We’re looking forward to the New Year with a big change ahead. After fifteen years of trying to wrangle us lot (sometimes described as herding cats) Chris, our MD, is taking a sabbatical. We’ll be welcoming Jon Waterworth on January 9th.

Jon has an impressive background. He studied music at the Birmingham Conservatoire and the Royal Academy of Music, where he gained a teaching qualification in Musical Theatre. As a musician he has worked with Chris de Burgh (Lady in Red) and Sarah Brightman, as a backing singer on their UK tours, and worked extensively with the Black Mountain Male Voice Choir of Wales, as a soloist, touring the USA and Hong Kong. He has also worked with touring theatre companies, taking part in the Almeida Opera Festival, the Battersea Arts Festival and Theatre in Education Projects with Seagull Theatre of the Gorge based in Ironbridge, Shropshire. He still works semi-professionally as a tenor soloist.

He has taught in schools in North Yorkshire and Brixham, and now works as a teacher in Devon as Raising Standards Leader of Expressive Arts.

He also works with local Amateur Dramatic Societies directing various productions including Oklahoma!, the Dick Barton Trilogy as well as being Musical Director of Pirates of Penzance for Torbay Gilbert and Sullivan Society. In July, he played the role of Marco in the Gondoliers at the Little Theatre, Torquay, and Sir Walter Raleigh with the Festival Singers in Bishopsteignton. In September 2018, he returned to Torbay Gilbert and Sullivan Society as Musical Director.

It’s going to be an exciting challenge working with him – but we’re up for it!

We’ve had a great run-up to Christmas this year. After singing at Animals in Distress, our next gig was at the Newton Abbot Bowls Club, where we bravely gave our first performance of African Noel – and got it right! Again there was lots of cake.

Then on Tuesday we sang at All Saints Church in Babbacombe for their Carol Service. This is a regular engagement for us – many thanks to Father Peter for inviting us back for another year. It’s a lovely place to sing – a classic Victorian Gothic church with a high vaulted ceiling, fabulous acoustics!

Thursday evening was our last rehearsal before we break up until 9th January. We had a fun time, playing some silly games – and doing some singing. And there was cake (is there a theme developing there?)

Had a great night last night singing at Animals in Distress for their Christmas Giving Evening. This is our third year singing there – it’s really great, so welcoming (and lots of cake.)

We sang quite a few songs from our Christmas repertoire – including our new silly song. It actually sounds good as a round. One of our favourites is Oh Holy Night – a really beautiful melody, with lots of lovely harmonies. Singing carols which makes it really feel like Christmas.

We’ve started going through our Christmas repertoire, ready for our Christmas Singouts. We’re learning a new one – African Noel. It’s lots of fun, lots of rhythm, and not too many words to learn! The rhythms do get a bit complicated in the middle, but we’re getting there.

We also sang a new Christmassy warm-up song about one mince-pie, two mince-pies and fairy lights going pop. Nice and simple!

10th November: Tonight was a waxing moon, a little over half-full, and Torre Abbey was glowing with multi-coloured lights and crowded with people - and their dogs – for the Eyeview Wavelength festival, an open-air celebration of light and sound and creativity. A perfect night for us to sing in the Spanish Barn.

With Chris, our Musical Director, on a sabbatical, we had Isobel to direct us. We had a lot of discussion beforehand about which songs to choose for our short set. We wanted to start with a boost, so Deke Shannon’s arrangement of Best Day of My Life won the vote. Then a couple of Beatles classics – In My Life and Can’t Buy Me Love.

The choice of the last one was obvious, in keeping with the ‘moon’ theme of the night – Moon River. We love it, and it’s always a crowd-pleaser.