The two Girls Choirs continued to flourish during 1997. The year started quietly
with me taking a few weeks maternity leave. We were very grateful to Mervyn
Bury for keeping things ticking over.
Aimee Brazier and Fiona Windsor completed their training to become Full Choristers. We now have 3 Full Choristers, 10 Senior Singers and 24 Junior Singers plus 6 probationers. Eleanor McKeand has also come back to help out with the running of the Junior Choir. Four senior girls have been working for their Bishop's Chorister Award and a group of others are about to start working for the Dean's Award. These two awards are examined externally so we wish the girls good luck with that.
In April the girls took part with the boys and three local lower schools in a spectacular performance of Jerusalem Joy by Roger Jones which everyone thoroughly enjoyed. Some of the girls took part in the St. John Passion (Bach) at Easter, which certainly stretched their sight reading, concentration and technique! On Advent Sunday we led our most ambitious service so far - an Advent Carol Service with a huge amount of music, new to the girls, to learn. One of the carols involved four part singing and plainsong; it was very tricky but we managed a convincing performance. They took it all in their stride as they so often do. In December we took part in a record number of carol services (including the BBC radio recorded service) and carol singing events. The girls also raised money at the church Christmas bazaar with face painting, nail varnishing and hair braiding (their own idea). December was an extremely busy month.
We have had a change of dress with the introduction of new ruffs, which we now have to do some serious fundraising to pay for.
The commitment of most of the girls has again been excellent, 17 seniors attended more than 80% of practices and services, 13 girls achieved over 90% attendance (five actually achieved 98%). I continue to be very grateful to the adults who regularly attend girls practices, to the new choir committee who have volunteered to do all sorts of things so that I can concentrate on the music, and especially to Ray Barlow who dealt efficiently with a lot of money in 50p pieces and pound coins for weddings and the girls' Christmas pay!
Marie Price