9 January Update (2025)

Welcome back to our first bulletin of the year!

Week 1 (2025)

This week you can read about:

• What we did at rehearsal

• Merchandise: How to order a COTH T-shirt!

• Dates for the diary - Fairfield Halls on the 15th February

• 'Getting to know you' - COTH Member profile - this week, our effervescent Erin!

At rehearsal

We had a several potential new members join us for a taster session this week. The feedback was very good on the night, with our new recruits saying they felt very warmly welcomed, so thanks to existing members for helping make a great first impression!

Warmup

Our Music Director, Elena, took us through a warmup to help us focus on listening and visualising the pattern of the notes in a song. As you'll see from the video clip below, we matched what we were singing with hand movements to show whether the note was higher, lower or the same as the previous one.

The songs

This term we will be revisiting some old songs from our repertoire to prepare for the event at Fairfield Halls (see below) and will also start to learn some new ones*. This week we looked at Chiquitita. There are recordings of the song (including the alto part) in our Lyric & Audio Library, but note that Elena will be re-recording the song with the new backing track - so we'll share that when ready.

We started to learn Hallelujah I just love him so (by Ray Charles). This is a song that has been covered by many artists over the years, both male and female. For last night's session we all learned the main melody - which, unusually, will be sung by the altos. Next week, Elena will teach us the soprano parts (there are 2!). The lyrics and some recordings are in the Lyric & Audio Library but, again, Elena will be re-recording them this week as she wants to make some changes.

*Note: Elena has received the list of songs from the suggestion box we had at the Christmas party and will be looking at which ones we can focus on this year so watch this space!

Next week

Next week Lizzy would like to do some film clips of COTH members talking about the choir for our socials. Unfortunately, all the 'technical issues from hell' that Lizzy experienced over Christmas means that she lost her original recordings - so we'll need to do them again. For those of you willing to participate - this is your warning to get 'camera ready'! 😂

MERCHANDISE

At long last we have sorted out some COTH branded merchandise! To keep it local, we have set up an account with Stitch to Stitch, a wonderfully friendly and helpful print and embroidery shop in Penge.

You can order a branded T-shirt directly from Stitch to Stitch - there is an option of 2 different styles and many sizes online (see website for details including cost).

Alternatively, you can take in a T-shirt of your own with any neckline, long or short sleeved. We just ask that you please choose light grey or white as a base colour. In this case you would pay print costs only.

Please note that it is not obligatory to buy any merchandise and that the purchase is made directly with Stitch to Stitch and not sold by Choir on the Hill (as per our governance, we do not make any profits from the sale).

There is also a bag available (in COTH colours white, grey, pink or green) so please go ahead and order if you would like one now. However, if you're happy to wait, we are planning on providing all members with a free bag in the next few weeks!

We have an account set up with Stitch to Stitch here: COTH Merchandise but please let us know if you have any issues with your order.

DATES FOR THE DIARY

SATURDAY 15 FEBRUARY Fairfield Halls, Amateur Arts Showcase

Fairfield Halls are hosting an Amateur Arts Showcase in the public open spaces of their venue on Saturday 15 February between 2pm - 7.15pm. We have a 20 minute slot from 14.40-15.00 (TBC). A registration form will be sent out asap.

We took part in their hugely enjoyable Croydon London Borough of Culture event last year and have been asked to participate again. This is to showcase the very best of the local area's talent and, as last year, it's likely to be a mix of song, music and dance acts.

LOCATION

Fairfield Halls, Park Lane, Croydon, CR0 1JD

TIMING 14.40 - 15.00 (TBC)

We are yet to fully agree our time slot but are pencilled in for 2.20pm. As soon as we have more details, we will share them. As we've said above, the event is held in their public open spaces - we'll be on a temporary stage in their entrance foyer. This means that along with members of the public, friends and family may come to watch for free.

As this is the day after Valentines ('Gallentines' day) we're going to pull together a love and friendship themed set with a mix of songs from our existing repertoire with some new ones that Elena will introduce this term.

GETTING TO KNOW YOU - COTH Member Profile

Each week we'll be speaking to different members of the choir so you can get to know them a little better. Please speak to Vicky if you'd like to be featured.

Erin Trembley, COTH Management Team

Tell us a little bit about yourself - where you're from/where you live now etc.

I was born in Canada, and aside from a couple of years in Switzerland I spent most of my formative years there. My adult life has been all UK though; I’ve lived in London for 20 years now. 20 years!! 

What are your favourite songs:

• To get you in the mood for a big night out

  Now, this is a little embarrassing, but I went through a BIG European techno phase when I lived in Switzerland, and while I have (mostly) grown out of that, I still default to high energy dance tunes to get me ready for a big night out. Frequently played artists are The Prodigy, Sean Paul, and Fatboy Slim. ‘House of Holbein’ from Six has also been known to make an appearance…

  
  

  I’ve also recently discovered how good drum n’ bass is at keeping me awake while I’m working from home, so I reckon I’ll start adding that to the big night out prep playlist.

• To lift your spirits when you're feeling blue

  When I am really bummed I try to remind myself of who I used to be before the world got a hold of me. I go back to the songs and artists of my youth, such as Barenaked Ladies, Veruca Salt, Bjork, Nirvana, Our Lady Peace, and Skunk Anansie.

  
  

  If I just need a bit of silly, I reach for The Presidents of the United States of America.

  
  

  And if I really need to sit with the rage, ‘Rollin’ by Limp Bizkit, or ‘Wake Up’ & ‘Killing in the Name of’ by Rage Against the Machine do nicely.

• To belt out at the karaoke

This may surprise you, but I actually have only done karaoke once, and that was well over 20 years ago. So, instead of a list of karaoke songs, these are the songs that I belt out while in the kitchen:

• Pretty much anything from the musical ‘Waitress’

• ‘Me and the Sky’ from Come From Away

• ‘Cowboy Take Me Away’ or ‘Goodbye Earl’ by The Chicks

• ‘No Rain’ by Blind Melon

• ‘Mr Jones’ by The Counting Crows

• ‘Groove is in the Heart’ by Deee-lite

• Anything by Metric, Paramore, or Evanescence

• And now also Amy McDonald!

Are there any types of music you're not keen on and why?

Grime because of the awful lyrics & hard core country because it’s just so…whiny!

But I generally like most types of music as long as the sound system is calibrated correctly. I get misophonia rage when it isn’t! 

What brought you to Choir on the Hill and how long have you been singing with us?

I am a red squirrel! I was there for the very first COTH rehearsal. That was January 2019…so I guess that makes 6 years (with a few pandemic breaks).

Which female musical artists do you admire and why?

Dolly Parton because of her determined spirit (and I feel I have to say this to make up for all the boob jokes I made about her in adolescence).

Bjork because she is so unapologetically herself.

Who are your female role models?

I don’t really ‘do’ role models - hence the short list above! I also try not to compare myself to others as comparison really is the thief of joy. There are many women in my life who I do admire and who have qualities that I aspire to though; my mother’s quiet ‘fuck it’ sense of humour, and Penny’s effortless performance talents, for example.

Tell us a surprising or little known fact about yourself.

2 truths and a lie time! Which one is the lie…?

I was the ‘baddie’ in a TV after school special about smoking when I was 14

I have a stress-related condition that has caused me to lactate since the age of 17

I was once offered a job as a belly dancer on a Nile cruise ship

What is your favourite thing about being part of Choir on the Hill?

COTH has given me so much over the years: community, friends, support and confidence.

The first time Chris floated the idea of introducing solos I laughed in his face and told him “There isn’t enough therapy IN THE WORLD to get me to do a solo”. How things have changed!