Parkside, Burnthill Lane, Rugeley, Staffordshire WS15 2HX
Tel: +44(0)1889 801929
Mob: +44(0)7866 770360

E-mail: ece@paulspicer.com
Website: www.englishchoralexperience.co.uk

NEWSLETTER No.7

August 2021

Dear All

Well, at last, we have had an ECE course – after such a long time. Our week in Abbey Dore was wonderful (and very hot!) and I am only sorry that it was necessary for obvious reasons to have to restrict the numbers attending. It really was a case of ‘first come, first served’. Inevitably we had to observe rules which were Covid-related and this meant space between chairs, being in a big horse shoe facing east, and having tea and coffee outside prepared and served by a wonderful team of volunteers from the committee. The singing, after so many months away from it, was really good and developed well as people regained their confidence and their voices. We did very purposeful warm-ups each day! It was also something of a miracle that my nephew, Mark Opstad, made it to play for us as he has done since the start of these courses. Living in Toulouse, he had to come over early and quarantine for ten days beforehand. But he made it and everyone was thrilled to see him – and no-one more than me!

But we look forward to a really celebratory week with our normal attendance numbers next year. We will then perform the premiere of my Oceans of Eternal Thought of which two movements were performed this time. They seemed to be very much enjoyed, I’m happy to say, and so it is with greater confidence that I feel ready to present the whole work next year.

The pandemic has been a time for reflection in so many areas of our personal and national lives and this is just as true of the ECE courses and perhaps the Abbey Dore week most of all, as it is the most complex. It has grown like Topsy in recent years and a number of us feel that it might be a good thing to revisit our roots and refocus our attention to some degree. So we will be announcing the programme and shape of the week in all its detail soon and hope that we will attract a lot of good singers to come to raise the roof of that special building.

Our next course is the Upper Voices Camerata weekend at Orford on 18/19 September. We have 28 singers with a balance of 7,8,6,7. We are gradually amassing the music from the publishers for this weekend and I am sorry it is a bit later than usual but publishers are in a mess at present and there have been some fundamental changes with OUP, for instance, teaming up with Boosey and Hawkes for their distribution. This, however, means everything coming from Mainz in Germany!

The next course is the Schütz and Telemann weekend at St. Cross Hospital, Winchester on 20/21 November this year. I have e-mailed everyone who has booked for this weekend to see if the booking still stands. When I have heard from everyone it will then be clear whether we can offer a few more places. You will be advised by e-mail. The wonderful Katharine Minchin will be organising an evening meal for those who want it in St. James’ Tavern as in previous years.

After that, we return at last to a series of new courses which are not just postponements from the pandemic period. I have just heard that we can return to Chateau Rieutort near Montpellier after Easter. The dates for this week are 20-27 April 2022. If you are a regular in France you will, I’m sure, be pleased to hear that Ken and Alison will be catering for us again.

Other dates for your diary: 7/8 May 2022 will be the Bach Family Camerata weekend at St. Cross, Winchester which should have happened in May 2020. Abbey Dore will be from 17-23 July, 2022 (24th if you are in Consort). The Orford Upper Voices weekend will be 17/18 September 2022. There will be a Camerata weekend at Gregynog in mid-Wales on 8/9 October.

I am actively investigating new venues for us and these will be brought to you as soon as I have confirmation.

I am sorry to report that two of our regular singers, Alex Murchie and Tony Hemson, are very unwell and I hope you will keep them in your thoughts and prayers. Just before the Abbey Dore week, Anthea Napier, another of our regulars, fell and broke her hip badly (compound fracture). We send her best wishes for a speedy recovery.

Mark Ewins, who creates the website and manages the whole thing (brilliantly), will be updating it and adding the new courses as they are ready for advertising. As always, you will be sent an e-mail when a course is about to go live on the site.

A few photos from Abbey Dore follow.

I hope you are all having a lovely summer and are keeping Covid free.

With all good wishes