Greetings everyone HAPPY SUNDAY!
I’M Back safe and sound from a wonderful week outside of Berlin with the Bach Choir of Gorlitz and offering the Brahms REQUIEM with them on Friday night. It was an inspiring week making new friends, lovely music and learning lots of new things.
THIS MORNING: THE CHOIR OF MEN AND BOYS
Sunday 22 October: The Choir of Men and Boys singing.
• Sunday Service-The Choir of Men and Boys
9:45 Call Senior Boys REQUIRED
10:15 Call for Junior and Novice Boys Optional
11:00 a.m. service
Lunch after Church for Senior Boys
1:00 – 3:00 REHEARSAL ALL SOPRANO SENIOR BOYS
1:00 – 2:00 High School Singers Weekly Rehearsal with Senior Boys!
NOTE: NO CHOIR ACTIVITIES ON 31 October! Be safe and have a wonderful Halloween.
A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM SOFIA MATA RE: HALLOWEEN! see attachment below.
IT’S TIME TO THINK THANKSGIVING PIE SALE!
Mary Cannon, Jan Geniesse and Cara Wall are getting the Annual Thanksgiving Pie Sale organized and want everyone to start putting it on the RADAR! It is an amazing fund raiser for the choir and the product is yummy! The funds raised impact the life of every choir family so please get involved. When the forms and websites are all set – the job of selling beings!
The committee wants to encourage the choristers themselves to take ownership of sales with parent’s permission and supervision and to highlight that this is also for those who perhaps don’t need a pie(s) to make a donation online.
The proceeds grow our Special Projects Fund. This fund supports many aspects of chorister life not covered by the operating budget. The big ticket item are the annual tours, but also many activities and expenses throughout the year for all choristers.
We are continuing to work on a special skill – not talking in rehearsal or in line before and after a service. This was a particularly excellent week of practice and made for some brilliant rehearsal time for everyone!
Ms. Kelly whom many had in EC at GGS calls it Sacred Space/Chapel manners. As musicians silence is the pallet we form our art from. Please reinforce this with your chorister.
WE HAVE A NEW EMAIL ADDRESS FOR THE CHOIR: gracechoir1894@gmail.com
The old address at yahoo will continue to function for 20 days and is currently forwarding all mail to the gmail address. Please note this change!
WHITE SMOKE: WE HAVE DATES AND LOCATION OF THIS SUMMER’s CONCERT TOUR TO SPAIN! A detailed proposal will be issued in the coming weeks for families to consider signing up for the tour! Evening June 15th and return late afternoon/evening June 24th.
A FUNDRAISING OPPORTUNITY! Thank you Cara Wall. Cara has offered the Choir Community a new long term fundraising opportunity through her store Clementine Consignment. A letter from her is attached with the details of how it works. She will have a fill in the blank tax donation letter for you to receive and fill in the amount you think the clothes are worth for your tax purposes. You receive the letter when you drop off the donations at the store. Again Thank you Cara for suggesting this great opportunity for the choir community. The choir will receive money from the store based on a percentage of what the clothes sell for. These monies will go into the Choir Special Projects Fund.
Important Links:
Kathy’s Special Goggle Calendar – Choir Schedule Link Page: http://www.gchoirsched.info/schedules.html
Sign up Genius for Choir Parent Helpers: www.SignUpGenius.com/go/9040B4CA9A72DA64-choir3
Remember always ask lots of questions! and it is never too late for recruiting!
love, Patrick
Choir Family News
Sunday, 22 October 2017
THIS SUNDAY 22 October:
MORNING:
Sunday 22 October: The Choir of Men and Boys singing.
• Sunday Service-The Choir of Men and Boys
9:45 Call Senior Boys REQUIRED
10:15 Call for Junior and Novice Boys Optional
11:00 a.m. service
Lunch after Church for Senior Boys
1:00 – 3:00 REHEARSAL ALL SOPRANO SENIOR BOYS
1:00 – 2:00 High School Singers Weekly Rehearsal with Senior Boys!
FACE BOOK: Did you know there is a Music at Grace Church Facebook page?
There is. We use it to get the word out about all the musical offerings that take place at the Church especially those of the choirs!
HELP US build the community of followers and listeners to the choirs – FRIEND THE Music at Grace Church page and let the word spread
RECRUITING is never over!
We have an amazing group of novice choristers for the fall term but…
If anyone asks, it is never too late to join the choir and they should reach out to me at: helfensteinch@yahoo.com.
For entering 4th and 5th graders it is also not too late to join as novices, we have had good luck at getting them up to speed quickly as your children are the best teachers. What schedule a 4th or 5th grader might follow would depend on the child and their family.
This year we will have a trial season for 2nd grade novices! These brave 2nd graders will remain novices the entire year and have their whiting at the normal time in their 3rd grade year. The pioneer class is smart and strong. It will be very exciting to have them in the choirs.
SIGN UP GENIUS: Melinda Weir has organized our sign up for helping with choristers activities through sign up genius. She does an amazing job at this, make sure you say Thank you! Sign up Genius has been very practical in making the sign to help as a choir parent helper easy and efficient.
www.SignUpGenius.com/go/9040B4CA9A72DA64-choir3
HOMEWORK FOR SENIOR CHORISTERS:
Please locate a recording with your parents approval and listen to:
1. BOYS: Rejoice in the Lamb, B. Britten
2. GIRLS: A CEREMONY OF CAROLS, B. Britten
3. BOTH: J.S. Bach Motet: “Der Geist hilft unser Schwachheit auf” BWV 226
WEBSITE: www.gracechurchnyc.org
CLICK: MUSIC
CLICK: login
User Name: helfenstein
Password: Stanfordlives1894
CHOIR SCHEDULES 2017 – 2018: REMEMBER Kathy’s Link to our Goggle Doc Schedules, they are ready to go for 2017-2018:
http://www.gchoirsched.info/schedules.html
NEXT WEEK’S SCHEDULE:
I am away next week for a concert outside of Berlin, Germany.
No Choir Activities until Sunday the 22nd of October
Sunday 22 October: The Choir of Men and Boys singing.
• Sunday Service-The Choir of Men and Boys
9:45 Call Senior Boys REQUIRED
10:15 Call for Junior and Novice Boys Optional
11:00 a.m. service
Lunch after Church for Senior Boys
1:00 – 3:00 REHEARSAL ALL SOPRANO SENIOR BOYS
1:00 – 2:00 High School Singers Weekly Rehearsal with Senior Boys.
• October 24 (Tuesday) – Regular Morning Rehearsal. Senior Boys, 7:00 – 8:10 a.m.
• September 24 (Tuesday) – Regular Afternoon Rehearsal for Girl Novices 3:30 – 4:30 p.m.
• September 24 (Tuesday) – Regular Rehearsal for Boy and Girl Junior Choristers 5:00 – 6:30 p.m. EVENSONG takes place in the Church at 6:00 p.m. Parents this is the last one with the Broadway doors closed to the public. Please enter from the Honor Room or the Griswald Door.
• October 25 (Wednesday) – Regular Morning Rehearsal. Senior Girls, 7:00 – 8:10 a.m.
• October 25 (Wednesday) After School Vocal Coaching. Sign up in advance for each session with PA. CHANTRY
• October 26 (Thursday) – Regular Morning Rehearsal Schedule for Senior and Junior Boy Choristers 7:00 – 8:10 a.m.
• October 26 (Thursday) After School Vocal Coaching. Sign up in advance for each session with PA. CHANTRY
• October 27 (Friday) – Regular Morning Rehearsal Schedule for Senior and Junior Girl Choristers 7:00 – 8:10 a.m.
• October 27 (Friday) – – Regular Afternoon Rehearsal for Boy Novices 3:30 – 4:30 p.m.
• Sunday October 29 –– Sunday Morning Service-The Girls’ Choir and ATB
9:45 Call Senior Girls REQUIRED
10:15 Call for Junior and Novice Girls Optional
11:00 a.m. service
Lunch after Church for Senior Girls
1:00 – 3:00 REHEARSAL ALL SOPRANO SENIOR and HS Girl Singers
BRITTEN, A Ceremony of Carols with Adult Ladies.
1:00 – 2:00 High School Young Men Singers Weekly Rehearsal, Music
OFFICE.
EVENSONG IN OCTOBER:
There are only two Evensongs on Tuesday in October this year due to the Columbus Day Weekend Holiday, Dr. Allen away for a concert, and Halloween. So – we will not open the Broadway doors for October, the first two Evensong will be for Choir Families and take place in the Church on October 3 and October 24 at 6:00 p.m. Families are encourage to attend – please enter from the School through the Honor Room or the Griswald Door.
SPECIAL LISTENING PROJECT:
Please find a time to watch and listen to these YouTube excerpts. They are from some of our fellow choirs around the world and are lovely and fun. They can help give us all a better idea of our tradition and celebrate the 1000 year old heritage that we participate in. I was in Wells this week and really, the church and choral tradition is just shy of it’s 1000th birthday! This year is the 120th birthday for our choir foundation.
King’s College Cambridge
“All Bells in Paradise”
“O Holy Night”
Wells Cathedral Choir
“God is Gone Up”(Finzi) — Choir of Wells Cathedral
“The Twelve Days of Christmas” – Choir of Wells Cathedral
“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” – Choir of Wells Cathedral
Wells Cathedral Choir – General Search
St. John’s College Cambridge,
A Guest in Cambridge
St. John’s College Cambridge
Salisbury Cathedral
Salisbury Cathedral Choir : Sanctus (Walter Alcock)
The Choristers of Salisbury Cathedral Part2 – 2007
FIN – THE END
Please forgive the length of this newsletter. You all have lots of wonderful questions and this is my attempt to get us organized and put as much information as you have asked about in one place.
Have a wonderful safe remainder of the summer! The rain has stopped, the Swan has moved on to another boat and it’s time to head to the market for the shopping.
With all my love and anticipation of a great new season, Patrick
ONGOING INFORMATION SOURCES:
*Like us on FACEBOOK! Music at Grace Church in New York
*The Goggle Choir Schedule Calendar Link: http://gchoirsched.info/home.html
*Sign Up Genius for Choir Parent Volunteer Sign Link:
www.SignUpGenius.com/go/9040B4CA9A72DA64-choir3
*Accessing the Secure Choir Family Area of the Music Website:
www.gracechurchnyc.org
CLICK: MUSIC
CLICK: login
User Name: helfenstein
Password: Stanfordlives1894
*REMEMBER: If your contact information changes or you notice a typo in a communication don’t hesitate to let PA (P. Allen, not the Parents Association) know. “If you see something, say something”
*REMEMBER…please keep an eye out around the house and make sure you cash all choir checks you have received. When the books are closed at the audit for each operating budget year checks can no longer be redeemed or replaced.