Tickets for the Massed Band joint concert on 2nd March (Wind Band with the Royal Marines) go on general sale next Monday – 10th December.

ALL members of the Wind Band will be playing. Order of programme is:

UVHS Wind Band   –   Royal Marines Band   –  Massed Band Finale

Up to 35 members of the Wind Band (mostly senior players) will be invited to play alongside the Marines in the Massed Band Finale.

HOWEVER  –  THERE WILL BE ONE DAYOF PRE-SALE TO PARENTS and STAFF (and those in the know!) THIS SATURDAY – 8TH DECEMBER.  ON THIS DAY TICKETS CAN ONLY BE BOUGHT IN PERSON FROM THE CORO HALL BOX OFFICE BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 10am and 1pm.

Prices:   £18 balcony;    £12 (£4) front stalls;     £9 (£4) rear stalls

A password will (as usual) be required, and this will be published here by Friday.

We had intended to hold the next Friends of UVHS Performing Arts meeting on Tuesday 4th December. However, due to date clashes this cannot now happen, and there is no other space in the next 2 weeks to hold the meeting. Therefore the next meeting will be on TUESDAY 8th JANUARY: please could we have some support?

However, we do have to make arrangements for the Christmas Festival on Wed 19th December – for this we need parents to help with both programme and raffle sales on the night. Please email Mr Butler (rbu@uvhs.uk) if you are able to help – people need to be at The Coro before the doors open at 6.40pm.

We also need donations of some quality raffle prizes – please help if you can (items can be brought to the Performing Arts office).

Finally – attached below is an open letter from the treasurer of The Friends of UVHS Performing Arts.  Please take a minute or two to read it.

Open letter to all parents

Just a reminder to the Chamber Choir that we are performing at St Marys Catholic Church (opposite the kiosk) this afternoon.

Meet by 3.50pm – jumpers and smart trousers/skirt.

Finish by 5pm

Both tomorrow’s Wind Band rehearsal and Friday’s Swing Band rehearsal will finish at the earlier time of 4.30pm.

All other rehearsals will be on as normal in preparation for the Christmas Festival, the Primary Pantomime and the school production of Hairspray.

PS – Advance tickets for the Marines joint concert (on March 2nd) will be on sale to parents & friends on Saturday 8th December ONLY: 10am-1pm at The Coro Box Office.  The password to obtain these tickets will be posted here during the previous week.

Great first outing for the 18/19 Swing Band this afternoon – well done to everyone, especially with all the new pieces.  Roll on concert season from January!!!!

Special congratulations to all the new players who performed some of the numbers with only one play-through under their belts (although I have been told that some players were sight-reading some of the pieces).

First full gig – Saturday 26th Jan (Broughton)

The set list for next Saturday is:

1. 1. Book – Boogie-Woogie Bugle
   2. Book – Saxes With Attitude
   3. Book – Sesame Street
   4. Book – Tuxedo Junction
   5. J VOX Beyond The Sea
   6. J VOX Straighten Up & Fly
   7. J VOX Feeling Good
   8. (J VOX That’s Life – if we have time to rehearse)
   9. Carwash
   10. Don’t You Worry About A Thing
   11. I Want You Back
   12. B VOX The Man I Love
   13. Libertango
   14. Spiderman
   15. T VOX Everything
   16. T VOX Blue Skies
   17. T VOX Knock On Wood
   18. T VOX Lady Is A Tramp
   19. T VOX Sway
   20. Final Countdown

Please make sure that all pads are back in school for Wednesday.

ON SATURDAY…

Arrive at Market Cross at 3.10pm – everyone needs to help!!!!

Start playing as soon as possible after 3.20pm

Finish at some point around 5pm…..

DRESS UP WARM (including gloves of a style that you can still play in)

PLEASE could some students come to school after loading the van to help unload (Mr B’s shoulder is not in a good place and he has to avoid heavy lifting!)

Please note forthcoming dates in the calendar:

Sunday 2nd December – “Light A Life Service” @ St Marys Catholic Church. Chamber Choir singing from 4-5pm for St Marys Hospice. Christmas Jumpers as uniform.

Tuesday 11th December – UVHS Christmas Fayre (5-7pm).  Brass Ensemble from 5-6 and Chamber Choir from 6-7 in the Dining Room.

Thursday 20th December – Senior Prizegiving @ The Coro. Chamber Choir singing from 6.45-7.25 on stage – Christmas Jumpers as uniform.

Apologies for the short notice, but we have only just been informed that we are in the programme for the Dickensian Festival in 2 weeks time.

Swing Band will be playing at Market Cross on Saturday 24th from 3.20pm-5pm(ish).

Players need to be there by 3.05pm to help unload the van and set up – wewill also need help packing away afterwards as well as unloading the van at school.

Dress code – warm!!!!

Many apologies, but I have to cancel tomorrow evening’s Swing Band rehearsal.

If your child is new to the Wind Band, the performance shirts can be purchased here:

https://www.conistonshop.com/UVHS-Music-Department_169/school/product.php?product_id=5713

If the link does not work, please copy & paste into your browser.

Wind Band uniform is:

Pink performance shirt / black skirt or formal trousers (no jeans/leggings) / black shoes and black socks (if trousers worn). There are no exceptions to this uniform.

Please allow up to 3 weeks for delivery to the school once you have ordered the shirt.

P.S. – only 12 tickets now available for the Christmas Festival