[HANASHIR:16089] Re: Starting a new Jewish Community Choir

[Jacqueline Guttman <jguttman...>]

Ros,

I know there are others who know much more about such choirs than I. The
only thing I want to address is rehearsal frequency. If this is a
non-audition choir (as is my synagogue choir), you will probably find few or
no sight-readers and quite a lot who do not read music at all. Since they
are therefore committing everything to memory, if two weeks go by they tend
to forget their parts. In fact, some cannot retain things for even one week.
I believe that you will not gain momentum unless you rehearse every week.

my 2 shekels.

Jackie Guttman


> From: Ros Schwartz <ros (at) hn(dot)dancinginthewind(dot)ca>
> Reply-To: hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org
> Date: Sat, 06 Dec 2003 11:41:14 -0500
> To: hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org
> Subject: [HANASHIR:16084] Starting a new Jewish Community Choir
> 
> There is an exciting initiative in our community, to start a Jewish
> Community Choir.  I'm setting the agenda for our first organizational
> meeting, and I would appreciate any comments/suggestions on
> {a) the content of the agenda - attached below - anything I should
> change or add? and
> (b) any roadblocks/difficulties that I should anticipate, and
> suggestions as to how to deal with them.
> 
> We have one Orthodox and one Reform congregation here (in Kingston,
> Ontario, Canada) with a reasonably good relationship between them - a
> number of people (including me) belong to both synagogues, and this is
> considered quite acceptable.  Also there are many non-affiliated Jews in
> the community.  So we plan to do this under the auspices of the Jewish
> Community Council, so that membership is open to all.
> 
> Later, if this works out, I will likely be writing for your repertoire
> suggestions! :-)
> 
> Thanks for your help,
> 
> - Ros
> 
> =======================================================================
> 
> Agenda for organizational meeting for Jewish Community Choir
> 
> Goals
> - have fun!
> - develop musical abilities
> - give back to the community by way of performances & songleading
> 
> Members
> - no prior training required;  no audition
> - commitment to attend rehearsals, learn music between rehearsals,
> attend performances (some people may not perform initially if stage
> fright ... but this would be an eventual goal for all)
> - find out individual experience - e.g. who has had voice training? can
> read music? play an instrument? learn music easily by ear? help others?
> - and adjust repertoire accordingly
> 
> Choir rehearsals:
> - where?
> - how often? (weekly / every 2 weeks)
> - what day? (could vary eg Thurs / Sun)
> - what time? (start & stop?)
> 
> Musical accompaniment
> - piano or keyboard essential at the beginning for learning 4 part harmony
> 
> Rehearsal structure
> - warm-ups
> - ³soul food² (brief inspirational reading)
> - study material - rounds, 4 part harmony pieces
> - announcements
> - fun material (easy unison "singalong" pieces)
> - options for music teaching: sheet music - purchase, borrow, or rent
> (not photocopy); lyric sheets; rote learning; charts; overhead
> projector; - at discretion of person teaching that particular song
> 
> Repertoire
> - Jewish music
> - world folk music
> 
> Musical leadership
> - director - harmony pieces
> - assistant director(s) - warmups, unison pieces, rounds
> - others?
> - section leaders to help out in smaller groups
> 
> Costs
> - sheet music
> - accompanist
> - rehearsal space
> - choir members to contribute as they can, no one to be excluded bec
> they can¹t pay
> 
> Performances
> - for the synagogues
> - for the community
> - could include solos, harmony arrangements, rounds, & unison pieces for
> songleading
> - audition in April 2004 for the local ³Revue² in December 2004
> 
> Need volunteers
> - to do admin work - contact people as needed, arrange venues, publicity
> for meetings & concerts, manage finances, etc.
> - to do musical work - choose repertoire, order music, help choir
> members musically, etc.
> 
> Under the auspices of the Jewish Community Council - open to members of
> either congregation & unaffiliated persons as well
> 
> Name for choir!
> Vision statement!
> 
> 

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