First Concert of the Season - Saturday, October 28th!
SATURDAY, OCT 28 - FIRST CONCERT “CLEAN & CLASSIC”
Concert begins at 7:30 pm at Fraserview MB Church.
Call-time for sound check and any last minute “stuff” is 5:30 pm.
Please try to park away from the church, if possible, to leave plenty of spots for our audience.
No scented products, please!
CHORUS:
Concert Attire = royal blue shell/lace jacket/long skirt or tux with royal blue pocket pouf
Bring hydration and make sure it’s labeled.
Personal items/valuables and “green room” area = Nursery Room (from the parking lot entrance to the church, turn right from the lobby)
We are not performing in the FIRST half of the program. Let audience members settle into seats first, then fill in as able and use balcony to enjoy the orchestra.
You can hold on to your music until Oct. 31st rehearsal.
AGM - October 17
Greetings, ROCA Board Members and Performing Members!
It is time to prepare for our Annual General Meeting. We will follow the format used last year:
Meet Tuesday, Oct. 17 at 7pm, for separate chorus and orchestra rehearsals at South Arm United Church (hall for chorus, sanctuary for orchestra). At 7:45pm we will gather together for our AGM meeting and then following that will rehearse together, in preparation for our Oct. 28 joint concert.
Thank you for arriving on time and for your participation in the meeting. Reports will be provided on the members' section of the website prior to the meeting. The agenda is attached here.
If you would like to be nominated as a ROCA Board Member, please reply to this email. We are currently seeking Directors, especially from the orchestra. We also would like to strive toward creating a co-chair role, shared between orchestra and chorus members.
Thank you to ALL our members for your involvement and participation!
Sincerely,
Laura Rhead
on behalf of ROCA Board of Directors
Welcome from Brigid Coult, Chorus Creative Director
Hi, folks
Schedule time – these dates were out before our last concert, but NOW is the time to make sure everything’s in your calendar.
First of all, please put Tuesday 12 September into your calendar – that’ll be our first rehearsal. We’re back at FRASERVIEW in the Sanctuary. Plan to be there early to meet-and-greet, get music sorted out, deal with any financials – though I hope most of you will have registered for this season online before we start (reminder – go to our website: roca@roca.ca – use the menu in the top righthand corner or scroll down to the black section at the bottom and click on Member Login – login is ROCAisgr8).
We had talked about doing something for Culture Days, but I think instead that we are going to make the September rehearsals open sessions, both for would-be singers, and for potential audience. If you know anybody who might be a possible member, encourage them to come without commitment September 12/19/26. I already know that we’ll be welcoming Pat Hodgins back, and new members Teresa, Cindy, Lea and David.
First formal concert will be the last weekend of October – CLEAN & CLASSIC, on Saturday 28 October. Program will be:
Orchestra – Mozart: Overture to “Don Giovanni”
Orchestra – Mozart: Sinfonia Concertante
intermission
Chorus/chamber orchestra – Mozart: Laudate Dominum
Chorus/chamber orchestra – Vivaldi: Gloria
Tabitha Brasso-Ernst will be our soloist
Our Christmas concert will be on the afternoon of Sunday 10 December – CHRISTMAS AT THE MOVIES – and I think it’ll be mostly Orchestra-led, with Chorus arrangements derived from the orchestral scores.
The spring concert marks my 30th season with ROCA. CONDUCTOR’S CHOICE on April 6. We’ll do some stuff from earlier years, but also some new rep that’s been on my must-do-sometime list, but has never fitted with any of our themed programs. I think you’ll love this rep!
Then on June 8 we’ll offer a program called MAGICAL WORLD OF MUSIC with a focus on your favourite Disney songs – though there’ll be a little Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter to enhance the magic.
I think this is going to be a great season – all we need now is the singers!
Please let me know If there are any of the concert dates that you can’t do, or if you are going to be away for any period of time that might require a re-audition before a concert.
If you know any other singers who might like to join us – encourage them to try-out this month.
And the big reminder, since 2020 – COVID’s not gone away, so we’re going to have to live around it (and around RSV and influenza and colds and all that stuff). If you might be infectious, please call me to let me that you will join us on Zoom. A Zoom rehearsal is not the greatest, but it’s better than missing altogether. However, I will not bring my laptop for Zoom unless I know people will be attending online.
Please email or call me as early as possible to let me know if you’re not coming – don’t tell me at rehearsal; I need it in time so that I can do my seating plan. If I think you’re not ready for a concert or you’ve missed too many rehearsals, I may ask to hear you separately.
For those in rehearsal together, wearing a mask is nobody’s favourite thing, but I am quite happy to see masked faces – whether you mask because you’re protecting others or yourself.
Fall rep recordings:
Mozart Laudate Dominum
Statskappelle Dresden - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WL2H162wRCo
– chorus starts at 2.38
Vivaldi Gloria
U of Texas, conducted by my friend Richard - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvZYhxT5Mf8&t=123s
This was the performance at La Pieta we watched together during COVID! -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgaOVV4JQHA&t=6s
There are lots of other recordings, but these are my favourites.
Christmas rep – depends on James’s selections.... What are YOUR favourite Christmas movies?
Looking forward to seeing you all on September 12!
-Brigid
604-790-2367
April Concert notes: CHORUS
Tuesday April 18 – The Music’s Always There
dress rehearsal will be Tuesday 11 April
Chilcott – Mairi’s wedding
Faure ed Rutter – Cantique de Jean Racine
Rutter – Psalm 23 (from Requiem)
set, tba, by Steveston/London choir
Chilcott – Jazz Mass
Rutter – The Music’s always there
-----
Rutter – Blow Blow
Chilcott – Greensleeves
Mikulin – By Shallow Rivers
Chilcott – Walking the Red Road
Rutter – Prayer for Ukraine
Rutter – Gaelic Blessing
Chilcott – And so it goes
Chilcott – Buffalo Gals
Rutter – The Terrible Tale of Tom Gilligan
Rutter – Down by the Riverside
(bolded – joint choirs in red – music not in your hands yet)
Reminders from Brigid for "Magnificat!"
Hi Singers, please review these links: listen and inwardly digest!
Vivaldi - Magnificat
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zqoztX4u9A – all the “solo” movements are choral
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGJYPSSJM7k – wonderful work with soloists – sometimes not
exactly as in our edition!
Cyber-bass for individual part-work:
http://www.cyberbass.com/Major_Works/Vivaldi_A/vivaldi_magnificat.htm
Robert Ray - Gospel Magnificat
Not very good recordings – mostly amateur choirs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoko8IIl3OU - this makes me laugh – it’s a bit caffeinated! Want
some choralography?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJD-gzi34V4 – not such a good choir, but a better tempo.
Biebl: Ave Maria
There are many recordings of this around, but most of them are all women, all men, or low voices vs
high ones. They’re worth listening to, but may not help with notes!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG7MAGog26E – this is the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir singing
the same edition we use.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQWb4I87b88 – this is the right version, but I don’t like the
balance of voices – what do you think?
Britten: Hymn to the Virgin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Z0O8X26UIU – Voces 8 – gorgeous! Though it helps to have that
acoustic!
Carol of the Stable Dog – sung by Phoenix Chamber Choir – I think Corlynn had retired by then....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xW3FaJIYkQQ
Mary did you know
This will not help you with learning our version, but you should hear this group, with the original
writer... Wow! Incredible tuning!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaRpeMT1tjQ
This Christmastide
My favourite version – beautiful sensitive singing -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YxGFKM27_8
Here’s Jessye Norman: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isWViEYXM3M
and here’s our MAGNIFICAT PROGRAM, so far:
ALL : ONCE IN ROYAL DAVID’S CITY solo:
Hymn to the Virgin Benjamin Britten—Pat Hodgins, Elizabeth Oh, Harry Gray, Bernie Barrett
Gabriel’s Message Basque arr. Pettman
Ave Maria Franz Biebl —Laura Rhead, Alison Cole Genny Trigo-Gonzalez, Elizabeth Oh, Don Moir, Bernie Barrett
reading?
Magnificat Antonio Vivaldi
Magnificat
Et Exultavit
Et Misericordia Eius
Fecit Potentiam
Deposuit Potentes
Esurientes ~ Sopranos: Rachel Eaton, Pat Hodgins
Suscepit Israel
Sicut Locutus Est
Gloria Patri
(with string quartet)
~ INTERMISSION ~
ALL: DECK THE HALL
A la nanita nana solo: Genny Trigo-Gonzalez arr Ed Henderson
Mary did you know arr Schrader
Carol of the Stable Dog - solo: Laura Rhead arr Corlynn Hanney
reading
All: DE VIRGIN MARY Caribbean, arr B Coult
Gospel Magnificat Robert Ray —solo: Amy Koop
Jessye’s Carol (This Christmastide) Donald Fraser
Reading Christmas Landscape
ALL : O COME, ALL YE FAITHFUL
Message from Brigid
Monday 5 September 2022
Dear Singers
Countdown time! On Tuesday 6 September, I will be doing some auditions. On Tuesday 13 September we have our first rehearsal of the new season! I’m really looking forward to being back working with you again. We will welcome Josie Lau as our accompanist.
Reminder: I know there are folks with away-time planned. PLEASE EMAIL ME to confirm absence dates. Depending on how the rehearsal schedule works out, it may impact on participation in the any concert, and I may ask you to reaudition on that repertoire.
I know you’ve had a wonderful welcome-back letter from Laura, with all the membership info you need. Here’s the music stuff!
CONCERT DATES/TIMES
November 5 concert – In Memory – originally planned for Fraserview, but because of a conflict, we’ve had to move it to South Arm United. That means that we couldn’t do a full joint concert, but we can do the Fauré Requiem, which needs a smaller ensemble – so the Orchestra will do the first half, and the Requiem will be the second half.
Afternoon rehearsal – 3:30-5pm (then reset stage for Orchestra rehearsal). Those who come a distance should bring concert dress and something to eat; we have the Heritage Room booked. Concert call 7pm for 7:30pm
An optional extra – I have scheduled the Fauré at St Mary’s Kerrisdale for the afternoon of Sunday 6 November for an All Souls service where we remember those gone in the past year. This would be a 2pm rehearsal call for a 4pm service. Let me know if you don’t want to be part of it. I may invite singers from St Mary’s choir to join us for the Saturday concert.
December 10 concert – Magnificat – originally planned as a joint concert, but we’re now making it Chorus only, and I am returning to a program we did 11 years ago – all Mary-music, to include (but not limited to)
· Britten – Hymn to the Virgin
· Biebl – Ave Maria
· Lowry/Green – Mary, did you know
· Vivaldi – Magnificat
· Ray – Gospel Magnificat
lots of solo and ensemble possibilities – and not so much Christmas fluff!
April 18 concert – The Music’s Always There – will be on a Tuesday evening by request of our concert partners, the choir from Steveston-London Secondary School, under the direction of Michael Mikulin. They have been part of Richmond Sings in previous years.
The program will comprise music composed or arranged by John Rutter and Bob Chilcott – some with them, some with us, and some with both choirs together.
We will certainly be offering Chilcott’s Little Jazz Mass but the music will include folk and pop arrangements by both composers.
June 3 concert – When We Were Young – was originally scheduled for the following week, but another Fraserview conflict has bumped us back. I’m still working on this program - looking for the songs that were classics for us as we grew up (though pop songs don’t always transfer well to a choral arrangement!)
REHEARSAL PRACTICALITIES
It doesn’t need to be said, but if you feel at all unwell, please stay home and test! A Zoomed rehearsal is not at all the same as an in-person one for you and for the rest of your section, but it’s better than nothing at all. Zoom code will be the same:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/95350781933?pwd=Y1NSQld3QTVROCtVUUdZMzZONnVIQT09
Meeting ID: 953 5078 1933 Passcode: SATB
However, I would prefer not to be Zooming unless it’s necessary, so this is BY REQUEST, please.
I need to hear from you by 6pm if a) you’re not going to be at rehearsal in person, and b) if you want to join us by Zoom. A rehearsal attended on Zoom will be credited to you (as long as you attend all of it!) when I’m deciding who is able to take part in a concert.
You can contact me – 604-790-2367, voice or text, or brigidatROCA@gmail.com at any time. I will check messages before I leave – but I will not be doing so once I’m headed out for rehearsal; any last-minute calls to your section-leaders, please.
THE DREADED COVID STUFF...
I have every sympathy with those who are experiencing mask fatigue, but for the time being at least, I need to you be prepared to mask for the 2-hours-minus of ROCA rehearsal – even if you don’t wear a mask at all the rest of the week. This thing has not gone away, though those of us who have done our vaccinations and have still had “the bug” have found that we’ve mostly dealt better with it than we had feared. We have every hope that the new anti-Omicron vaccinations will improve the odds.
That being said, I think there are very few of us who don’t know someone who’s been sick with it. And for those who are fit and healthy it may not be more than a week or two of discomfort. But for the older ones among us, or those who are immune-compromised, or fearful, it’s still a concern. And the science hasn’t changed – the act of singing pushes out more aerosols than simply talking.
So I am backing up what the Safety Committee have said – for the immediate future, we mask for rehearsals. We may, with RAT tests, have the possibility of making future concerts mask-optional. But I want to hold with our self-naming as a COMMUNITY Chorus and care for each other with the decision to put a mask on for two hours.
I would also ask you to be careful about what sort of mask you wear for singing. The ideal one is a well-fitting (no gaps at the edges) three-layer mask with at least one layer of non-woven polypropylene. Because everyone’s face is different, you may do better with a flat mask, or a home-made singers mask (with more depth) or a commercial mask, even an N95 – I won’t tell you what pattern to wear. But 3-layer with NWPP, please.
And I need to remind you that I am putting my health in your hands – you have requested that I NOT mask so that you can see and hear me clearly; with 50 singers pushing out aerosols in my direction, I appreciate knowing that I am as safe as you can make me.
For the other COVID mitigations
· there will be sanitizer available – please use!
· We are blessed to be in Fraserview, with good space. However, they don’t have up-to-date air-exchange systems, so we will continue to distance as practical. Please take responsibility for having doors open.
I will probably not do the seating labels this year, and trust you to leave space between you and the folks around you.
· We will take a decent break, and people are encouraged to go outside and unmask as needed.
I’m excited about this season’s program – some things we’ve done before and loved, some new things – and I really hope we can get a full season of singing this time, with no COVID shut-downs, and share our music again with each other and the Richmond community.
Registrations are coming in – please make sure you are registered before the first rehearsal.
Looking forward to seeing you on Tuesday 13 September!
Brigid
From James: Nov 5/6 Concert
From James re: Nov. 5/6 concert:
So this is what I have come up with for the first half:
God Save the King
The Last Post and Reveille
O Canada
Beethoven Symphony #3, 2nd movement - Funeral March - 13 minutes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4l8ah2Rvm0&ab_channel=DWClassicalMusic
https://imslp.org/wiki/Symphony_No.3%2C_Op.55_(Beethoven%2C_Ludwig_van)
Sibelius In Memoriam Op.59 - 8 minutes (there are both very slow recordings and an 8 minute recording which I like much better)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPDExsPq1NU&ab_channel=symphony7526
https://imslp.org/wiki/In_memoriam%2C_Op.59_(Sibelius%2C_Jean)
Butterworth Banks of Green Willow - 6 minutes (English composer who died in WW1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFgDOBpx160&ab_channel=BartjeBartmans
https://imslp.org/wiki/The_Banks_of_Green_Willow_(Butterworth%2C_George)
Walch (Beethoven) Funeral March 1 (Winds and Brass only) - 4 minutes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=312YOC_-Quc&ab_channel=LiberincLtd.
https://imslp.org/wiki/Funeral_March_No.1_(Walch%2C_Johann_Heinrich)
Elgar Nimrod - 4 minutes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ik0VaT5iXPY&ab_channel=EnglishSymphonyOrchestra
https://imslp.org/wiki/Variations_on_an_Original_Theme_%27Enigma%27%2C_Op.36_(Elgar%2C_Edward)
***Intermission***
Faure Requiem
ROCA AGM 20219 REMINDER NOTICE!
Hi ROCA Members!
This is a reminder that our Annual General Meeting will be taking place soon on Monday October 18th at 7:30pm on Zoom.
The invitation link is below:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83271128808?pwd=cmFQbHV5Q21rUGVvMEkrTjl4R2xhUT09
Meeting ID: 832 7112 8808
Passcode: 239418
Thank you for your time,
Vincent Ho, Office Administrator
ROCA Rehearsal Safety Protocols
Good Afternoon!
Since we are anticipating more in-person meetings soon, we would like everyone to familiarize themselves our new Rehearsal Safety Protocols. If any one has questions, please feel free to send us an email and will try our best to answer all of them.
ROCA Membership Acceptance and Waiver Form
Hi everyone!
Please have a quick look at our new Membership Acceptance and Waiver Form. This form is just to highlight our commitment to everyone’s health and safety and to ensure that everybody has fun in a safe manner. There is no need to print out this form, a paper copy will be available at the rehearsal.
