Category: Social

There was a good attendance for the quiz run over Zoom and everybody seemed to enjoy it. Results are shown below:

Sandra and Ralph timed their Joker well and played it on the last round to achieve a clear win. This round was entitled English Literature and required knowledge of Wind in the Willows, of the Owl and the Pussycat, and of Christopher Robin. Other rounds assumed knowledge of motorbike and formula 1 racing and of flags. Unfortunately there were no questions on physics, maths, computing, croquet or bridge and so the chairman, despite making a number of appeals for his score to be adjusted, came last.

On Saturday 29th February 2020 we will be holding a Quiz and Curry Night at the Manor Prep School, Faringdon Road, Abingdon, OX13 6LN.

We are again fortunate to have Steve Vaughan as our quiz master. This time the catering is being carried out by a local restaurant.

There will be a cash bar and a raffle.

Doors open at 19:00 for a 19:30 start.

Tickets are £15 from:

• online: https://www.trybooking.co.uk/PDE
• from choir members
• or phone 07812 037530

Please bring your friends along to what should be a fun evening.

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A quiz night was held on the Saturday evening of the 16th March at the Long Furlong Community Centre in Abingdon. A simple, home cooked, meal was provided along with a cash bar and raffle.

• Good value for money in terms of entertainment, food and fun
• Steve, the quiz-master, was excellent, good questions and well balanced subjects
• Excellent food and plenty of it.
• Excellent choice of beer
• Good choice of wines … could have charged more!
• A great evening … would come again
• What a great evening – good quiz, good food, and  good company – when’s the next one ?

The event raised £1408.33 in support of our next and subsequent concerts.

Our annual barbecue was once again held at Pamela Vivian’s home. The event was enjoyed by some 22 members and friends of the choir. The cloudy and cool weather did not dampen spirits, although a number of us preferred the comfort inside Pamela’s house. Tony Furze delivered as usual a generous offering of great barbecued meat which was complemented by salads and desserts prepared by members of the choir. It really was a lovely event and we hope to repeat it again next year.

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As a tribute to Pamela Vivian for all that she has done, and continues to do, for the choir, the members offered her an evening to be remembered at Garsington Opera this summer.  She sent us her thanks:

Dear All Saints’ Singers,
I cannot tell you how amazed I was at the extraordinary generosity you showed me this summer.  The whole evening at Garsington Opera at Wormsley was truly magical.  We started with a welcoming champagne ‘hors d’oeuvre’  followed by a wonderful first act of “Semele”.  We then had a top notch interval meal in Jamie’s marquee restaurant and ended with the sumptuous and magical second half of Handel’s most wonderful opera.  It was a truly magnificent evening in a simply scintillating setting.  The weather was fine and the fairy-light atmosphere as dusk came and night descended was totally in keeping with the beauty of the music.  This wonderful evening will be one of my most beautiful memories.
Very gratefully,
Pamela.

Tony and Jenny, David and Angela and David’s sister, Margaret, were there as also were Paul and Carol Gibbs and their daughter.  We had an absolutely fabulous evening with Pamela.

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This was another great entertaining and fund-raising event.

Vamp til Ready is a tremendously funny and mightily accomplished song-and-dance act that had many of us in stitches earlier this year. Our own Martin Elliff is one of its stars.

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Reactions to the event.

Janet Knowles said:

Last night was a triumph. Thank you so much. Our friends loved it, and as my David pointed out, I enjoyed it even more than a folk concert at the Albert Hall on Easter day! Vamp were terrific – what talent.  The supper was very good, and clever of you to do it for the ticket price. Several on our table commented on that – they were expecting a mere nibble.

Susan King wrote:

What a brilliant result! It was a very happy event which we enjoyed greatly. Thank you so much to you and all the committee for working so hard to give us such a wonderful evening.

The indulgent among us ate chocolate eggs, some sat down to enjoy a good lunch with wine, followed by feet up on the sofa, a good book, a spot of television perhaps or even Verdi’s Aida live from The Met.?

Instead, a small but enthusiastic group of 15 singers chose to gather in The Matrix to sing madrigals and part songs.

The first rehearsal given by Sebastian in his new “relaxed” style was great fun.  His carefully chosen range of music from the 16^th century gave every voice a chance to shine and an opportunity to listen to each other only possible in a small group. (When we got the notes right, that is!) Tony’s particular favourite; with its repeated Fa la la chorus and suggestions of merry lads and dainty nymphs, is truly the “month of Maying”

Much more to come from this group.

[huge_it_slider id=”3″]We made a presentation to Pamela who recently decided that it was the right time to leave the choir of which she was a founder member. David, our current chairman, paid tribute to Pamela who had been chair previously and her enormous contributions to the choir. A letter from April Cantelo (who had previously acted as voice coach to the choir) described her as a wonderful lady. Another letter from Margaret, one of the Friends of the choir and a former member, also reminded us of what Pamela had done for us. She had led us through good times and bad.

The money collected was sufficient to be able to arrange a day out to include a Garsington Opera with dinner and champagne showing the esteem in which she is held.