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THE PENYARD SINGERS SING FOR JOY |
I love singing..... Over the years I have sung songs from many continents and in many different languages, both ancient and modern, sacred and secular, portraying many different emotions. It is a way of sharing my life with people from other times and places on our planet. I found that I could continue this in Ross-On-Wye, by joining the Penyard Singers.
Singing does my body good. Being in my sixth decade, I’ve faced illness and death and yet still survive to watch my grandchildren joining the throng. Just two years ago I suffered a spinal cord injury which weakened all my muscles. Singing is a great way to exercise those needed for breathing.
My mind is kept active by all the various types of works we sing, from liturgical masses to limerick madrigals, Christmas carols to summer shanties, old and new, we encompass them all. With a full yearly programme, meeting once a week from September to July, we do concerts to raise money for charities both local and national. Churches, Village Halls and any space large enough for our maximum of forty voices can be a venue; variety is our spice for life.
My spirit soars along with our voices. We are seriously tuned in to fun and enjoyment. That’s why I joined the Penyard Singers, to sing for joy..........
Hillary Stringe
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CHRISTMAS FIZZ |
Nothing gets a celebration going like a couple of glasses of bubbly and Christmas is no exception, so I have put together some recommendations for you to try. Bear in mind that, as with wine tasting, everyone’s palate is different and it is only through trial and error that you will identify what you like. This year Majestic Wines are offering a good range with some of the best discounts. You do have to buy two or three bottles within a mixed dozen to benefit from the discounts but it is well worth it. One of my particular favourites is Pol Roger NV Brut, a light elegant style of champagne which is ideal as an aperitif (£22.49) For something with a bit more body try Nicholas Feuillatte 2000 or Canard-Duchenne Brut NV (both £14.99) Should you be overcome with a patriotic urge Nyetimber Classic Cuvee 1998 (£19.99) is an excellent sparkling wine made in Sussex which compares well with more expensive champagnes. Oddbins has a similar range of champagnes but the discounts on offer are rather disappointing. Whilst shopping in M&S you may wish to consider the very respectable Oudinot champagne currently on offer in Cheltenham for £12.99.
France and the champagne region are not the only people to produce sparkling wine and recently the New World has offered quality sparkling wine at bargain prices. Again Majestic seems to have the best offers and worth serious consideration are Mumm Cuvee Napa NV (£8.99) and Green Point NV (Moet & Chandons version of Australian “champagne” from the Yarra valley £8.99). Cloudy bay Pelorus NV (£11.99) is a very rich style of sparkling wine quite different from champagne, even though they use the same grape varieties. There are less expensive New World options but they tend to lack depth of flavour.
Usually Cinderford Co-op has some surprisingly good wine offers but sadly this year the only sparkling offer is half price Cava (£3.99). I have not sampled it but you might consider giving it a try.
For those of you who prefer to plan well in advance why not try a Champagne weekend next year with wine tour specialists Arblaster & Clarke to stock up for Christmas 2007 (www.arblasterandclarke.com). As well as learning about how champagne is made and tasting a variety of different champagnes, you are also able to bring back up to 3 doz bottles of champagne and many of the small grower/producers offer decent champagne at £10 a bottle
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DECEMBER and JANUARY IN YOUR GARDEN |
December and January are good months for pruning and planning.
When the weather is kind, now is the time to prune fruit trees, wisteria and roses as well as vines. Also, remove the old leaves from Helleborus x hybridus, or Lenten rose, once the buds are obvious, to control hellebore leaf spot.
When pruning fruit trees do not prune cherries, plums or other members of the prunus genus as winter pruning leaves them more susceptible to silver leaf disease – they should be pruned in late spring once the leaves have started to open or just after fruiting. Even if you do not actively prune your apple and pear trees check that tree ties are not too tight and remove dead, damaged or diseased wood as well as any remaining wrinkled apples to help prevent the spread of disease.
Planning is more fun when the weather is bad, and seed and bulb catalogues hold the promise of spring and planting for both summer harvest, and colour in the garden.
It is also a good time to think about winter flowering plants, which are often highly scented. There are many good cultivars of Hamamelis x intermedia (witchhazel), which is a large shrub with scented flowers in winter. A lax (not self-supporting) wall shrub Jasminum nudiflorum, or winter jasmine, should provide sprays of bright yellows flowers all winter unless the weather is very harsh. These pick well but are not scented. Sarcococca confusa, or winter box, is a small shrub, approximately three foot tall with small but scented flowers from December onwards. Daphne bholua, particularly the cultivar ‘Jacqueline Postill’, is another smallish evergreen winter flowering shrub noted for highly scented flowers – it needs a sheltered position.
Iris unguicularis is a small perennial which has scented flowers, normally mauve or blue, during the coldest months. Pick in bud to enjoy indoors. It needs a warm sheltered place to flower well where it can be baked during the summer – against a sunny wall is normally the recommended position; however the summer foliage can be untidy, so not too prominent a place.
Also in January the snowdrops and hellebores should start to flower, marking the start of the new year with longer days and more sunshine – although it can be colder with more frost.
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CAROL SINGING IN HOPE MANSEL |
As a fund-raising event for the Bell Fund Mr Richard Arend has offered to lead an informal group, to go carol singing in the Hope Mansel valley during the week before Christmas. Do you enjoy singing carols, and would you like to join this group? If you would, please ring Richard on 01989 750322 or Fiona Leathart on 01989 565271. |
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