What a wonderful variety of songs we have had during June. Carmyl chose some songs of conflict as well songs of peace and also lovely lilting melodies such as “All Through the Night”. In one session Brian chose several Seekers songs which are always enjoyed, while Kieran and Margaret have chosen a range of bright cheery songs. Gwen as always has been helpful with providing great musical accompaniment. We are pleased to report that Margaret Merriman is recovering well from COVID apart from the fact that her voice is still affected. We are very hopeful that she will be back for the next session of Singing for Fun. We had a visit from David Palmer and Bev Lee at our third session of the month as we are hoping some publicity will encourage other singers to join our group in Semester 2. Our Leaders put quite a deal of effort into the songs they choose for their segments and at the Hub we have good acoustics, a warm environment and a great place to meet.
So, if you would like to Sing for Fun come and join us at the Hub at Cooinda on the first three Thursday mornings of the month at 10am. Our next meeting will be on Thursday 7 July 2022. Margaret Jenkins We are pleased to hear that Kieran Smith’s wife Elly is progressing well after her hip replacement operation in Melbourne. Kieran chose some Al Jolson songs for the week of May that he was with us which we all enjoyed.
Our inclusion of Carmyl Winkler as a leader was especially beneficial this month when Kieran was away. We were still able to have three Leaders, with Margaret Merriman and Brian Greed also taking segments of singing. This provides a greater variety of songs than only having two Leaders at times. Gwen Barnes is providing great music accompaniment. In early May, one of our members Ray O’Shannessy turned 90, which is quite a milestone. Naturally we did not let the occasion go unnoticed, and had great enjoyment singing Happy Birthday a few days before the big event. The next meeting of Singing for Fun will be on Thursday 2 June at 10am in the Hub at Cooinda. Margaret Jenkins April brought us three sessions of Singing for Fun with no Harmony session, and we think this is a successful move by the increased attendance.
During April we welcomed Carmyl Winkler as a Leader. Carmyl chose a series of well known Australian songs for her first and second sessions, and these were enjoyed by all. The variety introduced by an extra Leader seems beneficial to the group. Our three other Leaders Brian Greed, Margaret Merriman and Kieran Smith all chose bright catchy songs for their sessions. Kieran kindly responded to a request for a session of Scottish songs. Gwen Barnes is providing great accompaniment on the piano for which we thank her. The next meeting of Singing for Fun will be on Thursday 5th May at 10am at the Hub in Cooinda. Margaret Jenkins ![]() In March we welcomed back our pianist Gwen Barnes who had been unavailable during February. Everyone was pleased to see Gwen, and we enjoyed her accompaniment to many songs in our main three books. Our three leaders Brian Greed, Margaret Merriman and Kieran Smith did a great job selecting suitable songs and leading the group. We were impressed that Margaret could manage with her broken wrist. In April we are going to try having three Singing for Fun sessions on the first three Thursdays of April, and no Harmony session. In a group such as ours, members are often not available due to health considerations, and this year we seem to have lost quite a few altos. This is why we are having a trial of no Harmony session during April. We are pleased to announce that Carmyl Winkler has agreed to lend a hand as a Leader in April. Carmyl joined our group last year after moving to Benalla from Tallangatta, and has had experience with a singing group in Tallangatta. We look forward to hearing what songs Carmyl selects. The next Singing for Fun session will be on Thursday 7th. April at 10am at the Hub in Cooinda. Margaret Jenkins
It was great to get back to Singing at the Hub in February 2022. Our three leaders Brian Greed, Kieran Smith and Margaret Merriman were full of enthusiasm as were all our members.
Unfortunately we have been without our pianist Gwen Barnes for all of February. Gwen had some family matters to deal with and then had a couple of unfortunate falls, so is currently recovering at home. We wish Gwen all the best, and hope to see her at our March meetings. At our three singing meetings in February Brian Greed and Kieran Smith filled in at the piano in Gwen’s absence. We have had a variety of songs during the month, including some rounds conducted by Margaret Merriman. These rounds don’t get included very often so had a certain novelty factor to them. I am sure all the members of Singing would like to say many thanks to Brian and Kieran for their assistance with the piano during February. At our third session we had a solo from “My Fair Lady” sung by Brian Colman. Brian, who is a new member of our Singing Group, has fitted into the group really well. We were also pleased to see Joyce Borschmann come to our third session after her recent illness. The next Singing for Fun meeting will be on Thursday 3rd March at 10am at the Hub in Cooinda. Margaret Jenkins We all enjoyed three sessions of Singing in November as we came out of lockdown. Thank you everyone for being so cooperative with showing me your COVID double vaccination certificate. In the second Singing session for the month we had Kieran Smith and Brian Greed playing the piano for the session as our pianist Gwen Barnes was at a Teachers College reunion in Bendigo. Brian also brought along his barrel organ which he has spent seven months making during the lock down of 2021. This barrel organ plays music when the handle is turned, the musical score having been previously punched out on a roll of thick paper. Brian demonstrated this music to us during morning tea, and we were all fascinated with the technology which had gone into producing the sounds. In our third session Kieran Smith, Brian Greed and Margaret Merriman all took turns in leading the singers with Gwen Barnes ably playing the piano.
As this will be the last Singing report for 2021 I would like to thank the three Leaders, Kieran, Brian and Margaret for the preparation they put into choosing songs for each session and for leading the sessions. Many thanks also to our talented pianist Gwen Barnes who has provided great musical accompaniment in 2021. I would also like to thank Wendy Hyland for assisting with sorting the song books and putting the books back in the cupboard each week. Thank you also to the guys who put the chairs away after each session, and set up the tables for the Hub each time. These may seem small jobs. However, they contribute immensely to the smooth running of Singing for Fun and Harmony. Best wishes to everyone for a Happy Christmas. Hope to see you all in 2022. Margaret Jenkins Unfortunately, due to COVID restrictions on the number of people who could meet in The Hub, there have been no Singing for Fun or Harmony sessions during October.
As some COVID restrictions have now been lifted, due to 70% of the population being vaccinated, Singing for Fun will recommence on Thursday 4 November 2021 at 10am. Due to Public Health regulations, we are required to see your double vaccination certificate, either on your phone or a paper copy, as you sign the attendance list. This is part of our Duty of Care for participating U3A Benalla members, and we ask for your co-operation with this request. Margaret Jenkins At the moment only ten people are allowed to meet in The Hub, so our Singing for Fun and Harmony sessions had to be cancelled in September.
We missed the opportunity to wish one of our Leaders, Margaret Merriman a happy 80th birthday in person. Marg is celebrating not only her birthday, but also the birth of her grandson Angus. Hopefully Singing will be able to recommence soon. I will send an Email to everyone when this can happen. Margaret Jenkins We managed one Harmony and one Singing for Fun session during August, which we all enjoyed. Perhaps these lock downs make us appreciate what we are able to fit in while still complying with the COVID restrictions.
During these sessions we were introduced to two new songs. Brian Greed used the Harmony session to start us on “The Black Hills of Dakota” which has got a great melody and an elevated soprano part. Margaret Merriman introduced us to “Speed Your Journey” which has got a lilting melody and is a great song. Kieran Smith had us singing some Australian songs which are always enjoyed by the group. We thank Gwen Barnes for being so versatile in accompanying whatever is chosen by the leaders. At Singing for Fun we welcomed back two members who had been away sick for several months. Gina Behrens had been away since last year, whilst Patsy Bollard has been recovering from a fall for two months. Great to see both Gina and Patsy back with us. We also welcomed Brian Colman to the group. Brian has a history of being involved with musical productions, and has recently moved to Benalla. We hope you enjoy singing with our group Brian. Thank you Tomoko Fujiie for the flute performance we were treated to during morning tea at Singing for Fun. The different abilities of people in this group which they are willing to share really adds to the enjoyment we all get from attending. We will send an Email when the next Singing for Fun session is allowed. In the meantime, keep safe and we look forward to seeing you all in the near future. Margaret Jenkins All our members seemed to enjoy the two sessions of Singing and the Harmony session held during July. In fact, three members took the time to tell me how much they were enjoying our singing sessions.
The three leaders are to be congratulated on the variety of songs they have included in each session. Kieran Smith had a different approach in the Harmony session in July when he reintroduced us to “Hallelujah”. Brian Greed has been fine tuning “The Changing of the Guard” amongst a variety of his songs, whilst Margaret Merriman finished one session with “Old Man River” which is always well received by the group. We are grateful to Gwen Barnes for her accompaniment on the piano to such a variety of songs. Since our last Singing session in July it has been brought to my notice that Joan Badrock has been in Benalla Health for just over a week. Joan enjoys her involvement with Singing for Fun, and we hope to see her back with us in August. We would like to thank the Hub Committee for organising the new position of the cupboard which houses most of our singing books. The cupboard had previously been housed in the small alcove near the front of the Hub, and the change to the back wall makes access easier. U3A Benalla have been informed by the Benalla RCC that the current COVID restrictions set by the Victorian State Government say that: Maximum group size: 10 people (still adhering to the 1 person per 4sqm) each group of 10 must stay the same and cannot change or mingle Unfortunately, under these conditions, Dorothy and I agree that it is impossible to hold Singing for Fun on Thursday 5th August 2021. As the COVID restrictions are due to be reviewed on Thursday 5th August, we are hopeful that Harmony will be able to be held on Thursday 12th August 2021 in the Hub. Hope you are all enjoying the Olympics. Margaret Jenkins Due to the COVID lockdown we have been unable to hold our Singing for Fun or Harmony Sessions in June 2021.
Singing for Fun will resume on Thursday 1st July and Harmony will start on Thursday 8th July at 10am in The Hub at Cooinda. We look forward to seeing you all again. Margaret Jenkins The Singing for Fun Group has been enjoying their meetings in the Hub during May with a variety of songs chosen by our three conductors.
Brian Greed introduced us to the song “The Changing of the Guard”. The group has adapted to the rhythm of the song very well, and seem to be enjoying it. Margaret Merriman included “The Oceana Roll” in her list of songs which everyone seemed to get into the swing of. Kieran Smith had a Showbiz theme for one of his sessions which included “The Sound of Music” and “Edelweiss”. We thank Gwen Barnes who has shown lots of versatility in accompanying these various songs on the piano. The Singing for Fun group meets on the first and third Thursday morning of the month at 10am in the Hub at Cooinda. The Harmony session is on the second Thursday morning of the month in the same venue. Margaret Jenkins April has seen Margaret Merriman introduce us to a new song “Dona Dona” which is in a minor key and slightly different to what we have been used to. No doubt we will enjoy the melody of the song over coming weeks.
Brian Greed has introduced us to several songs we sang in 2019 including Sweet Caroline. Whilst we haven’t sung these songs for 12 months, they are easily sung and enjoyed. Kieran Smith has chosen a mix of Irish and Australian songs for some of his sessions. Everyone seems to be enjoying the Irish songs and it is a good balance that Kieran has struck. Gwen Barnes has been providing great accompaniment on the piano. Morning tea has been re introduced with everyone bringing their own cup to fit in with the COVID requirements. We were sorry to hear that Marjory Geeson had a fall at home. However we are pleased to report that Marjory is recovering well. We hope to see her back at singing soon. Margaret Jenkins March has seen us become more accustomed to seeing our Singing for Fun and Harmony Groups meet at the Hub at Cooinda. The room is working well. My thanks to Doug Williams and the Hub Committee for all their assistance in getting us going this year at the Hub.
We are enjoying our Singing segments with our new Leader Kieran Smith as well as the segments with Brian Greed and Margaret Merriman. Thank you to Gwen Barnes for her great work on the piano for both the Singing for Fun and Harmony sessions. Our Harmony group has attracted some new experienced singers with a total of 25 people attending the Harmony session in March. We hope that our new members enjoy their time with us and become regular members of the group. We are starting to have morning tea at all our singing sessions. If you could please bring your own cup with you it would be much appreciated. Tea, coffee, milk, sugar and biscuits are provided. Our former leader Joyce Borschmann has been away sick for a few weeks. We hope it is not too long before we see you again at Singing Joyce. Margaret Jenkins We started our Singing sessions in early February with about 25 members meeting in the Hub at Cooinda. The Hub is a great location with good visual access to the Leaders and the pianist by all participating, and adequate parking around the back of the Hub and at the side of it. We do hope that the venue encourages more participants from Cooinda to enjoy our sessions.
At our first meeting one of our Leaders Faith Hicks announced she was stepping down as a Leader after 14 years. Thank you Faith for all the time and effort you have put into both the Singing for Fun and also the Harmony group. We have benefitted from the exercises you have introduced at the beginning of each session, and for your meticulous instruction over the years. We are very pleased that you are remaining as one of the singers, and look forward to seeing you at our sessions for many years to come. In Faith’s place we welcome Kieran Smith as a new Leader. Kieran has only been with us for a couple of years, and that included our COVID shut down time. Kieran has a magnificent voice, a jocular manner and stage experience and will make a great Leader. At that same session Brian Greed started the year with a selection of Seeker’s songs, which are always favourites with the group. Margaret Merriman rounded off the session with “Wandering the King’s Highway” which everyone sung with gusto. Gwen Barnes did a great job on the piano even though she has not played for us for 11 months or so. We would also like to say Thank You to Trish Roe who has looked after morning tea for the Singing and Harmony groups for many years. Trish is still coming to Singing, and at the moment we are not having morning tea. However, we will need a volunteer to look after morning tea when it recommences. We would also like to send a Get Well message to Gina Behrens who had an accident on Christmas Eve and Joyce Borschmann who has been in hospital recently. Hope to see you both at Singing soon. Margaret Jenkins It was great to see so many enthusiastic members of Singing for Fun at our Enrolment Days in January.
Our first meeting for 2021 will be next Thursday 4th February 2021 at 10am at the Hub at Cooinda. Please note the change of venue. An Email has been sent to all members who have registered so far indicating that parking is available behind and at the side of the Hub, and also near the exit from Cooinda onto Kilfeera Road. We are asking members to bring their own bottle of water due to the fact that we will not be serving morning tea at the moment. But there will be the usual 20 minute break for people to have a chat and stretch their legs. There are a few members who have not put in their Enrolment form to date. Please bring your Enrolment form to the first Singing session, and we will forward it to Len Jeffers. Len has done a fantastic job constructing attendance rolls for the various groups within U3A Benalla. The Singing for Fun Harmony Group and will be held at the Hub at 10am on the second Thursday morning of the month. Community Singing will be held at the Hub at 10am on the fourth Thursday of each month. All welcome. Margaret Jenkins What a great celebration we had at the Golf Club to mark the end of 2020! Of course not everyone could come, but those who did had a very enjoyable time. It was so good to see you all there, and to actually chat and exchange news while enjoying an excellent lunch. Thank you to Bev Lee for dropping in and taking photos which showed how happy we all were on the day! This is the time of year to say thank you to those who have put in extra effort with our group throughout the year. We did not have many actual meetings but thank you to Gwen Barnes for her excellent work on the piano accompanying us. Whilst the Singing for Fun group may not have met many times this year, Gwen has still been practising to keep her repertoire up to date.
Also thank you to our three conductors Faith Hicks, Brian Greed and Margaret Merriman. Their choice of songs encourages us to keep expanding the songs we are familiar with, and we do appreciate the preparation they put into each of their sessions. Thank you also to Margaret Howard for her help putting out singing books, Trish and helpers for organising morning tea and Ian for regularly opening up and organising the furniture. There will be an Email regarding our first meeting in 2021. With best wishes to you all for the New Year. Margaret Jenkins During November we were saddened to learn of the passing of Gwen Cheetham.
Gwen was one of the original 12 members of Singing for Fun which was started by Joyce Borschmann and held their first meetings in the home of the late Helen Mitchell. Gwen had a beautiful pure soprano voice and a great love for music. She was a valued member of the Sopranos in both the Singing for Fun and Harmony groups. It was a known fact that other members of the group liked to sit near Gwen because she would always hit the right notes. Several members of the Singing Group gathered at the Benalla Cemetery on 24th November to say farewell to Gwen. Our sincere condolences to Rupe at this time. We have also learnt during the month that Patsy Bollard had a fall at home and needed attention in Benalla Health. Whilst Patsy was relatively cheerful when I visited, she obviously had done considerable damage to her knee, and had a lot of bruising as well. Patsy is now home and progressing well. We are having a Singing for Fun lunch to celebrate the end of 2020 on Friday 11th December at 12.15pm at the Benalla Golf Club. Could you please let me know by Wednesday 9th December if you would like to come. May I take this opportunity to wish you all the best for 2021. We hope to see you in the New Year. Please watch the Website for more news about what is happening in the New Year. Margaret Jenkins I have spoken with several Singing for Fun members and have heard about three members who have been on the sick list.
One of our leaders, Faith Hicks told me quite enthusiastically about her plane ride down to Essendon airport on route to the Royal Melbourne Hospital. Faith had a pacemaker inserted there, and returned to Benalla after a few days. Faith had lots of good things to say about the follow up from Benalla Health, and is now being monitored by the Wangaratta cardiology unit. Another member of our group, Jean Dyer, also received excellent follow up by Benalla Health after her recent hip replacement at Wangaratta private hospital. Jean is happy with her mobility and has received several visits from her granddaughter Emily, who is nursing at Shepparton hospital. Mary Dunnachie, who has been a member of the soprano team for many years, is also home after a fall which saw her in both Benalla Health and North East Health at Wangaratta. Our best wishes to all members of the Singing for Fun group. Margaret Jenkins Wonderful News! Saw Joyce Borschmann in the supermarket doing her shopping in the latter part of September. Joyce had much pleasure telling me that on the law of averages she should have still been in hospital. It shows that she has worked hard at her rehabilitation and has had a remarkable recovery. Well done Joyce!
Other members of the Singing group have been asking me when we are going to start Singing for Fun again. The answer unfortunately is that the Seniors Complex is currently closed. Until the Benalla Rural City Council re-opens the building our singing will not recommence. I am sure the Council realise that the socialisation that results from U3A activities has a very positive effect on mental health. With the gradual lifting of restrictions in Regional parts of Victoria we hope that Benalla Council find some way for some of our U3A activities to recommence in the near future. Margaret Jenkins Spoke with Joyce Borschmann at the end of last week and she is progressing well. After spending five weeks at Benalla Health, Joyce is now in the Rehabilitation Centre of North East Health at Wangaratta undergoing more intense physio. Joyce seemed very positive about her progress and is looking forward to coming back to her unit at Cooinda. However, that will probably still be a few weeks away.
Margaret Jenkins Early in July we learnt that the original Convenor of Singing for Fun, Joyce Borschmann had unfortunately had a fall at home and had fractured her pelvis.
At the moment Joyce is at Benalla Health being well looked after and receiving physiotherapy treatment. When a bed is available in the rehabilitation area at North East Health at Wangaratta Joyce will be moved there for more intense physio. Due to COVID restrictions patients at Benalla Health can only receive one visitor for one hour per day. By phone Joyce told me that she looks forward to seeing her daughter each day. She can, however, receive phone calls preferably through her mobile or through the hospital switchboard. On July 28th Joyce celebrated her 90th Birthday. Happy Birthday, Joyce! We all hope that you had an enjoyable day. Margaret Jenkins Whilst we are still not able to participate in Singing for Fun, various members of the group have been walking around Benalla doing their shopping or exercising. It has been fun to say hello to Rae and Len who were out riding their bikes, Deidre who was shopping, Keiran walking through the park and Patsy and Hamish who were looking for a book.
Then there have also been the phone calls with lots of people saying hello to each other. Keiran reminded me (with social distancing) that choirs have been recognised for projecting their voices and possibly spreading droplets as a result. We are so lucky in Benalla that apart from three cases of COVID from returned travellers, we have not had a single case in the last eight weeks. Let’s hope that this fact will be used in the assessment of when we can return to the Senior’s Facility in Fawckner Drive. In the meantime stay safe and look after yourselves. Margaret Jenkins |
About 'Singing for Fun'The only criteria for joining this group is that you like singing. You do not need to be able to read music. We sing for fun and we find it a great sharing experience. Meeting timesSinging for Fun - 1st, 2nd & 3rd Thursday
10 am to 12 noon Cooinda Hub Jean Lee Drive Convenor and Contact detailsMargaret Jenkins
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