Cambridge Community Chorus
P.O. Box 390278
Cambridge, Massachusetts  02139-0022
www.cambridgechorus.org 		[Notes from Handel Messiah manuscript]
January, 2003

All the news that fits, we print!

In This Issue:
Help Celebrate Messiah Success in Cambridge & Tokyo - Happy New Year! - Spring 2003 Rehearsal Schedule - Rehearsals for Spring 2003 Begin - Info for New Singers - Attendance Policy - Non-Singer Help Needed - Send Us Your Updated Contact Info

Help Celebrate Messiah Success in Cambridge & Tokyo

by Paul Raila

I’d like to offer my sincere thanks to each and every one of you who contributed to making our Cambridge and Tokyo Messiah performances such a success either as a singer, audience, volunteer, family member or financial supporter. I’d also like to thank each of you for your goodwill, suggestions, cooperative spirit, and words of encouragement throughout this season. Best wishes for the New Year.

Please join us on Tuesday, February 11, 2003, at 7pm in St. Bartholomew’s Church for a potluck celebration of our twin Messiah successes in Boston and Tokyo. The Tokyo tour was a memorable experience. Based on the number of cameras in evidence in Tokyo, there are abundant photographs. Whether you sang in Tokyo or not, please join us to share the excitement and stories of the recent tour. Be sure to bring your pictures and anecdotes, (or questions!).

Please contact Florence Grant at (617) 665-3818 (work) or fgrant@challiance.org to let her know what food you can bring, or find out how you can otherwise help to make this event happen. If you're interested in helping to organize a show of photos for the party (or web site) please contact Paul Raila (617) 625-6588 or president@cambridgechorus.org.
- Paul

Happy New Year!

By William Thomas

I want to thank all who participated in this season's Messiah, it was a wonderful performance! I was very pleased on so many levels! I am not sure how many of you noticed my "fancy" footwear but my dress-sandals made the effort a much happier one for me!

I am grateful to so many of you for your efforts but I would like to especially mention and thank Donna Killoran. Her leadership and dedicated work made every aspect of Sunday's performance run smoothly. Bravo and thank you Donna!!!

The Japan trip was a gas! Musically and spiritually our hearts and voices were "in tune". I could not have been more pleased. There are again many people to thank for this effort but I would like to especially mention: Larry Philbrick, coordination of travel; Rick Nelson, caretaker of many things financial - with particular thanks for writing ALL of those checks; Penny Peters, for great design work and MANY phone conversations; Rena Leib, for coordination of aid packages and counsel; and of course our reliable and generous fearless leader, Paul Raila.

I hope those that went on the tour and many who did not, will be able to join us for the party on Feb. 11, 7:00pm at St. Bartholomew's!

I am looking forward to our work this spring. I hope many of you will join us in this exciting project of the Schubert Mass in G Major and the fully staged presentation of Henry Purcell's Dido and Aeneas. Almost all of the roles are cast, the choreographers are preparing, discussions regarding set design move forward, and conversations regarding costume have begun. We are so very fortunate to have the co-sponsorship of MIT for this project. Thank you Paul Parravano, our guardian angel!

I urge all of you to make time in your busy schedules for this project as we very much need your help. I feel that the effort will be greatly rewarding.

Thank you again for your dedication and support. I continue to feel so very fortunate in my association with this wonderful choir and great gang of friends!
Fondly, William Thomas

Spring 2003 REHEARSAL SCHEDULE

Music for our program to be performed on May 25, 2003, will include Franz Schubert's Mass in G Major, and Henry Purcell's opera Dido and Aeneas. Please join us. Except where noted all rehearsals will begin at 6:30pm at St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church, 239 Harvard Street.

FEBRUARY REHEARSALS Tuesdays, Feb. 18 & 25, 6:30pm. Come sing!
TUESDAY REHEARSALSApril 1, 8,15, 22, 29, May 6, 13
TUESDAY REHEARSALMay 20 at MIT (w/orchestra)
SATURDAY REHEARSALApril 19, 10am–3pm, Cochran Chapel, Phillips Academy, Andover, MA
SATURDAY REHEARSALMay 17 - Time and location TBA
DRESS REHEARSALSaturday, May 24, 10am-2pm, MIT Kresge Auditorium
PERFORMANCESunday, May 25, at 3pm? MIT Kresge Auditorium

Rehearsals for Spring Concert Begin

The first rehearsal for our Spring Concert will take place on Tuesday, February 18, at 6:30pm at St. Bartholomew’s Church. Note that we will have two rehearsals in February. Because there won't be any rehearsals in March it's important to attend the February rehearsals to get scores, practice tapes & CDs, and instructions that will help you practice on your own in March so that we can be that much better prepared when rehearsals continue again in April.

New Singers

The Chorus welcomes new singers in most voice parts (especially tenors and basses). New basses, tenors, and sopranos should simply attend the first rehearsal of the spring cycle on Tuesday, February 18, at 6:30pm. Due to the abundance of altos recently singing in the Chorus, new altos interested in singing with us should first contact President Paul Raila at president@cambridgechorus.org or (617) 625-6588.

Attendance Policy

 Because the Chorus strives to be accessible to all interested community members it does not require an audition to sing in the Chorus. As part of this policy all singers are expected to sign-in at each rehearsal and attend all rehearsals in a given production cycle. If you must miss a rehearsal, please mark the rehearsal sign-in sheet appropriately or notify the Concert Producer in advance of your absence if possible. Typically, if you miss more than two rehearsals in a cycle you should speak with the Concert Producer to determine whether you will be permitted to sing in the performance. New singers who join after the second rehearsal are welcome to sing in rehearsals but may not be able to sing in the performance for that cycle.

Non-Singer Help Needed for Spring Concert

 Because Dido and Aeneas will be a fully staged performance (sets, costumes, lights) we are seeking volunteers to help in these areas. We especially need non-singers to help as technical crew for the performance. Please contact Paul Raila if you are interested (or have friends or family members who might be). If you’re not able to sing in this concert please volunteer to help in a non-singing capacity.

Send Us Your New/Changed Contact Information (Email & Postal) Address

 If you haven't already done so please send us your new (or changed) email address(es) to help us communicate with you more quickly, easily and inexpensively. Newsletter email will also include a pointer to our web site, where you can read/print the newsletter fully formatted. So, if you have an email address (or two) please send a message from that address to: mystats@cambridgechorus.org.

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