PRESIDENTS REPORT WAIHEKE CHORSL SOCIETY 2004

I thought that writing the monthly newsletter was hard enough,but trying to write this presidents report is a darn sight harder because I’m not even supposed to be here.We had two bereavements during the year.Our President,Graham Pullen died after a short illness. Eighteen people from Waikeke attended his funeral which was a wonderful celebration of his life. Jean Longworth,who was a longtime choir member and also a Life member passed away in Australia and also Edwin Carr. Edwin or Ted as he was known to his friends,was not a choir member but is well known to us for composing the Waiheke Lyrics which were commissioned for the choirs 25^th Anniversary.Old age when it comes is a minefield out thereand we all pick our way carefully through it hoping to miss the heart attacks.strokes,prostates and the general slowing down off the body. But singing is a great help,both physically and mentally, and it helps when you belong to a choir who perform a wide variety of singing activities as in Musicals, acapella,and general choral music.

Early in the year 2003,we concentrated on the Beethoven Mass which we performed at Te Hurihi school and at St. Matthews in the City with the St Matthews Chamber Orchestra.Nothing beats singing with an orchestra.The Mass was a difficult piece and was hard work,but we did it and sang it well.Trial by Jury was a light relief in contrast and was chosen to mark the ten years we have been under the baton of Richard our Musical Director.It was cleverly updated by Brenda Vale.Many thanks for the long hours spent by a fantastic team to bring this show to fruition. This year Orpheus in Britomart is already in production with Christine Jarman directing and again updated by Brenda Vale.

Acappella has worked hard last year and gave a great performance at Whittakers including piece by Freda Blanchard and a poem by Millicent McIvor both choir members.I’m not going to give a musical run down of the year because you will hear it in the Musical Directors report and you don’t need to hear it twice.

This year marked the 10^th Anniversary of the choirs Musical Director Richard Melville.We have had a lot of highs and lows over the years but thank goodness we have had more highs than lows.Richard has brought the choir to it’s present high standard. We are now 10 years older and we have to expand a bit more and start moving in a different direction.We have tackled some very ambitious projects with great success and it is a mark of the orogress that the choir has made.We have to thank Mary for the the work she has done within the choir and also for letting us have Richard for ten years mostly twice a week and sometimes more when a performance approaches

Our End of Year dinner was held at Onetangi Hall and was a great success and the concert afterwards showed how much talent we have within the choir.

Now we come to the important part of this report all the “thankyou’s” Your committee and executive have done a wonderful job over the past year in spite of setbacks.Although sometimes we must have been a carbon copy of the Vicar of Dibley’s church committee, things did get done.A big thankyou to Wendy for all the typing she has done for me when I was and still am struggling with technology,thankyou to our rehearsal pianists, who have stepped in and filled the void, Marion, Kit and Dulcie.

Thanks to Philip for his ticket selling drive last year, to the set designers and building team and their piano shifting efforts, to the orchestra George,Russell and team who rearranged the music and to Richard for being the boss and keeping his cool. There are many people who worked hard to make this year a success, who were quietly beavering away in the background just getting on with it. Thankyou everyone

Jeanne Mellamphy Acting President.