A Busy Festive Season

Spangles Ladies’ Harmony Chorus had their usual busy lead-up to Christmas, starting with their Christmas Show on Thursday, 5 December in the Los Alcázares Ayuntamiento’s Salon de Plenos They played to a packed house, which included the Mayor, Anastasio Bastida, and Maite Olmos Fuentes, Councillor for Tourism, Commerce and Industry. The show was compered by Spangles devotee, Amor Yagues and the Mayor commented that the chorus gets better and better every time he hears them. The ladies who attended the recent ‘Sing Harmony in a Day’ course had their moment of glory, joining the chorus to sing the song that they perfected at the course. Since then, 5 of the attendees have joined the chorus.

On Sunday, 8 December, Spangles held a memorial service for Jane Chapman, a wonderful lady who had been with the chorus since 2006. “Jane was very dear to us and, although she passed away in the UK, we wanted to remember her here in Spain” said co-Chorus Manager, Lyn Baines. Friends from Sucina, where Jane lived, attended and Spangles sang several songs before scattering rose petals on the water in her memory.

The afternoon saw Spangles singing Christmas songs for the volunteers and customers at the HAH Christmas Fair at the Restaurante Bacchus, in Los Alcázares, followed by a few songs for Ali and her customers at The Arches Bar.

Dos Mares Shopping Centre welcomed Spangles Christmas on Wednesday, 11 December, where they faced a battle with the sounds coming from the latest entertainment booth – a 5D cinema. Thankfully, the management kindly turned off the sound for the duration, so that customers could enjoy their festive entertainment.

Afterwards, Spangles and guests moved on to party at the Restaurant Asia in San Javier, where more singing ensued. “The restaurant did us proud” commented Lyn Baines. “It’s not easy to serve hot food to 48 people and the staff did a marvellous job.” This annual get-together enables the management to announce the 2013 chorus awards. ‘Barbershopper of the Year’ was won by Carol Smith, who has worked tirelessly behind the scenes for the chorus. This year, in honour of Jane Chapman, Spangles created a new award, the ‘Jane Chapman Cup’, for best attendance, which will be awarded twice a year. “We thought that the trophy for best attendance was very appropriate” explained Lyn. “Jane went through a lot with her illness but she never complained, would never let it beat her, and turned up at rehearsal, no matter how ill she felt. It’s a fitting tribute to her commitment to the chorus and her love of singing.” The Jane Chapman Cup was won jointly by Lyn Baines, Carol Smith and Thelma Adams, who each missed only one rehearsal throughout 2013.

Thursday, 12 December saw Spangles’ last rehearsal at Las Claras. Needless to say, there was more singing, but the emphasis was on having fun, with a quiz, a backward raffle for a prize that nobody wanted to win, stand-up bingo and a sumptuous buffet provided by the chorus members. Sue Higgins read out a Christmas-themed poem, which is reproduced here:

DEAR SANTA

Dear Santa it’s time to send a wish
As a child they were easy to make
For me it was chocolates and sweeties
For others sweet biscuits and cake

But now Santa, I think I need Botox
To maintain a dazzling smile
We have to look cheery and stunning
When onto the stage we do file

Polypeptides look good on the telly
I think that they go on your face
It actually sounds like your Auntie
Not a skin cream to put on a pace

And Santa I need to be taller
To stand on the back of the stack
I’m usually up front with the tinies
So none of my moves can be slack

I also need uplift and contours
To the lines now surrounding my mouth
And my boobs won’t obey, I’ve told them to stay
But they appear to be travelling south!

Dear Elves I need a new memory
To remember my words for the songs
Mine appears to have lost all its recall
Gail won’t be happy, if the lyrics are wrong

My stocking now contains hormones
Does Santa now have the cure?
Hot flushes keep you warm when you’re outside
But inside, don’t look so demure

So, if you are listening Santa
I know you have got lots to do
Good health and good cheer, throughout the year
This ‘Spangle’ needs help from you

Spangles will be taking their Christmas break, returning to Las Claras on Thursday, 9 January. They would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a very happy Christmas and prosperous New Year.