Recent Work and Gigs:
Gaudete – the concert with the Salvation Army on Saturday December 10th at Lion Walk Church was such fun. Quire sang really well and I reckon we had around 100 in the audience. There is a challenge in singing even apparently simple things like carols with instrumentalists – and we don’t get that very often. The Lion Walk staff on duty were very helpful and perhaps this is the moment to record our thanks to Paul, the Lion Walk caretaker, who is so accommodating.

The Journey  was presented on Saturday  December 17th at St Botolph’s Church in Colchester. This gig was a risk for Quire – doing a gig only a week after a previous one, in the same town, sort-of Christmassy as well and on the same night as other Christmas concerts. As it was, we had around 100 people, covered our costs and seemed to make an impression with what was a very serious rather than festive event. We used two Quire members and two readers from a local acting group to tell the story of the refugees.

Carols in the Courtyard
This was magic and memorable – singing in the inner courtyard of a country bungalow – absolute magic! Thanks to Sarah for hosting this informal and relaxing event.

Future work:
There are possibilities that we might revise and re-stage King Jesus – this piece, like The Journey, takes a biblical event and elaborates on it with dramatised readings and World Music. We last did this in Holy Week 2011 at South Woodham Ferrers but there has been a buzz of interest in us restaging it even since. Date and venue to be confirmed.

We have booked a concert in St Peter’s Church, Coggeshall for April 21st. This might be more ‘Olympic Year’ themed and might use children from local schools through our Quire in Education programme.

We are looking at a summer event idea that might just take off and involve other groups with us too. Meanwhile we have pencilled in Saturday June 30th for our Summer gig – no venue booked as yet.

I am looking out funds so I might record a few more numbers for my, as yet incomplete, personal project – the” 70th birthday retrospective CD set”. At this stage this may involve Octavia, instrumentalists and I would like to add numbers from The Journey, performed by Quire. No venue or date as yet.

Octavia and Towering Angels:
Dave has booked a slot at Slack Folk on 10th March for Towering Angels.  I am working on a venue for an evening concert a few weeks later with Octavia and Towering Angels.  Watch this space!

I am giving a talk at St Mary’s Peldon on Wednesday May 16th on West Gallery Music and I have asked Octavia and Towering Angels to provide the music examples.