Wayns Augmented - February 2024

Wayns Augmented -February 2024

Welcome to our new half-termly blog, Wayns Augmented. If you have any ideas, suggestions or content for future blogs then please contact Jacki Donnellan or Sophie House.

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The new year began well for the Wayns as we were returning fresh from a successful Christmas concert. Many felt that the balance of sound between the English Chamber Orchestra and us the choir was just right, and the opportunities for congregational as well as choral singing made for a truly festive occasion (as well as providing us with a ready-made standing ovation- but of course this would have happened anyway!!) Our thanks as always to Andy Lumsden and all those who work behind the scenes to make the concert happen.

Those of us who watched the latest season of Netflix series The Crown over the Christmas break that followed may have spotted our very own Andy Lumsden on their screens, as there is a very clear shot of him conducting at the very beginning of a scene filmed in the Cathedral. This link will take you to a Youtube clip if you’d like to take a peek!

You may also like to hear more about the Grammy that was recently awarded to Andy and the Cathedral Choristers, as mentioned in the last Wayns Weekly. Here is a link to an article about it on the Cathedral website, and here is a link to an interview with Andy and two of the choristers on Radio Solent (2 hrs 25 mins in).

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Welcome to our new members

We have grown in number this half term having gained four new members in this term’s auditions, with our longstanding member Sandra Brown returning to singing with us after a break. We welcome them all warmly!

We asked our new members to tell us a little bit about themselves:

 Rachel Cristofoli A1- I've sung in choirs since I was 8 years old when I started singing with the IoW Youth Choir. I live in Kings Worthy and moved to the Winchester area 30 years ago when I joined the Winchester City Festival Choir. I work full time in Winchester as a Director of a small Market Research Consultancy. Aside from singing, my main hobby is swimming (both in the pool and open water) and my typical day kicks off with a long swim before work. I'm delighted to be part of The Wayns and really pleased I finally plucked up the courage to audition.

Annabel Larard A1 - I live in Medstead. I run a project called Primary Robins that brings singing into the lives of children that have little or no exposure to music. Singing has always been an important part of my life and I am thrilled to be joining the Waynflete Singers.

Kieron Brear B1- I've been singing in choirs for over 20 years around the south. As well as classical music, I've sung a range including pop and show tunes. My biggest gig was in a choir backing Fatboy Slim when he headlined the Bestival festival. I live outside Salisbury and I'm looking forward to making quality music with the Wayns.

Maddy Thompson S2 - I am a Consultant nurse in palliative medicine at Winchester Hospice and Hampshire Hospitals. I live in Winchester with my family and am looking forward to returning to choral singing again after a few years off!

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We break for half term shortly before St Valentine’s Day which seems a fitting end to a half term which began with the wonderful news of Andy Lumsden’s engagement. We are grateful to Andy Hayman and George Castle this half term for the times they have stepped in to lead our rehearsals, helping us to march forward with our Bach and Handel - quite literally, on one occasion! No doubt we will continually, continually, continually make good progress next half- term...

Have a happy half term holiday!

New Year Update

Welcome to 2023 ! Thanks to all who came to our Christmas concert in Winchester Cathedral.  It was wonderful to be singing to a completely full audience, and also to hear the enthusiastic participation in the audience carols.

 We are starting this year with a coronation-themed concert on March 18th in the Cathedral.  We are performing several large-scale works composed for previous coronations, including Elgar’s Coronation Ode (written for the 1902 coronation) and Walton’s Te Deum (1953).  We are delighted to be working again with the wonderful Bournemouth Symphony orchestra, as these works require large forces.  The Elgar is relatively rarely performed, and is the work in which Elgar first set the words and music of “Land of Hope and Glory” together : it’s a great piece to perform.

 On June 4th we will be holding a “Come and Sing”, which will also be coronation themed.  If you would like to sing with us, keep watching this space and we soon be providing details on how to sign up.  We will work together in the afternoon and then the come and sing forces will perform the works in the evening, along with some extra works performed by the Wayns.  As always, we are very open to new people joining the choir, so if you enjoy either the concerts or the come and sing, do consider auditioning.

Beyond that, future dates for your diaries are October 14th in Christchurch Priory for a Brahms concert, also with the BSO, and our next Christmas concert on December 9th in the Cathedral.

We very much hope to see you at the concerts !