1 January: we visited Robert and Helen White at their exciting new house in Marlow. Sadly, the weather was appalling. All over the UK, it was raining and there was flooding everywhere.
At the end of January – we visited FMM Catholic nun, Sister Chelliah Bawani whom Katharine met during a trip to the Vatican in 2023. It was a quick but exciting visit to Rome and we saw the great sites.
3 March: Gresham’s choral society performed the well-loved Faure and Durufle requiems. Mark conducted the orchestra and choir and Katharine sang. It was a thrilling experience to be part of such an occasion.
21 March: Mark and Katharine enjoyed Gresham’s production of the musical “Amelie” – it was cleverly produced (a huge number of pupils taking part) and beautifully performed. Some of the students were both orchestra players and singers!
23 March: Rachel Hannyngton and Katharine sang in Stainer’s “The Crucifixion” at King’s Lynn Minster – organised by the King’s Lynn Festival Chorus. It was enjoyable to perform this work again, having sung it with Chippenham church choir with Terry Cross RIP in about 2007.
29 March: Mark conducted and Katharine sang in the Good Friday service with the Hindringham St Martin’s choir and took part in The Passion. It was an incredibly moving experience.
6 April: we visited Cambridge for a weekend away and went to Evensong at Pembroke College. On 7 April, we saw Nicola and Dick Bourne in Fordham for the first time in 18 months. It was a great catch-up and exciting to see all the progress they’ve made developing their small-farm-house-holding.
25 May, the Hindringham choir sang at Norwich Cathedral. We sang Tom Carr’s stunning Magnificat and Nunc Dimitis, Ayleward Responses and Stainer’s “I Saw the Lord!” Mark conducted and it was a great sing! Georgie came to listen.
1 June: Esme Haywood and Gabriel Standen’s wedding took place at St Andrew’s Church Hoe. It was the most glorious of weddings. Mark and Lynne Roberts played for the service and accompanied the thrilling soprano, Elle Oldfield, singing “O Mio Babbino Caro” (Puccini) and Can’t Help Falling in Love. Sadly we had to leave early for the final night of Semele. A shame that two such wonderful occasions occurred on the same day 😣
6 June: it was marvellous to see Jacob Harrison (Mark’s former pupil) perform in Lehar’s The Merry Widow at Glyndebourne. Jacob’s singing career is going from strength to strength. He is off to Dusseldorf in the autumn.
22 June: Mark conducted Fakenham Choral Society’s summer concert “Songs of the Sea.”
29 June: Then it was Gresham’s Speech Day, the amazing leavers ball and on 1-14 July we went on holiday!! Bliss. Our longest holiday ever. An apartment just across the road from the beach, hot, sunny weather, the seaside and we saw Mike and Louise Fisher in Cannes. Meanwhile, the UK froze in the coldest summer on record.
16 July: Mark and Lynne Roberts played a joint concert of organ and French horn at Cromer Parish Church in its annual organ recital series.
21 July: the Holt Festival started with Mark running the St Andrew’s Festival (fringe), giving NNCO an opportunity to perform some Opera Favourites.
Katharine sang an aria from Handel’s Semele “Where er you Walk” and a Mozart duet “Sull Aria” from The Marriage of Figaro, with Melissa Sampson.
3 – 9 August: Katharine took part in The Music Summer School and Festival at Gresham’s (6x 1.5 hour practices of Mozart’s requiem and performance on 9 Aug) conducted by Stephen Layton. For her, this concert was probably one of her top five singing experiences.
4 August: we heard the sad news that Tim Ambler had died.
10-11 August: we visited Colin Paterson and Joanna Markbreiter at their lovely new flat in London, where they treated us to a performance of “Guys and Dolls” at the Bridge Theatre. It was absolutely thrilling. We also visited the London Museum Docklands and Stratford shopping centre.
17-20 August: Katharine visited Sarah Klerkefors in Sweden for a few days. It was lovely to see Sarah, Anders, their friends Anna and Jonas, then Ben, Charlie and Eleanor. Sadly I didn’t see Mia or Madie and Joaquin (who are working and living in London).
19-23 August: at the same time, Mark and Hilary went walking in the mountains! Tour of the Grand Muveron!
At the end of August, we saw the Haywood clan, Russell and Anne, the Thomson clan and celebrated Georgie’s birthday. Then autumn arrived and there was no stopping the world..
9 September: we began rehearsals and auditions for NNCO’s next production – Handel’s Xerxes
15 September: Mark and I met up at Saffron Hall (Saffron Walden) to hear Wagner’s Die Meistersinger von Nuremberg (Melissa Sampson was singing in the choir.) I was sorry to miss Ro Gardner who lives in SW.
21 September: Tim Ambler’s memorial service was held at Cley St Margaret’s Church. Mark played for the service and the Iceni choir sang. Katharine was very sorry that she could not be there to sing for Tim.
18-23 September: Katharine visited her long-term friend, Penny Gilbey and her husband, Sir Gavin, in Dornoch, Inverness. I was sorry to miss Canon Alex and Geraldine Gordon who live in nearby Tain.
25 September: Georgie had elective foot surgery at the Norwich Spire Hospital which went very well. Her feet are now as good as new! Will it be Katharine’s turn (again) next year?
4 October – St Francis Leprosy Guild commemorated its Annual Mass and Assembly at Westminster Cathedral. It was a wonderful service with Bishop John Sherrington as Celebrant.
5 October: Jo Winchester married Tim Alexander-Dann at the Church of the Ascension, London, SW12. We continued to celebrate at the Royal Victoria Patriotic Building. It was a memorable wedding, a chance to see many old friends from St George’s days and to show off some dancing!
9 October: we celebrated Mark’s birthday with St Andrew’s church choir after choir practice and again on 12 October with Dick and Caroline Girling. (NB: It’s Mark’s big birthday in 2025.) We celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary on the 18th. As usual – it was on the same day as Gresham’s glorious House Music competition.
At the end of October, we visited Basel. It was a long overdue trip to see friends and visit a city that holds many wonderful memories. We stayed with Simone and Alwin Kirch-Stutvoet (Sterre and Tijmen) and saw David Blunden, Sarah Neville, Marion Kilchenmann and Gail & Douglas Corbett-Smith – it was just like old times.
6 November: Holt Lights were switched on and the church choir sang a pre-Christmas concert.
7 November: Mark accompanied profundo bass, Julian Godlee, in “At The Going Down of the Sun” an incredibly moving collection of music and readings commemorating the First World War – an exceptional Thursdays@Three event.
21 November: Mark’s choir tour this year was in Cambridge. They had a tremendous time singing in various colleges. Meanwhile, Robert and Helen White visited this part of the world and saw Mark at King’s and Katharine in Upper Sheringham.
29 November: Gresham’s Choral Society performed Handel’s Messiah at the Auden Theatre. It was the best performance ever! So many friends and acquaintances taking part with Mark conducting the choir and orchestra (a highlight of the year for sure.)
Then Christmas arrived – the season of even more singing. Mark conducted countless Christmas concerts including two at Fishmongers, Schola Cantorum singing Bob Chilcott’s Twelve Days of Christmas for Gresham’s “Jingle All the Way” and Fakenham Choral Society’s “Christmas Knights.”
13 December: Joanna Markbreiter and Colin Paterson came to stay. It was wonderful to hear their news about their new tour in Liberia. Both were well and thriving. Joanna and Katharine sang in the Hindringham, Wiverton, Holt St Andrew and Binham Priory carol services that Mark conducted.
21 December: a feeling of shock and sadness descended on Holt St Andrew. Two members of the congregation died in a terrible accident at High Kelling.
24 December: we celebrated Midnight Mass at Holt St Andrew and Mark played at the Christmas Day service there the next day. Georgie came to eat, drink, and be merry on Christmas Day and we had a lovely restful time.
It’s been a massive year for both of us. Katharine is working full time as Director of St Francis Leprosy Guild. She is chair and treasurer of NNCO and treasurer of Upper Sheringham Village Hall. She sings in several choirs, NNCO, and has regular singing lessons with Mary Worrall in Norwich. Mark is part-time at Gresham’s and also musical director for Fakenham Choral Society, Gresham’s Choral Society, Hindringham choir, Holt St Andrew’s church choir, and NNCO. He also plays at weddings and funerals.
We are heading off for the new Year to see Hilary and Rob and the Whites in Marlow. Happy New Year!
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