- Choir Smash in Bourton-on-the Water
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Date Posted: Sat, 27 May 2023
MKCC joined with Melody Makers Choir from Bristol for the first-ever 'Choir smash'. We met at Bourton-on-the-Water in the Cotswolds, which is almost half way between each choir's hometown, where the parish church, St Lawrence's provided a wonderful acoustic and a beautiful location. Led by the MDs for each choir, we enjoyed a day of singing songs we had learnt in the weeks beforehand together with some new pieces. The day was rounded off with a public performance featuring over 100 voices of the combined choirs plus some pieces sung separately by each choir. Photos from the day taken by Stephanie Ballantine can be viewed on the photos page of this website.
- Happy Birthday Fiona!
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Date Posted: Tue, 23 May 2023
Birthday congratulations to one of MKCC's founder members, Fiona Trinder. Fiona brought this wonderful cake to choir night for us all to share and there was the added fun trying to identify the inspiration for the cake decorations!
- Charity sing for the Turkish & Syrian Earthquake appeal
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Date Posted: Mon, 27 Mar 2023
MK Community Choir raised £537.93 for the Turkish and Syrian Earthquake appeal on Saturday 27th February by doing a 2-hour impromptu performance in the Xscape building in Milton Keynes City centre. Thanks to choir member Claire Groves for supplying the photo.
- Carol Singing
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Date Posted: Tue, 13 Dec 2022
MKCC had a busy weekend at the beginning of December singing carols at the Wolverton Lantern Parade on Saturday 3rd and at 'Angels at the Abbey' at Bradwell Abbey on the following day. At the Bradwell Abbey event we joined several other choirs from local schools to sing 'You are not alone' by Cathal Smyth. The song was live streamed across the UK and internationally and Willie Robb will be making a documentary and music video of the song and the ‘You’re not alone project’ which will be on the MK City Discovery Centre's youtube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVoVsAlv4ftKMNaMXXYctjg
- EURO ANTHEM FOR MILTON KEYNES
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Date Posted: Fri, 29 Jul 2022
The choir was invited to sing the specially commissioned Milton Keynes anthem for the Women's Euros on match day, 27th July when Germany played France at Stadium MK. The choir did two performances of the anthem at the Fan Party in Station Square CMK and were joined by the MK Youth Choir and pupils from Coldharbour School for the first performance and accompanied by MK Brass and members of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
- MK COMMUNITY CHOIRS’ FESTIVAL 2022
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Date Posted: Tue, 12 Jul 2022
For the second year running, MKCC hosted the MK Community Choirs' Festival on July 6th in Campbell Park Amphitheatre. This year MKCC were joined by six other local choirs: MK Women's Choir; Musica Charity Choir; TGI Choir; MK Chorale; MK Youth Choir; Lenborough Singers plus guests, the As One Choir from Hitchin.
- Shenley Lodge performance
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Date Posted: Wed, 15 Jun 2022
After the long pause during Covid restrictions, invitations to sing at events are coming thick and fast. This photo shows some members of the choir at a Jubilee event attended by the residents of Shenley Lodge on 1st June, 2022. Attachment: 
- Big Lunch
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Date Posted: Wed, 15 Jun 2022
The choir were invited to entertain the Jubilee picnicers at the Big Lunch on Sunday 5th June. The photo shows all those choir members who were able to sing on that historic day. Attachment:
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- Guest Choral Leader
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Date Posted: Mon, 11 Apr 2022
Jonathan Kingston will be joining us as Guest Choral Leader at the beginning of the Summer term, whilst Craig is away leading Young Voices. Jonathan enjoys a portfolio freelance career as a performing musician, musical director, teacher, examiner and musical consultant. With his background as a choral director, he has served three Cathedrals from where he broadcast as a conductor as well as an organist. While a full-time teacher, he spent twelve years as a Director of Music in two leading schools building large and inclusive departments and touring the choirs internationally. Jonathan thoroughly enjoys working with both amateur and professional choirs and believes music should be accessible to all-comers. He is musical director at the Parish Church in Stony Stratford as well as the part-time Choral Director at Stowe School. He is thoroughly looking forward to working with members of the MKCC once again!
- MK FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS WINNERS
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Date Posted: Sat, 12 Mar 2022
MKCC retained the top spot at this year's Milton Keynes Festival of the Arts for Dance, Music and Drama by winning first place in their section despite stiff competition from Dagnall Community Choir and the Arts 1 Adult Choir. Singing 'Lovely on the Water' (a traditional folk song) and 'Dig Deep' by Pete Churchill, the choir was awarded the first prize of a cup, medal and certificate for the second year running. In the adjudicator's words, the choir 'brought magic into the room'! Choir members were thrilled to be returning to singing on stage together once again after the restraints of Covid have prevented us from doing this since our last appearance on stage at the MK Community Choirs' Festival in Campbell Park in July 2021.
- Donation to the Ukraine Crisis Appeal
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Date Posted: Wed, 2 Mar 2022
At last night's AGM (1st March), the choir agreed to donate all the funds available in the choir's Charity budget to the Red Cross's 'Ukraine Crisis Appeal' so today a donation for £250 was made to the appeal.
Julia Critchley who runs the 50/50 charity fund via a weekly raffle will re-start the raffle at next week's choir rehearsal so the fund will start to build up once again, particularly if most members buy a ticket (or two)!For more information, see: https://donate.redcross.org.uk/appeal/ukraine-crisis-appeal?c_name=UK%20Solidarity%20Fund&c_source=Facebook&c_medium=Social%20Ad&c_creative=Donate%20Landing_Image_Situation%20Update%20Image_Lo
- Presentation to Thames Valley Air Ambulance
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Date Posted: Wed, 9 Feb 2022
Ross and Joy from Thames Valley Air Ambulance came to the choir's rehearsal on 8th February to receive a cheque for £530. This sum was raised from donations made alongside ticket sales for MKCC's Christmas recording and from the collection made at the carol singing in the Hub. When gift aid is taken into account the choir has raised over £600 for the TVAA.
On behalf of TVAA, Ross thanked us for raising the money for the charity, which would contribute towards keeping the emergency helicopters in the air and the fast response vehicles running!
Nicola Bishop, the TVAA's Community Fundraising Officer thanked us by letter and enclosed a certificate from TVAA (attached to this post) recognising our fundraising achievement. In the letter she said:
"This is an amazing amount of money, which could keep one of our emergency response vehicles on the road for 10 days, bringing the expertise, equipment and medication of the hospital to where it is needed most, so thank you so much.
Thanks to people like you we have been able to make huge developments in Pre-Hospital Emergency Medicine. Our teams have at their fingertips the latest life support kit such as a compact chest compressor which allows us to continue treatment at the same time as keeping the heart pumping. We carry blood on board for on scene transfusions and a hospital level blood analyser which can give vital information in seconds. We have handheld ultrasound machines, able to show internal injuries at the roadside. In the last few years, TVAA have extended the service by introducing 5 Critical Care Response Vehicles all carrying the same equipment as our helicopter.
With your help, we are proud to be an organisation that is committed to constant development and enhancement and above all else, we are committed to patient care."
Attachment: 
- Funds raised for Thames Valley Air Ambulance
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Date Posted: Sat, 15 Jan 2022
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We raised £432 for Thames Valley Air Ambulance (TVAA) from donations made alongside ticket purchases for the Christmas recording. An additional £98 was collected at the carol singing in the Hub in Central Milton Keynes. £327 of the these funds raised were gift-aided so when this is taken into account, the choir has raised about £612 for TVAA this Christmas.
