Spring Term Update

Dear Parents and Members

Happy New Year, and welcome back to what is shaping up to be an extremely busy term for us! This email contains a lot of information – please read the sections for each choir as applicable to you.

Most importantly, please note that the Royal Albert Hall Box Office is now open for the ‘Hampshire at the Hall’ event on Monday 23 April. Please do ensure you book your tickets for family and friends/supporters as soon as possible, as we anticipate they will sell fast. You can order your tickets via the website here: https://www.royalalberthall.com/tickets/events/2018/hampshire-music-service/ quoting discount code 31999.

Some seats are privately held, especially in the Grand Tier. If you would like tickets for the Grand Tier specifically, please email georgina.holder@hants.gov.uk with the number of seats you require, and you will be added to a reserve list. We are expecting to have some of these seats returned to us for sale, although we don’t know how many at this stage.

Initially the stalls in section G and O are also being kept off sale until HMS confirm how many they will need for performers and staff. They will then be released in February.

HCYC events in 2018

Some details for this year’s projects are not yet confirmed, however as many of you have more than one child in an ensemble I wanted to give you as much time as possible to make arrangements where necessary. I will of course send out final details nearer the time.

Junior and Training Choirs: Mini Tour, Friday 2 February

The aim of this tour is to recruit members, especially for the Junior Choir. We have four primary schools lined up: Oliver’s Battery, Weeke, Winnall and Western, and we are visiting each one to perform a mini concert. We have booked a coach to pick us up at 9.15am at the South Winchester Park and Ride, Hockley Link, Winchester SO21 2FG, and will return there for around 3.30pm. We have written to schools to request permission for absence on this day.

All choirs: Residential Weekend at Avon Tyrrell, 23-25 February

If you have recently joined us and you would like to attend this trip, please email georgina.holder@hants.gov.uk as soon as possible. You will have received an email last week with a request to select activities. Forms for confirming medical information and consent will be sent out to you shortly, along with the schedule for the weekend. Rehearsal times for the Friday will be as close to normal as possible, but please note these will be held at Avon Tyrrell.

Chamber Choir: Memorial Service, Friday 2 March

We have been asked to provide a choir by Hampshire County Council for a Memorial Service at Winchester Cathedral. This will take place during the day, therefore we will be contacting schools shortly requesting permission for absence. The service is at 2.00pm and you are likely to be needed for a rehearsal from 12.30pm.

Youth Choir: Joint Concert with Hampshire County Youth Band at Beaulieu Abbey, Saturday 10 March

At the moment I don't have any further details, but I hope that I will be able to provide these along with ticket information in the next week or so. It will be an evening concert with a rehearsal beforehand.

Show Choir Concert, Park Community School (Havant), Friday 23 March

After a good deal of searching for an appropriate venue, we have found a lovely theatre attached to Park Community School in Havant. Members will need to arrive for 9.30am, and we will spend the day there until after the concert. Tickets will be available through the Hantsweb Shop, and we will notify you as soon as they go live. Again, we will be contacting schools shortly requesting permission for absence.

We will also be offering an open dress rehearsal performance to local schools to increase awareness about the choirs and the opportunities available within the HCYC pyramid.

Auditions for solos or duets to be included in the performance will be held this week after rehearsal (12 January). Please come prepared and ready to present a finished product and a backing track to sing along to. Where possible, please bring a copy of the sheet music.

All Choirs: Rehearsal for The Royal Albert Hall at The Anvil, Basingstoke, Sunday 22 April

There will be a massed rehearsal at the Anvil for all the participants across the county. As we are taking a major role in leading the singing it is important that all members attend this rehearsal. Hampshire County Youth Choirs will be required from 9.30am until mid afternoon. For this rehearsal you will need to make your own way to The Anvil.

All Choirs: Hampshire at The Hall, The Royal Albert Hall, Monday 23 April

The choirs will be required for rehearsals in the morning, so we will need to leave very early to arrive for 10.00am. We are currently making plans for two pick-up points on the way to London, but as and when the details are finalised we will let you know. I also realise that some of you are members of more than one ensemble. We will contact you directly with arrangements and who you will travel with.

If you have questions about any of the above events, please do not hesitate to contact me. As soon as I have further details I will of course let you know. Thank you in advance for getting our members everywhere they need to be!