Sheringham Savoyards

As I skim down the EDP’s list of major events occurring over the last sixty years, I reflect that our own “little local event” happened about half-way through – the formation of the Sheringham Savoyards, no less! It would be fitting if we could celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee with a rendering, perhaps in one of the summer concerts of “Regular Royal Queen” or even (from the opera next after The Gondoliers ) “A Bright and Beautiful English Girl” as a tribute to one who occasionally resides in this vicinity, and remains my favourite British woman now living. (Sorry, sopranos and contraltos, I know you thought it was one of you!).

So we’ve existed for over 30 years, and still function. This year’s new venture, a series of concerts, seems to be shaping nicely in rehearsal and I hope myself to take a limited part. Nostalgia is my middle name, but I trust there’ll also be a forward-looking element and we can fulfil the ultimate objective of regular productions once again “...next session”, to quote the Emperor of Japan. Looking forward to “years and years of afternoons”.

Alan

Your Society needs YOU! At various points in this Newsletter, you are asked to provide your opinion, input and/or confirm your willingness (or otherwise) to be involved with the various events that the Committee are planning.
The Savoyards cannot carry on without the support of its Members and Friends. Please respond!

Kath Whiting

The Committee is still struggling with the lack of Officers. A Secretary and a Social Secretary are still needed, and, in an ideal world, a Publicity Officer. Please speak to any member of the Committee if you are willing to be co-opted on to the Committee to fulfill any of these roles.

You are receiving this Newsletter because you are on the database, having paid your subscription as a Member or Friend of the Society for the 2010-11 season. The subscriptions for the 2011-2012 season are now due. These are £15 for Members and £5 for Friends.

We do appreciate the contribution that Friends make to the Society, both financially and in supporting our various events. The Friends' subscription has been reduced from last year because, as we are not likely to be doing any fully staged productions this season, they will not be eligible to claim their Friends' discount on theatre tickets.

Therefore, if you wish to continue to receive this Newsletter and to maintain your connection with the Society, either as a Member or a Friend (which we sincerely hope you will) and have not already paid, could you please send your subscription to the Treasurer, Kath Whiting, at Flat 3, 21 Cliff Road, Sheringham, NR26 8BJ, as soon as possible. If you have any queries, you can contact her on 01263 821185 or by email: kandm.whiting@btinternet.com." Cheques should be made payable to ‘Sheringham Savoyards’.

We are pleased to report that £112 was collected for the East Anglian Air Ambulance on Saturday 10 December 2011, despite the poor attendance by Savoyard members. Many thanks go to the hardy few! We managed to cajole a few passing shoppers (who we knew could sing!) to join us, and enjoyed an hour’s hard singing of well known carols. Hardly anyone went by without contributing!

Rehearsals are progressing very well in the capable hands of Beverley, Maggi, Lester and Nona. Unfortunately, several people have dropped out from our original group and Beverley has had to keep re-jigging the proposed programmes - which means more parts for the dedicated group that are left!

We have three definite dates for Concerts:
Sunday 17 June at Sheringham Little Theatre at 7.30p.m. This is a concert of G&S music only. There will be an opportunity for us to display programmes and photographs from previous shows in The Hub during the weekend.

Saturday 30 June at Overstrand Church at 7.30p.m. This will be a Full Concert including some G&S and Music Hall songs as well as other songs from the same era.

Saturday 14 July at How Hill at 7.30p.m. This is a great opportunity for us to perform at a lovely venue and one where the works of G&S are much appreciated.

We have deliberately arranged concerts at fortnightly intervals – this will give us an opportunity to adapt our concerts to suit the individual venues.

We have been fortunate in obtaining the services of two wonderful compères for these concerts. John McInnes will take on this role at two of these concerts and Tony Nelson at the other. We are very grateful to these people who have agreed to give up their time and we are sure they will provide an amusing and informative addition to our programme.

We are also receiving invitations for further concerts, but these will definitely have to be in the autumn. Hopefully, if the venues are geographically far enough apart, we will simply be able to repeat the concerts already prepared.

Following last year’s successful ‘Come and Sing Mikado’, we will be repeating the idea this year with ‘The Gondoliers’. The date of this event has changed since the last Newsletter because of Concert dates and because of other commitments of Maggi and Lester. Please note that this will now take place on Friday 18 May and that the venue this year will be St. Andrew’s Methodist Church, Sheringham with a rehearsal for the Principals there on Thursday 17 May. As last year, no auditions will be held and the Committee will “invite” people to take the Principal roles. If you are interested in being considered for one of these roles, please speak to a member of the Committee before 2 March. We shall also need a Narrator to link the musical items and fill in the story for the audience.

East Norfolk Operatic Society (ENOS) are producing ‘Princess Ida’ at the Maddermarket Theatre in Norwich from Wednesday 2nd to Saturday 5th May ay 7.30p.m. every evening and with a Matinee on the Saturday at 2.30p.m. Tickets are £12, and are available through the Box Office on 01603 620917. Patrick Monk is the Producer and many well known faces will be seen both on stage and in the orchestra. Please support them if you are able.

Cromer and Sheringham Operatic and Dramatic Society (CSODS) are producing ‘Me and My Girl’ at the Pier Pavilion Theatre at Cromer from Saturday 26th May to Saturday 2nd June at 7.30p.m. with a Matinee on the last Saturday at 2.30p.m. Tickets range in price from £9.50 to £14 and are available through the Box Office on 01263 512495. A discount of 10% is available for parties of 10 and above. You might recognise a few faces on stage here too! Please support them if you are able.

It is planned to have our main Social Event on either 12th or 13th May. As many people seem to have commitments on Saturday evenings (and the Savoyards are also pretty busy) the idea of going out for a Sunday lunch time pub meal is also being looked into. So, for the moment, please keep both dates free if at all possible, and let the Committee know if you have a favourite venue!

Another idea is to arrange a ‘party booking’ to one or both of the above shows. It is always more enjoyable to go in a group and there could be the opportunity to fit in a meal before the performance.

Auditions were held on 15th January, and these were very well attended. The Theatre’s Press Release about Pirates will be displayed on the Notice Board at rehearsals. The cast list is also available if you are interested.

Some of you will have seen an article in the local free newspapers. This came about because many people seemed to have the impression that the Savoyards were no longer ‘in business’ having had to cancel both productions last year. The article was written with a view to letting the general public know that we still exist and that the Concert Party was created as a way of keeping Society members together, and also to spread the word about our forthcoming concerts. It has certainly been successful as we have had at least two enquiries for future concerts, in addition to the three already planned, and has also attracted a couple of possible new members. Who says advertising doesn’t pay?

Once again, we are in the position of having to find another home for our stored scenery, props and other archived material. If anyone has, or knows anyone who might have, a spare garage (preferably lockable and preferably in Sheringham) which we could use in this capacity, please let a member of the Committee know.  Thanks.

Our cottage, in a village 5 miles from the Mediterranean, is available for holiday lets between May and September.  Sleeps 4.   Very  reasonable rates.  The area is served by 3 airports, with budget flights available to all of them. Contact either Kath or Maurice Whiting for further details. 
Tel:  01263 821185 or email: kandm.whiting@btinternet.com

3 February	Concert Rehearsal – Full - everyone needed!
17 February	Concert Rehearsal – Groups/Soloists only
2 March	Concert Rehearsal – Full – everyone needed!
16 March	Concert Rehearsal – Groups/Soloists only
30 March	Concert Rehearsal – Full – everyone needed!
20 April	Concert Rehearsal – Full – everyone needed!
4 May	Rehearsal for our Come and Sing Gondoliers – Chorus only
11 May	Concert Rehearsal – Full – everyone needed!
12 or 13 May	Main Social event – details still to be arranged
17 May *	Rehearsal for our Come and Sing Gondoliers – Principals only
18 May	COME AND SING ‘THE GONDOLIERS’
25 May	Concert Rehearsal – Full – everyone needed!
8 June	Concert Rehearsal – Full – everyone needed!
15 June	Concert Rehearsal – Full – everyone needed!
17 June	Concert at Sheringham Little Theatre
22 June	Concert Rehearsal – Full – everyone needed!
29 June	Concert Rehearsal – Full – everyone needed!
30 June	Concert at Overstrand Church
6 July	Concert Rehearsal – Full – everyone needed!
13 July	Concert Rehearsal – Full – everyone needed!
14 July	Concert at How Hill

*All rehearsals are at St. Joseph’s Church, except for the one marked * which is at St. Andrew’s – Principals only.

We are sorry that we have had to take over the planned Sing Through evening on 3 February for a Concert Rehearsal, but Beverley felt it was important to maintain the momentum of the Concert Rehearsals.  Sincere apologies to any Friends or non-Concert Party members who were looking forward to a Sing Through.

Society Website: www.sheringhamsavoyards.co.uk