LETTER FROM THE CHAIRMAN

I am slowly coming down to earth after the most memorable Sunday spent with singing Elijah with you in the atmospheric Memorial Chapel at Charterhouse.

After the hesitant start early in the afternoon when it took time to adjust to the constraints of the building and the setting up of the orchestra, the afternoon got better and better. As it slowly progressed, it eventually turned into an evening of musical delight.

George de Voil, is not only a great conductor but also a versatile magician. He managed to turn the chapel acoustics, the orchestra, the choir and the organ from four different and distinct components into a beautiful and single unified piece. I was mesmerized with the way he succeeded in keeping “all the notes” in the air. He did this with charm, elegance and confidence.

It was wonderful to have the Chameleon Orchestra with us. They were very sensitive to the needs of our voices and they were able to respond to the powerful organ. The soloists added so much to the drama of the piece and their beautiful voices reached deep into the audience.

Thank you for being part of this hugely successful evening. I remember fully well our first few rehearsals in January when most of us felt intimidated by the demanding piece and the enormous challenge ahead of us. As more and more talented singers joined us our confidence grew and our collective sound improved considerably. It was so good to have so many new friends joining us in this ambitious project.  They/you helped us to get so much better. I sincerely hope that some of them/you will want to sing Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle with us in the summer.

I think, that we should try to build on our wonderful spring concert. I find good music contagious and I know singing is good for my well-being. Would it not be wonderful to have more singers with us not just for a special Elijah concert but for our concerts to come. What about finding a friend to join us in April to enjoy joyful singing together?

We should be grateful to George for his vision that Elijah could work in the Chapel and for his desire for a big choir. We also should be grateful to the team of trustees who have turned George’s vision into reality. They are a quiet, dedicated and talented team. GCS is very lucky to have them.

I would like to thank the anonymous donors who, in response to our appeal for Elijah sponsorship, have generously given and whose donations will cover the cost of the four principal soloists and the organist.  Their generosity makes big productions such as Elijah possible. Anonymous they may be but openly grateful we are!

And finally, I would like to thank you for singing Elijah this spring and making it so special. One member told me that the last time we had a standing ovation was in 2007. Our president Jonathan Veira had only one word to describe the performance “fabulous!” and I can only agree with him.

See you in April!

Thank you!

Gilles

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