Choir Open Evenings
After taking over as choirmaster in 1981, we decided to show-case the choir by holding an annual 'Open Evening'.
Recordings of some of these concerts can be found in the 'Recordings' section of the website.
For the first ever Open Evening - held in October 1981, the boys learnt two secular songs - 'Try to Remember' and 'My Way', and a group of teenagers sang 'Rejoice in the Lord Alway'. Individuals were also invited to sing on their own, if they wanted to. The music was interspersed with Organ solos played by Michael Jakeman
The evening was introduced by the curate, Patrick Generoux, who read out a message from the vicar - Canon Jakeman, who was not well enough to be present himself. A recording of this first ever 'open evening' is available to hear. The mics were amongst the congregation - so the voices that you hear during the hymns are not choirmembers singing badly ....
At the first Open Evening Concert in October 1981
Following the concert, awards were presented, and then we all went across to the hall for refreshments. Slides, and cine film of the choir camp were then shown.
The choir - and the curate with choirmember, Alf Ground, who had suffered a stroke, but still desperately wanted to come to hear 'his' choir.
It is interesting to see how the sound of the choir developed over the coming months and years , and by the time the choir sang at Salisbury and Winchester in 1982, the sound was completely different!
A Choir Open Evening has been held every year up until the present day, although the format and content have changed slightly over the years.
Below are photos taken at the 1982 Open Evening.
.. and here are photos from the 1983 Open Evening ....
This year the awards were presented by the Director of Education for Lincolnshire . Some more (rather dark) photos from 1983 ..
Photos from the 1984 awards - when I was presented with the briefcase I still use today on occasions .... Awards this year were presented by David Crisp, the Deputy Divisional Education Officer.
... and more awards
.. and in 1986:
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Another year of awards ...
Awards presented by Councillor Dewsberry ..
Incidentally, Councillor Dewsberry very generously left a gift for the choir of £500 before he died.
and some individual photos on the same occasion ....
This article from 1990:
