NOVA Community Chorus

From Dr. Whitmire: Welcome to our 3rd rehearsal of 2017.

Check out this World Water Concert PR
https://blogs.nvcc.edu/intercom/2017/01/23/nova-world-water-day-concert-and-events/

Thanks to the WOMEN who had a great rehearsal on Saturday. This Saturday I see MEN at 11:00 am

Auditions for Water Nights are tonight beginning at 9:00 pm.

I’d like to meet briefly at break tonight with
April 8 Cleanup Day Committee
Gillie Campbell, Grace White, David Shilton, plus Kate Cantrell and Kris K

Washington National Cathedral
I will be bring one of my Richmond choirs to sing the choral prelude at Washington National Cathedral this Sunday, January 29. The choral prelude begins at 3:20 pm followed by Evensong at 4:00 pm sung by the Cathedral Choir. I would be great if some of you could come.

P.S. Also
These things shall be by John Ireland is in the bookstore now.
We will begin rehearsing it next Tuesday, January 31.

Sing Well-MW

Dear Singers- Once again, here is a site to help you learn the Water Night notes.

http://www.singingpractice.co.uk/music/Renaissance/jul10.html

I have also attached the mp3 file that you will sing with for the audition.

Yours-DrW

From Dr. Whitmire: Dear Singers-
-I look forward to seeing WOMEN tomorrow at 11:00 am. (I know that some of you will be at the march.)
-I will have more photocopies of of Earth is our mother tomorrow. The bookstore hopes to have more copies in a week.
-Auditions for Water Night are Tuesday after rehearsal. It would be good if some women were prepared to audition tomorrow.
-i will be bring one of my Richmond choirs to sing the choral prelude at Washington National Cathedral on Sunday, January 29. The choral prelude begins at 3:20 pm followed by Evensing at 4:00 pm sung by the Cathedral Choir. I would be great if some of you could come.
-I have a good group of volunteers to help with the May 12 Celebration, but could use more help with the April 8 River Clean-up. Please let me know if you can help.

Yours-DrW

April 8 Cleanup Day at Hard Bargain Farm Committee

Gillie Campbell
Grace White
____________
____________

Tasks I can think of right now. The committee will have many great ideas:

Make a list of participants
Coordinate with Hard Bargain Farm staff about details and logistics
Establish a Facebook presence about this event

May 12 Celebration Committee
Chris Hagan
Peggy Harrison
Debbie Peetz
Jane Roningen
Ruth Wood
Mary Yee
Pat Flagg

Tasks I can think of right now. The committee will have many great ideas:

Make an Evite that we can send to folks who we think would like to come and determine in advance how many will attend
Coordinate with Immanuel Church-on-the Hill staff about details and logistics
Organize food, drink, tables, plates and cups, etc

From Dr. Whitmire: Welcome to NOVA Community Chorus. It is going to be a great season.

Thanks to the MEN who had a great reeharsal on Saturday. This Saturday I see WOMEN at 11:00 am

Sheetmusic (Please have your music at all rehearsals)

Earth is our mother (I hope to get more copies today. I have made a few photocopies, in case.)

Wade in the water

Sicut Cervus (.pdf)

Water Nights (if you intend to audition, google ‘Water nights pdf’ to get sheetmusic. Then google ‘Water nights Whitacre’ and leaning tracks will come up on Youtube.

[Admin: As rehearsal tracks, recordings and sheet music files become available, they are posted to the music files page, listed on the tab above.]

If you are new, pick up

Worksheets (.pdf)

Schedule (.pdf)

Rehearsal CDs for all our music are available ($5 cash or check to NVCC Foundation). Rehearsal Tracks will be at www.novachorus.org for free.

Yours-DrW

Senior Registrations-Thanks to all who registered as paying students. If you are registered as a non-paying senior, please consider making a donation to NVCC Foundation in lieu of tuition. Donations of any amount are appreciated. Make checks to NVCC Foundation.

Attendance
Please try not to be absent. If you miss more than two rehearsals during preparation for a concert, you will be asked to audition to demonstrate preparedness.

Sing Well – DrW

From Dr. Whitmire: Hello Jimmie and Marcus- Please send this information campus-wide. Jimmie, please make sure our English faculty sees this. A flyers is attached. thanks-KW

Do you write Poetry?
Enter our World Water Day
Poetry Contest

Students are invited to submit original poems
on the subject of water.

· Poems must be limited to 30 lines
· Submit poems to mwhitmire@nvcc.edu
· Deadline for submission is March 12
· Winners will be selected by a faculty panel
· Winners must be available read their
poems on March 21 at a 7:30 pm event

1st prize – $100
2nd prize $75
3rd prize $50

For information, contact Dr. Mark Whitmire at mwhitmire @nvcc.edu

Click image for Flyer PDF

From Dr. Whitmire: Dear Singers- Thanks to those who have volunteered already. We have enough members for mary 12, but need some folks for April 8. Please let me know if you can help. I look forward to seeing MEN tomorrow at 11 am.
Yours-MW

April 8 Cleanup Day at Hard Bargain Farm Committee
____________
____________
____________
____________

Tasks I can think of right now. The committee will have many great ideas:

Make a list of participants
Coordinate with Hard Bargain Farm staff about details and logistics
Establish a Facebook presence about this event

May 12 Celebration Committee
Chris Hagan
Peggy Harrison
Debbie Peetz
Jane Roningen
Ruth Wood
Mary Yee

Tasks I can think of right now. The committee will have many great ideas:

Make an Evite that we can send to folks who we think would like to come and determine in advance how many will attend
Coordinate with Immanuel Church-on-the Hill staff about details and logistics
Organize food, drink, tables, plates and cups, etc

From Dr. Whitmire: Please spread the word about this event and post on all appropriate calendars.

Click image for Flyer PDF

World Water Day Concert
March 21, 7:30 p.m.
Schlesinger Concert Hall

MUSIC
Wonderful water-themed music by NOVA Community Chorus, including Earth Is Our Mother. Music by the jazz legend Dave Brubeck with words by Chief Seattle (1786-1866), sung by operatic tenor Jesus Daniel Fernandez http://www.dietschartists.com/jesus-daniel-hernandez-tenor.

INFORMATION
There will be a talk by environmental specialists from the Alice Ferguson Foundation, an organization that does extensive work to clean up the Potomac River. Last year Alice Ferguson Foundation led the cleanup of 334, 952 pounds of trash.
(For more information go to http://fergusonfoundation.org)

POETRY CONTEST
Students are invited to submit original poems on the subject of water.
· Poems must be limited to 30 lines
· Submit poems to mwhitmire@nvcc.edu
· Deadline for submission is March 12
· Winners will be selected by a faculty panel
· Winners must be available read their poems at the March 21 concert
· First prize – $100; Second prize $75; Third prize $50

ACTION
Save the date – On Saturday, April 8th, 2017
The Chorus invites and students, faculty and staff from across the campus to join us in the
29th Annual Potomac River Watershed Cleanup
On Saturday, April 8th, 2017, we will gather to pick up trash and marine debris along the shoreline of the Potomac River at Hard Bargain Farm (located on the Maryland side of the Potomac, across from Mt. Vernon). Information about registration will be available soon.

For information, contact Dr. Mark Whitmire at mwhitmire @nvcc.edu

From Dr. Whitmire: Dear Singers- Words cannot express the happiness and satisfaction that last night’s rehearsal brought to me. Meeting so many new folks and reuniting with so many old friends was such a joy. Plus the amazing choral sound that you were able to create on the very first night. Awesome!

This Saturday at 11:00 am I will rehearse with MEN. Thereafter we’ll alternate weeks Women-Men, etc. Saturday rehearsals are optional, but I encourage everyone to attend if they can.

I need some help in two areas:
1 – help with the April 8 cleanup project
2 – help with the May 12 30th year Celebration
Please let me know if you are willing to help with either of these events.

From Chorister Peggy: Seniors. If you registered Friday your classes may have dropped per one of our members below. You need to go to student services asap and put your name an the senior list with your student is and phone number and they will fix it. The student services told me that just now.

Chorister:
Today both and I had our senior citizen class registrations cancelled despite submitting all required forms online. After spending time on it and going in today, they are saying a lot of senior had their registrations dropped due to a glitch in the system. If this happens to others in class they need to submit their name on a list that is in student services. I did this by going over there but perhaps it can be done by phone. Those who registered online as seniors need to check their status for sure to make sure they were not “dropped.”

From Dr. Whitmire: Dear Singers-
Please print these Worksheets (.pdf) if you are able. The printer here is down.

From Chorister Alan: Just a word about MUS 121, World Music. I took the course in the fall. The text is “The Other Classic Music” and the course is a rich survey of world music, taught with depth, clarity and humor of course. I suppose it will meet Fridays at 9:00 for three
hours, same as before. Perfect for retirees.

From Dr. Whitmire: Dear Singers-
I hope everyone has enjoyed a wonderful holiday.
Thanks to all of you who have found time during the busy season to register for classes.
Special thanks to those seniors who have registered as paying students.
I am especially excited that I will see a few of you in other classes this Spring. Here is a look at how my classes look so far. Admin will begin making cancellation decisions this Thursday (1/5).
I am looking forward to seeing all of you at our first rehearsal next Tuesday, January 10 at 7:00 pm.
Yours-DrW

MUS 121 World Music
Total enrollments: 8
Choristers enrolled: 2 -Gillie Campbell, Barbara Lowrey

MUS 131/132 Class voice
Total enrollments: 10
Choristers enrolled: 4 -Gillie Campbell, Elizabeth Todd, Jackie Cohen, Marcelita Flowers

Mus 137 Chorus
Total enrollments: 23 (This is enough; We need enrollments in MUS 237)

MUS 163 Beginning Guitar
Total enrollments: 5
Choristers enrolled: 1 -Susan Trotter

MUS 164 intermediate Guitar
Total enrollments: 2
Choristers enrolled: 0

MUS 198 Vocal Seminar
Total enrollments: 8

Chorus
Total enrollments: 4 (We need enrollments here)

From Chorister Peggy: Happy New Year, everyone!!!

Below is info from NOVA web site, including links and instructions.

Note that The class SESSION starts on MONDAY, January 9, (NOT the first day of the class).

ASAP make sure your NOVA ID and password are working. If there are problems call the Nova computer help line.

Contact IT Help Desk
Toll Free: 855.259.1019
Phone: 703.426.4141
ithelpdesk@nvcc.edu

Help desk web page: https://www.nvcc.edu/ithd/

Here are course numbers and codes for chorus and other classes that Dr Whitmire teaches, and also applied voice lessons at NOVA.
Mus 121 335a Music appreciation world music 15686
Mus 137 001a chorus 15143
Mus163 001a guitar I57157
Mus164 001a Guitar II 14751
Mus 198 001a seminar and project 15862
Mus237 001a chorus 15145
Mus 131 001a class voice I 14747
Mus 132 001a class voice II 14748
Mus 236 001a advanced applied music voice 15244
MUS 136 001a Applied Music-Voice 15236

Most important info from senior registration page:

• You must complete an online application at least 24 hours before you can register for classes and you must complete the Senior Citizen Enrollment Tuition Waiver Form (105-88E)
• Seniors may register online beginning the Friday before their class session begins. If you need registration assistance after classes have begun, you may go to the campus Student Services Center during the first week of the session.
• Submit the tuition waiver form by 5 p.m. the next business day after registering.
• Registration is not complete until the senior tuition waiver form has been successfully completed and submitted within this same timeframe as registration. Submit the tuition waiver form immediately after registering
You must pay course expenses other than tuition, such as laboratory and art fees (Exception: Fees for applied music courses will be waived.). Check your student account balance in myNOVA. Fees must be paid by 5 p.m. the next business day after registration.
Complete info:

http://www.nvcc.edu/admissions/apply/seniors.html

Seniors may register online beginning the Friday before their class session begins. If you need registration assistance after classes have begun, you may go to the campus Student Services Center during the first week of the session.

Click here for step-by-step registration procedures. (Invalid link)

Classes begin on Monday, January 9. The first chorus rehearsal is on Tuesday, January 10.

Chorus is MUS 137 001A (subject MUS, catalog number 137, section 001A).

For previous postings regarding Spring 2017, under Archives on the right-hand side of the page, click on “Spring 2017”

For archived Summer or Fall 2016 information, please see to the right-hand side of the page, also under Archives.

Frequently Used Documents are always linked on the right side of the page:
Info for New Members (Great refresher for current members, too)
Dr. W’s Choral Singing Tips
Performance Advice (includes concert dress guidelines)
Join the Chorus

As rehearsal tracks, recordings and sheet music files become available, they are posted to the music files page, listed on the tab above.

From Dr. Whitmire: Dear Singers – Here is a poem that has brought me great inspiration, hope and confidence as we march into the New Year.
Peace-DrW

These Things shall be
by John Addington Symonds (1840-93)

Say, heart, what will the future bring.
To happier men when we are gone?
What golden days shall dawn for them,
Transcending all we gaze upon?

These things shall be! A loftier race
Than e’er the world hath known shall rise
With flame of freedom in their souls
And light of science in their eyes.

They shall be gentle, brave, and strong,
Not to shed human blood, but dare,
All that may plant man’s lordship firm
On earth, and fire, and sea, and air.

Nation with nation, land with land,
Inarmed shall live as comrades free;
In every brain and heart shall throb
The pulse of one fraternity.

They shall be simple in their homes,
And splendid in their public ways,
Filling the mansions of the state
With music and with hymns of praise.

In aisles majestic, halls of pride,
In gardens, in groves and galleries
Manhood and age and youth shall meet
To grow by converse inly wise.

New arts shall bloom of loftier mold,
And mightier music thrill the skies,
And every life a song shall be,
When all the earth is paradise.

[Set to music by John Ireland (1879-1962)]

performed at the BBC Proms 2012
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvV2a0pkcE4

From Dr. Whitmire: Dear Singers – This is an ambitious undertaking (I may have bitten off more than we can chew); but I never underestimate the willingness of our group.. We’ll have auditions in January.
Peace-DrW

Water Nights by Eric Whitacre
8-14 parts
auditioned for performance on March 21

Recording
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ixP0NiGZnw

PDF
http://intern.baechlechor.de/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/water_night_pdf_of_score_cut.pdf

Note learning tracks

Soprano
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fj3MjsQJxAE

Alto
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giTKzmOWX98

Tenor
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwHcrKzmXgM

Bass
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gWv9u1TsKM

From Chorister Annette: After the holidays, there’s more good music ahead in a free concert.
Some NOVA chorus members will remember singing both music by Paul Leavitt and Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms, which are featured in this concert.

The Friday Morning Music Club (FMMC) Chorale is looking forward to entertaining
a large audience with its all-American Composer program on January
13 and 14 at the Church of the Reformation (212 E. Capitol St., NE). Each concert will start at 8:00 pm.

Three of the works on the program are from the middle of the 20th Century
(Barber, Bernstein and Burton) while the fourth work is newly composed and
orchestrated by Paul Leavitt for this, its premier performance. The program will open with a short work for chorus and orchestra by the Chorale’s conductor, Paul Leavitt. Mr.
Leavitt chose Modern Greek for this, his newest work, appropriately entitled In the
Beginning.

This introduction will be followed by Stephen Douglas Burton’s cantata titled
I Have a Dream, based on the famous speech by the Reverend Martin Luther
King. The cantata was commissioned by the FMMC in 1986 as part of the Club’s
celebration of its 100th anniversary. This will be the first time that the FMMC
Chorale will perform the work, as the cantata’s premier performance was sung
by The University of Maryland Chorus, accompanied by the Club’s orchestra. Mr.
Burton will be in the audience for these performances.

Samuel Barber’s Agnus Dei was composed in 1967 and was based on his Adagio
for Strings, one of the most well-known works for string orchestra. Agnus Dei,
which can be done accompanied or a capella, closely follows the Adagio, with only
minor differences. For this performance, the orchestra will accompany the Chorale.

Leonard Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms was composed in 1965 and combines the
texts of six different psalms from the Old Testament. Sung in Hebrew, it is both a
difficult and extremely satisfying piece to present for both the chorus and orchestra.

In summing up this concert, Paul Leavitt notes: “It seems to me that Dr.
King’s dream was akin to the dream of the psalmist who wrote:
Behold how good
And how pleasant it is,
For brethren to dwell
Together in unity.”
Supported by a grant from the Nancy Peery Marriott Foundation, this concert was developed to
honor the memory of Charlotte W. Holloman, a well-known soprano and voice
teacher who was a long-time member of the Club and President of the FMMC
Foundation. Mrs. Holloman’s daughter plans to attend the concert.