From Morna
Our concert weekend is here! I am looking forward to sharing our music with our friends and family.
On Friday morning, November 18, we will be in the PSUC sanctuary starting at 10, singing the first half of the rehearsal from the congregational seats, then moving to standing in position on the steps. I will give breaks within this for sitting down, but I do need us to sing everything at least once through (famous last words!) in the real standing arrangement. If you need a stool, please don’t be shy to bring and use one. Our rehearsal goes to 12:30pm. Following that, I have a few auditions for spots in the Christmas concert.
Please put your music in concert order before Friday at 10. There are 10 pieces:
Love is Love is Love is Love
Home and the Heartland
She’s Like the Swallow
Tell My Ma
EnChor will sit in reserved seats at this point
(Lord Byng Chamber Choir – 3 pieces)
(Song for a Winter’s Night – piano solo)
EnChor back up / students sit
Take This Thread
The Pasture
Moon River (audience singalong)
Soli Deo Gloria
Students join us
Pastime with Good Company
Love is Love is Love is Love (reprise)
Apparel for the November 20 concert is blue dresses and tuxes.
On Sunday after the warmup with the Lord Byng choir and before we open the doors to the audience, we are going to quickly don Christmas antlers, hats, etc and get a lighthearted photo to be used as part of the December 18 Christmas concert. Please bring any such getup that you can put on quickly. THANKS! All will be made clear soon. Does someone have a spouse/friend who could take the photo? Best cell camera is probably fine.
We have agreed to some Christmas carolling gigs. Details will be made clear, but please have a look at your calendar this week:
- Tuesday, November 29 early evening at Canuck Place
- Friday, Dec 9 2:30pm at Tapestry at UBC
Please keep letting people know about Sunday’s concert. We all want to sing to a good crowd.
See you Friday!
Morna
CANUCK PLACE CHILDREN’S HOSPICE EVENT: Tuesday, November 29th, 5:00 to 7:00pm
EnChor has been invited again to participate in the Christmas lighting event at Canuck Place Children’s Hospice (1690 Matthews Avenue, Vancouver). For those of you new to the choir, this is an outdoor event (dress warmly!!) at which we sing Christmas carols on the front steps of the house, a capella. It appears that we will be required to provide proof of vaccination and complete a COVID screening form upon entry. Masks will be required on the hospice grounds for all attendees aged 5+, other than when eating and drinking. This event will really help you get into the holiday spirit so please mark your calendars now. More details to come.
SURVEY RESULTS
Many thanks to those of you who were able to respond to our mini-survey. Here are the results (57 responders) and the policies the board has chosen to implement until the end of the year.
1. Windows and ventilation:
- 10% of those responding wanted the windows to remain open as we have had them over the last year or so.
- 49% said we should close them to make the temperature more comfortable, and 40% said they would attend rehearsals whether or not the windows remained open.
*****Thus the decision was made to close many of the windows while keeping some open to provide ventilation.
2. Masking when not singing:
- 54.4% said we should only need to mask when singing.
- 26.3% said we should be masked from the time one entered the rehearsal hall proper
- 19.3% said we should be masked from the time one entered the building.
- A majority of people thought it was only necessary to mask when singing, but a combined total of 45% thought we should be masked more than that.
- At this time the board did not feel there was sufficient support to mask only when singing. A reasonable compromise seems to be option #2 as it provides accommodation for those who would not feel safe in a space where people are not masked (we wear masks at all times, but only in the rehearsal hall proper), as well as for those who want to be mask-free when not singing (i.e. we can be maskless in any other spaces: hallways, front lobby, outside etc.).
****Thus the decision was made to require masking at all times inside the rehearsal hall proper. Masks will be optional outside the rehearsal hall before and after the rehearsal and during the break but it is recommended that people consider wearing masks in tight spaces like the washrooms.
3. Audience masking:
- 66.7% said audience masking should be voluntary with 33.3% saying it should continue to be mandatory for the November and December concerts.
- This is a clear majority of people who think we should move to voluntary audience masking. However, on reflection, this was probably not the right time to ask this question. The board heard from members that tickets have already been bought with the understanding that the audience would have to be masked. Also, at the Christmas concert we are hoping that the audience will choose to sing along with the choir in many of the songs. Therefore, with so many people singing, it was thought that voluntary masking would not be a good idea at this concert either. Finally, after we sent out the survey, new recommendations encouraging people to mask indoors came from Dr. Theresa Tam, the Chief Public Health Officer of Canada.
****Thus the decision was made to continue to require audience masking until the end of the year at least.
At this point you may be tempted to ask, “Why did we have the survey anyway?” These decisions have not been easy. But as one survey responder said, “I favour general caution” and as this has been the philosophy of the board all along as we deal with health and safety issues the board has chosen to continue in the same vein until the end of the year. As mentioned before we look forward to reviewing these policies early in the new year.
Cathy
Vancouver Bach Choir trip in 1987 to England and Wales.
If you were on this trip and would like a digitized copy of the concert we did at the BBC Hall in Wales, send me an email and I’ll send you the link.
This concert was taped off the radio (Choral Concert) by my husband and I just re-found the tape and had it digitized.
Concert features Bruce Pullan as soloist in Five Mystical Songs; Porgy and Bess medley ( Bruce Kelly, soloist); Songs from the Newfoundland Outports ( Somers); and others.
Trish Smith