A week to Concert

What a year it has been so far. Summer school went very well, with high positive assessment from the students on both the course and my teaching.

Project One
I met the Glee Club for their first rehearsal of the year on January 28th. and then spent ten days in Brisbane catching up with my grandson and his parents.

Today is the final combined rehearsal of the two choirs, and the children have their special friends now in the Glee Club. During these rehearsals there has been more a sense of the two choirs singing as one, rather than two choirs singing the same song. The children are gaining some of the resonance of the older singers, and the Glee Club are gaining some of the brighter tone from the children.

Tomorrow is my final rehearsal with the Rotokauri Tuis, they will rehearse more with their tutor Susanne. Glee Club will have two more rehearsals. Then we all meet at the venue at 2:00p.m. Friday, to walk through the concert, feel the acoustic by singing in the space, finalise our staging in situ, and hopefully have some time to relax before the concert commences.

Next week I will conduct focus groups with each choir, and with willing parents of the children's choir, getting feedback about what the participants have gained from this musical experience, and then get it written up and submitted for publication!!

Project Two
The contract with Ryman Healthcare is verbally agreed, and now awaiting documents to sign. Advertising has gone out to Auckland University Music Education department, and the Auckland members of NEWZATS, inviting extessions of interest to tutor the group at the Edmund Hillary Complex in Remuera.

I will

• Go and talk with the residents. and the staff, about the project.
• Get them to give ethical approval for their medical data, such as blood pressure, oxygen uptake, breath capacity, be relased to me for a before and after measure
• Get them to find someone in the village who cn be their research 'buddy' who will not be part of th singing programme, who will alos agree to the medical data being available.
• Go to their first rehearsal, introduce their tutor, and provide the initial repertoire.
• Visit with them at rehearsal every two months, giving encouragement, and making suggestions, including looking for leadership to emerge within the resident group
• Return in November to collect post-data, as well as questionnaires that they have filled out for me, and conduct a focus group where we can dialogue about the project.
• Write up the project, both for Ryman Healthcare, and for publication.

Project three
Hamilton Chorale commenced rehearsal two weeks ago, and are well into the preparation for the Celtic Connections Concert. Planned dates for this concert are May 2nd in Raglan and May 3rd in Hamilton.
Members are sourcing some dancers who would like to come and guest at this concert.

Other exciting news for Chorale is that well-known New Zealand composer David Hamilton has ageed to write a piece for us for our second concert, the them of which is: Around the World in 80 minutes

The year is well underway!!