Dear Singer,

Thank you for signing up to sing in our performance of the Brahms Academic Festival Overture, the Bruckner Te Deum and Parts II and III of Gustav Mahler’s Das klagende Lied. This will take place in Tewkesbury Abbey on Saturday 4^th July 2026 as part of the Cheltenham Music Festival, we will be conducted by Adrian Partington and accompanied by the British Sinfonietta. There will be four soloists in the Bruckner and three soloists in the Mahler.

As there is a very busy rehearsal schedule and we are using several different venues I am planning to send out a regular Newsletter well before the start of each week giving details of dates and venues and also other details such as tickets, buses, concert dress etc.

WHICH REHEARSALS SHOULD I ATTEND?
Adrian would like all singers to attend the rehearsals that he is taking, namely those on 4/6, 6/6, 25/6, 2/7, 3/7 and 4/7. The evening rehearsal on 3/7 is particularly important as that is when our Concert Manager, Trevor Bartlett will sort out the seating plan and allocate places. If you cannot attend this please arrange with someone from your voice section to make sure that you know where to sit.
Singers from audition choirs are also encouraged to attend the local rehearsals in Dursley. While these are for singers from smaller choirs to get to learn the work it is very helpful to have a more experienced singer singing alongside one and I hope that many of you will consider doing this.

SCORES
The hire score that we are using for the Bruckner Te Deum is Peters, for the Brahms we have our own copies and for the Mahler we have had special copies printed.

SCORE AMENDMENTS
Adrian has produced a number of revisions to all three scores. These are available to download on the website www.bigsing.org or if preferred ask me and I can email them to you. I will also have printed copies at rehearsals.

TICKETS
I have a number of concert tickets available for sale. These are priced at £42 (44), £32 (28) and £15 (28). Numbers in brackets are the numbers of seats in our allocation. We have a large orchestra and the four front rows have been removed and the rows have been re-numbered so that the front row is now I.
£42 seats – I7,  M1-4,  P12-15, Q1-2, R12, S1-4, V1-4, W12-15, X4, Z1-2, Z14-15, BB9-10
£32 seats – DD10-11, EE1-2, GG8-11, HH3-6, KK1-6, LL10-12, MM2-3, OO9-12
£15 seats –these are aisle seats and unnumbered, state whether you prefer south or north aisle. On the seating plan that is attached available seats are marked with an X
You can also look on the Cheltenham Festival website. As I sell tickets I will update this list so that it is current when I send it out. Seats are also available from the Cheltenham Festival Box Office at cheltenhamfestivals.com/booking

BUSES
We will be running buses from Thornbury to every Gloucester, Cheltenham and Tewkesbury rehearsal and the performance. These will leave from outside Aldi in Thornbury which has two car parks adjacent to it. The cost will be £20 per trip and the 33-seater coach will be operated by Mike’s Travel. Booking forms are available on the SCBSG website bigsing.org, from myself and are also attached. It is very important that singers complete and return the forms to me as we anticipate that there will be much demand particularly for the Tewkesbury runs.

WEEK 1
Thursday 4^th June - rehearsal 7.30-9.30 at St John’s Northgate, Gloucester GL1 2AN to be taken by Adrian Partington accompanied by Steven Kings. Please attend if you possibly can. Please use the St John’s Lane entrance, not the Northgate Street entrance as this will facilitate checking in. We will be serving water and orange squash at around 8.30. There is a bus from Thornbury to this rehearsal.

Follow A417 towards Gloucester. At the first roundabout, take the 2^nd left (A417). At the next roundabout take 2^nd left (Corinium Avenue). At the next roundabout turn right along Barnwood Rd. At the *next roundabout turn right onto Estcourt Rd. At the next roundabout follow Estcourt Road (straight on). At the next roundabout turn left into Kingsholm Rd (A430) and follow the A430 to the Gouda Way T junction and turn right. Turn left into Park St/Hare St car Park.

Walk south along Hare Lane and turn right into Northgate Street. Turn right into St John’s Lane to Church entrance.

Please note it is easier to travel into Gloucester via J11A rather than from J12 if travelling from the South, although you could follow the A38 to Cole Avenue and turn right onto the A38 Southern and Eastern Avenue to Barnwood Rd Roundabout, turn left * onto Barnwood Rd and follow instructions above.

Saturday 6^th June? -? Workshop 10am-4pm at Christ Church, Malvern Road, Cheltenham GL50 2JH to be taken by Adrian Partington accompanied by Chris Williams.  As many of you as possible are urged to attend. There will be a tea and coffee break at around 11am, please bring a mug. Please bring your own lunch, we will stop for lunch between 1pm and 2pm. Parking – Please be sensible with parking and provided that you are fit park well away from the church, there is a lot of on-street parking.  If you are coming from south of Bristol this might be a very good occasion to use the bus from Thornbury.

Coming in to Cheltenham from Junction 11 on the M5 approach Cheltenham on the A40. Cross the  first roundabout taking the third exit, pass GCHQ on your left and take the second exit at the next roundabout. Go straight ahead at the lights by the Shell station into Lansdown Road, Malvern Road is the eighth left turn and Christ Church faces you at the bottom of the road. There is parking along a lot of Malvern Road but as stated above please if possible park a good distance from the Church.

Thursday 11^th June – local rehearsal from 7.30pm-9.30pm at Tabernacle URC Church, Parsonage Street, Dursley GL11 4BJ. This will be taken by Steven Kings and accompanied by Alison Howell. The church is situated on the street leading into Dursley from the A38. There is very limited parking at the church and these spaces are reserved for the conductor, accompanist etc. but there is a large car park at the leisure centre (Swimming pool) which is 50 yards further on and more parking at Sainsbury’s (with a 2 hour maximum).

This is a new venue for us but is highly rated by Tyndale Choral Society who use it for their regular rehearsals.

We are not running a bus to these four Dursley rehearsals. The following have agreed to drive and offer lifts, please contact one of the specified drivers and arrange pick-up points with them and offer payment for petrol.
Mike Elcock (07979 700340)
Jos Gregson (07974 049406)
Caroline Stoner (07720773301)
Tessa Sullivan (07771 904670)
Lyn Summers (07866 992133)

Directions to Tabernacle URC, Parsonage St., Dursley, GL11 4BW
Travelling from Gloucester
Follow the A38 south to Slimbridge Roundabout.
Turn left along A4135 for 3.5 miles/5.2 km.  The church is on your left just before the roundabout in the centre of Dursley.
Turn left at this roundabout for Parking at the Swimming Pool or in the centre of Dursley or turn right to park opposite the Old Spot Inn.

Travelling from Thornbury
Follow the A38 north to Berkeley Road Junction.
Turn right along B4066 through Cam to the roundabout junction with the A4135.  
Turn right towards Dursley for ¾ mile/1.2km.
The Tabernacle Church is on the left just before the roundabout at the centre of Dursley.
Turn left for parking at the Swimming Pool or turn right for parking opposite the Old Spot Inn.

Travelling from Bristol
Follow the M5 North to J14 (Falfield) and come off left towards the A38 along the B4509.
At the A38 traffic lights turn right towards Dursley.
Follow the directions above from Thornbury.

Saturday 13^th June? -? Workshop 10am-4pm at Christ Church, Malvern Road, Cheltenham GL50 2JH to be taken by Steven Kings accompanied by Chris Williams.  As many of you as possible are urged to attend. There will be a tea and coffee break at around 11am, please bring a mug. Please bring your own lunch, we will stop for lunch between 1pm and 2pm. Parking – Please be sensible with parking and provided that you are fit park well away from the church, there is a lot of on-street parking.  If you are coming from south of Bristol this might be a very good occasion to use the bus from Thornbury.

Coming in to Cheltenham from Junction 11 on the M5 approach Cheltenham on the A40. Cross the  first roundabout taking the third exit, pass GCHQ on your left and take the second exit at the next roundabout. Go straight ahead at the lights by the Shell station into Lansdown Road, Malvern Road is the eighth left turn and Christ Church faces you at the bottom of the road. There is parking along a lot of Malvern Road but as stated above please if possible park a good distance from the Church.

A38 Roadworks
NB Please be aware that the A38 between Almondsbury and Grovesend/Thornbury has roadworks until at least October 2026 and parts of the road may be closed or reduced to one lane after 8pm. If you are coming from Bristol or Bath etc. it is probably best to use the M5.
The road works are open during the day (6am – 8pm).
For further information please see www.southglos.gov.uk/a38-bsw-active-travel

If you have any queries at all please contact me at any of the contact points at the head of this Newsletter. I will be attending all rehearsals.

Jos Gregson

Chairman, South Cotswold Big Sing Group