Tenors, please encourage them to come and visit us.
Tickets for Verdi - a Reminder
Choir members’ priority ticket booking will be available from 16th -24th January; please send your requests in from now onwards to Sarah Jones: sj@luminaconsulting.com . We expect this to be a very popular concert and that the best seats will sell out very quickly.
Public booking will open from January 25th through the Cathedral box office.
Ticket Prices:
D-O - £50
P-Z - £40
AA to HH - £30
JJ to PP - £25
QQ to back - £20
Side Aisles £15.00
Further details in the WW of 7th January
Wayns Weekly 7th January 2025 Ticket information
Choir Priority ticket booking for Verdi Requiem Friday 4th April 2025
Choir members’ priority ticket booking will be available from 16th -24th January; please send your requests in from now onwards to Sarah Jones: sj@luminaconsulting.com . We expect this to be a very popular concert and that the best seats will sell out very quickly.
Please get in touch with your friends and family and forward them the flyer to drum up support and get your orders in. Click here to find the flyer. You can download it to your own device for sharing via email or WhatsApp.
Public booking will open from January 25th through the Cathedral box office.
Ticket Prices:
D-O - £50
P-Z - £40
AA to HH - £30
JJ to PP - £25
QQ to back - £20
Side Aisles £15.00
Due to the augmented size of the orchestra and chorus, the usual front three rows (A-C) will not be available. There is a very slight possibility that they may be reinstated nearer the time.
A few selling points:
This is a rare opportunity to experience one of the greatest choral works ever composed, in one of the most awe-inspiring venues in the UK
We are joined by the BSO as well as members of the Bournemouth Symphony Chorus, so this will be a fabulous performance
The Cathedral’s video screens will be in use , with camera work to ensure that wherever sitting, audience members will be able to have a good view of the unfolding drama.
We have a stellar line-up of soloists:
Soprano Elin Pritchard: has sung with ENO, Garsington Opera, mid Wales Opera, the Waynflete Singers(!) and at the Grange Festival amongst many other appearances. Her 2021 performance as Manon Lescaut at the Grange Festival was reviewed in Bachtrack : ‘Elin Pritchard …who is nothing less than sensational. Her performance alone warrants serious efforts to acquire a ticket….Pritchard’s voice was a delight; a warm, gleaming instrument that is supported at the top and is full of colour’
Alto Rebecca Affonwy-Jones, who has sung with WNO, Grange Park opera, West Green Opera , the Waynflete Singers (!) and made her BBC Proms debut singing Vaughan Williams Serenade to Music with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra conducted by Donald Runnicles
Uruguayan Tenor Andrés Presno: who has been a Jette Parker Young artist at the Royal Opera House and appeared last summer at Grange Festival Opera to great critical acclaim, reviewed in Opera Today ‘Presno is just as commanding as Cavarodossi with forceful tone and ringing high notes that are not at all forced or strained’. In 2024/25 he will return to Covent Garden, Opera North and Welsh National Opera… and make his debut with the Waynflete Singers!
Bass Ashley Riches, former BBC R3 young generation artist, whose performance appearances include the Royal Opera House, at the BBC Proms, and with the London Symphony Orchestra with Antonio Pappano. He last sung with us in the St John Passion in March 2022, and also in February 2017, with David Owen-Norris conducting.
We have Andy Lumsden conducting, in tiptop form !
This is going to be a memorable performance, please do all you can to ensure it is a sellout.
Many thanks
Sarah
Wayns Weekly 6th January
Happy New Year and a New Term
Welcome back! So on to Verdi’s Requiem on Friday 4th April. We start rehearsals this Thursday, 9th January. Most people already have their copies, but if you do have to collect some music, please come early so we can start the rehearsal on time.
Subs Payments
A reminder to those of you who pay your subs in 2 instalments, your balance is now due. Also those on the concessionary rate should also pay the fee for next term.
Do You have Access to Staging? A Request from Veronica
Last term we asked if anyone had access to staging we could borrow/use for the summer concert at The Guildhall and I got no responses. Now we are into a new year I would like to ask again.
Do you work in a school or college? Are you active in your local church? Do you have anything to do with a local parish council? Or do you have a stage lurking in your garage?
If the answer to any of the above is "yes" or you know anyone else for whom it is, please could you find out if there is a portable stage we could borrow or hire for use at our summer concert in The Guildhall.
We need something similar to what we used at New Hall last summer, so sufficient for a choir of about 80 people.
It will cost the choir around £1,000 to hire something suitable if no one comes forward, an expense we are keen to avoid.
Please contact Veronica at veronica.kshaw@gmail.com if you might be able to help. Thank you.
Veronica
Wayns Weekly 10th December 2024
A Classical Christmas Concert and Derek Beck’s Write up for the Chronicle
What a wonderful concert it was with a very appreciative audience. Thanks to both Andy and George for all their hard work this term. If you click here you will find the link to Derek Beck’s write up for the Chronicle.
2. The Christmas Market Sing
Many thanks for those who turned up to regale the visitors with carols and a special thanks to John Lunt who chose the programme and kept us in good order!
3. Dates for Next Term
The dates for next term when we shall be rehearsing the Verdi Requiem, can be found here.
Soprano 1s - please remember that you have your voice stocktake on January 16th.