Chamber Choir Fine Dining

HI EVERYONE

(Capitals have been used to convey the great excitement with which today's rehearsals have been conducted by Tom)

Such enthusiasm on Tom's part was met with many a rousing moment as the choir embarked upon rehearsals for the second half of Saturday's concert (get your tickets here, please come, Tom will be sad if you don't and sad conductors are just the worst). Because I enjoy a good bit of delegation (who doesn't?), I have asked Rachel, our delightful Assistant Manager, to pen a brief account of our wonderful celebration dinner last night.

On Monday night, the choir kicked off the first evening of Chamber choir week with the annual Chamber Choir Dinner that, this year took place in Newcastle and was organised by Emer, Meg, Crispin, and Fi. This year’s dinner once again met the usual criteria of an extensive variety of colourful bow ties, wine, great food, awards, with a taste of Geordie nightlife thrown in for good measure. The private dining room of Blackfriars restaurant was a fabulous location for the choir to celebrate their efforts and successes of 2015 and 2016.

As ever, the Chamber Choir awards were entertaining, generally well received by all, and largely appropriate…awards included ‘best lid’ for Philippe KJU Durrant as well as the newly founded ‘Queen of complaints’ won by Lewis Cullen to name but a few. Following food, awards, and an almost sufficient quantity of alcoholic consumption, the choir were led astray through the streets of Newcastle like lost sheep to "a staple hang out" in Newcastle's nightlife (as we were assured by conductor-elect George Cook’s girlfriend Immy whose preoccupation with stationery is something at which truly to be marvelled). Unphased by plenty of confused glances at a party of 25 students entering a trebles bar in black tie, celebrations of a successful year for a fantastic choir continued there well into the night, starting chamber choir week on a high that is sure to continue.

I'm afraid that your daily fix of DUCC news is drawing to a close. Just one final exhortation: please flit to https://www.musicdurham.org/event/luxaeterna/ and purchase your very reasonably priced ticket(s) to a concert programme that is already sounding magical. It has yet to be further enhanced by the idyllic surroundings of Durham Cathedral at which point it will, no doubt, be fabulous.

Lots of DUCC love,

The Exec xxx 07. 06. 16.