From Richard:
Just a note to say a monumental thank you for Saturday’s concert in the Abbey. It was a glorious triumph: from the chugging relentlessness of the Walton, to the Latin fusion of the Rutter, and the atmospheric moodiness of the Mozart.
My thanks must go to the committees of both choirs for all their incredible graft over the last few months in getting everything off the ground, and for organising everything so thoroughly. It will have taken a great deal of unseen effort, but I know everyone in both choirs hugely appreciates all that you have done.
Thanks also to the orchestra, our four excellent soloists, the Abbey team, and all those who helped behind the scenes with logistics, music, staging, hospitality, and front of house. Events like this rest on a mountain of unseen kindness and competence.
And, of course, my thanks to Martin and John for all their tireless work in getting you rehearsed, for suggesting the idea in the first place, and for nurturing the festival over the last few years. Here’s to next year’s Verdi Requiem! And another huge thank you to my brilliant colleague, James — the only person with a safer pair of hands than his is probably Florence Nightingale.
Saturday was quite an emotional day, with the concert coinciding with the end of term. I found myself thinking about all the pupils and staff I’ll miss next year, and it felt good to be actively making music and doing something rather than morosely poking an olive around a martini. It meant I could pour myself into the music and be totally transported by the brilliant energy and enthusiasm of the orchestra and choir.
It was also wonderful to have four brilliant soloists, and even more wonderful that Toby was able to sing as one of them. I know he was spurred on by the support coming from behind him, and I was exceptionally proud of him. It was a joy for me to work with Hilary again (old uni friend), and having that rapport with her really helped shape the Rutter. Bethan and Josh were both utterly glorious, and just shone out; they both sent emails afterwards, congratulating the choir and saying what a fabulous job you did. 
Thank you hugely for your energy, preparation, and good cheer. Congratulations, and enjoy the summer break.

Autumn term starts on 7 September, at 7.15 in the Maidment
We will be rehearsing for our performance of Paul Carr's glorious Requiem for an Angel at St Cecilia in November.

Scores are available from goodmusicpublishing and are £15 each;  delivery is £5 but orders over £25 in value are sent free of delivery charge, so worth pairing up to buy.
PLEASE NOTE - It is your responsibility to source the vocal score and find a partner if you wish to save on delivery cost. The committee will NOT be organising music for this term.

Recordings are available on CD from goodmusicpublishing at £11 but used copies and mp3 downloads are available at lower cost elsewhere, eg Amazon.

Autumn Term subscriptions will be £45;  Please pay subscriptions by BACS if you can, as we now have to pay for every cheque paid into our account.
The account details are:
Name of Bank: Unity Trust Bank
Account Name: Shropshire Charity Concerts
Account Number: 20475246
Sort Code: 60-83-01
Please make online payments only to this account with your name and voice in the reference and delete any saved payment details for the old Coop account. 
If you pay by cheque, please make payable to ’Shropshire Charity Concerts’ with your name and voice on the back. 

We are in desperate need for more committee members to help with the organisation of the choir and the events we perform. It is a standing request in nearly every email I put out with little reward. ☹. So this plea is aimed at newer members who may be interested in getting more involved. Honestly, it is not very onerous on your time and the more people we have the less it will be. Even of you don’t want to commit to the committee if you are happy to be called upon in and around concert time for additional help with set up and take down please just ask me or you vice rep for more information. 
Take care
Annette Barratt   Member Secretary

Thank you all for another excellent evening of music-making and for fully committing to some bold, original programming. It came across brilliantly, and the variety of the programme meant there was something for everyone.
There was some wonderfully expressive singing in the Patrick Hawes Song of Songs; particularly in movements 2, 4 and 5. And as for our homegrown soloist, Nicky - magnifique! Hearty congratulations to Toby as well, for his beautiful singing, expressive phrasing, and his support in the bass section.
Very well done in the Coleridge Requiem too, some truly mighty moments, and the more exposed passages were handled with care. There are still a few corners to refine, but that’s the thrill and risk of live performance. It’s good to have things to build on.
Thank you to the committee for everything you did to bring Saturday together. I know how much work goes into a single concert; it’s hugely appreciated by both me and the wider choir, and all that effort is entirely worthwhile.
I’m looking forward to seeing many of you next term as we take on the Mozart Requiem and the Rutter Magnificat. It’s going to be enormous fun—and with a full orchestra behind us, we’ll need to learn how to really project!
Happy Easter all!
Richard

We performed  Bach’s Christmas Oratorio in Shrewsbury Abbey as our Christmas fundraising concert.
See Annette's email of 15 December for Richard's detailed comments, including:
"What you achieved in the Christmas Oratorio was something rare... The sound was confident, alive, and grounded; the result of months of serious/fun work, finally speaking for itself. Bach rewards commitment, and you gave him exactly that.  My deepest thanks to every single singer for the solidity you’ve shown since January.  You should all take real pride in this performance. It was joyful, assured, and musically mature, a statement of who this choir is now!"

Richard commented after the St Cecilia:
"Superb success folks!! Thank for all your hard preparation!!" 

Our 2025 AGM was held on 24 November.
Agenda and reports were circulated by email and are also in the Members' area. (Password was in email of 21/11/25). 

A huge thanks to Michèle for hosting our summer social, a lovely relaxed gathering blessed with good weather!

Please see in Documents  some photos of our recent donations, and Netty's emailed thanks from Lingen Davies

See also the Calendar and Rehearsals

We presented cheques to our nominated charities of Lingen Davies Cancer Fund and "Feed the Birds" on 19th May. We were pleased to give £250 each on top of our promised amount, thanks in large to our full house at Messiah which was well publicised and therefore well attended.

To reiterate Jonathan's message:
Since Paul Bisson stood down the Board of Trustees have clarified and streamlined our relationship with the School. To help with this Sharon Keulemans has kindly agreed to liaise with the school to ensure clarity of communication on both sides, and several board members have taken on roles previously undertaken by Paul, but we still require help in areas including:
Event Management:
- ticketing (production and distribution) 
- booking of venues
- organising setting up and post-performance management
Publicity:
- design and production of text and artwork
- proof reading 
- press releases for media
- liaison with sponsors (when applicable)
- arranging distribution of event information
We would like to do more on this front so if anyone has skills in this area your help would be greatly appreciated. 

All help is welcome, just make yourself known to any of the board members. Getting more involved really does enhance the choir experience!

Lastly we need a new Chairperson and fresh blood would be great! The choir requires some work behind the scenes to ensure its smooth running and having a Chairperson overseeing all aspects will ensure this happens. There will be help and support for anyone taking on the role. 
I look forward to getting lots of responses of support and help
Annette
Members Secretary
Shrewsbury School Community Choir

Well done to all who sang in the Mozart Requiem! It was a tour de force and much enjoyed by all concerned. Many thanks, Paul

“Messiah” was such a success that we made a net profit of nearly £1700, exceeding the target figure of £1500, which we divided equally between our two chosen charities, the Lingen Davies Cancer Fund and Feed the Birds.
We sold 367 tickets out of a capacity of 385, so many thanks to everyone who made such a sterling effort.

Dear All,
I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for your stunning performance of Messiah on Saturday. Your musicianship, energy, and dedication shone through, and I’m so grateful for the way you embraced some of the more radical interpretations we explored... Your flexibility and quick thinking brought the performance to life. Congratulations.

A special thank you must go to the tireless committee – for their incredible work in setting up staging, organising the venue, and, of course, for the small matter of moving a harpsichord across Shropshire. None of this could have happened without you!

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I’m already looking forward to diving into Mozart’s Requiem (Novello edition) with you next term – I think it’s going to be a fantastic journey. Our first rehearsal will be on 6th January, and I can't wait to see you all then.
Seasons greetings
Richard

AGM 25 November 2024:
The papers were emailed and are in the Members' area . 
(Members' password is in 4/9/23 email)

You may know that we are members of Making Music (formerly NFMS) and we get a copy (print and digital) three times a year. If you would like to read any issue digitally, we can email it to you.

To Shiver The Sky:
Many congratulations to everyone who took part in our contribution to the School’s St Cecilia weekend.  Judging by the tumultuous applause from a packed audience, our performance of Christopher Tin’s “To Shiver The Sky” was a resounding success, and all credit should go to the School’s young musicians (singers and players), our own choir and, of course, to Richard who pulled off a magnificent concert of this mighty and dramatic work. If you have not already done so,  the album (c£8) and sleeve notes (free) for “To Shiver The Sky” can be downloaded here and here. 

Entrance to the Maidment
For safety reasons, we cannot be given access to the Maidment by code or swipe card and must await the door being opened by a member of staff. We hope have a board member on "door duty" until shortly after our start time, but apologies in advance if you are stuck outside!

Playing a musical instrument or singing
could keep the brain healthy in older age!, see Documents 
and https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-68105868 

Choir folders: We would like every member of the choir to have their scores in a black folder for our performances.   We have therefore acquired new folders at a cost of £6 each, and I would be grateful if those of you who do not currently have a folder could purchase one of the new ones.  These can be acquired from Annette Barratt at rehearsals.  Payment please by BACS (preferred) or cheque.  When making your payment by BACS please put "folder" and your name in the reference.

Attendance at Rehearsals: If you wish to take part in the performance of the work being rehearsed, we require you to have attended at least 60% of the rehearsals, and to take part in the final rehearsal. This applies even if you know the work well, as the Music Director will have instructed the choir at rehearsals in the way he wishes the piece to be performed, and you will need to be familiar with his directions.  A weekly register is taken by voice reps.  Please keep your voice rep informed of dates when you have to be absent.  You are of course welcome to attend rehearsals even if you are unable to reach the 60% target, but you will not be able to sing in the performance.

Termly fees: We have had enquiries about discounts for those who are only able to attend a limited number of rehearsals because of other commitments.  The Trustees have considered this and ruled that fees are for membership of the choir rather than on a rehearsal by rehearsal basis, and discounts may only be copnsidered for those whose financial circumstances make it difficult to pay the full fee.  If you know that other commitments will mean that you are only able to attend a limited number of rehearsals, it is for you to judge whether it is nevertheless worth your while to join the choir for the term in question.

Choir social:  Huge thanks to Michele Edwards-Clark for offering her splendid garden again in June for choir members, spouses and partners.  

We have some photographs of "Messiah" by the Abbey Manager Steve Swinden.  These are available on Documents.  If anyone would like copies of individual photographs please let us know on info@shropshirecharityconcerts.org.uk