Fleet House
Hookheath Road
Woking
Surrey GU22 OOD
August 1992
Dear Members
We are about to start our new season of music making,
a season which will differ
in many ways from previous years.
We have lost Sir Charles,
a serious blow to us all,
for his ability to be firm and,
at times,
he was much loved by us
critical, but in a way we all respected
because we knew that he was always right and that when he was pleased with
our efforts he really meant it.
Our second loss is,
of course,
Lynette.
We will always owe her a great debt
of gratitude for making our rehearsals just that much more fun and easier because
we could all hear our own notes as though she was playing our part even if
the music was for 2 choirs with 8 or more parts.
Neville has recommended Jeremy Filsell as our new accompanist and I am sure
we will make him very welcome.
The current economic state of the world generally and in U.K.
particularly,
has forced your Committee to make some difficult decisions relating to the
coming season.
The Borough is unable to increase our grant to keep pace with
our growing expenses.
As I said at the AGM you have agreed to extend the rehearsal
season and to add our own summer concert,
of the Guildford Festival on
this year to be
3 July 1993.
have no right to expect the Borough to finance,
We must make up the short fall by sales,
sweatshirts etc.,
"Opera Hits"
as part
This means extra costs which we
even if it could.
bring and buy,
100 club,
sales of
These call for considerable effort on the part of those
that give of their time to organise them but even with your support,
fear there are some,
sadly,
who do
not support these efforts;
produce the full finance we need to cover our outgoings.
increase our subscription this year to £50.
and I
these can't
&
We must therefore
Before you shout out in pain,
just consider what you get - 46 weeks of rehearsals, concerts, choral workshop;
(«
raf fae
not to mention the pleasure and satisfaction of singing with a very fine orchestra.
Those of you who attend evening classes
or similar will know that £50.
made for these other evening classes.
per week that many of us take,
are over.
in bridge,
music appreciation,
Spanish
is not anywhere near as high a charge as is
It also only equates to a pint of beer
for medicinal reasons of course,
after rehearsals
Please also remember that we do try to offer reduced rates for students
and certain other classifications so do speak to Jean if you think you may
qualify.
This season we have a challenging programme of works which should give us many
hours of enjoyable rehearsals and performances - starting with welcoming our
friends from Freiburg for the Brahms Requiem under Michael Beuerle for the
weekend of 28 October-1 November.
I still need a few more offers of accommodation
if you can help.
Cont:
overleaf:
Cont:
We then have the Choral Workshop on 30
January
and,
Walton's Belshazzar's Feast on 6 March
Haydn's Paukenmesse on the 25 April
finally
the Opera hits on 3 July.
Quite a full programme which will call for
considerable efforts from us all
if we are to reach a high standard worthy of
our Orchestra, therefore regular
attendance at rehearsals
top priority.
is a must.
I know you will try to give them your
Our first rehearsal will be on 2 September
due to the bank holiday; do try
to make it.
We will have our last chance to Say farewe
ll to Lynette, who will
be standing in for Jeremy Filsell on that
evening.
Enclosed with this letter is an envelope
addressed to Jean Radley.
post your subscription to her so as to
ease the
tends to experience on the first night
Please
last moment rush which she
in order to sign you in.
We will give you all the details of the
Bachchor visit to us and our visit
to Freiburg in November '93 to sing the
"War Requiem" when we meet again in
September.
Until then, have a great holiday break
if you haven't already had
yours.
I
look forward
Yours sincerely
to seeing you again.
if
/ob ignd
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/O
Maxwell S New
CHAIRMAN
GUILDFORD PHILHARMONIC CHOIR