WAIHEKE ISLAND CHORAL SOCIETY – PRESIDENTS REPORT

 

2023 has been an eventful year with a number of emotional ups and downs.

 

 

-         We started with an upbeat: On the 23rd and 25th of June we performed a wonderful Potpourri style Concert at the Rocky Bay Hall and at St Peters Church respectively. The Concert was well attended and well received.

-         On the 27th of June we had our mid-winter get together at Anne and Willi’s place with some great impromptu singing. Thank you so much Anne and Willi for hosting it.

-         The downbeat came on the 4th of August when our past Choir master, Richard Melville passes away after a prolonged illness. The choir was invited to sing at his funeral. Richard still had a hand in it, and in typical Richard style the choir was unexpectedly asked to sing Handel’s Halleluiah Chorus – which the choir rose to beautifully with the expert and energetic directing of Anne Willman.   

-         On October the 6th we were part of a small musical performance at the Waiheke Musical Museum (formerly Whittaker’s Musical Museum) for a ‘Peace and Protest’ concert.

-         On the 26th of October we sang at Fiona’s Kralicek’s Farewell at the Library.

-         We celebrated Christmas on the 3rd of December with a rousing Gloria Halleluiah concert at St Peters Church. Anne had the brilliant Idea to intersperse the Choir’s offerings with audience participation. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed it and there was standing room only. Proceeds were donated to the Budgeting service.

-         We held our traditional Christmas party at the Onetangi Hall on December the 9th.  Sadly it was poorly attended but all of us present had fun.

-         There was another sad goodbye on January the 26th when we said farewell to Eileen Boghurst who was moving off Island to go to a nursing home. Eileen is one of our life members and has been with the choir since Adam was a boy. Although organized at short notice many people were able to attend.

-         On March the 8th Joan Kirk organized for the Choir to sing at Women’s day.

 

 

THANKS

 

So many thanks go to so many people. Special thanks to Anne, our musical director, for all her work and dedication and for sharing her amazing creativity with the choir.

 

Some more special thanks go to Carolyn for being our wonderful pianist, both at our regular Tuesday night practices and at our concerts.

 

Many thanks to the committee: Mark for being our fabulous treasurer and for taking the choir together with Sandy when Anne can’t be here; Gavin for being our secretary and keeping such great minutes; Joan, Sandy and Andy for all the background support and work that is often unseen.

 

Thanks to the many people who beaver away in the background, like Dee Austring who reliably sends out the e-mails to the choir and helps with advertising and tickets for the concerts. 

 

And of course, thanks to everyone who has played a part in the life of the WCS this past year, faithfully coming to practices and singing together at the performances. It’s great we can enjoy our love of singing together.

 

Our next concert is set for Friday the 5th of July at the Rocky Bay Hall at 19.00 and Sunday the 7th of July at St Peters Church at 14.00.

 

 

Maya Spence

President Waiheke Choral Society

March 26th 2024