The Kentonian - The Kentones
Transcription
The Kentonian - The Kentones
The Kentonian Page 1 The Kentonian Nov/Dec 2008 THE BROMLEY BARBERSHOP HARMONY CLUB MAGAZINE Volume 3 Issue 12 Dazzling Macmillan Coffee Evening On Thursday 25th September the Kentones turned their rehearsal time into a coffee evening for the Macmillan Cancer Care charity. It was the idea of one of the club's supporters, Sandie Beaney, who, like many, has a very good reason to be grateful to the Macmillan Nurses. A fun filled evening of singing in the Barbershop style was started by Mike Corr, the Kentones’ chorus director, conducting a vocal 'warm up' which included the audience. The programme featured the Kentones and two of their quartets, Voice Male and Southern Brand, and two ladies quartets, Hunky Dory and Out Of The Blue. A new ladies chorus has sprung up recently and they chose this evening to make their debut. Under their chorus director, Martin Ford, the girls of Vocal Project entranced the audience with their beauty as well as their singing, making a good start at performing in public. The evening ended with all performers on stage singing the traditional last two songs, Let's Get Together Again and Keep The Whole World Singing. The sum of £381 was raised for this very worthy cause and the Kentones wish to thank everyone who came along to make this a most enjoyable and successful evening. P.R.O. for the Bromley Barbershop Harmony Club, Peter Aylett Thank you to everybody who contributed and participated in the Macmillan Evening. What a wonderful evening of entertainment we had with you 'chaps', and Martin’s ladies chorus. Thank you to Pam Taylor, Vicky Gilbert and Pat Delaroute for helping with the cake making. Weren't they delicious! I hope you all enjoyed it, and thank you for your generosity. We raised £381. Sandie Beaney Registered Charity 1094386 www.bromleykentones.org.uk The Kentonian Page 2 Fun at the Disabled Christian Fellowship Our annual visit to the Disabled Christian Fellowship was again a great success. This year saw an increase in the number of singers able to attend, which must have been gratifying for our singout secretary as well as the people we were entertaining. I heard it mentioned by one of the carers that The Kentones have been entertaining these people annually for about twenty one years. I wonder if any of our older members remember the first time, and how it all began? There must be a story there? Audience participation is always great fun. The time came when the percussion instruments were handed out for the accompaniment to ‘Under the Boardwalk’. As usual, once the rhythm was established, the audience maintained a solid beat, led by a drummer in the front row who was determined to be the loudest in the band. Birthdays were also celebrated, David (the man in the front row with the drum), our Bill Holiday and yours truly were treated to a rousing and harmonious ‘Happy Birthday’, then Bill and I were presented with a tin of chocolates (which we intend to share with you at our social evening) and a birthday card each. I think David was allowed to keep the drum. In conclusion, it has to be said that these carers for the disabled do a wonderful job and their love and kindness is to be applauded. I know we all recognise this and that is why we are so happy to support them. (Photos courtesy of Avril Sydee) Peter Aylett One night a group of youngsters went carol singing. One of them knocked on the door of a house and they began to sing. A man with a violin in his hand came to the door and within half a minute tears were streaming down his face. The group went on singing for half an hour, every carol they knew, and some they didn't. At last they stopped and the leader said "I understand, its brought back lots of memories for you". "No", the man replied, "I'm a musician!" Cordon Bleu Barbershop Group Notes We are gradually getting back into the swing of things and we are pleased to welcome Alan Lynch, Les Moore and Steve Beaney to the Group as regular members. Peter Aylett and Al Horton have also helped out for bigger singouts. With eight engagements in the last three months of this year, raising some £700 for funds, we may well exceed our previous £2000 in one year record. We will continue to search for fun songs for the Group, as well as featuring quartet items whenever possible, as a contrast to the more formal Kentones’ shows – it is much easier to do this with a small group. We have also had some new compliment cards produced to widen knowledge of our existence. John Vaughan The Kentonian Page 3 Velvet Harmony at the Irish Convention in Sligo improve on our last performance and come 7th out of eleven international choruses with a score of 61%. The category was mixed, so we had the novel experience of being beaten by the - male of course - Cotton Town Chorus (no shame there!). Velvet Harmony took time out from the LABBS convention this year and flew (with an abrupt landing at Knock that we won’t forget in a hurry) to the Irish Association of Barbershop Singers’ convention in Sligo, where we were happy to Velvet Harmony, Sligo, October 2008 The day of competition was a fine, soft day (Irish for “pouring”). No room for carrying brollies between our changing room and the building where we were to sing, so we kept our hair dry on the way over with a fetching array of hoods, shower caps and shopping bags – very glamorous above our sparkling green stage gear! Jacqui Edwards, LABBS Chair, who flew out with us to lend us her bass voice onstage and her delightful company (thanks again, Jacqui!), looked particularly chic in a little plastic supermarket number. Seeing the programme, one of our four “virgins” wanted to know who these men (managers? musical directors?) Mike Warmers and Mike Coolers were … Being last on we had a full and appreciative house, which gave our musical director, Neil Watkins, an especially warm welcome. We did our best to live up to it, and then descended on the town for dinner, afterwards serenading the bemused chefs who had fed us almost to a standstill. At the afterglow that night a couple of our section le aders sang a song apiece with After Hours, who lit up the hotel lobby in those fabulous purple dresses of theirs. Sligo is a little town where old-fashioned shops and drinking holes rub shoulders with a glossy shopping mall, and a snappy new cafe where the peat-tinted river rushes under the town centre bridge. Exploring its delights had to be fitted in around registration, rehearsals and competition (not to mention the hours spent wandering, lost, in the endless corridors of the vast Clarion Hotel) but time was found to explore the pubs and hit the shops. On Sunday some of us went in glorious sunshine to check out the Guinness and seafood chowder at the beach at Strandhill, with its white sand, Atlantic breakers and surfers. Our kiwi member had to be restrained from stealing a wetsuit and board and throwing herself into the waves. We’ll have to go back. For more singing, and that surfing demo. Kate Shennan Velvet Harmony Christmas Concert Saturday 6th December 2008 at 7.30 p.m, St Mary's Church, Bromley, BR1 3NS. Tickets £6 from Kate (020 8302 2887) or on the door. A The diagram represents the plan of a prison containing 16 cells. In the cell marked ‘A’ there is a prisoner who has been promised his freedom if he can find a way of reaching the exit by going “into and out of all the other cells, but entering each of them only once”. He succeeded; can you find out how? Answer on back page The Kentonian Page 4 Den Bosch Beckons Up very early on Tuesday morning so we would be on time at our pre-booked car parking space just outside East Grinstead by 0700 hrs. Then a short trip to Gatwick North Terminal. Cor! I haven’t got up this early since 1994 when I was still doing shift work! Anyway, a hearty breakfast and we were ready for our one-hour flight to Schipol Airport (Amsterdam). A good flight, nice and smooth – we missed out on the British Airways complimentary drinks of tea/coffee only because we were sitting right at the back of the plane and by the time the stewardess got to us (they start at the front and work back!) they had not only run out of coffee but we were 5 minutes from landing! Collect baggage at the turntable and wait for our train to Den Bosch. An hour’s journey, passing lovely Dutch scenery – always a flat landscape with canals, windmills etc, no hills or mountains! After a short walk we were at our hotel – The Best Western Euro Hotel. Not a suitable hotel for all of us when we go over next year – it’s those bells that seem to chime incessantly from St. John’s Cathedral right next door, and that’s the least of the problems that I encountered! Well, feeling a little bit tired we took a short walk and met up with Mum at her flat and had a good natter, with traditional Dutch meal etc. Then it was back to the hotel and a quick wash and brush up and then, wearing my yellow “Kentones” T shirt, I met up with Jacques de Rijck (Chairman) who provided me with transport to the rehearsal night of The Duke Town Chorus (Den Bosch). Last time we were in Holland The Duke Town Chorus were only about 22 members strong, now they had doubled in size and what a nice sound they made! “So”, I asked, “Did you have a big recruitment exercise like we have within BABS called ‘The Learn To Sing Course’?” “Oh no”, came back the reply, “We like to think it was something to do with our new chorus director”. As he said this he had a kind of ‘twinkle’ in his eye! Their rehearsal took place in a local school, and each and every member as they arrived shook hands with me and, as with all barber shoppers the world over, there is that instant friendly comradeship and I felt very much ‘at home’. Then I was introduced to their chorus director and now I know why Jacques had a twinkle in his eye! A very nice young female who teaches music at a primary school and, as a bonus for me, spoke the most perfect English. So I enjoyed their rehearsal night and even joined them on the risers for “Old St. Louis”, and of course the last two songs. Their break time consisted of wine, beer, soft drinks or if you wanted, the usual tea and coffee OR a liqueur that was called “Gleniver” – blimey what a kick that had! I had a short meeting with both Jacques and Ton Husson who are the organisers for the ‘Barbershop Ontmoetings Festival’ 2009 and I told them that The Kentones would like to come back to Den Bosch as per 2005 and that we had roughly 32 members ‘signed up’ to come. They were more than enthusiastic to welcome us. The rehearsal finished at 10.00 pm and, whilst the memb ers were being measured up for their new stage uniforms, the others gathered around, drinking and having an impromptu ‘after glow’; naturally I joined in with a few of the old favourites. So a final farewell to all and at roughly a quarter to midnight I was dropped off back at my hotel. Now I was feeling well and truly tired! The remaining couple of days were spent in and around this wonderful city. There is a market square right in the centre (much like Bruges for those that have been there) and they have a market of sorts every day, be it of flowers, fruit or food. Oh, and we can’t forget the visit to “Vroom & Dressmann” department store – go right up to the 5th /6th floor and the restaurant. If the weather is nice you can sit outside with a wonderful view over Den Bosch. On the ground floor there is a bakery bigger than Sainsbury’s and, oh, all those lovely chocolates & sweets on display! Now, for those who can still remember, facing the market square is a C&A store! When was it Bromley get rid of theirs? Then it’s sitting outside at one of the many, many pavement cafes around the main square, or those which are tucked away down little alleyways, under heaters with lots of hearty food and drink. We even found a cafe that brews its own beer – has a small brewery round the back. I will certainly return to that one (I have the necessary details and where to find it!!). Now, after a wonderful trip, its back home, and I really, really am tired! So, Den Bosch is ready and waiting for us – roll on 2009! Bob Gilbert The Kentonian Page 5 Getting to know you… Colin, our Assistant CD and Lead singer in Southern Brand, bares his soul and enables us to get to know him a little better. Colin Couves Born in Derby in 1943, I lived for the first 9 years of my life with my mother, father and 4 sisters at the White Hart Hotel Public House in Duffield, a village about 6 miles north of Derby. The Pub was managed by my uncle, George Thornewell, a former professional footballer with Blackburn Rovers, who was a member of the team that won the F.A. Cup in 1928. My interest in football was therefore kindled at an early age and visits to the Baseball Ground, Derby and to Wembley stadium were the norm. graduate from Imperial College. She was employed by Shell at Shell Centre, Waterloo. We married on 11th January 1969 and celebrate our Ruby Wedding in the New Year. 40 years of married bliss!!!!!!?? We in fact married on her birthday. How can I possibly forget!! On 4th March 1968, at the tender age of 24 and weighing 10st 4oz, I joined the Metropolitan Police and was sent to the Police College at Hendon for basic training. This was a real culture shock having never been away from home comforts, apart from the odd holiday abroad. It took some time to adjust to life but I survived and, on 24th June 1968, I arrived at West End Central Police Station, Saville Row W1 (‘C’ Division) to begin my police career. For the next six months I lived in a Beak Street Section House, just off Regent Street W1. What a place!! Three floors of cubicles for single men. It was like living in a matchbox!! To chat to your neighbour all you did was to stand on the bed and look over the top!! In spite of this somewhat primitive existence good friends were made and a certain camaraderie existed. My father, Lesley, was also a keen sportsman in his youth, playing football and cricket in his home town of Gravesend. He was an engineer employed by Vicars Armstrong and it was at the start of the 2nd World War that he was seconded to Rolls Royce in Derby. It was there he met my mother Doris, a native of Derby and a niece to uncle George. My father’s side of the family originated from Gravesend and many were connected in some way to the River Thames, either as Pilots The West End of London was a colourful and exciting place or Tug Captains. My grandfather was Trinity House Thames to be and was policed by three separate stations, West End Pilot and my great grandfather was a sea captain. Central, Bow Street and Vine Street. On one hand there At the age of 9 the whole family moved to Gravesend and it were seedy clubs, vice, gambling, drugs and the down and was shortly after that when my musical interest began to be outs and, on the other, the more sedate and refined areas of developed. I became a chorister of Christ Church and re- Mayfair and St. James. Covent Garden came under the jumained a member for 9 years, during which time I became risdiction of Bow Street and within its bounds were the head chorister and attended a number of singing courses run Royal Opera House and the vibrant Fruit, Veg and flower by the Royal School of Church Music. Pocket money in market. I served at all three stations over a period of 6 years those days was supplemented by singing at weddings for a and enjoyed the experience. Ceremonial Duties were also a regular feature in the West End, the annual Trooping of the princely sum of two shillings and sixpence. Colour being just one of a number of events I had to attend After primary school I was sent to Milton Court, an inde- in ceremonial uniform. I quickly became involved with Dipendent school in Gravesend, where, on Wednesday after- visional sport and represented the Met. at Hockey and noons, we played either football or hockey. The head was Cricket. an ex-marine officer, Capt Harry True. He was a giant of a man and he took great delight in kicking us off the park if The West End was fine but I was attracted to detective work so another spell at Hendon was required at the Detective we had transgressed in some way. Training School. On completion I was posted to ‘Sunny’ I left Milton Court at the age of 18 not really knowing what I Deptford, where I encountered, amongst other things, fraud, wanted to do. Two of my classmates joined the Police Ser- domestic violence, child protection issues, football violence vice but I was not terribly interested in joining them at that ( Millwall), burglary, rape and murder. My previous bankstage. For the next 2 years I was employed by Equity and ing experience enabled me to adapt to fraud investigation Law Life Assurance Co. in Lincolns Inn Fields. It was at and so, after 3 years, I was posted to Met. Police Company this juncture I became involved with a singing group ‘The Fraud Department in Holborn. This was a branch of ScotChancery Singers’ whose conductor and choirmaster, Rob- land Yard and was known as SO6. It was there that I experibie Robinson, was one of the chorus masters at Covent Ga r- enced Franchise Fraud and Public Sector Corruption. Anden Opera House. Concerts were usually held in St Martin’s other 3 years elapsed and I was posted back out to Division in the Fields, Trafalgar Square. and to Plumstead and Woolwich. This large area in many ways had all the same problems as Deptford. However After 2 years of boredom I changed employment and was Thamesmead, a large domestic housing area, was being derecruited by National and Grindlays Bank in Bishopsgate. veloped and right in the middle was a large lake, ThamesLife at the Bank was slightly better than my previous job and mere. It was here that I first experienced the sport of sailing. had the added attraction of a sports club at Blackheath. So began another interest and chapter in my life which still remains today. It was during this period (1967) that I met Sue. She was a It was almost 3 years to the day that I returned to the Fraud member of Gravesend Lawn Tennis Club and a maths Contd. p6 The Kentonian Page 6 Getting to know you… Contd. Department. There I became involved with a multi-million corruption investigation in the oil industry which led to my departure to the Serious Fraud Office. There I remained for the next six years before being posted once more to the South East. I spent my last 3 years attached to a murder team based at Shooters Hill Police Station. The ups and downs of police work over 30 years would not have been possible without the support of Sue and the family. Sue in particular has been exceptional and has supported me in all my interests, including barbershop. Andrew and Jonathan, our sons, are heavily involved in sport. Andrew is a senior manager with Sport England and Jonathon is a senior manager with London Development Agency. Both are involved with 2012 Olympics and the legacy of the games. Since retirement some 10 years ago I have been involved in the coaching of Hockey and Cricket in numerous schools in Bromley and Lewisham and at Blackheath Hockey Club. (To be continued…...Colin’s experience in Barbershop will follow in a later Issue of The Kentonian. Ed.) Who is this? It’s David Tindall! Dark and handsome then, still handsome, if not quite so dark, now. But the grin that surely gives it away. CORDIALLY INVITE YOU TO A CHRISTMAS GET-TOGETHER Now who is this? ON THURSDAY 18 th DECEMBER This little fellow surely grew into a fine, strapping hunk. In some ways he was a big boy even then! But who is he? That is the question. (Please note the new date!!!) A CHANCE TO CHAT, DANCE AND BE ENTERTAINED. NO COST, BUT PLEASE BRING YOUR OWN DRINK AND GLASSES AND A CONTRIBUTION TO THE FINGER BUFFET. 8:00 PM – 10:30 PM Answer in the J a n u a r y / February issue of The Kentonian. Wives, partners and friends are all welcome HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE Dictionary of Barbershop Terms (W-Y) Wall of Sound Seamless, continuous vocalization. Whomp-Ping Ratio The ratio of resonance to ping in the voice. Woodshed To improvise your part in a song, hopefully not me lody. Yawner A very boring and poor performance of a song. Yodel-Chord A phenomenon in woodshedding, where two voices land on the same note and simultaneously move to the missing part. Passed on by Mike Corr Christmas Banter Deduce the banter by using all nine letters. Wherever you start you must only travel via adjacent letters and you must only use each letter once. (Answers on back page) S E N B N A E O E O T S I I C E R Y S L T C G S M P E R R C T I M K I N The Kentonian Page 7 Judges’ Post-Contest Evaluation Report 2008 Song 1: If I Loved You Song 2: Sweet Georgia Brown Singing Category - Total Singing Score: 371 Song 1 Song 2 Mike Taylor 62 62 David King 61 60 Peter Iseger 65 61 Song 1: Nice start of the song. Sing with the same tone, colour and timbre. For example in "Past me by" you could hear there was no blend. There was pow erful singing, but this results sometimes in over singing. Some solo voices stacked out of the chorus. Make it more section unity. Song 2: The song started out of tune and with lack of synchronisation. Your powerful singing makes the sound very dark. Keep more high resonance and an open throat. Sections did not blend well together. At the end of the word "brown" use the "n" sound more as a singable consonant, so the forward motion is served by doing this. Sing always with resonance from high to low. Strengths: You showed you know what basic vocal skills are. Powerful singing. Areas for Improvement: Tuning and synchronisation are elements to work on. Presentation Category - Total Presentation Score: 377 Song 1 Song 2 Nick Frampton 58 59 Wayne Jackson 71 69 Mike Warner 60 60 Song 1: The song had a confident start and the chorus were pleased to be there. A good positive start which set a 'dreamy' mood, but there were some synchronization problems. There was a good lyrical flow which was warm and planned with a few interruptions 'by…….soon'. There was a nice dramatic pause into the tag which you could have held longer - the visuals distracted. Song 2: At the start of this song the pitch was not secure and that prevented a mood set. The dynamic changes were good, but you failed to really capture this 'scintillating' woman. Say her name with feeling (passion?). There was some vocal/visual disparity and the vocal delivery let you down - major 'tonal centre' problems. Strengths: Loads of visual energy with a good moves plan and everyone understood it. Areas for Improvement: Listen more carefully during periods of visual energy. Make it your goal to get firmly into 'B' scores. Use an emotion plan to capture and unify emotions. Music Category - Total Music Score: 384 Song 1 Song 2 Paul Davies 65 67 David Morehen 65 63 Song 1: Some excellent chorus work marred by out-of-vocal chords. Either these were poor tuning or arranger's choice; we suspect the latter. Two judges gave 2 penalty points each for unstylistic harmony and shortage of perceived BS 7ths (same thing from different angle). One example was "me", exacerbated by a swipe. You had a strong interpretative plan for this song and showed good thematic development. Word delivery is often pedantic; work on "Singlish" - the joined-up, conversational delivery of words in a musical setting. Some embellishments clunky and inartistic. Bari flat on "bye". Tag used a novel progression but was not cleanly delivered. Generally a high level of consonance. Song 2: You showed a solid understandin g of the musical/lyrical theme of this song and delivered it with great spirit. Tidying is needed, especially the synchronisation of word-starts. Rangy melody needs careful handling by the leads to prevent it being buried by other parts. "Who's that mister?" deteriorated into sing-speak, with notes of indistinct pitch. The Kentonian Page 8 W e w ish all Season's m em bers of the G reetings and Chorus and our very best w ishes Supporters Club for the N ew a very H a p p y Year. Christm as G eoff & S tella M o u n tn e y Season. B r e n d a & B a rrie Best w ishes for a H a p p y , H o ly and H arm onious Christm as to N ew m an all m em bers and Supporters of the K e n tones, and especially to the m em b ers and fam ilies of C o r d o n B leu. A lso to those w ith w h o m I have w o rked closely on projects – m y thanks. Ann and John Vaughan Christm as is a -com ing, The goose is getting fat, W hat d'y o u think the turkey Is going to m ake of that? H ave a great C h ristm as, and m a y all your chestnuts be w arm . A s ever, E v e l y n & P h illip K h a n -P a n n i Ken and Sandra W alker w ish all M em bers, Supporters and their fam ilies a very happy C h r istmas and a prosperous N ew Y ear. To all our friends, a very H a p p y Christm a s a n d a W icked N e w Year. L o ts of love, M ik e , Jen, H a n n a h ’n ’ S o p h ie xxxx A H a p p y a n d H e a lthy Christm a s a n d N ew Y e a r . B ill & Joyce M iller Ian & S u e G illies w ish all m em bers of the Kentones and their fam ilies a very happy C h r istm a s and a healthy and prosperous N ew Y ear. H a v e a M erry D ancin g Christm a s and a Boogiefull N ew Y ear! A ll our love, Jackie and Peter. H arm onious Christm as greetings to all M em bers and Supporters. A lso to Jackie and M artin for their help and expertise. A v ril and C h ris Sydee From Peter and Pauline G ib b s , w ishing everyone a very m erry Christm a s a n d a h a p p y N ew Year. Christm a s a n d Noo Yere greetings tw o e v e r y t w o , tree, fore, phive. L in d a a n d B r ian M erry Xm a s a n d a h a p p y N ew Year to the Kentones and Supporters. C h a r l i e a n d R o s e G ates The Kentonian Page 9 G reetings to everyone for a m erry Christm as a n d a h e a l t h y a n d h a p p y N ew Y e a r . J e a n a n d J o h n M esure To all Kentones, Supporters and Friends - e v e r y g o o d w ish for C h ristm as and the N ew Y e a r , and w arm est thanks for all your m oral and practical support throughout 2008. D a v i d a n d P a m T in d a ll A H appy Christm as and another year of great barbershopping in 2009, to all K e n tones, Supporters and their fam ilies. D enis and P a t D elaroute To all our Barbershopping friends T h is w ish is m ost sincere, Y o u r c o m p a n y a n d frien d ship W e e n joy throughout each year. A n d w h e n t h e o ld year passes A n d w e w e lcom e in the new , W e pray that w e can still be here To share it all w ith you. A V e ry M erry Christm a s a n d a H a p p y N e w Y e a r to you all. Peter and Pam M arg aret & C h ris G arrard w ish you all a very happy Christm a s a n d a peaceful N ew Y e a r . S e a s o n ’s greetings and Happy New Year to all K e n tones and their fam ilies, also not forgetting our Su p porters and their fam ilies. Frank Bostock H appy Christm as a n d a su ccessful B arb ers h o p N e w Year to all C lu b M em bers and Su p p o rters. Pam and Frank T ay lor J o h n a n d D i R a y field w ish all C h o rus friends and their fam ilies a very m erry Chris tm as and a healthy and happy N ew Year. W ith w arm greetings at Christm astim e to all asso ciated w ith the club, and a w ish for health, happiness and ong oing success in 2009. D avid & N o rm a S o u thgate T o all the m em bers of this great club of ours, Joyce and I w o u ld like to w ish everybody a great Christm as and a healthy fort h com ing N ew Y e a r . M a y w e g o o n w a r d s a n d u p w a r d s !!! John and Joyce W eeks W e w ish A L L K e n tones, Supporters and Friends a Joyous Christm a s a n d a N ew Y e a r o f G o o d H e a l t h and Prosperity. O u r Love Peggie & M ollie Bensaid M erry Christm as to all the K e n tones, w ives, partners and Supporters. C a r o l e a n d L e s M oore The Kentonian Page 10 Cordon Rouge? Cordon Bleu sang at the Dartford Masonic Ladies Lunch on 12th October, and by special request of the ladies, wore their pink jackets. With new boy Alan Lynch joining them for the second time, and with everyone present, it seemed a good idea to have a new photo for our publicity leaflet. We have some big singouts coming up, and would be interested to hear from any Chorus members who can generally be available during weekdays. For the benefit of the new boys, Cordon was founded 10 years ago with the aims of providing an additional opportunity to learn and practise the chorus repertoire, and of learning a few new songs. Such was the demand for our services, peaking at 40 singouts a couple of years back, that we added an aim to have more comedy songs in our programme and, if possible, not to sing Chorus songs, though that didn't stop the Chorus pinching Nightingale , 64, Sitting and Don't be a Baby from Cordon! David Tindall is our raconteur, our main link with the audience, and, until recent family pressure, our administrator. Cordon Bleu Recent Events: October 1st, Frank Taylor’s - Rehearsal; 12th, Dartford - Masonic Lunch; 14th, Wandsworth Town Hall - Senior citizens Independence and Well being event (300 people); 17th, Carshalton - Old Peoples Event. November 29th, St Georges Church Beckenham - Beckenham Festival Chorus, competing as Cordon Bleu Octet John Vaughan An Evening at the Races A very enjoyable evening was had by all who attended the Race Night on Friday 10th October. The event, which was organised by Brenda Newman and took place at The Saxon Centre in Orpington, was to raise funds for the Kentones. The races were run by six wooden horses, each of a different colour. Bets were 50p a horse and, once under starters orders, three dice were thrown by three volunteers (who know nothing about horse racing). Then the horses were moved manually along a course board according to the way the dice fell. After three races the punters took stock of their finances, whilst our stable maids served up a ploughman's lunch and the horses took a well earned rest. Having taken our own preferred beverages, some of us were a little un-stable by this time and launched into the second half with renewed confidence. Geoff Mountney, (always a front runner in any event) conducted the heads and tails game, which was well supported, and the winner by a short head was Avril Sydee, who scooped a cool £30. As usual the winners were the bookies and the amount raised on the evening was £540. Our thanks to Brenda and her band of loyal Supporters, to whom we owe so much for the hard work and financial assistance they often give us. It must be said that these people are working Supporters. They not only cheer us on at Convention but contribute much more to our club than a lot of us realise. On behalf of all Kentones, I thank you ladies. Explaining 'Heads and Tails'. Each player must pay in a pound before a coin is tossed, Then predict the side on which the coin lands. To register your prediction, in the interest of fair play, You show by positioning your hands. So make your choice and if you think the outcome will be heads, Then you must place both hands upon your head. However if you've chosen tails, your hands should clasp your rear. But don't clasp someone else’s rear instead. These actions are repeated every time the coin is spun And those who've guessed it wrongly must sit out. But the ones who've guessed correctly have another chance to play And this is what the game is all about. This elimination process continues to the end, To determine who has won a princely sum. So there it is, you have a choice, it's hands upon your head, Or you may prefer to place them on your bum. Peter Aylett In Memoriam It is with sadness that we announce the passing of Mrs Elsie Wall, a great supporter of the chorus. She was especia lly good at the Boules, along with her daughter Jane. Our thoughts are with the family in their loss. The Kentonian Page 11 THOUGHTS ON A FIRST SOLO FLIGHT I had to wait until my fiftieth year to realise a lifetime's ambition to be at the controls of an aircraft on my own. The long awaited experience came, not in a piston engined aircraft or a sleek jet, but in a glider. After several week-long holiday courses which commenced in 1980, I finally made it on Thursday 11th August 1983. Along the way to this point I had gone through all the things that the novice needs to, in order to gain the necessary experience and confidence. For example I don't suppose anyone as a novice could be expected to go automatically through the correct actions to recover from a stall or spin situation... This, like many other things, has to be learned. I well remember my first flight in 1980, in a very old two-seater with side-by-side seating, called a T21, and a cockpit open to the elements. The launch by winch-operated cable literally took my breath away; from a standing start the acceleration is to 60 mph in just three seconds! The wind roaring in the ears, the Instructor shouting "Keep the wings level" when all I could see was sky, the altimeter spinning round, 800-900-1000 feet, then the horizon appearing as the nose of the glider now over the top of the winch was gently pulled down, and suddenly an almighty bang as the cable back-released and we were on our own. Now it was not so noisy and I could hear the Instructor telling me to settle down and assume the normal flying attitude. Frankly I didn't know what the normal flying attitude should be...thus commenced the first le sson in the air. I was quickly told the correct attitude was to keep the horizon approximately a hand's breadth above the edge of the cockpit in front of us. Then there was the primary effects of the controls. The co-ordination of movement and amount of pressure required from feet and hands together, to achieve a turn at a particular angle of bank. As all these things progress there comes a phase when, as I now understand, the pupil feels that all is never going to be mastered. It is at this stage that some give up, but, being by nature an obstinate cuss, I carried on, making mistakes, poor turns, heavy landings, not properly planning the circuit and so on. I felt discouraged. I didn't go back in 1982: just couldn't afford to go on holiday to the U.S. and go gliding as well. So back I went for a week in May 1983. The first flights I had were with the Chief Flying Instructor, who remarked on what a difference he noted. I was relaxed at the controls - looking before making turns, planning the circuit and approaches, also the landings were much improved. I'd had a year to study books and think about where I was going wrong, so now I felt I had it pretty near licked. One more week should do it. August came, warm and sunny, and I was back again. I really felt this was going to be it. On the Thursday, having just completed my first flight of the day, apparently to the satisfaction of the Instructor, he said "How do you feel about going up in the K8 (solo machine) after lunch?". "Fine" I replied, without any hesitation. But now was to come the acid test. I wasn't allowed too much time to get cold feet, and, before I knew it, we were back on the field and I was invited to strap on a parachute and climb into the K8. Then followed a careful briefing on what I should and should not do. "Do you feel all right about it all?", I was asked. "OK", I said, "I'm ready to go". With people wishing me good luck, and with the knowledge that my friend Kiwi was operating the winch, I did the pre-flight checks, closed the canopy, and with a rush was airborne. The heart was racing, the mouth dry, the palms of the hands sweaty and the muscles of arms and legs tensed, but I did my circuit and later all said the landing looked perfect. Two more launches immediately followed, everything successful. It's a tradition in the Club that a first-time soloist stands a round of drinks in the bar that evening, so, although this was an expensive evening, it was also a very jolly one. The following day was the last day of the course. My turn to fly came late in the afternoon. Conditions were ideal: calm air, good visibility, lovely blue sky with just a puff of white cloud here and there. I had four launches in the K8 and really enjoyed them, and I certainly hoped to continue gliding. The final remarks to me by an Instructor were "You now know enough to realise just how little you know". How very true! Barrie Newman The Kentonian Page 12 Peggie’s Patch The year 2008 beckoned and seemed to stretch endlessly into the future with the magical season of Christmas hovering somewhere on the distant horizon.....and now....it’s no longer a mirage for we are being drawn into the ever increasing buzz of the Yuletide festivities. Throughout this busy year the Supporters have cheered and enjoyed the Kentones singing at many events, among them the exciting Convention in Cheltenham where they achieved such splendid results. Many Supporters and friends met at Seal in mid summer for a friendly Boules Tournament. The chairman of their club kept everything swinging along but somehow the shots did not always reach their intended target....but we do try. The staff at the CROWN, the headquarters of the Seal Petanque Club, provided a splendid buffet lunch and said they look forward to a visit from us all next year. What better way to unwind and enjoy oneself? We also recall many social occasions and celebrations which gave so much pleasure to everyone. A most successful "Race Night" took place in October and proved to be a winner. Many thanks to the committee for help, along with special thanks to Brenda for organising the event. Between events, and producing endless cups of tea on practice nights, the committee organised the ever popular QUIZ EVENING with Geoff and Stella at the helm steering the way through some sticky questions. Of course we knew all the answers but forgot to write them down! Again special thanks to Geoff and Stella, here’s to the next time! Having just returned from a short, pleasant stay in sunny MALTA we found time to relax and reflect on previous trips and consider pastures new, before being lured by the magical appeal of destinations worldwide. With so many options to choose from decisions are difficult to make. A former visit to PERU, carefully planned between the Peruvian Tourist Board and Mike Kay, President of the A.T.T.C., was an easy decision, and a seventeen day "NEVER TO BE FORGOTTEN" trip on the trail of the INCA'S became an exciting reality, but all this is now just a great memory. As time marches on towards Yuletide we " shop till we drop" and do those things we usually do at this time of year. Already I hear the faint tinkling of sleigh bells, or is it the double glazing sales Rep. ringing my door bell. Just a gentle reminder that this lovely Christmas Season is on its way and Santa is peering around for suitable chimney's to squeeze into. On behalf of the Committee may I thank you all for your generous support at our events and wish you all a very Happy Christmas and a Healthy, Successful New Year.....I look forward to seeing you on Thursday 18th Dec. at our Christmas Party. We send Get Well wishes and prayers for those that are sick and cannot be with us at this time and our sincere condolences go to Jane and her family at the sad loss of her mother, Elsie Wall, one of our members and a loyal supporter. Jane still wishes to continue as a member and we welcome that. All Blessings and Love. Peggie Bensaid YES WE CAN It seems like yesterday when a young African man stumbled upon an old local newspaper inviting men to join a singing course. I must say I was a bit nervous when I realised that I was the only dark skinned man here. The warm welcome and the genuine smiles tore my fears apart and made me look on the bright side of life. The audition was like the proverbial saying “ many are called but few are chosen.” It felt really nice to be amongst the chosen few. Unfortunately I could not be at Convention but I was with you in spirit. Bournemouth was an amazing experience. This was the first singout for some of the new guys but we did very well and enjoyed every bit of it. It made all the hard work worthwhile. The turnout at my church was really great and I want to thank everyone who was able to join us. The congregation really enjoyed it and will want to hear us sing again. I was surprised and humbled to be given the Most Improved Singer award but it has given me the motivation to keep on singing. Joining the chorus, to me, is a personal achievement. Singing has given me a new confidence in all spheres of my life and I look forward to every Thursday evening. Most of all I am looking forward to convention 2009, where I believe we can make the 70% ma rk. Did I hear you ask CAN WE? YES WE CAN! Samuel Newlove -Agbonlahor The Kentonian Page 13 Sore throats and shoes It’s really great to be back singing again after my three-month lay off. You have all been most kind in enquiring into the condition of my throat and I thought it would be a good idea to use the Kentonian to explain the cause of my afflic tion. Back in the spring of this year I bought a pair of shoes on the internet. When they arrived I found that they were both for the left foot. Initially I thought I would telephone the supplier but there didn’t appear to be a telephone number on the web site. I therefore sent an email explaining the error. The following day they replied, advising me to send the shoes back; which I promptly did. A week later I received a parcel containing one right shoe. Whilst this was encouraging, solving 50% of the problem, I was still in deficit to the tune of one shoe. After a further returned email, I awaited delivery of the left shoe. Sure enough, the parcel arrived. Sadly it contained another right shoe. I was now rather annoyed and wrote a strongly worded email. They replied explaining that the confusion arose due to another customer having a similar name, Peter Willington, who lived in Catterick. They went on to explain that he indeed had two left shoes of the same style and that it would be expedient if we were to simply post each other the surplus shoe. I thought this rather a strange, but logical, conclusion so dispatchedThe oneChorus right atshoe off to Catterick by first class parcel the Cheltenham Convention, 2008 post. I was delighted to receive a parcel the following morning containing a left shoe. That delight however turned to dismay. You see, Peter Willington is rather a small person. Indeed, one may say a midget. And his size 12 and my size 12 are generationally challenged. At this point I was now in possession of one right shoe, size 12 adult, and one left shoe, size 12 child. They were lovely shoes of superb quality but, nevertheless, not really a going concern in terms of footwear. At this stage I thought it prudent to simply return both shoes to the supplier and demand my money back. It was during my walk to the post office that it began to rain quite heavily and I got soaked through. Later that day I caught a chill that quickly turned into a cold. The cold went to my chest and finally to my throat. I sang through the cold and consequently damaged my throat. I trust this adequately outlines the circumstances of my recent debilitation and I thank you all sincerely for you concern. It’s great to be back on the risers! Peter Wiggington Great to be back on stage Well finally I've made a sing-out. Two actually. And it's great to be back on stage even if the lips are miming, nimble as a mountain goat! First there was the concert with the Force 10 Big Band, on Thursday 16 October at Erith. There I was uniformed up to specification and ready to go - with one minor thought nagging in my mind. I thought I had the repertoire for the evening. Most of the songs I had heard. Many I had sung. Some I knew ! Of course Mike's selection for the evening bore a small resemblance to the order of service I had seen previously, and we rehearsed several in the warm-up including the moves (after which I went to pot and screwed them up in performance). So on to the stage we sprang (?). The first numbers went OK (moves excepted) and I winged those falling into my lesserknown repertoire, feeding off the chorus around me and watching Mike's lips for aides memoires. Of course due to my nimble choreography and inherent good looks (and your problem is …..?) I am in the front row - fully exposed to audience appreciation - supported by Sam, having the same attributes and positive contributions to the chorus. Finally the piece de resistance - was it introduced by David as the most famous Al Jolson song (my dots don't mention Al Jolson) "Rockabye your baby"? I have never heard this song! We haven't sung it at rehearsal in the year or more I have attended (OK - so my attendance is intermittent, but ….) and what does Mike do? He stands to the side of the chorus - the better to compound my embarrassment! So, with some forethought of mind I am better prepared for my next singout on Saturday 8 November at Sidcup. As it's just a half hour performance (that's what I was told!) I fit it in on the way up to Cambridge to see my daughter, appearing in 84 Charing Cross Road. My wife and I have lunch across the road from the venue and breeze in for the warm up and performance. The programme has grown from last time, but I can wing all the songs. Oh and - my comments above notwithstanding - Mike has moved me backwards in the chorus, even further than foreseen as we rapidly fit the planned three rows into four to suit the size of the stage. Unfortunately I have to run off afterwards as the one hour sing-out has rather compromised my schedule and eaten into my stock of Brownie points. (And No! it wasn't my wife shouting to be let out!) Now onto Bexleyheath on Saturday (where presumably we will have performed with aplomb by the time you read this). So the moral of my tale (or is it the tail of my morals) - my cri de coeur - can we please agree a core repertoire and give some rehearsal time to "older" songs which are new to newer chorus members? I imagine I am not alone in my suspect knowledge of one or two (or ..…)! Maybe even some section rehearsals to cement those tricky passages which may have become blurred over time? Just a thought at twilight ………….. Simon Pollard The Kentonian Page 14 Sundry Singouts 16th October Erith School The Rotary Club of Erith (Photo courtesy of Brenda Newman) 9th November St. Michael’s Welling Festival of Remembrance On Sunday 9th November 'The Kentones', under the direction of Mike Corr, had the honour of taking part in a Festival of Remembrance service in St Michael's Church East Wickham. The event, organised by the East Wickham and Welling War Memo rial Trust, was attended by the Mayor of Bexley, Councillor Nick O'Hare, the Bishop of Woolwich, The Right Reverend Christopher Chessun, members of parliament and other prominent guests. The Belvedere Concert Band, under it's conductor Guy Bennett, provided the excellent instrumental music and the Kentones, in a cappela style, sang three songs, Roses of Picardy, A Nightingale Sang in Berkley Square and I'll Be Seeing You, all being wartime favourites appropriately chosen for the occasion. Peter Aylett P.R.O. 15th November Christchurch Bexleyheath Photos Courtesy of Norma Southgate The Kentonian Page 15 Summer in France:- We were really pleased when Steve invited us for a meal from what he called his “New, demon barbeque” but we became increasingly concerned that the steak was getting a little overdone. Even the best sailor can have a small boating accident. Steve enjoyed several litres of good, French beer. Everybody enjoyed Geoff’s cooking especially Geoff. Geoff Mountney Meanwhile, for the rest of us:- ! Cordon Christmas Started Already Here are some of the goings on at the Cordon Christmas lunch, held at Coombe Lodge on Wednesday 26 November. It was great that Pam Tindall was able to come. John Vaughan gave a speech outlining plans for Cordon in the coming year. With new members, Steve Beaney, Alan Lynch, Les Moore and Chris Garrard, having recently joined, and a couple of guys possibly joining soon, the numbers could be up to 16, which is great news. The restaurant was very busy and on our way out the other guests commented that they had enjoyed the singing! (Photos courtesy of Avril) Avril Sydee The Kentonian Page 16 THE KENTONES Meetings: Club Night Venue - Thursday at 7.30pm St. Paul’s Church Hall, Crofton Road, Orpington, Kent. Main Committee: Chairman Vice Chairman Secretary Treasurer Membership Sec. Public Relations Officer Singout Sec. - Denis Delaroute John Weeks Brian Scothern Les Moore Geoff Mountney Peter Aylett Chris Garrard Music Committee: Chorus Director Asst. Chorus Director Section Leaders: Lead Bass Tenor Baritone - Magazine: The Kentonian, published bi-monthly. Editor David Southgate Tel: 01322 279803 Proof-reader this Issue Norma and David Southgate Printer Dyrck Lamble - Mike Corr Colin Couves Jack Willoughby John Mesure Alan Lamprell John O’Connor E-mail: [email protected] Velvet Harmony 100 CLUB DRAW 1st Prize 2nd Prize 3rd Prize October November 90 Mike Carpenter 64 Joan Mattinson 16 Joan Mattinson 45 Claire Hills 91 Kate Hughes 86 Velvet Harmony Kentones Diary Dates Sat Thur Sun Thur Date Time Venue Function 6 December 18 December 21 December 15 January 1.00 pm 8.00 pm 10.45 am 7.00 pm Old Elthamians Rugby Club St Paul’s Church Hall The Glades, Bromley The Club, Beckenham Family Day Christmas Get-Together Charity Singout Club meal Copy Deadline for January/February Issue - Thursday 15th January Articles, comments, views, reports, photographs etc... please submit them to the Editor as early as possible but by 15th January at the latest. By hand, post, email or telephone. Christmas banter (page 6): Mince pies, Cranberry, Mistletoe, Stockings. Answer to puzzles. Prison Cell (Page 3): There is one possible escape route, as shown. The pri soner was not prohibited from re -entering his own cell. If he had been, there would be no solution to the problem.
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