August 16, 2022
Dear C. C.,
Please take the time to read through this email for some important info.
Rehearsals for AMC's 2022-2023 season start on Monday, September 12 at Ascension Lutheran at our regular time of 7:00 to 9:30 PM. You can download a season calendar here with all the rehearsal and concert dates through May 2023.
We're welcoming several new choristers this season, including Loretta Walther, Taz Monroe, and Becky Bartlett, with more to come. And joining us will be section leaders Mackenzie Nelson, alto; Carlos Barezza, tenor; and Matthew Yost, bass, with a soprano to be named later. Carlos sang with us last season and I had the pleasure of meeting Mackenzie at a summer opera workshop.
This coming Saturday, August 20 will be another AMC music library consolidation work session, at ALC from 1 to 4 PM. Our music librarian Cheryl Brown can use your help, so if you're able to pitch in, please email her at cburton4@cox.net to let her know you're coming.
Some important things for you as we prepare for the new season:
MANDATORY SINGING FOR SCOTT: Scott wants to meet all returning choristers for a short vocal placement session before the season. He'll be at Ascension Lutheran on Saturdays, September 3 and 10 between noon and 5 PM. Please visit the online calendar here to make an appointment so he can plan the days. Annual re-auditions have been in the AMC by-laws for some time, and are important to keep up the level of musicianship we're seeking to maintain.
MESSIAH SING-ALONG: We have an exciting opportunity to collaborate with the Women's Orchestra of Arizona in an open Messiah Sing-Along event on Sunday, November 20 at Ascension Lutheran. We'll have a brief orchestra + chorale rehearsal on Friday, November 18 to check sound levels, otherwise, there's no preparation needed. Bring your own score if you have one, or one will be available online. Watch this space for more!
SEASON REHEARSAL PLANNING: Our Christmas concert "Here We Come A-Caroling" on December 3 and 4 will include lots of familiar pieces from the AMC music library, but "Choral Classics" (working title) in March and "Passports to Travel" in May will be completely new material. Scott wants to introduce 2023 pieces early in the season to get a headstart on preparation, so look forward to having plenty of time to get up to speed.
ONLINE RESOURCES: We'll again have online resources on the AMC website, including score mark-ups and rehearsal tracks, with even easier access than last season. Go to the "Chorister News & Info" link on the AMC website and use the password "Chorister" (case sensitive) to access the materials.
FUNDRAISING: We'll be starting a major fundraising campaign during the holiday season -- starting with Hallowe'en! -- in which all choristers will play a part. More to come soon on that!
CHORISTER HEADSHOTS AND BIOS: To recognize AMC's outstanding singers, there's now a page on our website with some headshots, to which we'll be adding more plus brief artistic bios about you as a musician and why you are a part of AMC.
I'm excited to get back to making great music with alll of you! See you soon.
