Here is the Gerontius newsletter for September 2008 

This newsletter contains a number of items of interest to singers and choirs. Please feel free to send this newsletter on to your choir committee, to other members of your choir and to friends. 

1. La Maison Verte : Venue for Choir Tours in the South of France
2. Advice on how to record your choir from Reelsound 
3. Chameleon Arts Orchestras – specializing in the choral repertoire 
4. Choral Music Downloads on Gerontius
5. Featured Concerts
6. Next Gerontius newsletter - November

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1. La Maison Verte : Venue for Choir Tours in the South of France

La Maison Verte in Languedoc, France, is the perfect place to base a choir tour/holiday. Owners Anne and Francis - whose roots are in music and the arts - are ideally placed to help you organise a choir holiday including performing opportunities and/or a recording.

La Maison Verte is an old wine mansion, sleeping up to 30 people in a
mixture of single and shared rooms - some ensuite.  It has two vast
rehearsal spaces, two pianos, an acre of beautiful gardens, a pool, table tennis, boule pitch, and bikes for your use.

We are open from May to the end of September; rates vary according to when you come but for a choir of 30 people the accommodation will cost around €150[euros] per person for a week.  Catering is not included but you can either bring your own cook, or we can help you source one locally.  We are served by 7 airports within 2 hours drive - mostly Ryanair and Easyjet.

Reference: please see reference by Cambridge Chorale
(www.lamaisonverte.co.uk - Verte Musique)  who visited recently.

For a choir tour in 2009, go to our website www.lamaisonverte.co.uk and
email us, or call Anne on 0033 (0)4 67 24 88 52.

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2. Advice on how to record your choir from Reelsound

Reelsound has just launched a new all inclusive package deal which offers the best value for money package if you are considering making a professional CD for your choir. With over 20 years experience of recording choirs great and small they have a wealth of knowledge to bring to a recording session. 

Richard Bradley the chairman of the National Association of Choirs invited John Rowley the head engineer to give a talk at this year’s annual conference in Bristol on the thorny issue of choosing the right venue to make a good choral recording and the response has been such that Reelsound have now put a full transcript of the talk on their website. You can read the article and hear examples of recent recordings at www.reelsound.co.uk

For further details contact John on 01482 474054    

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3. Chameleon Arts Orchestras – specializing in the choral repertoire

Chameleon can provide an orchestra of any size, for any concert and any occasion. At Chameleon we provide fully managed orchestras of regular players – all top professionals – at a level of service that will ensure the smooth running of any concert or event.   

Promoters will find the costs surprisingly competitive and we can adjust orchestral forces to fit any repertoire, all budgets and all venues. 

The orchestras have extensive experience in playing for choral society concerts and specialise in performing the choral repertoire.  Transport is always arranged for the orchestra and music, lighting, staging and PA systems can be arranged if required. 

There are three orchestras:

Chameleon Arts Orchestra

Chameleon Arts Orchestra boasts some of the country’s leading freelance players whose other work includes performing with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, The Royal Opera Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and English Chamber Orchestra.  

Chameleon Arts Baroque Orchestra

Chameleon Arts Baroque Orchestra provides choral societies across the country with the opportunity to be accompanied on period instruments.  Individually the members of the orchestra are acknowledged specialists in period performance practice and continue to work, often as principals, with the leading ‘original instrument’ orchestras.

Chameleon Arts String Orchestra

Chameleon Arts String Orchestra comprises the principal players from the main orchestra and specialises in concert performances of the fine string repertoire available to us.  Performing for concert promoters, music clubs and festivals throughout the United Kingdom, this offshoot has proved very popular both for the players and their audiences, often resulting in return visits by the orchestra.

Chameleon Arts Orchestras appear by arrangement with 
Chameleon Arts Management
tel: (UK local rate) 0845 644 5530
email: orchestra@chameleon-arts.co.uk
website: www.chameleon-arts.co.uk

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4. Choral Music Downloads on Gerontius

As we mentioned in the July newsletter, we’re been working on a choral music downloads area of the site. Choirs will be able to upload recordings in mp3 format and make them available for others to listen to, or to purchase and download. 

A few choirs have been helping test the new music downloads area.

We have prepared a document which gives further information about the music downloads area and answers common questions. If you’re interested, let us know and we’ll send you the information. 

We plan to launch the new area in October.

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5. Site Sponsors

Many thanks to the following 

Rayburn Tours 
http://www.rayburntours.com/music-tours/

La Maison Verte
http://www.lamaisonverte.co.uk/

Music Dynamics
http://www.musicdynamics.co.uk/

The Liturgical Music Courses
http://www.liturgicalmusic.co.uk

Manchester Amateur Choral Competition
http://www.themacc.org.uk/

Cambridge Early Music
http://www.cambridgeearlymusic.org/

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6. Next Gerontius newsletter - November

If you have an item for inclusion, please let us know in good time.

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best wishes 
Tim Ault 

Gerontius website 
http://www.gerontius.net