Exciting News!

Hey Folks!

I hope you're all still well and coping with our new reality!  I am missing our Wednesday nights dreadfully and I imagine many of you are as well.

However, I have some exciting news that will hopefully reignite everyone's enthusiasm for singing and give you something to look forward to.

Some of you already know that we were going to be doing some parts of the Faure Reqiuem with Island Chorus next season, but we've decided to aim bigger!  Under the baton of Tony Cleverton (Skye Singing Lessons), we have created a new group, called the Skye and Lochalsh Community Choir Project.  This will involve all choirs on the island, as well as anyone else who would like to join in. 

Our project is to deliver an on-line choir experience with an ultimate goal of giving a concert of the full Faure Requiem (plus a few more pieces, yet to be decided) once life returns to normal and we're allowed to meet in groups again, most likely Easter 2021.

We will begin initially with sectional rehearsals using Zoom.  For those of you who aren't yet familiar with the software, it's a free video-conferencing programme that you can load onto your computer or smart phone, which allows you to meet live with audio and video online.  We are also exploring an option for those without technology to phone in instead. 

Tony will lead each rehearsal and much like a normal choir evening, will start with warm-ups, before moving on to learning your part.  Unlike a normal choir rehearsal, your microphone will be muted, so you can sing along without worrying about how you sound!  You will be able to see and hear Tony conduct, and you will see all the other members present in small screen above him. 

Each rehearsal will take plave live at 8pm, but will also be recorded and uploaded to YouTube so you can view it later if you can't make a session. There is a suggested voluntary donation of £2 per session if you feel you are able, although financial hardship must not be a hindrance for anyone to join.

The link to join the classes will be posted on the main website for the project : https://www.facebook.com/groups/skyeandlochalshcommunitychoirproject/.  I will also copy all the weekly information, links, etc onto our own choir's website. During the coming week we will also be adding some tutorials and assistance for anyone who isn't au fait with the technology.

I have already purchased the music  for all of our choir members, but you can also download a practice copy and print it out yourselves using the link we provide on the Web page this week. Once we meet up in person again you can have yours, or you can arrange with me via email to pick one up if you're ever passing Skeabost. 

The live, weekly sectional rehearsals will be as follows, begining on April 20th:

Mondays 8:00 Tenors & Basses

Wednesdays 8:00 Sopranos & Altos

I will put a press release out to the Free Press and we'll get the word out via the Free Ads as well, and hopefully we'll tempt some new voices to join in, too 🙂  Spread the word! 

We still intend to sing Zadok the Priest and the Scubert Credo with the Skye & Lochalsh Orchestra at their concert in November, so feel free to keep practicing those at home while you wash your hands!

I shall update you all with the meeting links next week, and I hope that lots of you will be able to either join in live, or play catch-up via the recordings.

Elaine