We’re starting back early this term as we have a lot to prepare and look forward to!
With performances at Camberwell Fair and Theatre Peckham as well as ‘Cabaret in the Crypt’ it’s going to be an action-packed term!
Check out the calendar on the tab above or our Facebook page for the very latest details.
Our choir term started again on Tuesday 17th April. It’s never too late to come to a rehearsal though – if you’re wondering what we’re all about, do pop in!
Check out the all-important updated calendar here.
Despite the fact that we’re in meteorological spring, the weather seems to have decided to skip spring at the moment and moved straight on to summer. So what better way to get you in the mood for those long, sunny evenings than sharing this little number with you from way back in the 13th Century. If you like it – you’re in luck, as Ashley has chosen this as one of his pieces for the summer term… Enjoy!
Happy New Year!
Spring term rehearsals begin again on Tuesday 9th of January at 7.45pm in the St Giles’ Centre. You can keep up-to-date with our calendar or alternatively, why not give us a thumbs up on Facebook and we’ll keep you posted with all the latest news and events.
Thank you so much for your support in December 2017 – it was a busy one! Carols ’round Camberwell went really well and all the money (£310) we collected went to Health Poverty Action – click here to see us a write-up of what we were able to achieve along with other London choirs.
We also had fun at Lyndhurst Primary School’s Winter fair and of course, singing outside the Tiger Pub for Camberwell Arts Market – picture above!
Three years ago we accompanied Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘The Lodger’ in a live screening in St Giles’ church.
Starring Ivor Novello, it’s one of Alfred Hitchcock’s first films as director and is set in the London of the roaring 1920’s. At night, lurking in the fog, a serial killer known as “The Avenger” is on the loose. When a mysterious man arrives at the house of Mr. and Mrs. Bunting, suspicions begin to arise…
It was such a success we’ve decided to screen it again but this time, as part of Herne Hill Music Festival. Yes – we’re taking it on tour! We’ll be learning some new songs for it as well as some old classics – but it’s a tall order as the screening will take place on Sunday 15th October at 6pm. Our first rehearsal back is on Tuesday 5th September so it’s going to be hard work…
But fun! If you’ve never performed during a live film screening, come along to some Tuesday rehearsals and see what you’ve been missing. If not, why not come along for the show? Tickets and further details are available here.
Hi all – Choir rehearsals are back from Tuesday 24th April at 7.45pm and then it’s all about our recording on 6th May – check out the Calendar page for more details!
Don’t you just hate people who claim they are constantly busy and complain that they never have any spare time? If so – being around any of the choir leaders in December 2016 must have been a bit distressing. It’s even worse if you actually are one – our conversations have been bordering on Monty Python’s 3 Yorkshiremen at times.
Anyway – on the plus side of all that we had some Christmas fun. We started off with Carols at King’s – Hospital that is – and performed at their Christmas Carol Service.
Coming off the back of silent film night, we blew the dust of Coventry Carol and ‘O men from the fields’ and they sounded fantastic.
The week after was the 9th Carols ’round Camberwell – on tour – if singing at Peckham Rye Train Station counts. It was a good one this year – it didn’t rain! But it was also really good to support Health Poverty Action, the charity we were raising money for. Check out our special mention here!
Choirs throughout London were helping raise money through carol singing and we raised £250. Along with 34 other choirs, the final total was £5,877.66 in a week – an awesome result.
Not all choirs squeeze into pubs as part of their carol singing. After the station, we found ourselves in the Phoenix, Grand Union, Hermits (and Theo’s), Stormbird, Tiger and the Old Dispensary.
After all that, lots of you came along to Organoke and St Giles’ Carols by Camberwell – that really was a busy weekend! And it continues…
First Choir Rehearsal of 2017 will take place on Tuesday 17th January. In advance and if you’re a choir member – click here for something exciting!
Autumn has begun – and that means Community Choir is back! Tuesday 13th of September is the big day – and in an astonishing feat of organisation, your choir leaders have updated the choir Calendar up to the end of December, 2016. It has details of gigs and dates for half term and really helpful things like that… Don’t feel anxious – we’re just amazing.
Anyway, before having a look at what’s to come this term, here’s an amazing pic of us courtesy of Tom Leighton from Organoke. If you want to see more, visit www.musicatstgiles.com where there’s more evidence of a truly awesome night. Thankfully, all photographs of the afterparty in the crypt bar seem to have mercifully disappeared.
So – on to the new term and this is the fourth year we’re going to be accompanying a silent film at St Giles’. This year’s film is Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘Blackmail’ of 1929 – and it’s a cracker. It’s got oodles of Hitch’s signature themes, techniques and motifs running all the way through it – including the blonde in distress, a brilliant Hitch cameo on the tube and a thrilling foot chase set at the British Museum.
Blackmail is an especially important film as two versions of it were made – a silent version and Britain’s first ‘talkie’. Apparently the studio asked Hitchcock to convert the film to sound after silent shooting had already begun – but without informing them, Hitchcock decided to reshoot with some roles having different actors – and make two versions. Most cinemas at the time didn’t have the equipment to show the sound version so his justification was, well, sound. Both versions were a hit at the box office with critics favouring the silent version which we’ll be screening in November.
Apart from a few different actors, the two versions don’t vary from each other that much – the silent version had a length of 6740ft as appose to the 7136ft of the talkie. But one thing which was cut from the silent film was a song called ‘Miss Up-to-Date’ played and sung by actor Cyril Ritchard who appeared in last year’s film, ‘Piccadilly’. It’s only a short song and the music for it is about 80 years out of print and can’t be found anywhere! But we’ll try and include it back into the silent version, along with a few modern songs here and there. Here’s the original – let us know if you can make out any of the words!
After the silent film, we’ll be on the lead up to Christmas and as usual, December is looking hectic. But in the meantime, if you’re thinking about joining us for a rehearsal – do come. Singing in a choir is an amazing experience and it’s really, really good for you! We hope to see you soon. Ash, Matt & Aga.
Well – it’s been quite some time (6 months) since your choir leaders wrote a post on the website. Apologies. We move in mysterious (lethargic) ways and we prefer to think that our lack of contact has encouraged you to come to more rehearsals to find out what on earth we’ve got in store for you. Or you could just blame our organisational skills. (What skills?)
Moving on – this summer is going to be big. Usually, we do a summer concert, perform outside in the park, join a few other choirs for another concert and so on. This term we have all that and more. The ‘more’ being ‘Organoke’, a new concept exploring the age-old link between the church pipe organ and rock and roll…
Essentially, we’re going to join in and lead karaoke classics accompanied on the organ in St Giles’ Church, with the help of a band, a bar and some fancy dress outfits. Admittedly, this is not a normal combination and to the best of our knowledge this hasn’t been done before and probably for good reason. But as the opening night of Camberwell Arts Festival on the 11th of June it’s going to be great and definitely something different! We’re working out exactly how it will all work but come to choir to find out more – you never know when the next post will be.
In the meantime, check out the calendar which has upcoming rehearsals and concerts and see you at choir soon!
Camberwell Community Choir 