Dear Member,

Generally a very successful season. Our two major concerts were a great success and our reputation has been enhanced yet further.

Our lack of preparation for the Christmas concert concerned a number of members and we are in discussion with Andrew about the next one. We should have more rehearsal time during our preparations for the Handel in November to devote some time to rehearsing the Christmas programme.

Ticket sales for all concerts were good and I want to thank all members who sold tickets so well - keep up the excellent work!

We want to make sure that our posters are well distributed in local shops, churches, libraries and information centres and would like people to agree to deal with specific areas so that we know we have effective coverage. We will be asking for volunteers early in our next season.

Subscriptions will remain unchanged at £50.00 (over 35s), £25.00 (26- 35), Free (under 25s). An envelope is enclosed for your subscription and John Gosney, our Membership Secretary , would appreciate prompt payment, certainly within four weeks of the start of the new season.

The committee is concerned that there seems to be a growth amongst a small number of members, of a casual approach to regular attendance at rehearsals but who still expect to sing in concerts. This can be very frustrating to other members and more particularly to Andrew when we have to repeat passages which we "perfected" the week before because people who were absent make mistakes which Andrew has already "ironed out". We have decided to introduce a minimum attendance level of 66% at rehearsals plus the Saturday afternoon of the concert for eligibility to sing in the concert. If you are unable to meet these criteria but feel competent to sing you may apply to Andrew who will give a test on certain passages in the work.

We have to say thank you and goodbye to Jackie Wineman, Barbara Milton and Joan Stephens who feel, sadly, that they cannot manage the commitment and effort required, especially on the day of the concert. We look forward to seeing them in the future in the audience. We were sorry to hear of the death earlier this year of Pat Macmillan, who left the Society, because of ill health 18 months or so ago.

Also goodbye and thank you to Ken Jefferies who has been a steward and then chief steward for more than 20 years. Most of us are unaware of what goes on 'behind the scenes" which is, in effect, a tribute to the efficiency of the stewarding operations.

John Rosier has agreed to take over the role of chief steward and we look forward to working with him.

The finances of our choir follow the typical pattern of most choirs - concert receipts seldom cover costs and the shortfall is made up from subscriptions, donations, sponsorship, advertisers etc. One way we could all help to keep choral music alive is to leave a small (or large) bequest in our wills. Please do give this some thought.

We have a web site - pershorechoral.org.uk - if you have any item of interest, please make contact and it can be included in the next web update. Our webmaster is always keen to receive new material !

The Armed Man

Earlier this year we contacted the Vicar about a performance of this work by Karl Jenkins. We did this because the second movement is an Islamic "Call to Prayers" sung by an Islamic caller (muezzin) and we felt it proper to do so, in the same way as, in the past, we did for Carmina Burana when Michael Tristram was Vicar and African Sanctus, (which also includes a "Call to Prayers") when Martin Coombs was Vicar.

There have been rumours circulating that the Vicar has refused to allow us to perform this work in the Abbey and it is important to establish the present position.

The Vicar did express very strong feelings against the second movement and stated his reservations to us in his letter of 5 January 2005. He suggested we might consider a performance omitting the movement and that if we agreed to this, he would discuss the matter further. The Committee wrote to him in June asking him to reconsider, and he has asked to borrow the CD again for a second listening, pending his reply.

The work has been performed in full in a number of churches and cathedrals including, this year, in Lichfield Cathedral and Leominster Priory. We hope that the Vicar may be able to revisit his concerns, particularly in the light of recent publicity of national discussions about interfaith contact and understanding following the terrorist attacks in London. In any event, the matter is not closed and whilst the Vicar has his reservations concerning the Islamic "Calls to Prayers", he has not yet refused us a full performance in the Abbey. We must recognise however, that he has overriding authority in this matter and if he refuses, we shall not be able to perform the "Armed Man" in the Abbey.

The Royal Armouries, who commissioned the work, did so for several reasons: to commemorate the millennium; to reflect this country's Christian tradition; to look forward to a new century of relative peace.

Over our last season there was a growing number of members who for various reasons did not sing in the concerts and had a free seat in the audience because they were "paid up" members. Our subscriptions are used to pay the costs of rehearsals, staging concerts and making good any shortfall in concert receipts. As costs rise, it is with regret that the committee has decided that members who decide not to sing, will, in future, pay in full for a concert ticket.

Chairman