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The Lord-Lieutenant’s DERBY COMMUNITY MUSIC FESTIVAL

DERBY COMMUNITY MUSIC FESTIVAL BRINGING TOGETHER                                                                          OUR DIVERSE AND SPECIAL CITY

20TH SEPTEMBER 2025, 15.00pm

FREE ENTRY

ST PETER’S CHURCH,                                                                                                                                           ST PETER’S STREET, DERBY DE1 1SN                                                                                                                                       DERBY COMMUNITY MUSIC FESTIVAL

DUFFIELD SINGERS FIGHT BACK

Duffield Singers, 'bout forty of us,                                                                                    Community spirit is our big plus                                                                                                                                                                               When Covid began way back in March,                                                                                             In the year twenty twenty, not still as starch                                                                                               No! Now came an effort to all stay in touch.                                                                            Thinking of ways, nothing too much!            

Right at the start, on WhatsApp, began,                                                                                          A group for the Tenors, a rather mixed clan.                                                                            With four tenor ladies and four tenor men                                                                             Looking out for each other, closely knit then.                                                                Newsletter begun to keep all in touch,                                                                                          Its aim, to lift spirits with jokes and the such                                                                     

Fortnightly Zooming began at the start                                                                                         To keep us together, rarely apart.                                                                                            Some of the choir members didn’t join in                                                                                  What ever the reason that’s up to them                                                                                Singing some songs, and chairman’s report,                                                                       Breakout for a chat - who with? What a sport!     

Singing alone is not quite the same                                                                                              And we all wait for Dana’s song - that’s why we came!                                                                                                                                                 New committee, elected September,                                                                                    Thinking caps on, they all got together.                                                                               Meeting on Zoom of course, (who knew of that                                                                    Before Covid began, not even the cat)!

Keeping in touch with choir members is key!                                                                               By phone, text or email, or all of the three                                                                          Especially those poorly, when cards will be sent                                                                           No visits allowed, but kind words are meant.                                                                                                                                              One thing we can do now we’re all in tier three                                                                            Is to meet for a walk, t’will be fun, you’ll see                                                                                                                                                       

Six or less people, two metres apart,                                                                                        Dogs Daisy and Floss right there at the start                                                                             And maybe some singing outside at St Marg’ret’s                                                                     But sadly the weather contriving against us                                                                                                                                         We’ll do them again, we’re not giving up!                                                                                We’re doing our best, this community club.       

And even the threat of tier four and lockdown                                                                          Will not stop the Duffielders, not keep them down!                                                                                                                                       Still Zooming and texting and singing alone                                                                               And lots of emailing and chats on the phone                                                                        Tenors and Sops have their own WhatsApp groups,                                                              Another for Everyone - gather the troops                                                                                                                                           Whoever you are in this choir, there’s a space!                                                                       We’re the ‘Singers of Duffield’, we all have a place!

Vicki Clemerson                                                                                                                              2020

An Evening of Christmas Carols – 14th December 2022

MORE CHRISTMAS EVENTS

Family Festivities Weekend

Sunday 4th December 2022

As part of the Family Festivities weekend, Duffield Singers will be performing a selection of Christmas songs at 13.00 & 14.15

Fabulous Festive Favourites

Saturday 17th December 2022

Duffield Singers will be performing as part of this Festive concert along with All Saints Singers & Imari Ladies Chorus. Presented by Derby Music Academy.

Christmas Songs at Haddon Hall

Tuesday 20th December 2022

More Christmas Singing in the Great Hall at Haddon Hall at 12 midday and 2pm.

10 YEARS IT HAS BEEN!

Last Wednesday was the end of my first decade with the Duffield Singers. We had only half of our rehearsal, and then the last part was put aside for a celebration by the committee.

The wonderful way in which various members got up and regaled, with great hilarity, to the assembled company, stories about me AND MY QUIRKS – quirks of which I have been hitherto in some instances blissfully unaware, filled me with great delight.

Some speakers said such positive things about me that I eventually thought they were really not talking about me anymore! There were also frequent references to the work of our piano accompanist, Anne [my wife], whose work I have always admired and with whom I have had an understandably close musical working relationship for many years.

It has been, and still is, every week when we meet to rehearse, a sheer pleasure to be making music with a group of people who are at all times prepared to put up with the expectations of a musical director who writes quite intricate music for the different voice parts – and then expects them to sing with understanding and precision worthy of a traditional professional choir!

The Duffield Singers are always prepared to try harder and concentrate again – after umpteen attempts at the same phrase – in order to achieve a better result! This is a commendable and most unusual characteristic of an amateur choir – but is the reason that this group of people are turning; indeed, HAS TURNED into the formidable group of singers that they are!

I am indeed fortunate, and therefore grateful, for the privilege and opportunity to work with the Duffield Singers every Wednesday evening:

They are a part of the meaning of life afforded me through the medium of singing!

October 2022