Dear all,

I hope you have had a very merry Christmas and are looking forward to starting back at Dingwall Choral in the new year.

Let me first say how pleased I was with the concert on the 3rd. The singing was fabulous thanks to the energy and commitment of everyone on the stage. The audience really enjoyed it and there were many complimentary comments passed to us from various people.

Our house survived the horrendous weather that caused me to cancel the rehearsal on the 8th, although the conservatory took quite a battering!  Floodwater would have reached our door but for some handy sandbags!

And so to thoughts of the year to come.

Traditionally, we start back at rehearsals when the schools return, a tradition I was planning to adhere to, so the first rehearsal was to have been the 12th of January. However, given our missed rehearsal I would like to make an early start on THURSDAY 5th JANUARY.

I appreciate that this is late notice, but I do hope as many of you can make it along as possible.

The committee and I have also been discussing the possibility of an extra rehearsal.  My current feeling for this is that it should be on the afternoon of Sunday the 29th of January. This is still under discussion but if you could check your availability, I would appreciate it.

We have done a lot of work on Carmina Burana (or Carmen Burana as was written in the Rosshire) and it won't take us too long to get back up to speed on it. As for the Burns Sequence, we have performed one movement and done a lot of work On a second. I am only looking to do two other movements; O whistle an I'll come to you, and Paraphrase of the First psalm. The rest of the first half will be a reprise of I landed with seven men, so bring that along with you!

tl;dr (Internet short hand for "you have written far too much, could you provide a brief summary please");
Rehearsals begin on Thursday 5th January, bring Carmina Burana, A Burns Sequence, and I Landed with Seven Men. 

Wishing you all a happy new year,

John Thomson