Important dates:

* additional rehearsal on Monday 16 June at 7.30, Pres Church unless otherwise notified - check your emails Sun night!

* Winter Magic performance is 2.30pm, 21st June, St Hilda's

* Tony Backhouse workshop(s): spread the word!
August 17 - Afternoon workshop, 3-5 pm Blue Mountains
August 21 Evening workshop, Wollongong
Contact Katie:mcrobert_scott@optusnet.com.au

JOY & JUBILATION!!! from Trish

Many years ago in the US, the comedian Carol Burnett had a weekly variety show on TV (perhaps it was aired here??). She ended each show with a simple song:
I'm so glad we had this time together,
Just to have a laugh and sing a song.
Seems we just get started and before you know it,
Comes the time we have to say "So Long"...
Isn't that the way Wednesday night feels? Wouldn't it be wonderful if each week had an abundance of Wednesday nights!!!!!!
We had a great attendance with all parts well represented. Sorry to say that some members have fallen victim to that awful flu and we wish them speedy recoveries! Every voice and personality was missed.
I am taking this opportunity to thank you all. I felt so blessed and priviledged to be allowed to sing "Jacob's Ladder". Let me tell you a bit about what that song means to me. All through my childhood, my Mother's mother was a very integral part of my life. I spent every week-end with her and the majority of my school holidays too. As she taught me to sew and quilt, we would also sing all the hymns she had ever learned. "Jacob's Ladder" was 'bout our favourite! Mama Nora taught me that this was the anthem for her own personal "Woman's Movement"...one that she embraced long before it ever became a "movement"!!! (My Grandfather died with pneumonia in 1928 shortly after the birth of thier 7th child.) It is a song of struggle,perserverance, strength and hope. In 1973, Mama Nora finally reached the top of the ladder where she smiles upon me and remains my inspiration for a life well lived. So, my new and dear friends, if I were never able to sing it again, I am well pleased that you have allowed me to honour her even if for just this moment.
Don't forget the extra practice on Monday, 16 June along with our standard Awesome Wednesday!
See y'all real soon!!!!
Trish

A night of adventure! (from Veronica)

Wednesday, 4 June 2008

A night of adventure! Bleak, cold and raining – a night when most would huddle at home under a doona or before the fire, hot chocolate in hand. But not so for Joyful Noise! 16 (yes 16!! - our biggest turnout yet, this term) brave souls ventured out into the night, arriving at the hall only to find we were locked out! Our intrepid leader, Katie, reviewed all points of entry, but to no avail. We did the only thing we could: sang under the carport! It was far from an ideal situation, although Katie did note there was an interesting resonance caused by the adjacent toilet block! Just before hypothermia set in, one of the newcomers to the group, who happened to be the Director of Blue Gum Lodge in Springwood, kindly offered a hall at the Lodge. We gladly took up the offer, and, after belting out a few rounds of “Let’s Go” (appropriate!), continued the night in most comfortable surrounds (they even had a cappuccino machine, but fortunately it was switched off, otherwise the tea break may have become very extended!).

Not only was our newcomer very generous, he was a MAN! Yes, we have our first man in the group, Peter, sounding terrific with the tenors/basses.

Rehearsals are progressing well towards the Winter Magic performance at St. Hilda’s. It was decided to hold an additional rehearsal on Monday 16 June (so during that week we’ll meet on both the Monday and Wednesday, with the performance on the Saturday 21 June).

All in all, the damp night did not dampen our spirits and a good night was had by all. See you next week!

Veronica

Wow! What a night! from Marianne

Away for a week and it felt like a long time, so much happens in a week around Joyful Noise, particularly when you have live wires like Trish who has made us song shawls with the choir's new logo sewn on them each individualised with beads. For one who has difficulty threading a sewing machine this was the first wow of the evening.
We revised Nobody's fault and The Welcome Table. More Than We Can See was the new song for the evening a beautiful "soul feel" song that begins:
The older I get the more I realise what I don't now yet
other lines:
there's more than we can see and understand
the circle has no end and no beginning.
I felt such solace as this is a personal experience - the older I get!! Wow!
Bev has created a data base of member's contact and skills info, Wow!
We are all contributing $5 for printing costs of flyers and song sheets.
Rachel Hore is conducting a workshop, June 14th, at Richmond, (contact rachelhore@ozemail.com.au or just turn up)
Winter Magic performance is 2.30pm, 21st June, St Hilda's
Next week we will confirm extra rehearsal times.
Katie is still in recovery from her lung infection and I'm sure the joyful lung exercise of this evening will contribute to further healing!
However I'm feeling as I arrive, I leave open-hearted and revived. Wow!
regards Marianne