Despite our best plans (and there were many...!), our 10th Anniversary Year and its accompanying celebrations were abandoned without a chord being struck or a note sung, because of the Covid-19 national emergency and subsequent lockdowns.
These not only saw off our 2020 Anniversary programme, but most of 2021's too. It won't be the same, but our concerts for 2022 will feature much of what we had intended to sing in 2020, with the July Concert expected to be a barnstormer.
But the prepared publicity for our Anniversary programme of events ended up scrapped, so in order to salvage something from the printed flyers and trifold, we paraphrase the host of TV game show 'Bullseye', the late Jim Bowen, when we say....
..."Here's what you could have attended":
These not only saw off our 2020 Anniversary programme, but most of 2021's too. It won't be the same, but our concerts for 2022 will feature much of what we had intended to sing in 2020, with the July Concert expected to be a barnstormer.
But the prepared publicity for our Anniversary programme of events ended up scrapped, so in order to salvage something from the printed flyers and trifold, we paraphrase the host of TV game show 'Bullseye', the late Jim Bowen, when we say....
..."Here's what you could have attended":
In our carefully managed, but keen to give, first singing evening for two years thanks to the Covid19 pandemic (we last sang in 2019 at Stalham!), Choir Members invited their Families and our 'home' Church Friends in December 2021 to a special 'socially distanced' Christmas Audience with the Phoenix.
Two years is a long time between events, so it seemed perfectly reasonable that our tentative return to singing
should only be for our invited family and host Church friends.
And we really need to start here by thanking our invited audience for helping us keep our Covid-safe environment,
for freely 'gelling up' and donning face coverings just to get in,
and for then patiently waiting in the outer foyer
to be 'escorted' to their nominated suitably distanced seats within the Church.
In return, our merry band of singing men were in good voice and sang a selection
of our Christmas and seasonal songs with appropriate measure of volume, without having to belt it all out!
Our population of singers was roughly the same as before our enforced, but wise, lay-off -
we were blessed in that none of our number had been seriously affected by coronavirus.
Just a small number of our beloved friends called an end to their time with us over the interim period
and we have attracted a couple of new seasoned singers, who swelled our ranks again for the evening.
Not a similar Christmas production to other years, but needs must.
To all our families, friends, supporters and everyone reading this who loves male voice song,
we wished a 'Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!'
hoping to see you all, Covid19 epidemic permitting, in 2022.
should only be for our invited family and host Church friends.
And we really need to start here by thanking our invited audience for helping us keep our Covid-safe environment,
for freely 'gelling up' and donning face coverings just to get in,
and for then patiently waiting in the outer foyer
to be 'escorted' to their nominated suitably distanced seats within the Church.
In return, our merry band of singing men were in good voice and sang a selection
of our Christmas and seasonal songs with appropriate measure of volume, without having to belt it all out!
Our population of singers was roughly the same as before our enforced, but wise, lay-off -
we were blessed in that none of our number had been seriously affected by coronavirus.
Just a small number of our beloved friends called an end to their time with us over the interim period
and we have attracted a couple of new seasoned singers, who swelled our ranks again for the evening.
Not a similar Christmas production to other years, but needs must.
To all our families, friends, supporters and everyone reading this who loves male voice song,
we wished a 'Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!'
hoping to see you all, Covid19 epidemic permitting, in 2022.