CALLING ALL SHOWER WARBLERS, CAR CROONERS AND HAIRBRUSH DIVAS – Crystal Palace Community Choir wants you!
Crystal Palace Community Choir (CPCC) starts its autumn term on Tuesday 9th September. So if you’ve ever thought of joining a choir, now’s a great time – giving you the maximum run-up to Christmas performances.
The choir meets every Tuesday, from 8pm to 9.30pm. The first session will be held at Christ Church Gipsy Hill, while the choir’s usual home at the Goodliffe Hall next door is being renovated.
Crystal Palace has had a thriving choir since early 2010, when local actor and musician Zubin Varla advertised his new venture on Bookseller Crow’s noticeboard. The response was beyond all expectations, with the first meeting filling Antenna Studios to bursting.
Zubin had to leave the choir when he landed a major role in Warhorse, but a hard core of members remained to continue what he’d started.
Today, CPCC has a name, committee and constitution, and many public performances under its belt. As well as appearing at the Overground Festival for the last two years, the choir has sung at St Christopher’s Hospice, Nightingale House, West Norwood Feast, Sing for Water, Living Water Satisfies, The Alma, The Secret Garden, The Grape and Grain, All Saints Church, and the choir’s hosts, Christ Church Gipsy Hill… in fact it’s probably easier to say where they haven’t performed!
A genuine community organisation, self-funded and run by volunteers, CPCC welcomes people of all ages, backgrounds and musical ability. No singing experience or audition is required.
While the vibe is friendly and informal, the choir nevertheless gets to sing some pretty advanced stuff, and that’s largely down to Musical Director Peter Warren. A professional choir member himself, Peter has a knack for enabling complete beginners to tackle multi-part music of all genres – pop, classical, international, folk and more.
And true to its community ethos, CPCC is cheaper than most choirs; just £3 a session on a pay-as-you-go basis.
You can just turn up on any Tuesday, but if you’d like to find out more, contact [email protected]; see/join the facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/CrystalPalaceCommunityChoir/; or visit the website www.crystalpalacechoir.org.uk. (Source: Crystal Palace Community Choir)
CAT PICTURES AT THE BOOKSELLER CROW
IN 1871 the first cat show competition ever was held in the Crystal Palace – so the Bookseller Crow on Westow Street have decided to have a cat show of their own!
Draw a cat on an A4 size piece of paper and they will show them off in their window until the end of August.
NEW ARRIVAL AT THE HORNIMAN’S ANIMAL WALK
Visitors to the Horniman museum and gardens can meet a new addition to its Animal Walk following the birth of an alpaca.
On Sunday 3 August, Peep, the Horniman’s black Huacaya alpaca, gave birth to a fawn girl weighing 6.7kg.
The baby, or cria as they are called, is yet to be named and is under the watchful eye of staff at the Horniman’s animal walk as she settles into her new surroundings.
Catherine Basford, the Horniman’s animal keeper says: ‘We are delighted with the birth of our beautiful cria. “Peep is proving to be an attentive mother and both mum and baby are doing well. We hope our visitors enjoy this new addition to the Horniman’s animal collection.’
The Horniman’s Animal Walk is also home to goats, sheep, rabbits, guinea pigs, chickens, a golden pheasant and a rooster.
Redeveloped and opened in August 2013, visitors can walk through the centre of the enclosure for a close up view of the animals. There are also information and interpretation boards which look at the connection between domesticated animals and their wild relations.
The Horniman animal walk is open seven days a week between 12.30 and 4pm. Entry to the animal walk is free.
The Horniman Museum and Gardens opened in 1901 as a gift to the people in perpetuity from tea trader and philanthropist Frederick John Horniman, to ‘bring the world to Forest Hill’
The Horniman first developed an animal enclosure 40 years ago. “It has remained a popular attraction for young visitors to the Gardens, providing a connection to the natural world in an urban setting and further brings to life founder Frederick Horniman’s vision of an outside space reflecting the Museum’s collections” said a Horniman spokesperson.
“Today the Horniman has a collection of 350,000 objects, specimens and artefacts from around the world. Its galleries include natural history, anthropology, music and an acclaimed aquarium. Indoor exhibits link to the award-winning display gardens – from food and dye gardens to an interactive sound garden – set among 16 acres of beautiful, green space offering spectacular views across London.
“Our visitors come time and again to participate in our exciting range of events and activities, sample the tasty delights from our popular cafe, and shop for interesting gifts in our gift shop.
“We also make our spaces available for hire including our stunning Grade II listed Victorian Conservatory built in 1894 and newly built Gardens Pavilion.” (Source: Horniman museum press release)
