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Final Centenary CD Recording Session - 14th January 2010

Director of Music Kathy Underhill giving out instructions to the Parish Choir!

Choir member Kelly Love using some new software for this recording

Members of the Parish Choir - Sunday 29th November 2009

(Photo reproduced with the kind permission of the Essex Chronicle Media Group)

BBC Radio 2 Sunday Half Hour programme recording - 26th November 2009

What an evening!  Fifty fine singers drawn from all corners of our Parish coming together to record eight pieces for the BBC.

Here is the press release of this momentous event that was sent to the Billericay Gazette:-

The BBC came to The Most Holy Redeemer Church in Billericay on Thursday evening as its Parish Choir made a recording for the famous Radio 2 Sunday Half Hour programme.

Fifty singers drawn from The Most Holy Redeemer’s choirs and parishioners spent four hours working their way through eight pieces from the Liturgical repertoire.   James Devor gave excellent accompaniment to the Choir on the Westmorland Makin organ.

The Most Holy Redeemer’s Director of Music, Kathy Underhill, was delighted with the performance of choir. Their energy and enthusiasm, combined with a determination to reach the highest standards, ensured that the recording went without a hitch.

BBC Producer Simon Vivian was also impressed with the quality of the singing and the tremendous work put in by all on the evening.

The pieces will be included in programmes to be broadcast on Radio 2 on 14^th February and 28^th March next year both starting at 8:30pm.  This coincides well with the Parish Centenary that is being celebrated throughout 2010.

Here is how the day unfolded:-

1:30pm The newest BBC "state of the art" truck arrives at MHR

2pm onwards the Church is prepared

Time enough for Kathy and Mark to have a look around the truck!

The mixing desk

The Producer’s view of the Choir!

Tall microphones for the Makin organ

4:30pm  BBC Producer Simon Vivian arrives and meets Kathy Underhill

5pm  The Choir starts to arrive

5:45pm  The BBC Team are ready, Simon Vivian (Producer), Steve Richard (Radio Engineering Manager) and Duncan Rhodes (Deputy Sound Supervisor) 

5:55pm  The Church becomes a recroding studio and the Choir lays down its first track

Halfway through and some are starting to flag a little!

It’s getting late but Kathy still manages a smile!

9:35pm  All finished!

10:30pm  Time to go home

BBC Radio 2 Sunday Half Hour programme 3rd (& final!) rehearsal - 24th November 2009

The Choir prepares for Thursday’s big event!

BBC Radio 2 Sunday Half Hour programme 2nd rehearsal - 19th November 2009

Instructions from the Director of Music!

Organist, James Devor

BBC Radio 2 Sunday Half Hour programme 1st rehearsal - 12th November 2009

The Choir is back at work for its BBC recording session on 26th November

4th Recording Session - 15th October 2009

The 11am Choir in fine voice!

3rd Recording Session - 8th October 2009

Sound enginer Mark Nuttall hears too much background noise from the Fair across the road and so the recording is postponed for a week.

2nd Recording Session - 3rd October 2009

Kathy Underhill, Director of Music, in action!

Another three hour marathon  - so the singers take a well-earned break during recording!

Organist, Martyn Heald

1st Recording Session - 1st October 2009

A three hour marathon!

2nd Rehearsal - 24th September 2009

The Sopranos

The Altos

The Tenors

The Basses

1st Rehearsal  - 9th July 2009

Message from Kathy Underhill -

"Thank you to everyone who attended the first rehearsal of the Parish Choir on Thursday evening.  There were over fifty singers present to tackle the hymns chosen for the Centenary CD.  The sound was superb and we look forward to the next rehearsal on 24th September."

The Parish Choir warms up for the first time

Kathy Underhill - MHR Director of Music

The Basses look keen!