Choir News

2010-2011 Schedule

IMPORTANT SSUC CHOIR NEWS:

It’s hard to believe September is here already. I trust you have had a relaxing summer. We here at Sydenham Street United are gearing up for an especially busy year:

• Thursday, September 9, 7:15 p.m. - Choir practices will resume in the lower hall. I am asking that BOTH MEN AND WOMEN COME AT 7:15 for this important rehearsal. We need to begin promptly, because on this first night we will be reviewing/reassigning choir numbers and creating a current list for the year. I will also be passing out music for the next few weeks according to choir numbers, and for this reason I am asking that ALL CHORISTERS come promptly at 7:15.
  
  If for any reason you are not able to be present September 9th at 7:15, please send me an email at musicdirector@sydenhamstreet.ca or give me a phone call at 613.530.2438 so that your choir number can be reserved and I can plan on whom to expect for the fall rehearsals.
  
  A special treat for this first night: we will be touring the newly renovated chancel! Renovations are well underway now: the new floor is in place and the old rails--now portable--are being repositioned this week. Remaining work includes touch-up plastering and adding trim, plus building new portable choir risers which will normally be enclosed within the rails, as before.
• Sunday, October 17, 7:30 p.m. - There will be a special F.R.C. Clarke Memorial Concert at the church, featuring our SSUC Choir, the Kingston Choral Society, plus a number of local musicians. We will be singing several of Fred’s anthems. As we only have five weeks to prepare, we’ll be digging right into this concert repertoire at our first rehearsal.
• Advent and Christmas Season - Plans are in the works for the choir to sing an Advent Carol Service in mid-December. The Many Gifts One Spirit children will perform a Christmas musical at the December 19th Sunday service, with choir participation. The musical will be repeated at the 7:00 Family Service on Christmas Eve, and the choir will be providing special music for the 11:00 p.m. Candlelight Service.
• Next Spring - After the success of our presentation last spring of R. Murray Schafer’s musical, Jonah, the church approached Murray with a commission to compose a new musical based on a biblical story selected by Murray, with input from church members. You’ll soon be hearing news about this exciting project planned for the spring of 2011.
• More! There’s also one more surprise planned for the first choir rehearsal -- but you’ll find out about that when you arrive!
• Reminder: Don’t forget, upcoming church music will be regularly posted on the music website at www.visionweaver.net/sydenham . Special announcements for the choir will be posted on this page (www.visionweaver.net/sydenham/choirpage.php).

One final word: Congratulations to David Boe, who was selected this summer to succede David Cameron as the organist and minister of music at Chalmers. David of course grew up at Sydenham Street Church, and so I look forward with great anticipation to working with him as a musical colleague. David also has plans to teach organ, piano and theory at Kingston’s Upper Canada Academy of the Performing Arts.

With best wishes for the new season,

Charlie

Regular choir practices are held every Thursday evening from September through the end of May. Our first rehearsal of the 2010-2011 season will be held in the Lower Hall of the church on Thursday night, September 9^th at 7:15 p.m. This is not our usual time, so please make a note of it!

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