P.O. Box 390278 Cambridge, Massachusetts  02139-0022 www.cambridgechorus.org
	August, 2002

The Year in Review

Fall/Spring Music Program Announced

by William Thomas

The plans for this year, in addition to our annual Messiah, include two extraordinary opportunities.  The tour to Japan this December will be a great opportunity for many in the Chorus to share the experience of performing the Messiah in Tokyo.  How wonderful that we will have the chance to go so far and share this great work with an organization that loves singing and this masterpiece of Handel's as much as we do!  For this year's Spring performance I've chosen Franz Schubert's Mass in G Major, and Henry Purcell's opera, Dido and Aeneas! The Schubert Mass is an absolute jewel.  It is scored for soprano, tenor, and baritone soloists, chorus and string orchestra.  The Dido and Aeneas has the same orchestration, but includes a number of solo roles, most of which I hope to fill from the ranks of the chorus!

Auditions for soloists will be held in the fall and relevant information and material will be distributed at the first rehearsal.  I do ask that singers who wish to audition for a solo role in these productions understand that they will need to be available to rehearse on Tuesday evenings from 6-6:30pm, not every Tuesday but various Tuesdays throughout the fall and spring seasons.  There will be some additional time required for staging rehearsals and run-throughs.  I cannot give a detailed schedule at this time but will prepare one as we begin to rehearse and I develop a better sense of the needs of the production and the talents and needs of the soloists.

An important aspect of the Dido and Aeneas project is that I plan to stage this production (lights, costumes, etc.).  We do not have a firm date for the spring concert, but MIT is willing to co-sponsor production with us!! We hope to have the date settled soon.  At the moment we are hoping for Sunday evening May 18.

We are again very fortunate in having the help of a terrific local artist in our spring concert.  Soprano Jean Danton has agreed to perform the role of Dido.  Ms. Danton has recently appeared as soloist with Keith Lockhart  and the Boston Pops and with Christopher Hogwood and the Handel and Haydn Society.  Her performing the role of Dido with us will be a great treat.

I am so very proud of the work that we did this past year! I am also very excited about the plans for this coming season and look forward to seeing all of you at our first rehearsal on September 10.
Best Wishes - William

Fall Rehearsal Schedule

FIRST REHEARSAL	Tuesday, Sept. 10, 6:30pm. Meet/make friends & start singing again!
TUESDAY REHEARSAL	Sept. 17, 8pm due to primary election.
TUESDAY REHEARSALS	Sept. 24, Oct. 1, Oct. 8
SATURDAY REHEARSAL	September 21, 10am-3pm, Cochran Chapel, Phillips Academy, Andover
PERFORMANCE	Tuesday, October 15 at 7:30pm in St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church

New Singers

Attendance Policy

Fall Producer Kathy Williams Appeals for Assistance

Performance Schedule for 2002/2003

In addition, we offer voice classes for our members during the winter and summer.  Not every Chorus member participates in every event, but our season offers something for everyone.

Japan Tour

Changes to Chorus Officers and Board of Directors

Kudos & Thanks for Spring 2002 Concert

President Appeals for Help

Because of her return to teaching this fall, alto Edith Walker has resigned as Chairperson of the Fundraising Committee.  We now have an urgent need for someone to organize and chair the Fundraising Committee.  Thanks to Edith for her fine work during this past year.

If you're willing to help but aren't sure how, please speak to me.  I'm sure I can find a way to put your talents, interests and enthusiasm to good use on behalf of the Chorus.  My telephone number is (617) 625-6588 and my email address is president@cambridgechorus.org.

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Profiles in Chorus

by William Thomas

I have had the pleasure of working with Mrs. Audrey Ince since the very beginning of this chorus.  Many of you know her much better than I do, but she is an individual that through the Chorus and friends I have come to realize that she is a source of strength and support for many causes, institutions and individuals in the greater Cambridge community!

Mrs. Ince--Audrey as she insists that I call her--has served on the board of the Cambridge Community Chorus from the first, and continues in that role today.  She serves as Alto section leader for Messiah, she has helped with fundraising for the Chorus during the Messiah season, and she coordinates our use of Saint Paul Church every fall for our Messiah rehearsals!

Mrs Ince was born and raised in Cambridge.  She attended the Houghton Grammar School and the Cambridge High and Latin School, which is now the Cambridge Rindge and Latin School. She has been a member of Saint Paul A.M.E. since childhood.  She tells me that her parents were the first couple married in the church at its current location (1925).

Audrey Ince grew up with music. She sang in the Children's Choir, Rosebuds, at the church and later a group formed for teenagers, Temple Singers.  She is now and has been for many years a member of Saint Paul's Chancel Choir.  Music continues to be an important part of her life.

At Saint Paul, Mrs. Ince serves as Church clerk and as a trustee.  She has served in these roles for over thirty years! She continues to do volunteer service for numerous groups in the church and the community.  She is currently co-chairing the Lifestyle, Stewardship, and Mainevent Committee which has a capital campaign goal of raising several million dollars for the church.

Handel's Messiah has long been a part of Audrey's life.  The Combined Choirs of St. Paul have been performing this great work since the early 60's.  The performances there have brought many from that community into active membership in the Cambridge Community Chorus and participation in our annual performance. Many who were involved with those performances as soloists (Bob Honeysucker and Vincent Stringer) continue to perform as soloist with us.  What an extraordinary and rich tradition from Saint Paul that helped us shape and build our current ensemble and organization!  It is more than fitting that we should have Mrs. Ince as one of our Messiah angels.  Her devotion, organizational skills, talent, and dedication are legendary and provide a service that is invaluable.

Not wanting to promote Audrey to sainthood too soon, I am mindful of her delicious and sometimes "devilish" sense of humor! This wonderful sense of fun combines magnificently with a sense of "come on and let's get this job done".  She knows very much how to do that--"get the job done."  This is a good, strong fine, individual whom I feel very fortunate to know and from whom the chorus benefits greatly.  Bravo and thank you Audrey!

MESSIAH 2002 CONCERT - SAVE THESE DATES

Questions?  Contact Paul Raila, President president@cambridgechorus.org (617) 625-6588

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