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.
