Fun open event of singing, chatting and drinking.

Please note timings (different from the summer) and revised venue.

Please invite female friends of all singing levels to join us .

Free for Paddock members, £10 for visitors who MUST email Ruth to advise of attendance to ensure suifficient music and drink. kerr_ruth@hotmail.com

Full details to come later

Menu for Cote here: Cote menu and desserts here: Cote Desserts menu

Here are final details for the next ten day leading up to the Christmas concert

Venue

 St Michaels Church, High Street, Lewes, BN7 1XU.  It is in the bottle neck opposite the Brewers Arms.  Nearest easy (and free) parking is at County Hall (where we park for rehearsals). 

Timings

Please arrive at 1.45pm ready to sing PROMPTLY at 2.00pm.  Please let Fiona M know if you will be late.  

Musical rehearsal from 2.00pm to 3.00pm.  Short break.  First concert 3.30pm to approx 4.45pm.  Break to 6.15pm.  Second concert 6.30pm to approx 7.45pm.

During the main break you can pop over to Cafe Nero (or Brewers Arms) for a quick coffee and snack.  Feel free to bring water and refreshments with you.  There are toilets in the adjacent church hall but may not be heating!

Tickets

Still available from www.ticketsource.co.uk/paddocksingers

Advance ticket sales are much appreciated, but there will a few tickets available on the door.  Please remind any friends and family coming that we will have a cash collection for the local good causes.

Dress code

All black with a splash of red (scarf/jewellery/rose/accessory).  You will need to be "dressed" for the concert so it is probably easiest to come dressed at the start but you can change in the church hall.

Personal stuff

Please minimise what you bring with you especially valuables.  Bags can be kept in the side altars but please hang coats in the vestry (if we have access).  The church is usually reasonably warm but an extra jumper or cardie for rehearsal may be useful.  There will be 35 of us in a very tight area so please be considerate to others about where you stand.  Ensure readers and soloists/small groups are at the front.

Folders

Ideally our usual folder, which for new people is: Tiger 300933 40 A4 Pocket Presentation Display Book.  We usually show the current poster on the front.

This is available on Amazon for £5.29 at: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tiger-300933-Pocket-Presentation-Display/dp/B0025LBAFQ/ref=sr_1_7?keywords=black+display+folder+a4&qid=1575311480&sr=8-7 

 Running order

Ruth will send this in the next few days.  Please print one out for your own use or ask me if you need one printed.  Please don’t take audience programmes on the day.

Decoration of church

Please feel free to bring along greenery and tea lights (in jars) to decorate the church.  Jenny S co-ordinates this and we will aim to set up during the brief break before the first concert.  Please help Jenny with decoration.  Please also take home anything that you bring.

Set up and clearing up

We wll need to bring in and take back chairs from the small adjacent church hall which we will do at 1.45pm before rehearsing and take back after the concert.  Please help move chairs if you can.

On the day contact

If you have non-music related queries on the day, please contact Fiona M and let Ruth focus on the music.  If you have music related queries, please ask Ruth rather than your neighbour and please don't chat during rehearsal as we have a lot to cover and Ruth does not want to have to speak over you!  

Don’t forget the extra rehearsal on Monday at St Michaels at 7.45pm.

Ruth and Fiona M

AGM at 7.30pm followed by rehearsal at 8.00pm

Please arrive at the Cathedral around 1.30pm on Saturday (12th) and head for the Song School, which is at the end of the entrance corridor on the right hand side (opposite the steps leading into the nave).  We'll do a warm up and a piano rehearsal there from about 1.50pm, and then move into the choir stalls to rehearse with the organ by about 2.30pm.  There will be a break between the rehearsal and the service, which begins at 4pm.  Please invite friends and family to this special occasion!  There's a nice cafe at the cathedral, so it will be easy to get tea/cake etc in the break (or afterwards). The service will last under an hour, so you'll definitely be free by 5pm.

We'll be able to leave valuables in the Song School during the service as this space will be locked once we process in just before 4pm.

Dress code for the day is black trousers/skirts and a white top/blouse, and let's keep things fairly plain - this is not an occasion for colourful jewellery or accessories!  In my experience Southwark is not a cold cathedral, but if you're worried about the temperature then you could wear a black cardigan or jacket on top.

Please bring your black folders.

I'm relieved to note that the trains seem to be running normally on the day - fingers crossed that there are no problems.  London Bridge is the easiest mainline station for Southwark.

Informal singing and a drink or two. Invite your female friends

Free for Paddock members, £10 for guests.

Informal singing and a drink or two. Invite your female friends

Free for Paddock members, £10 for guests.

Dear lovely choir

I can’t believe it is only a week until the concert!  This email contains important information so please read it carefully.

Rehearsal

We only have one rehearsal before the day so please attend if at all possible.  Remember it is on TUESDAY and will start at 8.15pm.  Carol will be coming to accompany us. 

Music

Please familiarise yourself with Ruth’s voice part recordings as much as possible especially if you have missed rehearsals and particularly for the unaccompanied pieces.  Lollipop, Here’s a Health to All Good Lovers and Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree should be off copy.   You should receive an email from Ruth showing the final order of music.

Please let me know if you need any music or wordsheets for any piece.  Please bring music in a black folder – if possible, please print off Jenny’s poster for the cover.

Video

We have arranged for Lucy Scott to attend the rehearsal and concert to take photos and video so we have some more current footage for the website.  Please come to the rehearsal dressed for the concert.  Should you not want your photo used on the website please let me know.

Ticket sales

Please keep encouraging friends and family to come.  Please put up posters if you have windows which can be readily seen or access to a venue where it can be displayed.

Tickets can be purchased through Ticket Source (www.ticketsource.co.uk/paddocksingers)

Refreshments

We will be selling drinks by donation.  We are also hoping to offer a range of sweet and savoury snacks and at the end of this email is a list of suggested food offerings we would love you to bring.  Please ensure food is finger buffet suitable!  Also bear in mind there is no refrigeration available so don’t bring anything that might wither if it is a little warm!

Payment

We will have the card reader but please encourage ticket holders to bring cash.

Timings

Rehearsal will start promptly on Saturday at 4.30pm but we will need to set up the room before so please come to help at 4.00pm if you can.   Rehearsal should finish by 6.00pm.  Please bring water and a snack to keep you going.

There is on-street parking all around the church area, but it can be busy.  Also be aware that most parking will require payment until 5.00pm.

The concert is at 7.00pm (doors open 6.30pm) and should finish by 9.00pm.

Format

As in previous years, we are aiming for a cabaret style show so you can sit at tables with your friends and family and just come up to the stage to sing.  The show will be split into four quarters with a break for chat and drink purchases in between. 

Dress code

It’s always good to have an excuse to dress up so please come dressed as for a smart occasion – bright colours not black, brown or grey.  Any clothing with a food or drink theme is particularly welcome.  Please also bring a spatula or fly sway for swatting flies during Hamburger.

Flowers

If possible, please bring a small vase of flowers to put as centrepieces on the tables.

After party

As we are not having a summer party, we are continuing the fun after the concert and have St Johns booked until 11.00pm.  You and your friends and family are welcome to stay on for some additional fun! 

Wine Women and Song

Please encourage female singing friends to join us for Wine Women and Song on 4th July and /or 11th  July at 7.45pm at St Annes.  This will run for two hours and costs £10 for non-members including a drink and music.  They should have some experience of singing as we will run at our usual performance pace.  Ruth has chosen a lovely selection of new music to look at.

There Is also some capacity to take on new members from September so again spread the word!

See you Tuesday

Fiona

Food ideas:

·         Mini meatballs 

·         Sausage rolls

·         Celery filled with cream cheese/paprika

·         Cheesy mini biscuits

·         Prunes or dates filled with blue cheese

·         Smoked salmon mini Swiss rolls with thin brown bread

·         Tapenade pinwheels 

·         Mini muffins

·         Cheese and chilli balls

·         Tartlets

For further ideas go to: https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/canape

Note - change of day from Thursday to Tuesday and slightly later start

Warm up and rehearsal in upstairs room from approx 6.00pm for 15 minute

Mini concert at approx 6.30pm.

• Homeward Bound (2 part)

• We’ll Gather Lilacs and Keep the Home Fires Burning (choruses only repeated) in unison

• Edelweiss (3 part)

• Ob la Di with audience in unison

Followed by cake! And possible trip to pub

Please contact Fiona Monson on 07886 252145 or fionamonson@sky.com if you would like to join in and have not said!