Christmas Tree Lighting on the Cheshire Green!

Date - Sunday, December 7th
Time - Be there at 5:30 - the singing will start at 5:45 - will be over around 6:00 when Santa
gets there.
Dress - Warmly!!!

We will be leading the crowd in some carols until Santa gets there.
If you can make it, come and bring a friend - the more, the merrier. It's a fun time, doesn't take up too much time, and keeps the Christmas Spirit alive in Cheshire!!

Chorus Update for Concert Week

Courtesy of Kate:

Here's our update for concert week.

1. Homework from Lisa: Practice ! Practice! Practice! Pay attention to words. Watch dynamics! I got caught barreling in on an entrance last night in Promise of Living that was supposed to be soft. Fix your trouble spots. (We all know what we need to work on.)

Dynamics help for those who don't read music:

pp or ppp = extremely soft

p = very soft

mp = soft

mf = medium sound

f = loud

ff or fff = very loud

2. Please arrive at Elim Park at 7:15pm on Friday. We will begin promptly at 7:30pm. We will run the entire concert as we will give it on Sunday. No stopping to fix anything. This is out time to hear ourselves in the performance space, hear the 4 hand piano pieces with both pianists, hear the violinist and work with the sound guy. As I tell my students all the time, we need to listen, pay attention to the teacher (Lisa) and keep the chatterboxes closed. This will get us all home at a reasonable hour.

Concert Information will be in the comments.

See you on Friday!

Come to Our Concert Sunday, November 23rd, and Help Those in Need

This is just one example of the kind of donation you can bring with you to our Holiday Concert. Can you really say that after being moved so profoundly by "The Promise of Living", that you won't want to share the bounty of harvest with others? Or are you certain that following the "Banquet Fugue", you won't feel the need to provide someone with a new bowl of insect-free consommé?

Don't be caught off guard. Bring a donation with you to the concert, proceeds to benefit the Cheshire Food Pantry.

Chorus Update

Courtesy of Kate:

Here is this week's update. Please read carefully as there is lots of information as we head into concert week.

***Scheduling Note: Tuesday's rehearsal will be held at Elim Park. Please assemble in the old chapel. We may move into Nelson Hall as the rehearsal progresses as it is available to us as well.***

1. We ran the entire concert on Tuesday. Each of us needs to clean up our own trouble spots.

2. I think we all know that Banquet Fugue needs our attention. Practice! The accompaniment doesn't help with parts. We all need to count and watch Lisa.

3. Lisa says to go over the words. We have the notes now, but are getting tripped up on words.

4. Lisa also says to make sure we support the Glorias in Ding Dong Merrily on High. They're a capella.

5. Continue to review Promise of Living. There is a recording of the piece on the chorus blog.

6. We will be singing at the tree lighting again this year. Fran will give us the specifics.

7. The afterglow party will be held on Tuesday, December 3rd at Sally Ziegler's house at 6:30pm. Please bring an appetizer or a dessert.

8. We will give a short concert for the residents at Highland in December. Date yet to be determined . . .

9. The lyrics to See Amid . . . that I typed up for myself are included in the comments. It spells out what to sing. Please remember that the notations are for my part - soprano 1. Feel free to edit to reflect your part. Thanks to Fran for this idea. It does help.

Holiday Concert Coming on Sunday, November 23rd!!!

“We Gather Together”
with the
Cheshire Community Chorus

Kick Off the Holiday Season with Songs of Thanksgiving and Joy

Sunday, November 23 @ 3pm Nelson Hall, Elim Park
140 Cook Hill Rd, Cheshire
Tickets are $5 for Elim Park Residents, $10 for non-Residents, $8 for Students and Seniors

Share in the Spirit of Giving by Bringing a Non-Perishable Food Item. Proceeds to benefit the Cheshire Food Pantry

Chorus Update for the week of October 13th

Courtesy of Kate:

Hi everyone,

Here is this week's update a bit early.

1. We had an inventory rehearsal this week. We ran through every piece in our notebooks.

2. Please hand in Sussex Carol and Wassail Song. They have been cut from the program. Also, please hand in Fall Festival music if you still have it. There are three sets outstanding.

3. Reminder - There are two rehearsals this week - Tuesday night at Highland Health Care and Wednesday night at Elim Park. Both are at 7pm.

4. Homework from Lisa: practice Silver Bells and work with our CDs. Also, women need to work on A Present Fur Elise.

On a personal note, Molly will be sending you the chorus update for the next few weeks. I am having foot surgery tomorrow morning and will be out for 3 weeks. I hope to be back to rehearsal on November 11th. Until then, sing well!

Chorus Update for the week of October 7th

Here's the chorus update, courtesy of Kate.

Hi everyone,

Here's the update for this week.

1. We worked on Shepherd's Pipe Carol, Rise Up Shepherd and Follow, Time for Praying, One Candle Lights the Way, and The Promise of Living.

2. Homework from Lisa: Work on Wassail Song with the CD. Make sure you know what you're singing in Rise Up Shepherd and Follow. I know I sang several things I wasn't supposed to . . .

3. There is a recording of The Promise of Living on our blog.

4. Change of venue: Rehearsals on October 22, 27 and 28 will take place in Nelson Hall at Elim Park.

5. I am attaching an updated Membership Roster to this message. It is a Microsoft Excel file. I think I have everybody now.

6. I am also attaching two music files to this message. I was playing with my digital recorder at rehearsal on Tuesday and recorded two of our run throughs. They are both soprano and tenor heavy as I was holding the recorder in my hand. And you can hear all of my mistakes . . . One of the recordings is our rough run through of Promise of Living. I thought it would be helpful for everybody to hear what we sound like and I can learn how to use my device in the process.

Enjoy this beautiful fall weekend! See you all on Tuesday.

The Promise of Singing

Note to the Chorus:

For those of you who would find it helpful to listen to the Promise of Living, you can order a copy of the version that Lisa recommended (sung by the St. Olaf Choir) from Singers.com/ Order that if you want to hear some top notch choral music. In the meantime, here's the New Jersey All-state choir singing a version. It's really gorgeous when you hear how it all fits together.



Feel free to comment (on this, or any other post) should the spirit move you.

Chorus Update for the week of September 16th

Courtesy of Kate:

Good morning everyone!

Here is the update for this week.

2. I have given Lisa a list of all those who indicated that they'd like to be voice tested.

3. Auditions for solos within full chorus pieces will probably be the last week in October.

4. From Sally: Please return any music from the Fall Festival ASAP if you have not already done so.

5. Fran has practice CDs for all voice parts. pleas esee her if you need one.

6. We read through and/or worked on The Wassail Song, Promise of Living, Angels of Seven, Silver Bells, Star Carol, Good News, I Wonder as I Wander and Rise Up Sheperd and Follow.

Lisa says practice everything! See you on Tuesday.

Kate

Chorus Update for the week of September 2nd

Courtesy of Kate:

Hi Everyone,

Here's our update for this week:

Bring your dues - $60 - to Louise by September 30th.

Please return your membership profile to me ASAP so I can update our roster for the season.

We worked on the following pieces on Tuesday. Lisa would like us to review so we don't forget what we learned.

Ding Dong Merrily on High

Good News

See Amid the Winter's Snow

Sheperd's Pipe Carol

Sussex Carol

Hanukkah Wish

See you on Tuesday.

Cheshire Fall Festival on Saturday!

This Saturday is the Cheshire Fall Festival, and the Chorus will be there to help usher in the autumn. We'll be appearing on-stage between 1pm and 1:45, so friends of the chorus, grab some carnival fare and listen to us croon some of the greatest hits of the 50s and 60s before taking a spin on the Tilt-a-Whirl*. Those of you who might be considering joining can get a taste of what we do.

*Tilt-a-whirl subject to availability. The Cheshire Community Chorus is not responsible for a lack of Tilt-a-Whirl or whatever weight gain resulting from overindulging in delicious, delicious carnival food.
For chorus members: We're going to be meeting at the gazebo at 12:30. That's approximately a half-hour before we go on. Those of you with official Chorus polos (the hunter green ones), wear them with khaki pants. If you don't have one yet, no worries, just wear a brightly colored, solid (that's all one color) shirt and khakis. The order of the program will be Joy to the World, Hernando's Hideway, Bring Me up Buttercup, Pretty Woman/You Got It, and Goodnight, Sweetheart. Right now, the weather forecast is predicting cloudiness and possible AM showers. If the events are postponed, we'll let you know through email or the phone tree. I'll try to get a note up here if I can, but assume it's on unless otherwise notified. Hope to see you there, and even if you aren't planning on singing, if you can show up, do. It's a good time.

Welcome to All Our New Members!

Tuesday was our first official rehearsal for the season , and I'm sure I was not alone in being glad to be back! It was wonderful to see new faces in the chorus. To those of you out there reading this thinking to yourselves, "Oh alas and alack, I saw a flyer and picked up a slip and now I missed the first rehearsal," fear not--it's never too late to join in. Pop in to the next rehearsal at 7 pm on Tuesday at the Highland Health Center in Cheshire and check out the Cheshire Community Choral experience.

We'll also be singing at the Cheshire Fall Festival on Saturday, September 13 between 1:15 and 1:45 pm. Grab some fried dough and a local craft and sing along as we perform some of our greatest hits from the last concert (Rock and Pop from the 50s, and 60s) such as Build Me Up, Buttercup, Hernando's Hideaway, and Joy to the World. You can also get some more information about the chorus.

Check back here periodically for updates!

Cheshire Community Chorus Welcomes our New Accompanist

We are pleased to welcome our new accompanist, Amy Christman. Amy is the director of choral music at Joel Barlow High School in Redding and also works as a freelance pianist and accompanist for solo musicians and chamber ensembles. We are looking forward to collaborating with her.

New Season Starting Soon!

We're very excited to announce the beginning of our 2008-09 season! Rehearsals begin Tuesday, September 2nd at 7pm. No previous musical experience is necessary. If you've participated in a music group before, or if you only sing in the shower and are tired of the lack of response, come and join in all the fun. No matter what part you sing--Soprano, Alto, Tenor, or Bass--all voices are welcome and needed.

Check back here for updates and information.

Hope to see you there!