NOVA Community Chorus

From Chorister Annette,
Peggy, could you share this concert announcement with the NOVA chorus. Note that tickets are only $5. for students. The concert is in Schlesinger next Sunday, Oct. 26, at 4 p.m.
Thanks,

Concert flyer (link)

From Chorister Grace: For those singers who would love to sing the Mozart Vespers again (!), you can do so with Berkshire Choral International (formerly the Berkshire Choral Festival) in Portland, Oregon. The Portland week next year is from June 21 – 28 and will also include Purcell’s Dido & Aeneas with Karen Thomas conducting. Ms. Thomas is the Artistic Director and Conductor of the Seattle Pro Musica. Other Berkshire programs offered in 2015 include a week in Ireland at the National University of Ireland campus in the village of Maynooth, outside Dublin, performing Haydn’s Creation with Julien Wachner conducting. And there are three weeks to select from in the original Berkshires of western Massachusetts – Britten’s War Requiem, July 11 – 19 with Jane Glover conducting; the music of Duke Ellington and his era, July 19 – 26 with Philip Brunelle conducting; and Dvorak’s Stabat Mater, July 26 – August 2 with Erin Freeman conducting.

Each week rehearsals are held mornings and evenings with most afternoons free for local sight-seeing and with the concert – with orchestra – on Saturday night. BCF usually offers organized local trips for the afternoons and also offers some programs for the non-singing partners of members of the chorus.

BCF also has a paid apprentice program for professional-track undergrad and grad students, and the Berkshire Scholar program for college undergraduate music students. More information on both of these programs can be found at http://www.choralfest.org/sing-with-us/young-adult-programs/. There are also limited partial scholarships available for singers of any age.

Having vacationed with BCF almost every year since 2004, I heartily recommend the experience. For anyone interested, following is additional information about the registration process.

The online registration site is now available at https://registration.campbrain.com/Portal/Login.aspx?H=berkshirechoralinternational&G=1115. Following is some information that explains the enrollment process.

1. Open enrollment lasts until December 31. Everyone who applies during that timeframe is considered in the selection.

2. The selection is made in January, and notifications are sent out by mid-month.

3. We do our best to fit singers into the week of their choice, but achieving a proper voice balance can prevent this. Therefore we encourage you to list a first, second, and even third choice to optimize your chances of getting in. (And keep in mind, if you attend one season, you may apply early for the next season!)

4. Applications are accepted after December 31 based on voice part availability until all spots are filled.

5. When you do apply, be sure to read the admissions page on the website. There is much important information, especially for those who are new to BCF.

8. Any questions about registration, applying, and participating can be addressed to Chorister Services Director Cynthia Pease at cpease@berkshirechoral.org or by calling 413-229-8526.

Come talk to me if you want to know more!

From Fred: Carmina Burana will be presented at our Schlesinger Center on Saturday, October 18, at 7:00 PM by Choralis, a semiprofessional chorus, with professional soloists and a full orchestra. They will be joined by their own Youth Choirs to present additional contemporary works by Cecilia McDowall, Francis Pott, and Andrew Gant.

Carmina Burana is my favorite choral work, whether I’m singing it or listening in the audience. We, NOVA Chorus, used it to open the Schlesinger Center. It is funny, exciting, amazing. It covers a wide range of topics, as familiar in the 13th century as they are in the 21st century: the fickleness of fortune and wealth, the joy of the return of Spring and the pleasures and perils of drinking, gluttony, gambling and lust.

The price of tickets are:
– Student (13 – 22) = $5.00
– Young Adult (23 – 29) = $20.00
– General Seating = $30.00
– Child (12 and under) = $0.00)

The home page of this chorus is: http://choralis.org/
Tickets at The Choralis Foundation — Carmina Burana

[Update October 2, 2014]
NOVA Chorus Singers:

Choralis’ Board of Directors will give our “older” singers a discount, too. [yes, I may be the oldest chorister myself]
Thanks, Helen.

Fred W – – –

Hello Fred (and Helen!),

Choralis is happy to offer a $5 discount on $45 Premium or $30 General Admission tickets to our upcoming Carmina Burana concert. We will be so appreciative of any promotion that can be made to the NOVA Chorus.

The promotion code for the discount is: SINGERFRIEND

It will work for online purchases made through our website (www.choralis.org – there is a box for entering a Promotion Code on the ticketing page) and will also be honored at the door if the buyer mentions this code to our box office volunteers.

Thanks very much!

Lori Wicks
Choralis Board of Directors

From Alta Section Leader Debbie: I don’t know if a notice will go out to the whole chorus but Ruth Herndon and I wanted you to know about the concert we will be singing in this Sunday, Nov 17th, at the Lyceum in Old Town Alexandria.  The group is PHILOMELA and Terri LaGoe is in the Soprano section of this women’s vocal ensemble.

Performance starts at 3pm and features a set of songs, “Pieces of Night,” composed by Jonathan Kolm of NOVA, with text from the poems of Sara Teasdale.  Accompanied by Denise Wilkinson, violist from The National Symphony Orchestra.  Many of you also know Kathy Kessler Price, Philomela’s director.

The concert is called ‘Patterns of Life’ and includes songs by Laitman, Cohen, Walter, Copland and Lennon/McCartney.

Ticket prices are $15 Adults and $10 Kids & Seniors.
===================
The Lyceum
201 S Washington St,
Alexandria, VA 22314
(703) 838-4994

It would be lovely to see you in the audience.

NOVA-Annandale Symphony Orchestra Fall Concert. Friday, November 8 at 8:00 pm. See the flyer (.pdf) for details.

From Chorister Grace: Registration is now open for The Berkshire Choral Festival’s 2014 season – www.choralfest.org.  BCF is offering a choice of six one week vacations next year, three in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts, one in Winter Park, FL, one in Maynooth, Ireland (near Dublin), and one in Scheggino, Italy.  The last one is already full, but you can sign up for the wait list and hope if that’s the place you want to sing.

The web site has been redesigned and allows you to sign up for the BCF newsletter and get news about their programs without committing to anything, as well as allowing online registration if you want to do that.  There’s also a link to the YouTube video done a couple of years ago, which is a good introduction to BCF.

BCF offers a BCF Scholar program for young singers. We had five alto scholars the week I went last year.  One was a senior in college, and two had just graduated last spring.  The scholar attend the week free (lodging, meals, tuition)- only major expense is getting there and back.  It’s really a terrific opportunity for young musicians.  Applications for the Scholar program don’t close until April, so there’s time to think about it.

Applications for the rest of us are due in January, although registrations are accepted after that if the chorus is not yet full.

From Chorister Jane:  Tenors are needed for the Rutter Gloria on Christmas Eve 9PM at Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington.  Rehearsals are on Thursdays at 8 PM.
Jane Roningen
jane.roningen [at] gmail.com