NOVEMBER 2023 GLENFIELD GAZETTE online
The village magazine for Glenfield in Leicestershire, UK.
The village magazine for Glenfield in Leicestershire, UK.
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12<br />
<strong>NOVEMBER</strong> <strong>2023</strong> <strong>GLENFIELD</strong> <strong>GAZETTE</strong><br />
The Last Word for The Vicar of Dibley<br />
THE FICTIONAL<br />
Buckinghamshire village<br />
of Dibley burst onto our<br />
television screens in 1994,<br />
along with its eccentric<br />
cast of characters and a<br />
chocolate-loving vicar,<br />
Geraldine Grainger, the<br />
role made famous by Dawn<br />
French.<br />
Twenty episodes later and the<br />
sitcom had captured our hearts.<br />
Who could forget the “Christmas<br />
Lunch Incident” which changed<br />
the nation’s view of the humble<br />
Brussels sprout forever? So<br />
imagine the excitement when<br />
the Glenfield Ladies Co-operative<br />
Choir was invited by Ben Cutler-<br />
Thomas of Whetstone Drama to<br />
record the theme music for their<br />
production of The Vicar of Dibley in<br />
early October.<br />
By the end of September,<br />
precious choir rehearsals are<br />
usually focussed on the impending<br />
rush towards our own Christmas<br />
concert. Instead, we were armed<br />
with hymn books and the sheet<br />
music to the Vicar of Dibley’s iconic<br />
theme tune, and surrounded on<br />
all sides by microphones. The<br />
Howard Goodall setting of “The<br />
Lord is my Shepherd” (Psalm 23)<br />
was recorded by the Choir of Christ<br />
Church Cathedral in Oxford so we<br />
had a lot to live up to. Sounding so<br />
familiar it still took three separate<br />
and completely different recordings<br />
to get right. At the first attempt<br />
we sounded a bit rusty and made<br />
a loud flapping noise when we all<br />
turned over the sheet music at the<br />
same time so our Musical Director,<br />
Laura Freeman, asked us to sing<br />
the second version from memory<br />
“with no flapping!!”.<br />
Once Laura was satisfied with<br />
the overall effect, we started to<br />
sing more familiar hymns from our<br />
past. You may think that “a hymn’s<br />
a hymn” but with an age range<br />
from 20 to 90 years, the choir all<br />
knew different versions. Being<br />
The Glenfield Ladies Co-operative Choir recorded the<br />
Vicar of Dibley theme music for Whetstone Drama Group<br />
of the ‘Baby Boomer’ generation<br />
I certainly don’t remember ‘Sing<br />
Hosanna’ during morning service<br />
in the 1970s, although we did have<br />
Led Zeppelin for a whole week. Our<br />
youngest member, Katie, had never<br />
heard one of the traditional hymns<br />
and Rutter’s ‘For The Beauty of the<br />
Earth’ was completely unknown to<br />
many. Eventually, we had smashed<br />
several timeless classics including<br />
All Things Bright and Beautiful and<br />
Bread of Heaven which Ben would<br />
use during scene changes. We<br />
also had our own comedy moment<br />
when the electronic piano had a<br />
‘glitch’ and flipped from a keyboard<br />
to a full-on Phantom of the Opera<br />
church organ.<br />
Singing for pleasure can be hard<br />
work and after two hours on our<br />
feet, we had recorded the third<br />
version of Psalm 23 getting the<br />
thumbs up from both Laura and<br />
the Tech Team. In true Vicar of<br />
Dibley style, I needed a large<br />
mug of tea and a whole Christmas<br />
selection box by the end of this<br />
very special rehearsal.<br />
Whetstone Drama’s play was<br />
completely sold out by the end<br />
of September and those of us<br />
lucky enough to secure tickets<br />
at the United Reformed Church<br />
theatre had a real nostalgic treat.<br />
All the cast gave tremendous<br />
performances bringing Dibley to<br />
life over four evenings with backing<br />
vocals by the GLCC.<br />
In the closing scene the choir had<br />
the play’s last word, holding on<br />
to “forever” as the lights dimmed<br />
to rapturous applause. We were<br />
totally proud to be part of this<br />
production but it doesn’t quite<br />
end there for those who will be<br />
appearing as ‘nuns-in-sequins’ in<br />
Sister Act due in May 2024.<br />
Tickets available for<br />
our Christmas Concert<br />
OUR OWN CHRISTMAS<br />
concert rehearsals are now in<br />
full swing for Saturday 16th<br />
December at 7.00 pm in the<br />
Free Church, Kirby Muxloe.<br />
Tickets are £8.50 including<br />
refreshments and are available by<br />
telephoning 07970 075039 or email<br />
admin@kirbyfree.org.<br />
See you there.<br />
Kate Ball<br />
Glenfield Library Opening Hours<br />
BOOK You<br />
May LIKE<br />
How to Live in the<br />
Now: A Practical<br />
Guide to Living<br />
In the Present<br />
Moment<br />
by Ernest Holm Svendsen<br />
“This moment is it. It is<br />
everything. It is all there<br />
is, and the solution to any<br />
difficulty in your life is to<br />
be found here and here<br />
alone…”<br />
Based on<br />
more than<br />
25 years of<br />
experience,<br />
bestselling<br />
author and<br />
facilitator<br />
Ernest<br />
Holm<br />
Svendsen<br />
takes<br />
you on<br />
the most<br />
important<br />
journey<br />
of your life. The journey from the<br />
prison of your mind to the vitality<br />
and aliveness of the present<br />
moment.<br />
In his down-to-earth style and<br />
using practical exercises and<br />
experiments, Ernest shows you<br />
exactly how to change your life by<br />
shutting down your autopilot and<br />
waking up to the spontaneous joy<br />
of being in the present moment.<br />
Through clear explanations and<br />
step-by-step guidance, How to Live<br />
In the Now offers a practical path<br />
to living life in the present moment<br />
which is available to anyone, no<br />
matter their life circumstances.<br />
• Learn how to be in the<br />
present moment<br />
• Learn how to let go of<br />
anxiety and worried<br />
thoughts<br />
• Learn how to create deep<br />
connections with others<br />
• Learn how to stop seeking<br />
approval and be yourself<br />
Please support<br />
our FANTASTIC<br />
advertisers if<br />
you can.<br />
They make your<br />
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Thanks!<br />
Honest criticism is hard to take, particularly from a relative, a friend, an acquaintance, or a stranger.