Last update: 13/05/2006
Saturday 26th April 2003 ..... Competition Day!!
Here are some memories of the day when we are told to have 'fun'! For most people, the morning competition is 'good for you' rather than fun ... (tho' the kindly adjudicators try to praise as much as possible and disguise criticism very skilfully!) .... and the real fun begins after lunch, when we all join together for a mass rehearsal under the genial conductorship of Brian Kay, and there is always fun + excitement in the final concert.
Next year the Webmistress will be bolder and ask to take some photos of the whole choir in action and some of the famous people there. She was a bit shy this year.
NO PHOTOS OF THE COMPETITION - SORRY!! BUT HERE'S WHAT CAME NEXT ....
| Lunch in the Martineau Hall, overlooked by an historic banner naming all the choirs which have taken part in the Festival over the years ... |  |
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Horsley Choral Society members like to get together socially over lunch ... |
| Some people take care to colour-coordinate their clothes with their rosettes! |  |
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Conversation still going ... |
| Winifred and Charles ... two valued of the choir! (You can just about spot Heather at the edge!) |  |
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... A collection of altos (or can you think of a better collective noun?) |
| Brenda toasts Helena .... |  |
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Zena The Chairwoman and Helena the Treasurer .. important people! |
| Dorothy enjoys her first festival! (At least, we hope her face expresses enjoyment!) |  |
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Stephen 'tucks in', surrounded by Trish, Mike and Tanya. |
| There has to be a clever caption for this one out there somewhere ...! |  |
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Some of the top people who make Leith Hill happen .. we're really grateful to them. |
| She may be an inspiring Chairwoman, but just how good is Deirdre Hicks' maths as she works out the aggregate scores? |  |
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10 out of 10! You deserve to look pleased! |
| Alan Brown, our accomplished and very popular festival accompanist (also recitalist and accompanist at Royal Academy of Music and Guildhall School of Music) has a well-deserved cuppa! |  |
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Mike joins him, and apologises for his tie (blaming his wife!). |
| Here they are again, still in love ..! Olive and Alan, now watchful of the Webmistress who works at their granddaughter's school! |  |
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Mike peruses the Leith Hill merchandise. He'd make a fantastic model for a brochure wouldn't he? The saintly salesman looks on, bathed in light. |
| Merchandise close-up ... sold with a delicious sense of humour. |  |
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And here's Howard, the salesman extraordinaire, himself. Note the matching sweatshirt and flowers ... he has an eye for detail like this, and we'll miss him when he passes on the job ... |
| ...his most famous product, the unique Leith Hill Musical Festival left-handed pencil. We believe him, and we humour him ...! |  |
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Proof that the Webmistress succumbs to the charms of the sales team ... a fantastic, stunning, life-changing LHMF TEA TOWEL drapes her computer. BUY ONE!!! |
| Stage right prepares for the rehearsal ... |  |
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So does stage left ... |
| The men sing well in the rehearsal ... |  |
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The women admire them from afar ... |
| Horsley men in prominence ... but they're finding it difficult to dampen their dramatic mariner tendencies ... |  |
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Brian Kay keeps us all in order .. |
| His conducting is compelling .. we really like him! Next year the Webmistress will request a portrait photo instead of this sneaky one! |  |
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A small audience at the rehearsal. Sir David and Lady Willcocks are front left. (The Webmistress was still too shy to take a close-up!) |
| Liz May supports us all the way .. a wonderful Honorary Secretary who keeps us in order in a firm, efficient, but very friendly way! |  |
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The ensemble rehearses ... here's Anne, one of our Horsley heroines who helped Horsley to come top in the ensemble class. |
| And can you spot the Horsley Hero who also helped?! (Clue: he has featured once or twice before on this page!) |  |
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End of the concert - happy Elaine! |
| More happy people after an exhilarating concert. |  |
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The alti from whom the Webmistress was separated because of her bad back ... she had to suffer a nice comfortable chair at the front amongst 2nd soprani! |
| Exhilarated, and perhaps a bit tired? At least Christine doesn't have to provide the whole choir with refreshments now! |  |
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and another thing .... |
| Paul despairs of controlling Pat! Looks as if he's about to be beatified .... |  |
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Trish and Helena enjoyed themselves ... |
| There's a story behind this ... ask Brian! |  |
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Peter ever-smiling! |
| Paul and Mike evaluate the concert. |  |
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The programme. I now realise that you can't actually read it now that it's so small, but you get the idea ...! For the programme headings, click here. |
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See you next year we hope! Put Thursday April 15th in your diaries NOW!!! |