The Warbler Black Friday 13 August 2021

Type of post: Chorus news item
Sub-type: No sub-type
Posted By: Nicola Kirkup
Status: Current
Date Posted: Thu, 12 Aug 2021

Remaining PVI opportunities; Friends and Family event; convention gets real
  
Future dates to note
  • 15 and 21 August: PVI sessions
  • 16 August rehearsal: deadline for choreo riser passes
  • 22 August:  movie fundraiser: R E S P E C T @ 7.30pm
  • 11 September:  Friends and Family show/dress rehearsal, 7pm, Bishop Viard College, Porirua
  • Friday 24 – Sunday 26 September:  BHNZ convention, Palmerston North 
Shout-out
 
Whoever’s going to respond to the management team’s appeal for assistance with filling the posts of events manager and Warbler editor!  Latter isn’t particularly onerous and comes with clear step-by-step instructions, but it is a regular commitment; whereas the former is pretty intense, but doesn’t happen very often.  Either should be doable as a job share and can certainly be blagged up for inclusion in a CV. 

Organisations like this can only function commensurate with what their membership’s prepared to put in, and leaving the entire burden to a small number’s not sustainable, so please think on it and have a word with your nearest management team member.

Convention preparation

Contest makeup

The guide is on HarmonySite here, including a list of the products we use and YouTube videos on application.   


PVIs in August

Notes for Sunday:
Here’s your handy check list if you’re booked in this Sunday
Colleen writes:
FYI all slots for 21st Aug have been filled for quartet day. There are still a number of slots left for this Sunday 15th Aug. Check the attached list. Please let me know of any mistakes in the list. You can buddy up with someone in your voice part as well. Email me colleen@wilton.kiwi.nz if you need an appointment 

As it was PVI ( personal voice instruction) I automatically assumed that it is compulsory but I was informed by several members that it has not been made clear. Sorry for any confusion.
 
NB: Please, if you are not sure if you need to attend events, or any questions about the chorus, the best person to ask is your section leader, Sharon or David.  I'm just a person with a list …
 
Friends and Family show/dress rehearsal

We have a venue, Bishop Viard College in Porirua, and a date, 11 September, and a time  - 7pm start, but arriving at the venue, with face on, for 5pm (to be confirmed).  This is an invaluable opportunity to get some stage practice, including getting the face and costume, including shoes, on.  Note we’ll be doing Sound of Silence as well as the convention set.

Further preparation

The list of events in preparation for convention, over and above Monday rehearsals, is beginning to look quite short as convention draws near!   Please commit to as much as you possibly can to maximise the value of this final straight.

Notes on the BHS judging system here.  Sheet music for BHS polecats here.

Convention

24 – 26 September: the BHNZ convention in Palmerston North.  Have you sorted out how you are going to get there?  How about getting there early to cheer for the excellent young singers, their awesome directors and the incredibly distinguished judges at the YSIH convention.

There will most probably be some form of rehearsal on the Friday evening; and competition day itself, the Saturday, will require an early start, so don’t be planning on much carousing on the Friday night!

Accommodation: please keep Stephanie right up to date with any changes in your plans. 

Don’t forget that there will be other costs associated with convention, including travel, accommodation and food.

Music

There are copies of sheet music for both convention songs with annotations from retreat, which Sharon is happy to interpret if anything’s not legible, on the website under Songs, here.

There are recordings of both contest songs, as honed at the most recent Ryan Zoom session, on the Bulletin Board here. 

Membership

The profiles document is now extending its reach into the tenors, but it seems I can only include one attachment per Warbler; so expect an updated version with a future edition.  Meanwhile please let Andrea have your responses if you've not yet done so, this is becoming a nice Chorus resource for everybody.

Other activities

Rosemary has tickets for the next movie fundraiser, R E S P E C T, a biography of the great Aretha Franklin, to be shown on Sunday 22 August at the Lighthouse, Petone.  That is apparently Take Your Cat To The Vet Day, but the movie doesn’t start until 7.30 so you’ll have plenty of time for both.

Rehearsals

Attendance is more and more important, for you, for the people immediately around you and for chorus as a whole, but it’s still not good to turn up if you’re not well. Assuming you are physically able to, please watch on Facebook instead, letting your section leader know as soon as you’re able, as well as the usual conventions for notifying attendance intentions.  

Usual conventions:  On the Chorus website, under “Events – My attendance/availability” on the Members page, fill out the form, not forgetting to click “Update” when you’re done.  If it’s very short-notice, or you need to notify a longer absence than one rehearsal, please also e-mail to absences@wellingtoncitychorus.org (note it’s .org not .com).    

As well as getting warmed up on the way to rehearsal – maybe biuld up to more regular vocal exercise?  Try  https://www.khansenmusic.com/ or  Roland Wyatt (higher voices) or  Roland Wyatt (lower voices).  Or  here is a five-minute track, also available via Spotify.

Please keep doing your anti-COVID bit by remembering to sign in at the Bridge Club, and indeed everywhere else, using the tracer app or manually on the register.   And get the jab!

Please don't wear perfume or other strongly scented products on the risers.  There are people around you whose breathing and hence singing can be adversely affected.

 
External events

Educational opportunities offered by our Region for the rest of the year are set out here, including another ROXY! quartet workshop on 27 & 28 August in Nelson for quartet members, current and aspiring.
Supper

You can find out when and whether you’re on, in the supper roster;  Victoria and Alyssa are up next.  It will be absolutely fine to contribute no more, on top of the Biscuit Stash, than milk for tea and coffee, and responsibility for collecting, cleaning and putting away used crockery and cutlery.  If you want to do more than that, eg baking, fruit, dips and crudites, that’s very welcome; but should be regarded as above and beyond the requirements.

If you have any queries or information, eg that you have swopped with somebody, please advise Sandra wardropsf@gmail.com.

When you arrive try and get things out and sorted.  The bin is in the WCC cupboard by the men's toilets, crockery under the counter at the kitchen window.   Follow the instructions for turning on the dishwasher and do this before Chorus starts - if not sure, ask someone.  Do dishes at the end and empty/drain the dishwasher.
 
Physical warm-ups roster

August          Chris C
September     Laura
October         Nic K
November     Nic G
December     Geraldine

If anyone is keen to warm us all up with a few interesting moves before we hop on the risers, please contact claireschmidt11@hotmail.com and we will all be forever grateful!