NOVA Community Chorus

From Fred:  Schedule:
Thursday, Nov. 10  –  Black Folders required
– 7:30  Warm up and rehearse (Chorus 1 next to window, Chorus 2 next to door)
– 8:25  Move to Foyer of Schlesinger Center
– 8:30  Form two choruses of 4 rows each as on Tuesday*
– 8:35  Move into auditorium and down outer aisles to the stage & wait

Friday, Nov. 11 – Full Concert Dress & Black Folders required
– 6:30  Assemble in Tyler rehearsal room, warm up, brief rehearsal
– 7:25  Move to balcony of Schlesinger if space is available, sit in rear seats, enjoy the show
– 7:25  or Continue rehearsal if seats not available
– 8:45  Move to Schlesinger Center Foyer, form 2 choruses, etc…..

Notes:
1. Chorus 1 will have up to 50 singers
Chorus 2 will have up to 60 singers with several standing altos to reduce crowding

2. There will be 2 chairs next to sopranos and 3 next to altos on both sides of stage

3. Piano will be turned 180 deg with the top up so we can all hear Chris play.

4. * Chorus 1 will have the following alignment to fill up 4 rows

Sopranos: 12 total = only 3 columns (1 seated)
Tenors:       7 total  = only 2 columns (+1)
Basses:    15 total = 4 columns (+ 1 standing)
Altos:        14 total = 4 columns (1 or more seated)

Chorus 2 = similar:  S = 5 columns, T = 3, B = 3, A = 4

From Stage Manager Fred:  The following information is from Ul James, Conductor of the WMP (with my comments)

Dress rehearsal will begin with Chichester Psalms at 5:00 PM on Sunday.
(We will line up, file on stage and warm up before 5:00.)

The concert program order on Oct. 16 is as follows:
– Bernstein Candide (4 minutes)
– Kolm – Orchestral Suite No. 1 (about 15 minutes)
– (chorus files on stage – 1 minute)
– Bernstein – Chichester Psalms (about 20 minutes)
– (standing ovation – 5 minutes – chorus files off)

– Intermission

Harris – Americana
Copland – Lincoln Portrait (With Kathy Harty Gray Dancers)

Reminder:
The “Call” for our concert is 2:00 PM for both concerts. Singers should expect to be on stage at 2:00 PM, properly dressed and ready to sing.

From Stage Manager Fred:
Be at the Dress Rehearsal at 4:30 PM on Sunday. We may line up and go on stage before 5:00.

It appears that the concert begins with Bernstein’s Candide followed by his Chichester Psalms. The Candide Overture runs only 4 minutes so I suspect we will go on stage before the concert starts. If that is so, we will line up in (probably) 4 rows in the hall outside the auditorium, facing away from the auditorium, just like we always do.

Hopefully our risers will be set by 4:30 but we may be called on to get them off the truck and set them ourselves. I will need help putting out the folding chairs that are stored in racks in the stage left wings. Please be extra careful not to touch the kettle drums nor the bass viol

From Stage Manager Fred:  It is best to have a rigid, black, non slip cover for your music so that it is easy to hold with one hand while you turn pages with the other. Here are some ways to have a cover:
1.    Have Kinkos replace the white cover and binding with a black cover and spiral.  Don’t do this to the Rachmannov since we just might use that with its own blue cover.
2.    Buy a choral folder from Foxes Music that comes with elastic bands to hold your music in the folder. The cost for the small one is about $10, but you can use it over and over for free. The large choral folder is about $20 and will get in your way because we will be so packed on the risers.
3.    Buy a plain folder from Staples or Office Depot and use long black rubber bands around the hinge to hold your music. You can substitute a black bra strap for the rubber bands since long black rubber bands are hard to find.
4.    Buy a black 3-ring binder to hold your music and punch the 3 holes yourself or have them punched at Staples, Office Dept or Kinkos. The 3 holes punched or drilled in your music will invade only the edge of the printed music

From Stage Manager Fred:  If you have not been to Bishop Ireton (B.I.) before here are my suggestions on how to get there:

Go to their web home page:
http://www.google.com/search?q=bishop+ireton+high+school&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

Click on the map on the right hand side and expand it until you see enough information.

If you go from our community college East on Seminary Road, the road becomes Janneys Lane at North Quaker Lane (stop light). Yale Drive is the next road you see to your right and Cambridge Road (to B.I.) is the second (no stop light). Two intersections later, you will see B.I. on your left. You won’t miss it. Park in the last parking lot.

If you go East on 236 – Duke Street you will pass a shopping center on your left and a fast food restaurant on your right just before the stop light for Cambridge Road. Turn left at this stop light and an immediate left to up the hill to B.I. Turn into the first parking lot and park towards the far end. You’ll find members of the orchestra, our chorus and a dance company streaming into the double door entrance to the concert hall.

Read my next Email which will tell you what to look for at that point.