Kingdom Singers

A wonderful evening thanks to all the support from our Associate Members and friends!  There were over 80 in the audience who, from all accounts, enjoyed not only the singing but the buffet we always put on as our way of saying 'thank you'.  It was lovely seeing you all again!

It felt strange having Morris in the audience instead of playing for us, but it was wonderful seeing him again.  He was presented with lifelong honorary membership and a lovely wall clock – a gift from both choir and Associate Members which Morris had chosen himself.  His speech afterwards was so heartfelt that I know I wasn’t alone in feeling very emotional. We look forward to seeing him again at our future events.

A big welcome to our four new Associate members, Diane, Carron, Alison and Julia.   Our total number of Associate Members is now 91, including our two honorary lifelong members – Arthur and  Morris.

That just leaves me to wish all our Associate Members and friends a wonderful Christmas and a happy, healthy New Year.

Thank you again for all your support and friendship this year and we look forward to seeing you all again soon.

Kindest Regards,

Elizabeth

Associate Members’ Secretary

Can I just remind everyone about the Invitation concert which is being held in the Carnegie Hall Annexe on Thursday November 19^th at 7.30pm.   We have been busy learning new songs as well as rehearsing some old favourites so do hope you can manage along.  If you can let me know by either phoning or emailing that would be great.

We would like to thank all the Associate Members who attended the AGM.  For those who couldn’t manage, there have been a couple of changes within the choir.  I am sorry to have to tell you that for personal reasons, Morris has decided to leave the Kingdom Singers.  Morris has been with the choir from almost the very beginning and we are all going to miss him – not just for his wonderful playing, but for his friendship and support over the years!  He is hoping to come along to the Invitation concert as a guest, so we look forward to seeing him then.  We are fortunate that we now have another accomplished accompanist ‘on board’ - Heather Kelsall.  She has joined Margaret Kennedy in the most important part of the choir – the ‘orchestra’.  Welcome Heather.

Other choir news is that Hilary has taken over as treasurer and Janette is now our fundraiser.  We are really grateful to Susan for all her hard work in not only taking over as interim treasurer when our dear Shirley was so desperately ill, but also for being our fund raiser for many years.  She is now continuing with her other choir post of maintaining our web site. As it happens, I have a message to pass on from her regarding the website.  She has managed to put some choir videos and extra photos on to ‘Facebook’.  To access them, all you have to do is google ‘Facebook The Kingdom Singers’ on your computer.  This takes you straight to the page where anyone can view them – you don’t have to be registered with ‘Facebook’.

The choir has a few singing engagements before Christmas – namely The United Reform Church on Sunday 1^st November, Dunipace on Monday 2^nd November and Culross Abbey on Friday 6^th November.   The concert in Culross Abbey has been organised by Morris and billed as ‘an evening with Morris and friends’, so as well as the Kingdom Singers, there will be other guest singers. The concert on the 1st November is a special evening dedicated to the memory of Jenny Dawson – a good friend of the Kingdom Singers who was organist and choir mistress at the United Reform Church.  The afternoon group also have concerts arranged in Aberdour and Dalgety Bay.  A busy time ahead for us all!

Well, that’s about it – we all look forward to hopefully see you on November 19^th

Kindest Regards,

Elizabeth             

email:       lizzy4@hotmail.co.uk

telephone: 01383 733956

Here we are at the start of another season.  Do hope you had a good summer.

We are now back rehearsing for the forthcoming year which promises to be just as busy for us all.  The first event for your diary is the Annual General Meeting which will take place on Monday 19th Oct. at 7.30pm in Baldridgeburn Institute.  As in previous years, there will be a short rehearsal followed at 8.30pm by the AGM.   You are most welcome to attend either the whole evening (where you can listen or even join in) or just the meeting itself.   There will be the usual tea, coffee and biscuits afterwards.  If you can let me know either by phone, email or by completing the slip attached, that would be great.

Thank you for all your continued support last season, not only at the Springtime Serenade concerts, but also at the combined concerts with Coro Piccolo in both Dunfermline Abbey and St Cuthbert’s Church in Edinburgh - the turnout was just amazing.   A huge thank you to choir member Derek Deans who organised the St Cuthbert’s concert – a big undertaking and much appreciated and of course the committee for all their hard work prior to and during the German visit.

Thanks also to all the host families who looked after Coro Piccolo in June.  Your hospitality was much appreciated by the German choir

Can I just remind everyone that the £5 annual membership fee for 2009/10 is now due. If you are not going to manage to come to the AGM, you can either post the money to me or give it to any choir member.   Cheques should be made payable to ‘The Kingdom Singers’.  

A further date for your diary is the Invitation Concert which is being held on November 19th  at 7.30pm in the Carnegie Annexe.   As always, I will be writing nearer the time to remind you.

Some wonderful news about our lovely soprano, Gillian Wishart.  She had her baby, Lewis, on August 6^th. Mum, dad and baby are all doing well.  Also, Roy McArthur and his wife, Linda, have just become grandparents for the first time. Both their daughters had babies within weeks of each other.  Many congratulations to them all.

Well, that’s about it for the first newsletter of this season.  We look forward to hopefully seeing you next month at the AGM.

 The choir has over 90 Associate Members who are a much valued extension of the Kingdom Singers.  We hold several social events throughout the year solely for Associate Members, including a special Invitation concert which is held each November in the Carnegie Hall Annexe.

Our Associate Members also receive reduced price tickets for our Summer Serenade concerts held in May each year.

The cost of annual membership is just £5.

For further information on becoming an Associate Member, please contact:

Elizabeth Brown:  Tel: 01383 733956

 email:    lizzy4@hotmail.co.uk 

For anything other than Associate Member enquiries, can you please contact our secretary - Connie.  Her email address is:  conmal2@btinternet.com.  Please note that the first part of her address is CONMAL2, not CONMA12.