Gallery from Groby Sings At the Opera
The new season is announced as Groby Sings European Tour. This season will end with a performance weekend in June 2024. Details will be on the 'Next Concert' page.
The choir restarts on February 28th. Please note we sing on Wednesdays in school term time.
Singers are welcome to join in with this season at whatever point they wish to and don't need to come every single week. Performance is optional.
Who conducts the choir?
The new Musical Director is Simon Lubkowski.
Please visit https://youtu.be/9ATB5cgCl14 to view Simon's introduction to the choir.
Guidelines For This Season
Health: You are requested to NOT ATTEND if you are feeling unwell at all or have any symptoms of any illness. This is out of respect for the health of your fellow singers, volunteers, musical director and yourself. Many of our singers are vulnerable to infection.
Venue and travel: The Groby Club, Leicester Rd, Groby, Leicester LE6 0DJ There is limited parking. Please consider walking. Do not park at the Library or Village Hall. Beware of parking restrictions in the local roads.
Adult arrival times: 1.15pm for the afternoon and 7.15pm for the evening. Please do not arrive early.
Rehearsal times: 1.30 to 3.00pm and 7.30 to 9.00pm.
Registration: All attendees will need to register as they enter the rehearsal room.
Children aged 7 and above are welcome to arrive from 3.15pm. They will be signed in in the rehearsal room. Parents and carers are welcome to stay in the rehearsal room or to leave their child when they have been fully registered.
Donations: It will cost about £3 per adult and £1.50 per child per week for us to run Groby Sings. There will be the opportunity for you to make a donation on arrival. You are welcome to attend without making a donation - we are a registered charity open to all to attend regardless of payments received. There are options for Gift Aiding a lump sum donation for the season - please ask for details.
Words Booklets: These are provided free of charge and may be used for the duration of the season but must be returned in June.
Seating and Numbers: Chairs will be set out by volunteers in advance. Please do not move them. We can accommodate everyone who wishes to sing.
Breaks and refreshments: There will be a short cake break of about 15 minutes in the middle of each rehearsal to allow for purchase of drinks and toilet use. And to give time for chat!
The urn will be set up for tea and coffee.
Cake is supplied thanks to kind offers by our singers.
You can buy drinks and food items from the bar.
You may bring a bottle of water from home for your own use.
There is a ‘creche area’ where young children are welcome to play or nap at our afternoon rehearsals in the care of their accompanying responsible adult. They are also welcome in the evenings.
Groby Sings Management Team
From our first Musical Director
Singing in a community choir like Groby Sings is life transforming and it has been a gift to have been able to stand in front of you all and conduct you every week.
Groby Sings became a hit, such a glorious success, not because of any one of us but because of ALL OF US, everyone who turned up week in, week out and sang our hearts out. Because of all YOU wonderful people listening to your rehearsal CD's and driving your families mad and dressing up in your crazy costumes and arranging all the bears in your house to sing to when we couldn't gather to sing together.
Thank you so much for letting me be part of that. It has been so very special.
My prayer is that Groby Sings will continue long into the future.
That what we started 7 years ago will grow from strength to strength, continuing to touch people’s lives who need some hope and joy. But for that to happen, all you amazing people have got to hold tight until this pandemic is over and Groby Sings resumes. Then you've got to come back so you can finish off what was started last February and perform Groby Sings On The Road and many many more concerts after that.
As I skip off into the sunset of retirement, I need to have something to look forward to and returning to hear Groby Sings perform songs from Calamity Jane is top of my list.
Keep singing everyone. Keep laughing. Most importantly….you know what’s coming…keep eating that delicious cake!
Helen Hayes
Last Performance: We performed in November 2023 to 300 of our family, friends and neighbours.
Groby Sings At the Opera
Concerts were performed on November 25th and 26th 2023
Simon says:
Well, what a weekend it was folks!
I loved our new performance venue, which made both concerts feel really special and "proper" - the organisation from the management team was amazing as ever, and the band looked and sounded fab too.
The songs this season have been so much fun to learn together, and it felt as though we had several very special "golden moments" - from nailing Nessun Dorma, emoting so well in songs like "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again" and "I Dreamed A Dream", having such fun with "Master of the House" and "Groby Sings Gallop", and it's hard to pick a favourite song to be honest. You all looked wonderful, and the joy and community spirit just flowed from you all - no stresses and strains, just the enjoyment of singing together!
I'm really proud of all of us, and can't wait to see you at the Christmas party and on Wednesday 28th February - just a fab experience from beginning to end this season.
Rest up, have a wonderful Christmas and New Year if you won't be at the party, and thankyou so much for your trust and faith in what I do each week... it means an awful lot to know you're all supporting me
Simon 🙂 xxx
Cliff says:
A couple of years ago, it seemed possible that Groby Sings might not survive after our Covid shutdown. The concert weekend finally proved that we’ve not just survived but we’re even better than before!
Our new venue was amazing - as good as a professional theatre. And the singing lived up to the quality of the venue. In most of the songs I was concentrating on my playing, so I can’t comment on particular songs or groups of singers, but the overall sound was excellent, with all sections of the choir coming across well - especially the children, the men, the altos and the sopranos!
It was wonderful to be part of such a successful weekend.
Cliff
Some of the other comments received:
A M A Z I N G team!
Thoroughly enjoyed my first season as an alto singer (vs a supporter). I’ve met new friends and reignited my passion for singing in a choir - thanks Simon; love your teaching style and the practice tracks Paul / Simon, are sooo helpful.
Massive thanks to all the wonderful volunteers and management team who keep us motivated, organised and informed. Love the FaceBook photos and posts, whoever’s behind those and the performance musicians are fab!
’m really looking forward to next season.
Together we have something very special! Long may it continue.
As you know due to an imminent house move I did not join in with the performance weekend. Having said that I really enjoyed singing on a Wednesday evening and learning the songs.
I came to the performance yesterday afternoon and I just wanted you to know how much I enjoyed it. What a fantastic new venue you discovered. Having been a member of the audience in Groby a number of times and in the Church last year the whole experience yesterday was on a different level!
Just wanted to let you know what a lovely afternoon I had. It was nice to sit and relax and take a break from packing boxes!
Simon's shoes are fabulous, a great shirt too!
Thank you to all of you who work so hard to make Groby Sings a success. Meeting on a Wednesday afternoon gives pleasure to so many people and the new venue was great. Thanks again and Happy Christmas to you all.
Acknowledges with gratitude the generous support of singers:
Anonymous Benefactor
The Free Women
The Rambling Rector
Loopy Lu
Happy Face and the Geeky Scientist
Basso
Dancing Duet
Annie Mouse
The Back Row
Pollyanna
Amazing Altos
A Happy Singer
And local businesses:
-
Classic Cuts
Ladies’, gentlemen’s and children’s hair design
0116 287 8804
11 Lawnwood Road, Groby LE6 0BH
2. Glenfield Electrical
0116 298 3804
Mill Lane Industrial Estate, The Mill Lane, Glenfield, Leicester, LE3 8DX
which enabled our words booklets to be provided for free to all singers.
Groby Sings could not happen without the generosity of:
The Club, Groby
English Martyrs School
St Philip and St James' Church, Groby
The Thomas Herbert Smith Trust Fund
Groby Library and Time Out Cafe
Making Music
The Dementia Programme Board of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland
The Worshipful Company Weavers
Page One Pictures
Registered Charity 1180490