Fancy A Bit of Pirating? - Summer Concert News!

Dear Redmond Chorale and Potential Redmond Chorale-

This is a warm invitation to continue singing with us, rejoin us after a break, or sing with us for the first time on our upcoming concert season. Redmond Chorale is distinguishing itself as a musical community on the Eastside as we began our 3rd year in September 2012. Our first rehearsal of each new concert season is a great jumping-in point for new singers (and new singers to singing!) to join the Redmond Chorale or for a former singer to rejoin. A typical new singer might think/say "My voice is rusty after years of not singing." "My voice is different than it used to be." "I don't know how to read music." To this, we reply "JOIN US!" These are surpisingly temporary and managable conditions for a community choir. and many of us have recently uttered the same sentiments!  With us, you will find a kind group of people joined together in a common love of music and community. Each concert season presents a new musical opportunity.

 

**The most musical choirs are made up of individuals with individual voices and qualities.**

 

This summer season, we are trying something new: an Operetta in true Gilbert & Sullivan light opera/musical theater tradition! There are some earlier deadlines for those interested in auditioning for a lead role and anyone (in the show or not) interested in working backstate and/or helping with costumes/props/scenery, but for those interested in singing in the opera chorus of this chorus-heavy production, there is a role for everyone. We will prepare a reduced version of this production.

Below, you will find our concert repertoire, available youtube links, and pertinent dates/locations.This e-mail will then magically be posted to our website, http://www.redmondchorale.org for your future reference of dates, times, and locations.

To join in our "Pirates of Penzance" concert season, please be prepared to attend a minimum of 9 of 11 rehearsals, missing no more than 2 rehearals, and two mandatory Saturday dress rehearsal, and our two concerts. As you consider your availability, be prepared for unexpected illnesses or travels. The success of our choir in this new venture is dependent upon our singing together in the same place at the same time. If your schedule does not permit your participation during this concert season, you will be warmly invited for our next season beginning after Labor Day in September for a return to our traditional choral format.

Members of Redmond Chorale are asked for a suggested donation of $30 for each concert season. This donation, often matched 100% by your employer when submitted, helps the chorale offset its sheet music expense, freeing our not-for-profit to channel funds raised at our concerts to go back into the needs of the community instead of toward our minimal administrative costs. If this expense presents a financial burden that would hinder participating with us, please inquire about a partial scholarship.

We look forward to seeing you on March 25 for our first rehearsal in this hilarious and familiar light musical!

If you know of a potentially interested singer or dramatist, especially those of the masculine-voice persuasion, please share this e-mail with him/her.

 

Best,

Dr. Laurie Betts Hughes

Redmond Chorale, founding artistic director

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DATES (all events at Meadowbrook and attendence required unless otherwise specified)

* Monday, February 25, 6-6:45 pm----------------------preproduction meeting (sets, costumes, props, hair, makeup, choreography, stage hands, lights/sound help)

* Monday, February 25, 9pm-----------------------------AUDITION PACKETS available

* Monday, March 11, 8pm---------------------------------Lead role auditions

* Service Opportunity---------------------------------------TBA

* Saturday, June 1, 10am-12-----------------------------dress rehearsal

* Saturday, June 8, 10am-12-----------------------------dress rehearsal

* Saturday, June 8 afternoon/evening, TBA----------community outreach performance, location TBA

* Sunday, June 9, 7pm-------------------------------------"Pirates of Penzance" performance

 

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(full version of the show, but we will be performing a reduced version)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQjr0fu6IDI

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSGWoXDFM64

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqPjwbD5G54

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IM2vju0Mp-s

Holiday Performances - details for chorale members

We're so close to our upcoming concert - "Songs of Christmas and Chanukah".  If you're a member of the chorale, you'll want to keep in mind our schedule for the first week of December -- we'll be spending lots of time together, singing and sharing music with the Redmond community! This is when we see the pay-off of all our hard work!

Saturday, December 1st

10am-noon --> Dress rehearsal • at Meadowbrook Church (black dress - ready for noon performance)

Noon --> Centennial song performance • at Redmond Library (black dress)

4pm --> Concert selections • at Redmond Lights, Redmond City Hall (black dress + warm layers :)

Sunday, December 2nd

10:30am --> optional thank-you sing • at Meadowbrook Church service (black dress)

6:00pm for 7pm concert --> Concert performance • at Meadowbrook Church (black dress)

Remember, black dress means:

MEN: Black slacks, black shoes, black belt, black long-sleeved shirt or sweater. Wanna wear a tie? Great! Make sure it's black :)

WOMEN: Black shoes, black slacks or skirt (wear black tights to cover any leg showing), black long-sleeved shirt (no low-cut tops), minimal jewelry (i.e. no dangly earrings, sparkling diamonds). No glittery fabrics!

ALL: The idea is to cover as much skin as possible to unify our group. Also, please make sure your fabrics are simple (no bedazzled or shiny fabrics) so the light will not reflect off of you. It may sound like a very boring outfit, but when we stand together we will look cohesive and professional.

Also, don't forget your black binders!

Concert Weekend of AWESOME!

Our upcoming concert on June 10th is quickly approaching, but the concert is not the only thing the Redmond Chorale has going on that weekend. This season we've partnered with Relay for Life, which has an event in Redmond on Saturday, June 9th. The Redmond Chorale will be performing selections from our "Amercian Folk" concert at the Relay event. Following the performance, you'll find Choralers volunteering in the concession stand and setting out lumnairies along the track. If you're a part of the Redmond Relay for Life and see us at the event, be sure to say hello!


QUICKVIEW SCHEDULE FOR CONCERT WEEKEND
Saturday
10am-Noon: Dress Rehearsal (at Meadowbrook)
3:30-4:15: Relay for Life Performance (at Redmond High School)
4:30-6:30: Relay for Life Volunteering (at Redmond High School)

Sunday
10:30am: Thank You Sing (at Meadowbrook)
7:00pm: CONCERT!!! :D (at Meadowbrook)

Guest Violinist

We are proud to introduce, Marilyn Stangl, as our guest violinist for our upcoming American Folk concert.

Marilyn plays classical violin and Irish fiddle. She started violin as a child and played all through high school, where she was concert master of the school symphony. She then played off and on as she pursued a career in science and computing. Marilyn began Irish set dancing many years ago and developed a love of fiddle music. She retired from her day job in 2009 and decided to focus on music as a second career. She now studies classical violin at the Laura Martin studio in Seattle, and Irish fiddle with Dale Russ and Brian Conway.

The Redmond Chorale is honored and excited to have Marilyn join us this concert season!

Join us on March 25th for our spring concert

The Redmond Chorale presents an evening of beautiful music about and with the harp. Please join us for a wonderful evening covering the works of Hadyn, Faure, Alice Parker, Andre Thomas, and Roberto Di Marino.

• Sunday March 25 7:00 p.m. 
• Meadowbrook Church  (map)

 

 

Spring Concert FAQ for Choir Members

January 16 2012

Hi Redmond Chorale-

Well, looks like we've been foiled by the weather tonight and will not hold rehearsal this evening. More snow is expected this evening, and with the dropping temperatures, frozen slush is expected on the roadways. However, since we have 12 rehearsals in the concert season, let's call this one "postponed" and not "cancelled." Let's plan for a February make-up date. I will poke around for rehearsal space availability and get back to you with potential make-up dates.

General Attendence Guidelines on---

Weather: We will be moderately conservative in not holding rehearsal if the roads are icy. We will loosely follow school district projected cancellations and local buisness closures to determine this. And truly, your e-mails to me if you are snowed in or hesitant to drive are EXTREMELY helpful! Thank you for keeping me in the loop. For cancelled/postponed rehearsals, expect an e-mail from me before 4pm. As always, please place your personal safety first in the event we hold rehearsal and you deem the local roads to be impassible. If you plan to miss rehearsal, please send me an e-mail as early as possible.

Illness/Injury: If you have a cold, sore throat, cough, lost voice, or have a similar "pesky" contagious illness that affects your personal ability to sing, please DO attend rehearsal and opt to sit apart from the group. There is great value in observing and taking notes even when on vocal rest. As far as I'm concerned, this is part of a "real" rehearsal experience and iis not a "missed" rehearsal in the least. However, if you are laid up and unable to function with your daily routine for whatever reason, please DON'T attend rehearsal and send me a quick e-mail about it.

Guests: Always welcome!

Travel/Other: If you know you will be unavailable to rehearse for any reason, please send me an e-mail to let me know. And sing loudly from the Carribean so we can hear you. :)

Returning to rehearsal/Supporting returning singers: Please make it your responsibility to get all information and rehearsal "notes" from the missed rehearsal by asking someone in your voicepart at a nonobtrusive point in the rehearsal. For those that see a returning singer, please offer guidance. Something as simple as "Last week, Laurie told all first altos to sing with the second sopranos" is WONDERFUL.

Enjoy a fire in the fireplace tonight and a cup of hot coacoa! Dr's orders.

Best,

-Laurie

December 24 2011

Dear current and prospective Redmond Chorale members -  Spring is in the air! It's time for a *romantic* spring concert, complete with harp accompaniment. You are warmly invited to join us. 

In this post, you will find important dates, locations and ©YouTube links to most of our spring repertoire. Our concert feature is a set of unpublished choral settings of poems by Irish poet James Joyce. These 5 glorious pieces by living Italian composer Roberto Di Marino are accompanied by harp and are a fusion of contemporary popular harmonies and classical art song melodic styles. They are absolutely luscious. Redmond Chorale will make the first choral recording for Roberto.

Dates:
First rehearsal---------------------Monday January 2nd, 7-9 pm
Optional service opportunity---TBA
Required dress rehearsal--------Sat, March 24, 10am-12 noon
Optional church thank you-------Sun, March 25, 11am-12:30 pm
Concert-------------------------------Sun, March 25, 7 pm

All events are at Meadowbrook Church unless otherwise specified.

Attendance Expectations: 

Redmond Chorale concert seasons include 12 weeks/12 rehearsals. While unexpected/expected time conflicts do occasionally come up, please contact Laurie if you miss more than 3 rehearsals (25%). Please note that the dress rehearsal is a required event. As always, your e-mails are greatly appreciated, especially when you know you will miss a rehearsal ahead of time.

Spring Repertoire

 Our concert "Awake the Harp!" will feature the following pieces:

"Awake the Harp” by J. F. Haydn from The Creation

"Cantique de Jean Racine" by Gabriel Faure

"Hark I Hear the Harps Eternal" arr. by Alice Parker

"The Drinking Gourd" arr. by Andre Thomas

"Goin’ Up to Glory" by Andre Thomas (we will perform this without the choreography) :)

Selections by Roberto Di Marino's, 15’30”

      “Dear Heart, Why Will You Use Me So?”
      “From Dewy Dreams”
      "My Dove, My Beautiful One”
      “In the Dark Pine-Wood”
      “Lightly Come or Lightly Go”

Season 2 for the Redmond Chorale

Welcome new and returning members of the Redmond Chorale!  Our second year begins September 5th.  We're looking forward to a fun and exciting season of great chorale music and community service.

Here's the current schedule:

• Monday, September 5, 7-9pm---First rehearsal at Meadowbrook Church
• Wednesday September 28th 4-5:30 at the Bellevue Rotary Club
• TBA---Community Service Event, location TBA
• Saturday in late September or early October---Redmond Chorale Retreat, location TBA
• Saturday, December 3, 10am-noon, dress rehearsal
• Saturday, December 3, 4-5pm, performance at Redmond City Lights town hall/main stage
• Sunday, December 4th, 11am-12:30pm, optional performance in church service to thank Meadowbrook Church for donating their facility.
• Sunday, December 4th, 7-8:30pm, CONCERT