YRCC 2026 Rehearsal Review October 27th

We're getting excited with talk of our upcoming performance at the Aurora Concert Band Holiday Market on November 14th, and not long after that, our own Concert. 

Posters and tickets and crafts are all getting done, and there are always lots of announcements. I'll try to give you all the information here, as it becomes clear, and in the YRCC Google Calendar, and of course on the website. 

We are on track to learn all of our music by December 6th, and we'll be fine to provide a 20-minute performance at the market. We only need a few of our songs, and we'll so some sing-alongs. If you're feeling worried, you can always do some extra work at home with the recordings, and the YouTube videos. But, we will be great. You sound excellent already on most of our songs. 

I'll update the November 14th Event with the final order, but for now, it looks like this: 1.The Hockey Song, 2. Edelweiss, 3. O Christmas Tree, 4. Little Tree,  5. Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree (just a sing-along, not the group), 6. Calypso Christmas, 7. Feliz Navidad, 8. Frosty the Snowman (4 of our songs, plus 4 sing-alongs). We'll repeat this 2 or 3 times throughout the day. I'll get a schedule soon.

We did a short warm-up, mostly physical, some dancing, but dancing is supposed to be good for more than just your body, especially when you do it in a crowd, like line-dancing. It was fun and we did a very short vocal warm-up. 

1. The Hockey Song: so good! Lorraine volunteered to be the referee! It's a little weird when I do it and it makes more sense for me to conduct around the speaking parts because the timing is a little strange. Be sure to watch for all entries, so many times in this song, phrases start on upbeats, not on beat one. So, I hold my baton up high for beat 4 and go down strong for beat 1, often holding 4 extra long to get everyone in. We're ready to sing this now, so no worries for the 14th.

2. Nutcracker Jingles: You're doing great! We learned the March of the Toy Soldiers and reviewed the beginning. It sounded wonderful. 

3. Christmas Lullaby: We got all the way to bar 67! I would like to have a soloist for the first verse. All Sopranos and Altos sang it, so you will have a good idea if you can manage it. We reviewed the chorus, and it was pretty good. The second verse starts with Altos, then Sopranos respond. Then we sing the chorus again. It is really pretty. The hard part is coming up next, the verse in 3 parts and then we have a final chorus. This is almost done. 

4. O Holy Night: We're doing solos for this one too, and we'll do it like last year: first soloist sings all three, second soloist comes in and sings 2 and 3, third soloist joins, then they all go back for the chorus. At the last verse, we have all sopranos on the solo, with altos dividing, back row sings the soprano ahs. We've done this so many times and love it so much that it's very strong, and new folks can follow fairly easily. However, we went over all the oohs and ahhs. And, we looked at bars 80 and 81. We're leaving bar 81 in the first chorus the way everyone sings it (not using the timing written, but "interpreting" it the way that is more familiar) and we worked on getting the end of the second chorus right. E-ver-mo-or pro-claim! Robyn is playing her flute on this! It's spectacular. 

5. Angels Among Us: It's good! There's one spot where we're "interpreting" the timing our own way. At the DS al Coda on page 9, we will put a fermata on the word "hope". We let Robyn hold that extra long to let everyone get ready to come in for the chorus when we sang it last. This time there's no solo, but we'll all sit on that note for a couple beats before coming in. Watch me. Tenors and basses, please review your parts at bars 42 and 43, remembering to come in on beat one on page 10. 

Next week, Tuesday, November 3rd: AT CURTISS-WRIGHT (450 Harry Walker Pkwy S in Newmarket.)

6:30 Sharon's small group Maoz Tzur/Rock of Ages 

• Edelweiss
• Little Tree
• Nutcracker Jingles
• So Long, Farewell
• You're a Mean One, Mr Grinch 

We talked about, and we'll talk about again:

For the market, bring your craft donations on November 10th. We will be able to go in on the Friday to set up. We'll determine whether we need that time, and who will be going. 

Pointsettias: Fundraiser and decoration in one. More info coming, but please also volunteer to help with selling, picking up before and bringing to the concert on December 6th (they're big, so you need a large vehicle) and setting up in the church (concert is at Trinity Anglican in Aurora). Better if it's a team, more than one or two.

Decorators: Besides the pointsettias we always have some decorations on the stage behind the choir, for when we're entering and leaving and when there are small groups there, the theme is represented. Jane will help, but it's a job for a team. I want armchairs, trees, a menorah, a big book or two, and a pair of skates or two, maybe a pair of mittens...Jane, do you still have that window, below?

Bake sale help: The bake sale often makes more than the ticket sales. Everyone participates in bringing baking. Coffee and tea and water are set up in the chapel (Lorraine and Debbie could probably use some help) and we need family members to set out the baking and to manage it during the intermission. Harry always sells tickets and watches the doors. 

 

 

 

 

YRCC 2026 Rehearsal Review October 20th

Thank you to Lorraine and to the treat providers Debbie and Helene for a wonderful social-coffee time at our break this week!

It's always good to have time to chat and connect with choir friends old and new.  One day, I'll figure out how to plan less music and more time to relax and we can do more of these. I just always want to do so many songs! And more songs. I'm loving our repertoire this season. You're doing great. 

There's Still My Joy met in the early spot and got through the whole song, and even stood in performance position, sounding excellent. What a beautiful song! 

1. Calypso Christmas is done. We finished learning this song, and now we just have to keep it up and maybe just polish it up a bit. However, it's not a show-off piece, but it's a fun and messy one. We'll hand out shakers to the audience and they'll be making noise while we sing. However, there are some things we want to look out for. One of them is the rests, mostly on beat one. Be sure to sing the notes before them short. Don't hold them through those rests. The calypso rhythm depends on that little silent break. I suggested that you think of them as staccato (half-value) notes. We learned from the bottom of page 5 to the end. Altos, tenors, and basses, watch me at the end for when to move up. It's a bit unexpected, the timing there. You were all very good watching me from the middle of page 6 to the end! There's a rit (slow down), and a fermata (𝄐) and then it says freely, which means, I might do anything with the timing, and I slow right down before we get back up to speed (a tempo). It's always best to watch me for timing at the end of a piece, but especially when you have lots of warnings in the notation. 

2. Nutcracker Jingles: We did the whole beginning, pages 3-5, the mostly normal Jingle Bells in three-part harmony. So good! Now we can go carolling! The rests play a big role in this song too. The first one is after the word bright on page 4, and the next one is even more important, after the word night. Night is very short! This gives Donna's accompaniment prominence. Same thing with sleigh on page 5. If you remember our Fa-la-la classical medley, we had the same thing with "la.la.la!" If you missed learning this, and whenever you miss the lessons on this song, please log in to access the Music Library on the website and find your part's recording. There are also good YouTube videos. Here's the Alto one that I saved on my YRCC Winter 2026 Playlist:

 

 

 3. Christmas Lullaby: This is so pretty! It's one of Donna's favourites, and mine too. We learned the chorus, from bar 16-32. In typical Rutter fashion, there are lots of fancy bits. They're mostly in the bass clef, but also the altos have special timing- extra syllables or missing syllables. Believe it or not, I have simplified it. You don't have the accompaniment on your copy, but if you're interested, you can find the original on the website in our Music Library. We have recordings of our version that were made for my church. I haven't yet decided how I want the verses to go. Maybe a solo to start, then sopranos and altos on the second verse is fine. We'll see how it develops.

4. Welcome Christmas: finished! We learned from 35 to the end. Then, we reviewed the beginning too. It was pretty good! We'll continue to review this one. And, we do have recordings in case you are feeling a little behind. Lots of oohs and ahhs, which I know are not your favourite thing, but they're so pretty in this song! 

5. Song for a Winter's Night: The oohs and ahhs in this-especially at the beginning- are a challenge. I really wanted us to take on the challenge of that choral intro this year, but I might let it go. We can ask Donna to give us a piano intro again. What do you think?  There are the ones under the verses, and we're pretty good on those, but the new people have a lot to learn. Help me to decide. Are you feeling like you spent time learning it and if I drop that beginning, you'll be disappointed? Or, will you be relieved? Maybe to make it different, we could have a single soprano solo at the beginning up to 18? 

We talked about: 

The Concert Poster! It's so cool. Collette's husband Paul designed them for us. (Thank you!). Post them if you have a spot, and share them online. You can copy and save the picture on the website and email it to everyone you know, and share it on your socials. But! 

Tickets: But, let people know that they can save $5 by getting tickets from you, in advance. You can buy tickets for your friends and family on Tuesday nights at choir for only $20 each. The price online through the website is $25, and tickets at the door will also be $25.  

The Concert: new folks will wonder what to expect. We talked about the surprises: small groups and solos/duets, guitar, cello, and flute joining us. And, our repertoire is usually a surprise to the family and friends of new folks. Often people come expecting Christmas Hymns and a very choral sound for two hours. They will be happy to hear lots of variety in themes and genres and sounds. And then, there's the bake sale at intermission. More on that in the next few weeks.  

The Market on Nov. 14: please sign up so I can see which song we can do. We'll do a short set, maybe 20 minutes including sing-alongs and we'll repeat that one set twice, or maybe three times. I'm going to get the plan from the band soon.  Our craft night went really well, and people have come forward with other crafts and things donated for us to sell. A few of us are working on promotional materials too. 

Next week, Tuesday, October 27th: 

6:30 River small group with Alan (guitar). No sign-up. This is a very small, closed group.

7:00 Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree small group with Alan -you can sign up for this one.

• Angels Among Us
• Christmas Lullaby
• Hockey Song
• Nutcracker Jingles
• O Holy Night

YRCC 2026 Winter Concert Poster

 

YRCC 2026 Rehearsal Review October 13th

Exhilarating, uplifting, even intoxicating: choir nights are essential to my wellbeing. I am grateful- as thankful as many of you tell me you are- and also gratified, proud of this amazing thing we have. Merely humming or singing has been proven to be good for you, but this work that we do together -learning and teamwork-and the glorious music we create together as a result all support our physical, mental, and emotional health. We are so lucky! (But smart to choose it, right?)

I didn’t write this right after our rehearsal, not Wednesday as usual, but today is Thursday. Yesterday I was occupied with other things, primarily my craft night. I knew it would be great. I always love spending time with choir people outside of choir. I know that there is creator light inside of all of us and we choristers are able to access it and share it especially well. We crafted and chatted and enjoyed a productive and rewarding evening preparing for the market part of our Aurora Community Band Holiday Market contribution. Check out the photos below of the ‘little trees’ we made- painted, glued, assembled, and packaged.

I will connect with the band to get details about our choir performance contribution and you’ll hear more about that soon. Please sign up on the website and book that time to spend at least part of the day singing with us:Saturday, November 14th from 10 to 2.

Another heartwarming thing was the way everyone pitched in to get settled in that unfamiliar room and returning the chairs and tables afterwards. Big thanks to Trix and Curtiss-Wright for providing a perfectly congenial space for us!

Tuesday’s rehearsal was excellent, starting with the small group There’s Still My Joy. We made it through most of the song. It’s not an easy one and it’s a little heavy. Beautiful harmonies.

1. Calypso Christmas: Woo! It's fun and not very difficult but quite effective. We learned all the way to the bottom of page 5! Only one page to go, just the ending. If you missed this rehearsal or found it difficult, please go to the website and use the recording of your part to help you catch up. We will review it, of course.

2. Christmas Lullaby: This is new, and we all had to pick up our copy of the sheet music from Lauren's bin. If you missed today's rehearsal, please be sure to get your music next time. It's a special telling of the Christmas story with a pretty "Ave Maria"angel lullaby chorus, and a focus on what we should find at the manger: a mother and child, humility, love and peace. I have created a simpler arrangement based on Rutter's. The piano accompaniment is missing from your copies. Fear not, Donna has the full version. We went through the first chorus. Let me  know if you think you'd like to sing the first verse as a solo.

3. Shine Hanukkah: also Woo! We've got this! We spent a little time on the ending, page 8. It's going to be slightly different from what we've done in the past. I want more descant, so we'll have all the Sopranos on that, firsts and seconds, and the Altos will divide, with the front row taking the Soprano part. Remember to follow me on the section at 59. Imagine a fermata at the end of every phrase and it's quite slow. Where it says Tempo 1, I usually speed up so that it's faster than before. Woo! Big ending. 

4. Nutcracker Jingles: Brand New! A fun piece of classical music. Only a small number of people have sung this before, people in Donna's Friday choir. So, we're all learning it. We only "walked" through it this time, getting an idea of what is to come. It's quite similar to our Various Themes on Fa-la-la classical medley. It starts fairly seriously with the Jingle Bells song in 3-part harmony. Then, we get 4 different melodies from the Nutcracker ballet sung with Jingle Bell lyrics. Each one will be fun and wonderful, and then there will be a transition that will challenge us. Have no fear, we've conquered something like this before, and Donna is experienced in teaching it. And, she's recorded parts for us!

5. Welcome Christmas: Wow! We got through most of this one! We learned from the oohs and ahhs at the beginning to bar 35 on page 5. Sweet and beautiful without being too complex. I love this. Sopranos, remember your sound should be inspired by little Whos from Whoville, Cindy-Lou Who and the rest. 

6. O Holy Night: We know this very well, but we'll have to go over parts for the new folks. However, I expect that it will be quick, since we're so strong and they can follow the rest of us. And, we have recordings of all the parts. Please take advantage of that excellent resource. Trix sang all the solos, but we'll have a number of soloists. Let me know if you want to be one of them. 

Take note:

Donna's Play:  sign up

Donna is starring in Theatre Aurora's production of Over the River and Through the Woods, running from December 13th to the 21st. We had talked about going together to one of the matinees, but they are selling out, so we decided on the Saturday evening performance on the 21st. I have bought 10 tickets with a group discount. Please sign up in Events on the Member Content website to get the reduced rate. 

Craft Night: done. 

Pub Choir Night: Wednesday, Oct. 21, next week. 

Sign up and buy your ticket to join choir friends for a fun night out singing, but in a very different context. A group of us had so much fun there in July that we had to plan another.

Aurora Community Band Holiday Market Performance:  

Saturday, November 14th from 10am to 2pm. Please sign up for this extra performance. I'm not yet sure when we're singing, but I think we're singing twice. We'll sing a few of our concert songs and we'll do some sing-alongs. I hope that most of you can do this. I can't expect every one of you to be available on a Saturday, but for the choir to sound good, we need people from every section. We'll have the sing-along lyrics printed for you. It may be possible for you to come for only an hour or so, but please sign up for the whole thing and we can work out details when they become clear. The band will be playing 3 sets, and the market will continue the whole time. Enjoy the band, pick up some special holiday items, and spend a day with your choir friends! We'll promote our concert and choir membership as we sell a few crafts at our market table.

Next Week: Tuesday, October 20th We'll be back in our room. 

6:30 There's Still My Joy Small Group

• Calypso Christmas
• Christmas Lullaby
• Nutcracker Jingles
• Song for a Winter's Night 
• Welcome Christmas 

Our work, all wrapped up.

Little Tree

YRCC 2026 Rehearsal Review October 6th

We missed our Donna, and hope she feels better soon! However, it was fun to have Tabitha play for/with us. Thank heaven for Tab! She's an excellent back-up and really understands us, having sung alto with us in the past. Such talent. 

We started our Let it Go small group without an accompanist, but were lucky to have both the movie version of the recording and the Musicnotes recording to help us. We made decisions about the arrangement. Look for an email if you're in this group. 

We started the There's Still My Joy small group, but discovered that we had several copies of an old version that we ended up liking better. The arrangement on the website at the moment is not the one we're going to sing. We will sing the SATB version that some of you have. We'll all have the correct one next week.

Warm-ups were brief but loosened us up and warmed up our upper and lower ranges. 

1. Edelweiss: Correct copies were handed out. If you have the new version, just be aware that in the soprano line, there is one note that is incorrect. It's in bar 51, beat one should be a C (like bar 59 and 75), but it's written as G. We learned the special alto verse and ahs at 49. One important note for all the ah people: remember to be fairly quiet there, it's written as mm so that you are quiet, but come in with confidence on every beat one. Altos: nice and loud please. It says mf, but even if you're loud, the next section will be louder because everyone will be singing loud at 88. So, enjoy your special section and sing it out loud. We reviewed parts at 112 again, so please use the wonderful recordings that Donna made if you've been absent or if you're still unsure. (Log in and go to the Music Library, quick link Music Recordings on the main website).

2. Song for a Winter's Night: My focus for tonight was the a cappella verse on page 9. We went over parts and it sounded very good. We showed off to Tab how beautiful it's going to be this year, singing it as written. I love this song. The first page is new for everyone, so we'll go over it again another time, don't worry. And, don't worry about the ahs. We'll review them too. But, if you're worried about this song or missed this rehearsal, you can use Donna's recordings for help, or follow along with a YouTube video of your part. There's a word document in the folder in the Music Library with links, or you can go find it on my YouTube YRCC 2026 Winter playlist.  Enjoy all the songs we're singing there!

3. You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch:  So much fun! But, not easy. Wow, some of those sections were quite difficult. Pay attention to all the rests, and they'll help with the timing. Watch me for cut-offs too. Carol is going to read those spoken parts. Thank you, Carol! You're always good at creating a humorous moment. We got all the way to "Stink, Stank, Stunk!". We'll need to review all of this, but you can go on and work on your own with the recordings, or sing along to this YouTube video:

 

 

4. Welcome Christmas:  Adorable. Who doesn't love the Whos from Whoville?! Even the Grinch can't resist in the end. We successfully read through the whole piece and learned the section at 10. Yes, we started at 10, skipping the oohs and ahs at the beginning. They're not hard, but it's more fun to learn words, especially nonsense words, right?! Fah who foraze! Dah who doraze!

 

We talked about: 

• Next week we're bumped out of our space again, but this time we're going to Trix's workplace, Curtiss-Wright in Newmarket at 450 Harry Walker Pkwy S. No stairs and more parking. Yay! We will need a few people to start early-before 6:30- to set up the room, and a few people to stay late-after 9:30 to clean up. Thanks for helping out!
• Anne Copsey is at home now and Michele sent a beautiful bouquet to wish her a speedy and thorough recovery. Anne passed along her thanks to all of you. She would welcome contact from choir friends. If you need her email address, I think you can still find it on the website, but if not, just let me know.
• Sign up required for the Events coming up: next week's craft night, pup choir experience on Oct. 21st, and most importantly, Sat. Nov. 14th 10-2 singing at the Holiday Market to promote our concert and choir membership. Also small groups have started. If you joined a small group, make sure you're signed up so you can get those group emails.
•  Make sure you can log in to the website, and your profile is correct. Let Carol know if you're having trouble. If you forgot your password, you can get a new one.

Next week, Tuesday, October 13th 

at Curtiss-Wright at 450 Harry Walker Pkwy S in Newmarket!

6:30 There's Still My Joy (SATB) 

• Christmas Lullaby 
• Calypso Christmas
•  Nutcracker Jingles
• O Holy Night
• Shine Hanukkah
• Welcome Christmas 

 Wednesday, October 14th: Craft night at Renate's, preparing crafts for Nov. 14th. Please sign up in Events. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

YRCC 2026 Rehearsal Review Sept. 29th

I'm sorry I had to leave, but I knew you'd be in good hands. I didn't want to share my germs. If you are sick on choir night, don't hesitate to stay at home, or wear a mask and sit away from others. 

I'm spending another day at home, resting. But, I'm doing a little bit of choir work and a little bit of church work. I try to write my review as soon as I can so that I remember what we talked about, the things that were difficult, and the things that went well. This is late but I hope it's okay.

This Tuesday, we spent a little too long moving ourselves into sections and talking about my cold, so we didn't do a warm-up. I guess the moving into clearer sections, getting closer to your fellow sopranos, tenors and basses, altos, is a way of doing a bit of physical work that takes us away from our "everyday" and into "choir night", becoming choristers. So, it's not too bad.

1. The Hockey Song: We started right away with a sing-through, and then moved into a review of each part during the verses. We'd done the chorus and it sounded great. You’re following my cut-offs and volume prompts really well (or you’re following those who remember from before). We talked a little about keeping some words short, mentioning words like staccato and tenuto. We looked at the vamp on page 4 under the little referee guy. The tenors and basses need to watch me for the up-beat, "where" on beat 4 before E and then for the down-beat on beat 1 "play-ers". Donna will vamp until I hold my hand up for that beat 4. Imagine a fermata over "where". At the top of page 7, we skipped the rest of the page and went directly to the last choruses. But, this time, we're singing page 7. I love it. Drama and the organ from the hockey arena. So, the music feels like it's going to go into the chorus, but instead we suddenly go soft "subito piano" instead. Almost whisper "Do you know the name..." And, we get slowly louder until we're really ready for that last page, and it's really big, starting with "Sid-ney-Cros-by!". Fun!!!

2. Little Tree:  Probably my favourite YRCC song for fall/winter. Such a big contrast to Hockey Song! Sweet and pretty, and so interesting, unusual and unexpected (unless you've heard us sing it in the past). I interpret it as a story of love, and maybe a passion that is almost an obsession. The singer seems to have adopted this stray tree, like a pet, and fallen in love. The harmonies are charming and the echoing of melodies is effective. One important thing that you seem to have figured out already is that there are powerful moments where the two parts come together, and holding notes to the same moment and taking our breaths there is cool. You watch me, and I do make a fuss for those. The first one of these is in bar 22. We're all together, stopping our layering after "I'll comfort you," and then crescendoing together over "little tree" before the big climax coming up. I love page 5! We talked about how the second "I'll give them all to you." is soft and slower and the notes and decrescendo combine to provide to much emotion there. This is an expression of love, and maybe the writer/creator has just grasped the depth of their love. The next section, at 39, is adorable, and it reminds me of the little songs we sing to our puppies or children, maybe giving them a boop on the nose. Philip noticed that the piano introduction sounds like "Close to You". And, I'm reminded of the words of that song "... so they sprinkled moon dust in your hair of gold and star light in your eyes of blue." 

3. Edelweiss: I left Lauren the job of teaching the middle part where the altos get the melody and everyone else sings ahs. I was in no shape to do ahhs, with an achy head and chest. But, I had no idea that the ahs were different in the new version we got. I’m sorry! Lauren is going to make sure we all have the same version next week. We do have recordings of parts if you want to hear what it's supposed to sound like. Check out this performance video. It was a small group. Isn't Robyn amazing? Look at where Melinda and Lauren are singing. 

 

4. So Long, Farewell: Lauren tells me it’s good, you got through the whole thing. There are parts that will need cleaning and polishing but we have time. We sang this in 2013. You can find it on my YouTube playlist. I just watched it. I conducted it, and yet have no memory of it. Funny. OMG. We waved good-bye at the end. I guess we should do that again. It was effective. The audience seemed to like it. I wonder if there will be people in our audience that remember it. 

Sign-ups: I see that some of you have started signing up for the performance at the market in November, for our craft night and pub night this month, and for the small groups. Thank you! Please sign up and book those dates on your calendars. 

The website:  If you haven't yet, please go to the website and log in. Make sure you are able to, and if not, we can help you. Log in and look at the Music Library, poke around and see all the stuff that is there is for you. Update your profile with your binder number, contact info, and maybe a picture of yourself.

Next Week, Tuesday, October 6th 

6:30 Let it Go and 7:00 There's Still My Joy 

• Edelweiss
• Song for a Winter's Night
• Welcome Christmas
• You're a Mean One Mr. Grinch 

 

 

YRCC 2026 Rehearsal Review Sept. 22nd

Every little cell inside my body was happy! 

We leaned a couple of wellness trends. One is called Box Breathing or Square Breathing. It's a technique that we saw quite a bit during COVID. It's good for calming down anxiety, or just settling down to make sleep come easier (I need this to calm down after choir). We always do some calming exercises at the beginning of choir to wash away our messy days to clear the way for choir. It's good to focus on breathing because singing together in a choir requires good breath control. We did some choir breathing too, and sang the Happy Cell Song for a vocal warm-up. The Happy Cell Song is another thing I found on Instagram. Burch Bear Holistic Care is the account and he recommends the tapping and singing every morning as a challenge. However, there's also an adorable father and son @karegabailey who sing that song together. "Every single (or little) cell inside my body, every single cell is happy and well. (repeat) I'm so glad every single cell in my body is happy and well. (repeat)"

1. Angels Among Us is so good! We learned from the second verse to the end! We noticed that the Oh before the chorus turned into Oo, so please pencil in Oh every time. We also noticed that we were singing a couple lines without looking at them. Bar 15 "I knew in my heart" and bar 39 "someone lights the way" should not sound like "show us how to live". Take a good look. "in my" are the same note, and so are "lights the". Don't go up. Remember to jump to the Coda on page 9 after the second chorus, landing on "love" there at the bottom of page 9. The timing in bars 42 and 43 is not easy. Tenors and basses might want to review those. I'm so happy with the work we've done on this song! Donna made recordings for all the parts and accompaniment recordings too. Here's a link. You need to be logged in to access them (they are just for us to use and cannot be shared/-copywright). 

2.  So Long, Farewell: Get your eraser out. I hope it's a good one. My music had a lot of notes on it (written by me, but completely forgotten). This time, we're doing it differently: Sopranos on Part l and everyone else on Part ll, throughout. We got through the whole thing quickly. We decided to go with "funny" adieu. So we're pronouncing it with a French accent and then yieu in bars 45 and 46 rhyme with that and don't sound like "you". Also, at the bottom of page 7, we'll say Yes? and then No! (or maybe we can change that one to Yes too? We're all legal.) Recordings are here. 

3. Edelweiss:  We just reviewed what we learned last week, 88 to the end. It was spectacular! Link to the folder in case you want to look ahead to the second verse, coming up next. 

4. Song for a Winter's Night: Also a review of last week. We did the first page, the oohs and ahs.  We sang through the rest and just pointed out a few things in the timing of the verses. For example, at the bottom of page 3, notice that "in the silence of my room" starts with 16th notes, very short, quick notes. There are good recordings of parts. Here's a link to that folder. (log in) We will review the oohs and ahs under the verses and page 9 with care, of course. And, we have lots of time before December 6th. 

5. You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch: So much fun!  I think it counts as "not yet Christmas" because it's all about that character and not about the holiday. I love this song, partly because it's been sung so often at our concerts. I've loved all the various versions that soloists have given us over the years (Tab's especially) and I wanted everyone to have the opportunity to sing those fantastic funny lyrics. Someone said that children would like this, but I really think it's a treat for anyone who loves language and who's ever wanted to insult someone handily and with flair. Here's the Grinch folder in the Music Library. 

We talked about:  

2027 Concert Dates: We couldn't get our usual May date for 2027. The first Sunday was booked. So, Lauren booked Sunday, May 16th, 2027. And, our date for December 2027 was also booked. Lauren will try to book November 28th or we'll need to look for a new venue. Maybe we'll find a new place and we can get our usual dates (first Sunday in December, first Saturday or Sunday in May). 

 Current Season Dates:  

Tues. Sept. 29 We will start small groups next week, so please go to the Events Sign-Up page on the Member Content Site, and sign up if you want to join the Let it Go small group.  

Tues. Oct. 6 There's Still My Joy small group. (might be sharing the first night with Let it Go)

Wed. Oct. 14 Craft Night at Renate's. Please sign up so I know how many to expect.  

Wed. Oct. 21 Pub Choir Night: Choir Revolution at Market Brewing in Newmarket.  

Sat. Nov. 14 Also please sign up for the November 14 Performance and Holiday Market

Sat. Nov. 21 Possible date to go see Donna in the play Over the River and Through the Woods at Theatre Aurora. Matinee is 1:30 and we could go to dinner after. This is still tentative. We could go on the 15th, for a matinee as well. We have time to decide. 

There will be more small group opportunities and a Tenor/ Bass section rehearsal coming up too. Please keep reading these reviews and visiting the Calendar and Events Signup page. 

A few people have offered their crafts already for our market table. It's going to be great! I'm sure there's room for more. 

Next Week, Tuesday, September 29th 

6:30 Let it Go Small Group 

• Edelweiss
• Hockey Song
• Little Tree (sneaking in Christmas, but again, the character is the focus)
• Mr. Grinch 
• So Long, Farewell 

From Instagram: @askdrsavage

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

YRCC 2026 Rehearsal Review Sept. 15th

Woo-hoo! We're off to a great start.

Woo-hoo, btw (by the way) is a singing thing that you do with your voice. We warmed up by doing a few regular sing-song sounds: Wow! and What? and no-no-no-no-no. If you're looking for your "singing voice", look no further and see how wide your range is- really wide, actually. Keep playing with your voice regularly and you'll gain more control over when and how those singing sounds come out.

We met a bunch of new people and had a bunch of choir friends come back again after some time of absence. Welcome!!! We're so happy you've joined us! What a wonderful sound we all made last night! Wow!

1. The Hockey Song: We spent some time going over parts in the chorus. So, now we know most of the song. The chorus repeats 5 times: at B, D, F, and twice at H! There's only a few notes that are tricky in bars 21 and 22. We sang through the whole song, with the help of the folks who know it well. Thank you for leading and thank you for following so well! I'm impressed with the way the new folks blended in. 

2. Angels Among Us: We worked on the chorus of this one too, which is repeated 3 times, but we also learned the first verse! We've done a good chunk of this song now. Here, the new people and the "old" ones were on a more even footing. The verses were sung by soloists last time, so learning the first verse was our first learning done together. It went really well. I'm so proud of all of you. 

3. Song for a Winter's Night: We were all in the same boat here too, learning the first page for the first time. The last couple times we sang this, Donna gave us a piano introduction. This time, we'll do it as written, with an a cappella choral intro. It's hard, but if we learned page 9, we can do anything. Again, I was impressed by the new folks as we sang through the whole song together. We sounded so good! There are some really good recordings of parts to help you learn this song on YouTube. Here are the links (they're also on our website, in the Music Library and Donna has made some for us too): 

Song for a Winter's Night - Soprano 1

Song for a Winter's Night - Soprano 2

Song for a Winter's Night - Alto

Song for a Winter's Night - Tenor

Song for a Winter's Night - Bass

 4. Edelweiss: This is going to be so special! I can't wait for us to learn the whole thing. We started at the end, and it's my favourite kind of ending: super big and dramatic! We learned parts from bar 112 to the end, and then we sang from bar 88 to the end. Powerful!!! Donna has made parts recordings for us so you can sing along with your music binder in front of you to learn or review your part at home. If you are  away and don't have your binder, you can see the pdf saved in the Google Drive Edelweiss folder with the recordings. You can also sing along with the York Region Community Choir of 2014 with this video:

 

Link to YouTube 

 

We talked about: Our Google Calendar if you can use this, it's where I put things first, because I have a Google calendar. We'll  eventually switch to the "Events" Calendar on the new website, and I'll put things there as much as I can. When you need to sign up for an event, that will still be done on the Members Content (old) website where you need to be a member and log in with a password. 

Small Groups will be starting in a couple weeks.  First, Lauren will lead sectionals, Alto, Tenor/Bass at 6:30. Then, starting on Oct. 6, There's Still My Joy, a sad but hopeful Christmas song. SAB. You can sign up for that right away. 

Holiday Market on November 14th. We have a table at the Aurora Community Band Holiday Market at Trinity Anglican in Aurora, and we're going to make and get some music-themed crafts to sell. I'll set a date to make crafts together at my house. It's more than a fund-raiser; it's an opportunity to promote our concert on December 6th, and to attract new members. I'd like us to perform as well, so please put that date on your calendars and plan to be there from 10-2. 

Choir Revolution pub choir night on October 21st. Some of us went in July, and it was excellent, a fun and very different evening of singing. Get your ticket. Maybe we can carpool? Parking is weird there. We were a group of maybe 6 and it was wonderful. Maybe we can get a few more this time?

Donna's play: Over the River and Through the Woods at Theatre Aurora. We'll pick a couple of dates to go together. Let's plan dinner and a play. Nov. 13-21. 

Whenever I spend time chatting with you, it's wonderful. I know we have so much in common besides enjoying singing in the choir. Let's make sure we always have some opportunities to get together outside of our Tuesday nights. 

Next Tuesday, September 22nd

6:30 Alto Sectional: just the altos, going through their parts

• Angels Among Us 
• Edelweiss
• So Long, Farewell
• Song for a Winter's Night 

 
 

 

YRCC 2026 Rehearsal Review Sept. 8th

First rehearsal of the 26/27 Choir Year!

We chatted a lot, registered, got binders, and started singing! We had a short physical warm-up, and then did a quick exercise that I saved on Facebook. "This the way the har-mo-ni-nize". I'll share it in our Facebook Group. If you haven't yet joined the FB Group: YRCC Choristers and Friends, then please do. It's a private group for now, so you need to be invited. 

1. The Hockey Song: We're going to do this as written, the whole song, so you might need to erase some notes from last time. The first time, we're singing Great Wayne Gretz-ky, but the second time we'll replace him with Syd-ney Cros-by. It works. And, it will be a nice surprise. 

2. Shine Hanukkah: We're going to do this one as written too. So, erase your notes about the first and second verse. Sopranos and Altos sing verse one alone, Tenor/Bass join on verse two only. At the end, on the last page, we'll have all sopranos on the top/descant divided, first and second. In the regular chorus, we'll have some altos sing soprano, altos divide too there. This will give us more of that special timing for the big ending. 

3. Song for a Winter's Night: We're also going to do this one as written! We can now learn the whole thing, including the choral intro. No solos, all ahs. So, you might need to erase old notes. For us and for our audience, this will make are repeated songs special, more interesting. 

4. Angles Among Us: Same thing here. We'll take the time to learn the whole song, not depending on soloists to carry the verses. Your old notes will not apply. 

5. Little Tree: My favourite winter season YRCC song! I love this little song. Part I=Sopranos; Part II=everyone else. As written, except we might add some harmony at the end and make it a bit bigger. 

6. Calypso Christmas: Fun! Drums, shakers, jingle bells and attitude.  It's a real calypso Christmas party. Not difficult but satisfying. 

7: Edelweiss: Very satisfying for the Altos! There's a special section that features the altos. That means the sopranos will need to do the ahs along with the bass clef voices. Everyone knows this song, but this arrangement is really special and has a super-big ending. I love it. You will too. 

Others: We had a quick look at a few new songs. Very few of us have sung (or remember singing) So Long, Farewell which is also from the Sound of Music, None of us has sung this new arrangement of You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch, and we have a new classical-ish piece called Nutcracker Jingles. 

There is a lot to learn this season, but there is so much that we already know. I hope it will be a good balance for you. We have many of the parts recorded already and Donna is going to make new ones too. We'll review how to find those so you can sing your music on your own. Whenever you miss choir, don't panic. You might be totally fine following everyone who was there, and if not, you'll have my notes here on my blog and the recordings to work with. Please don't come to choir sick. If you have a cough or productive nose, please stay home or wear a mask to protect other choir members, and keep your distance. 

Next week, we're back in our room and we'll have new people starting. Make them feel welcome.  We're going to talk about activities that are planned and things that we might want to add (participating in a holiday market, making crafts, pub choir night, theatre night,...). 

 Here's the list of songs we'll sing next week:

• Angels Among Us
• Edelweiss
• Hockey Song
• So Long, Farewell
• Song for a Winter's Night 

Share this little poster far and wide, please. We're especially hoping to attract some new low voices, having lost a few good men. But, we have room in all parts at the moment. Consider learning the new songs with the Tenors right from the start. It's so much fun singing with Melinda and Jane! 

 

New Stuff for YRCC Fall/Winter Season 2026

I'm getting excited, as usual, for the start of the new choir season. This year, this time, I'm even more excited. We have some new stuff planned, besides the new music to learn. 

First of all, we're going to participate in a Holiday Market! People have been talking about promoting our concerts so that the seats are as full as they were in the past. One reason for the lower attendance is that we used to have 60 members and a waiting list. Since COVID, we've dropped down to around 40. So, we don't have as many family and friends tickets to sell. Some of us older members have family who are less excited about our concerts after having heard them for decades. So, promoting choir membership is also something we're talking about. We need more low voices (men would be nice), as we have lots of good music with tenor and bass parts. And, younger members too are needed. Some of us older members are super-energetic and have more time in our retirement, but others have lost some strength and stamina. Some of our members have 'graduated' to Donna's seniors' choir in Newmarket that meets during the day. Our table at the market will promote the concert primarily, but also membership. How do we attract younger people and how do we attract men/people with low voices? Put your thinking caps on, and if you have good ideas, let us know, or maybe we can form a Promotions Team?

For the market, we can get crafty! I want to have things with a musical theme that we can sell as a fundraiser. Each thing can have a sticker to promote the choir. If you donate your time and the stuff you make, we can use the funds we raise for more promotional activities. I've bought some wooden tree ornaments and little wooden music notes to paint and I have a few other ideas. I'll host a craft night at my house. What ideas do you have?  I know that we are a talented bunch, with lots of hidden talents. 

Secondly, we're going to try to be more social. It's always wonderful when choir friends get together to attend an event outside of choir. We've gone to movies, shows, and recently had a "pub choir" night.  I'm going to suggest we go to the next Choir Revolution night at Market Brewing in Newmarket on October 21st. The one-night choir experience is fun and carefree, and includes alcohol and snacks to purchase. I'd like us to have flyers to give out to promote the choir there. That experience is very different from our choir experience, and it's $25 for one night, while ours is $100 for a year (approximately 20 Tuesday rehearsals plus two shows and several seniors performances: that works out to less than $5) What we have is more than a singing experience; it's a community, an opportunity to belong to something bigger, with different levels of commitment, more than a one-nighter. 

I hope to see the YRCC do more extra-curricular activities! There is also an opportunity to go to the theatre. A group of us went to Theatre Aurora last year to see a musical revue and loved it. We discovered that Donna is connect to Theatre Aurora, and this year she's in a play, Over the River and Through the Woods. We should go! It's the same weekend as our market, but wouldn't that be fun and a lovely reward for our work? I see that they have another musical revue there too, September 18-26, "Yesterday Once More", hits from the 60's and 70's. That should be a good one! Years ago we had a group go to see an opera at the movie theatre. That was so interesting! We also went to a sing-along version of a movie. There is stuff going on in Newmarket and Aurora all the time that some of us might be interested in doing. When we add dinner to one of these things, it's even better. We learn so much about each other and see how much we have in common! Maybe someone would like to lead a Social Events Team?

I hope you are as excited as I am, and are ready for new challenges and lots of fun! The binders are ready, full of good music for us to sing. September 8th is our first night back. Can hardly wait!

Hey, if you just want to come and sing on Tuesdays to escape "reality" for a while, that's fine too! Singing together every Tuesday is the best and most important thing about the YRCC. 

 

Here's a link

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Start Date YRCC Winter 2026: September 8th

We will start rehearsing for our 2026 Winter Concert on Tuesday, September 8th! 

That’s the return date for members. Any potential new members will start to join us on the 15th or 22nd. I think Carol spreads them out so we can welcome them properly and get them registered. Returning members are much easier to register since we already have your contact info and just need to confirm that everything is current.

Returning members can help with this by logging into the website and checking your profile. Check the spelling of your names, your address, check that we have the best contact number for you, your email address (the one that you check) so we can send you important information, and please check your binder number. 

Did you know that you can also add a profile picture and details about yourself? Did you know that you can find contact information for all of your choir friends on our website and it’s password protected? Logging in can be annoying but it’s worth it. Send your friends greeting cards or meet up together for coffee. Send an email or a text to find out how their trip went, or surgery. The choir is a community and we find friends and you’ll see we have lots in common. 

Our first night back will be a little different because we’ve been told by the Region that they’re bumping us that night. We have our space at Trinity Newmarket reserved. We could have started the following week and had our room right from the beginning but we want to get started on our songs! I’m excited about this season. We’re continuing with a focus on Songs, and this year it’s Songs that Tell Stories. I’m especially excited about the Spring Concert because we have some excellent music from musicals, and opera, and there are so many good songs that tell stories! 

You can find the list of song titles for this season on the Member Content website under Music/ This Season’s Music. Things have moved around a little, streamlined and simplified to make it easier to find things. Hopefully. Let me know if you have any good ideas to make it clearer and easier. General information is all on the public site YRCC.ca now. 

Some of us have been meeting to reorganize our music library and to create a complete inventory, and we’re also talking about participating in a Holiday Market to promote our concert and recruit new members, especially men/low voices. 

I love the fall! Every year, we have this time of new beginnings and exciting things to look forward to.

This summer has been beautiful, but I’m looking forward to September and seeing my choir friends again.

Summer 2026 Singing and Dancing in our Communities

Having been disappointed by the cancellation of the first Thursday evening concert in Newmarket, July 16th, I didn't get my hopes up too high for last Wednesday's Michael Jackson tribute concert. I didn't make a post to say I wanted to go. I just put it on the calender, and watched the weather forecast. 

I really really wanted to go though. George St. Kitts is an excellent entertainer. I've watched him perform several times. And, last year this same show (History) was rained out in Newmarket, and I was there with my sister and nephew from BC. It started out so good, and then the rain came. We all got wet and then ran to our cars when it started to pour. Sad; so disappointing. And then, this year my plans for the first outdoor concert got washed out. Such bad luck!

Well, this year History: Tribute to Michael Jackson was in Aurora, so I had a second chance, and I went. Even though I couldn't get anyone to come with me, I went. I posted in the afternoon, but I guess it was too late, so I had to go alone. It was such enormous fun! There were tons of people there, tons and tons of energy and excitement! I danced and sang along to every song on the dance floor in front of the stage. There was very little time to talk, but I did talk to a couple lovely people. Fantastic evening! 

I hope, cautiously, that I'll get to sing and dance at more of these outdoor concerts this summer, and that I'll get to go in a group of friends too. 

I have them all in the YRCC Calendar, all the Wednesdays in Aurora and all the Thursdays in Newmarket. Of course there are plenty of other outdoor concerts in our area, so I'll keep my eyes and ears open. 

July 22, 2026 Aurora Town Park

 

YRCC Event July 15, 2026 Choir Revolution was Excellent!

We were a table of 6, with beer and snacks to share, fun conversation and then SINGING! It was so much fun! 

We will definitely plan another one of these, and next time we'll make it an Event on the YRCC website so we can sign up and email each other to plan carpools. The parking at Market Brewing Company is not great, but even if we planned to park across the street at the Med Centre/Little Ceasars plaza and take one car across, it would be easier. 

For $25 it was an excellent evening of entertainment and carefree togetherness. 

Here's a video of our big three-part song, Ahead By a Centry by The Tragically Hip. It was so good, and just one guitar as accompaniment. We sang If I Could Read Your Mind by Gordon Lightfoot with live accompaniment, and sang a bunch of other songs with recordings. Jenn and I added some YRCC spice to Hallelujah. It felt awesome. 

We planned this get-together in our new Facebook Group. Join the group and let's do more social stuff. 

First Free Concert of Summer of 2026 in Newmarket July 9- I'm going!

I'm planning to go to the first of the summer concerts at Riverwalk Commons in Newmarket on Thursday nights. It's this Thursday, July 9th, starting at 6:30 with an opening act that I don't want tto miss. The headliner is a tribute band doing Elton John and Billy Joel songs. Lots of songs I can sing along with ;-) I hope to find some of my singing friends there. 

There's also a concert in Aurora tomorrow, Wednesday evening. It's a good one: The Beresfords. They did an amazing Taylor Swift concert a couple years ago that had all the little girls believing the singer was TS herself. I'm not planning to go, but I could probably be talked into it...

I've listed all the Aurora and Newmarket free concerts in the York Region Community Choir Calendar.

Here's a link: YRCC Calendar Link

I just saw on Facebook that there are concerts on Tuesday nights in East Gwillimbury and they have a market too, from 4-9. The Civic Centre is on Leslie at Mt. Albert Road (and south of Mt. Albert/Farr if you're coming from the west). The band tonight looks really good. I'm having a sleepy day today, but if I can get my act together, I'll maybe go. 

Here's a link for information about that: Music and Market Nights at the East Gwillimbury Civic Centre

This just in: Bradford also has free concerts on Tuesdays!!! 425 Holland Street West (Holland/Professor Day)

Here's a link for the Bradford information: Bradford Music in the Square

Here's a link for the Newmarket Concerts: Newmarket Summer Music Series

Here's a link for the Aurora Concerts: Aurora Concerts in the Park

Please consider going to some free outdoor concerts this summer to be sure you keep singing while there's no choir. 

It's so much fun, and it's free! Because it's outdoors, it's relaxed and you can sing along, dance along, have a beverage and snacks... and you can go with your non-choir people. 

• Bring friends and chairs. 
• Get there early.
• Check out the weather conditions before you head out. 

snip taken from video on Town of Newmarket Facebook

I shared it on the Choir's Facebook Page. 

Take note: We have a new Group Page on Facebook. Up until now, we've had a "Page" for the choir to post, but now we have a "Group" so we can all post and share things together. It's a closed group, rather than a public group, so you have to be invited. I've invited people that I know are on Facebook, but if I haven't invited you, you can ask to be added. 

Why not share photos of your summer adventures in our Facebook Group? 

We've got a group of us going to a Choir Revolution event at Market Brewing Company in Newmarket on July 15th: Ahead By A Century: The Great Canadian Sing-Along w/ Choir Revolution. $25 Tickets. Visit our Facebook Group to get info. 

YRCC Spring 2026 Concert Recordings, Photos, Video

Go to the Members' Site. Log in. Find Concert Recordings. Choose 2026 Spring Concert Recordings. 

Click on All Songs. They're listed in alphabetical order. STE-000 and STE-001 are the whole concert, first half and second half. 

Click on Photos and video clips. There are some pics there from a couple different phones as well as some short videos of parts of songs. It's not a lot, but it's nice! 

Enjoy! Don't we sound fabulous?! You can't hear that when you're singing your part amoung the people in your section. The harmonies are wonderful. It feels good, doesn't it? 

Also, take a look at yourself to see if you're smiling once in a while, watching me, etc. Listen to how good it sounds when we all start and stop at the same time. Watch and see how good it looks when people look up from their binders. We do a good job, but it could be better. 

YRCC funeral this week: Dolores Pividor

Our beautiful friend, Dolores Pividor has passed away. When she stopped coming to our choir, she continued for a while in other choirs, but was having health issues. A wonderful soprano, Dolores was friendly, kind, and talkative too. She loved to sing!

Here's the link with the obituary and information.

Visitation will be at Roadhouse and Rose Funeral home on Thursday May 14 from 2-4 and 6-8. Funeral mass at St. Elizabeth Seton church on Friday May 15th at 11:30am with a reception to follow. Burial at St. John's Cemetery at 3pm.

Two shots of our show May 3rd, 2026

 If anyone has some photos or videos of our concert, please send them to me.

This is all I have so far. 

YRCC 2026 May 3rd Concert Kudos - Seniors Tour Info

Woooooo-hoooo! It was so much fun!

I can't wait for you to hear the recordings; our sound was excellent!

I loved the audience too! It was so good to see so many familiar faces and to meet some of your friends and families. The bake sale might have been the biggest yet, and we used to have 60 members! Stunning display, delicious and beautiful treats, and I made sure to take some home. Many thanks to the bakers and mostly to the helpers who set up and cleaned up, Lorraine especially. I was so proud of Stanley's professionalism and embarrassed by my own lack thereof when I messed up (the one song I was singing, I came in early with a very loud note and made a face and yuck; I know better, but...). 

I loved the decorations, and appreciate the help with arranging that and the help setting up and taking down everything. We're a great team. Thank you to Jane especially, and extra thanks for my beautiful mixed flower pot with the Canada flag! I loved it decorating the stage and now it's decorating my deck where I love to sit all summer long.

We didn't manage to get a booking for next Tuesday, and this week I'm away (leaving in the next hour to go up north), so we're starting our Seniors' Tour on Tuesday, June 19th at the Eldon in Bradford, where Daphne is now living. Please be sure to come to as many seniors performance as you can. It helps me plan when you sign up on the Events page on the website. Please do, but if you can come last minute and haven't signed up, know that I'll be happy to see you and we'll make room for you. 

There's a link to the YRCC Calendar on the home page of the website, and it's public, so you don't have to log in to see it. It's a Google Calendar so sometimes that messes people up. If that's you, then please start using the new website's calendar.  Here's a link. The new website is YRCC.ca (yrcc.ca) and there's a menu button at the top that's called Performances, and in there is an Events Calendar, just called Events. Check it out! We're planning to start using the new website fully in September.

Keep a look out for an email about our AGM. The Annual General Meeting is required and you can help us in planning for the next season, make decisions about the website, find out about finances, everything. And, we have a pot luck party to celebrate the success of the season! We'll sing and we'll eat and chat and I want to see everyone there. 

YRCC 2026 Rehearsal Review April 28th Concert Order

When I say Concert Order, I’m usually referring to the order of songs, from first to last. We put the songs in our binders in concert order instead of alphabetical order so that we can sing one song after the other without fuss. 

But, order has another meaning, which is the opposite of disorder, the opposite of chaos (confusion, mess, turmoil). Orderliness is another aspect of the concert. Organization, arrangement, calm, harmony, those are some goals. We talk about what to wear. We learn how to tie our scarves so that we all look like we’re on the same team. We don’t have to look perfect but we want to look good. We work on how the concert runs physically, the logistics, the smooth execution of the show. It helps us to feel safe and confident when we know where to stand and walk, and where our equipment’s going to be. It’s a small part of being a choir, but it’s important. It’s the difference between a sing-along and a choir concert. There’s a level of formality, even professionalism, that makes sense when we’re all reading a choral score, and performing for an audience. We have fun, and we want the audience to enjoy our performance, but order is important.

We need to move with some precision and care 6 times: entering twice, and before and after the 2 small group sets. Seating is split up on two sides of the stage and right in front of the stage, and some people or one person ends up on stage. With a larger number of people who have mobility issues of varying degrees, and instruments, microphones, chords, music stands, and chairs and stools, the potential for chaos is great. This is the main source of my stress. Sometimes I have to change the order of songs when it’s not possible to move from one song to the next physically. In this concert, there is one transition that will require an adaptation, a little bit of time that I will need to fill after Stanley’s solo to give the next group time to set up. We had a beautiful moment when everyone was stunned, immobilized by the exquisiteness of his performance. Nobody moved, and there is a lot of stuff that needs to move just at that moment. It’s a good thing we have a run-through rehearsal!

Our sound technician, Doug has been working with us for years and always makes sure we sound good. He records the rehearsal and the concerts. I’m listening to the rehearsal recordings to see if I can learn from them. Here’s a selection that sounded good: Grand Night for Singing. And, here, listen to Canon of Joy. It's really pretty. The choir sounds fabulous. But, please pay attention to the ending. If you forget to go to the Coda, it sounds messy and weak. Usually, Doug will play us a bit of a song at our break, but we spent the break tying ties/scarves and talking. So, there’s your preview of how we’re going to sound on Sunday, ie faboulous, magnificent, really. After the concert, Doug will send me the recordings and we’ll put them on the website. You know where to find concert recordings on our website, right?

Reminders for Sunday, Concert Day: 

• bake something nice, in small portions for the bake sale (label for nuts/nut-free and with your name if you want the dish back)
• shower, come scent-free 
• park as far away from the church as you are able to leave parking for audience members who might not be as mobile as you
• arrive at 1:00 if you're in a small group or sing a solo (Robyn, Sharon, Song for Canada/Free to Be, etc) also bake sale and coffee/drinks set up
• Everyone should be on stage at 2:00. We have half an hour to rehearse our entry at the beginning and after intermission, to clean up Canon of Joy breathing (help me remember staggered breathing) and maybe a couple other things, but we're good. Just warm up and feel good.
• Remember to smile and try to relax and have fun. The choir sounds fantastic

Please note the Tuesdays in May and June when we're singing at seniors homes. We have 4 booked so far and only a few people signed up. Keep watching the website announcements, Facebook, and come whenever you are able. I don't think we'll have the problem of too many people showing up. Most places can only fit up to 20 singers, but I need 12 at the very least, and 15-20 is best. I'd like to know which soloists will be there. On the Calendar, and in Events on the website, the address is entered and there is a link to the sing-alongs if you need it. We will be projecting the words on a screen for the residents and we can use that too. Always bring all of your music in your binders, but there is a seniors performance order on the website. We decide the order just before we sing. 

Binders: at the end of the season, all binders and all YRCC music must be returned to Peggy, the music librarian. Whenever it's your last time singing with us for the season (concert, or seniors home), you can hand in your binder. If you forget, then you must drop it off at Peggy's house and have your binder there no later than July 1st. During the summer, we select and purchase music and prepare the binders for the winter season. The choir owns tons of music and several filing cabinets full of sets of music in numerical order so that you can get your number back with your notes if we sing a song again. Imagine how much work this takes to maintain. Please do your part by handing in your binder at the end of each season promptly. 

Break a leg! Oh, never mind superstition. Good luck! You won't really need much luck because you are well prepared, and the most important thing is to sing with joy and love and all will be well. 

 

 

 

YRCC 2026 Rehearsal Review April 21st

We're ready! 

This was our last rehearsal to do learning and fixing. Next week, we focus on the order of songs, and how we need to stand and move and how to use the microphones and move them and where to put instruments when they're not in use, etc. All the logistics of the performance will be worked out so that on concert day, we'll look good, and things will run smoothly.  

Alan brought his guitar and years of experience to our small group rehearsal for Canada's Song (Free to Be) and Colors. It was so much fun! The My Life Flows On group improved quite a bit. We also have recordings now that Shirley has made (wow!).

Our warm-up was found on Facebook, and had us moving our bodies and singing. Thanks to Liz for that discovery. 

1. I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing: Excellent! Remember Altos repeat Peace throughout the land and hold it to the Tenor/Bass cut off. Sopranos don't sing the last Standing hand in hand. 

2. Why We Sing: Excellent! I love our new beginning. Debbie is singing the duet part down an octave, but the chorus/quartet part with Mona up in the treble clef.

3.  Here's to Song: Excellent! The solos are great, and everyone's watching for when to be louder or softer. People will love this song. It's new, but feels like a comfy old pair of slippers. 

4.  It's a Grand Night for Singing: Excellent! I made a last-minute change. It's a good one. The first time we sing the main/chorus part, we observe the rests, making "moon is", "stars are", "night" short and clear. The second time, after the interlude, we go big and broad, so we sing through those rests "moo-niz" and "star-zaar". If we remember, we can do long "fal-ling-in love" too. Let's try it next week. The ending is so good! Be sure to remember to move up on "love" at the end: Lo-ove!" (sounds like laah-aahv) 

5. Thank You For the Music: Excellent! A few people were holding notes over rests, but we fixed it. Altos/Sopranos at the beginning need to come off your last word so that the Tenors/Basses come in without any overlap: on page 3 bore/walk and before/talk, then proud/can on page 4.

6. Song Sung Blue: This small group is excellent. Sopranos, I need you to be nice and loud. You have the melody. Everyone else is sitting but will be helping the audience on the second time around.

7. Circle Game: This small group is excellent. Solos were outstanding, harmonies good. Isn't this a good song?!!

8.  Hallelujah: Excellent! New beginning is so good!

Next week:  Tuesday, April 28th at 7:00-early start

Run-through rehearsal at Trinity Anglican in Aurora 

Your binders must be in concert order. Find the order on the website under Members-Only

6:00 Small Groups and Soloists (Melodie, Lorraine, Stanley, Colby, etc) 

 

 

 

Piano Recital at Trinity Newmarket Sunday, April 19th, 2026

Sunday, April 19th, 2026 at 3:00pm in the Sanctuary of Trinity United Church, Newmarket. Child prodigy Angel Heung, our music director's daughter will delight us with her extraordinary piano virtuosity. And, this time, she's got a guest from Boston, another young pianist, also a winner of several international piano competitions.

Here's the poster for next week's fundraising concert. It's not easy to read in this format. 

Tickets are $25 (kids under 12 free). All proceeds will go to Trinity.

Tickets can be found online at Eventbrite (enter Trinity in the search bar, and you'll find it) but you can also pay at the door. 

You will be amazed at the talent, the skills, the stunning virtuosity of these young pianists!  

There will be special moments when 8 hands will play on our piano together. (I'm curious to see who the other two people will be. Maybe Kevin and Joanna?)

There will be a reception following the concert, and I'm baking something (apple Streuselkuchen squares, probably). Please come! 

 

YRCC 2026 Rehearsal Review April 14th

I'm feeling great after our gold-star rehearsal performances last night! It was also wonderful for me to sit with the small group and sing their song and enjoy harmonizing. What a special thing it is to sing together! We're so lucky we get to do this every week!

The small group that met at 6:30 was singing their second song, Colors, when I arrived, and I didn't have to think twice before accepting their offer to join them. It's a special song, and it felt wonderful harmonizing with some of my favourite choristers and with Donna's asoundingly beautiful ad-lib accompaniment. 

Our warm-ups included singing "meow" (miao?) like a cat and talking about why that's useful. I had forgotten, but it's really just a nasal tone exercise that releases vocal tension, and the silliness of it releases performance tension. And, then we had to compare it to dog sounds like "woof" which Lauren taught us is also used to manage airflow. I've found a bunch of different dog sound exercises today, and other animals sounds too. So, I think we might want to have some fun with more animal sounds in the future. I have to apologize for going off track on the dogs vs cats tangent. I had just read a strange post about feral cats, and it was so irreverent; sorry. We did a few different physical exercises too, and that came from my reading about maintaining stability and balance as we age. I'm going to be using more of that going forward, as we can all benefit from better stability and balance not just for performing but also in our everyday lives. 

1. It's a Grand Night for Singing: It was truly grand. We had a good laugh after we finally mastered the ending. Singing what is written always sounds good.  I don't know what we were doing before, but this time, we just went over what is written in the second ending on page 5 and it was excellent. We needed some work on that last bar where everyone except the Basses moves up, and First Sopranos go way up: a big ending!

2. Why We Sing: The four soloists/quartet at the beginning makes it build with much more drama. We figured out who sings what there, and we'll give it another go next week. This is the opener this time, our first song. We've traditionally used it as a finale and sometimes as an encore, but this new arrangement with the first verse and chorus by a small group works well as an opener. It's a good introduction to our theme too. 

3. Canon of Joy: This song will follow Why We Sing in the program, and the emphasis is on everlasting JOY and the message on page 7: Though our hearts be tried and troubled, still our song none can destroy. "All our days" and "everlasting" are positive and wonderful, not boring. Remember that it's your job to make sure it doesn't sound boring, each time you sing joy, bounce on the dj sound and release the oy with grace and beauty. Watch me for dynamics, sing page 5 softer, then louder both times. 

4. We Rise Again: Awesome! Now that we're so good, we can think about looking up from our music as we sing the second and third chorus. You're all singing the same thing every time, except the First Sopranos. You shouldn't need to look at your music. We were reminded that we're supposed to hold our binders up so we can read the music and easily look up at the conductor and/or the audience, high enough so you don't have to look down, and angled so that your face is not covered. This will also help with your posture as you sing. Your head should be held high and facing forward, back straight, shoulders back. Looking down, neck bent, shoulders in, is not going to sound good or look good, and it will hurt in the long term. 

5. Hymn to Freedom: This comes before We Rise Again in the program, but both songs have good, big endings. I'm not sure about my order anymore. I've been having second thoughts (and thirds). 

6. One Voice: This is our finale, but, although it's excellent and builds to a beautiful big ending, it's too short to inspire a standing ovation. 

7: Thank You For the Music: This song is second-last. It's awesome, but doesn't have a big ending, and it's a little bit too self-centred. Someone suggested Hymn to Freedom might do the trick?

8. Here's to Song: This is going to be stuck in my head all week again. I love this, and it will be the first song in our last set.  It's not a finale song, is it? Back to the drawing board. 

We talked about: 

Scarves: many people forgot to bring in their scarves. We need to do a big assessment and cut some in half. There are a number of double-sized scarves out there, so they won't be too small when cut in half. We originally cut them in half, but then mistakenly sent some out too large. Bring in your scarf next week. 

Tickets: Buy any additional friends and family tickets next week. Online tickets are $25 and they'll be $25 at the door as well. The new website is up, and tickets are available there: yrcc.ca. We have a little more work to do to integrate the members-only content from the old site and to redirect from that web address. But, it's looking good!

Concert Order: Jane's been working on the program, and I've entered the concert order on the website. But, now I'm going to be thinking about possibly changing it. As always, the run-through rehearsal is our chance to hear how it flows and to see how it looks (people moving, microphoness) before the program is set, so we can make last-minute changes. I have to give you an order next week so that you put your binders in concert order for the 28th run-through rehearsal. Next week is our last chance to go over parts, and on the 28th, we won't sing through every song, so think about what you might want to review next week before we move on to performance-readiness. 

Seniors Visits: Jane is working on booking our Spring Seniors Tour. It will start on Tuesday, May 12th. As soon as we get some bookings, I'll enter them on our calendar (s). We have a calendar on the website now, so I'll figure out how best to use that. And, I'll set up Events for you to sing up in on the old site. This allows us to manage how many of each part we get at our seniors performances, since some places are small and some choir members can't make all of them. 

Next week: Tuesday, April 21st We're in our usual room at the Admin. Ctr. 

Bring your scarves! 

Small groups: 

6:30 Canada's Song (Free to Be), 6:50 Colors, 7:10 My Life Flows On (How Can I Keep From Singing).  

• Canadian Sing-alongs
• Here's to Song
• Grand Night for Singing
• Why We Sing
• I'd Like to Teach the World
• Circle Game? 
• Anything you want to go over 

 

 Looking ahead: Tuesday, April 28th We're at Trinity Anglican in Aurora in the sanctuary, where we will be performing on May 3rd. This is a run-through of the concert, like a dress rehearsal. We will practise walking and standing and sitting and singing with microphones. If you cannot be at this rehearsal, you must tell someone in your section so that they can guide you on concert day. 

Binders will be in concert order, so there's not searching for music between songs. 

Small Groups and Soloists: be prepared to start as early as 6:00!

Eveyone be there early 7:00 and be prepared to end later than usual!

All instruments will be there.

All props (geese, chairs, campfires) to see how they work. 

Wear comfortable clothes and shoes so you can move around.  Maybe bring a snack?