Welcome


Welcome to Renate's Baton. This blog is mostly for and about my choir, The York Region Community Choir.

But, While I'm holding the baton, I'm in charge. So, if I want to talk about other parts of my life, I will. :)

The choir itself is a community and I'm discovering that we have a lot in common with one another besides our love of music and singing.

When I go off on a tangent, there is always a crowd coming along. Join us!

Saturday, December 1, 2018

YRCC Rehearsal 26-NOV-2018 run-through

It was perfect; that is, it was perfectly imperfect. There were sufficient messy bits, and mistakes, and things that didn't sound good at all, so that all should go beautifully on Sunday!

I like the order, so nothing will change there. But, I'm making a change in Twelve Days After Christmas, to add Blair at the mic during the tenor melody lines (F and G). There's a lot going on in those sections and I don't want to lose track of the melody and I want to make sure we can hear the words. All tenors and basses will continue to sing there, but there will be added clarity with one voice at the mic.

Just to confirm, for Silent Night:
1. Robin, Joy and Philip- (J&P stay)
2. Pat, Carol, Joanne- German
3. Sophie-Dutch
4. Robin and Karen- French
5. Anna-Italian
6. Stanely and Mona- Cantonese
7. All and audience- English

 I'm working on my script, and I think our concert will say what I hoped it would say.

The meaning of fa-la-la is that we can all join together in song, no matter what language we speak, or how well we sing, or whether we can remember the words. And, when we join together in song, we are one. We are one with each other and with our ancestors when we sing traditional songs together, so we do it at important occasions like birthdays and holidays, baptisms and funerals, hockey games, soccer matches...

The songs of the Christmas season are about peace, kindness, love, and joy.

Keep those things in your heart when you're singing and the message will be felt in the hearts of our audience.

Amazing coincidence: Sunday is the first Sunday of Advent for Christians, when the first candle on the Advent Wreath is lit, and it is also the first day of Hanukkah, when our Jewish friends light the first candle on the Menorah!


  • Remember your baking for the bake sale.
  • Remember to park farther away to give good spots to those who need it most.
  • Remember that we have a seniors' visit at Amica on Monday!
  • Remember to hand in your binder before Christmas, so that you get your new music in January.

You can hand in your binder on the 10th at our party or after the 17th if you're singing then.






No comments:

Post a Comment