Message to Membership – March 31, 2022

From the Music Director …

Dear Hartford Chorale,

Hard as it is to believe, we are at last at the threshold of returning to rehearsal normality come Monday, April 4, when we begin work in-earnest on our exciting 50th anniversary-season concert. The last time we were together in full bloom was Sunday, March 1, 2020, over two years ago, for a performance of the Mozart Requiem. How appropriate that our upcoming rehearsal includes a powerful arrangement of “How Can I Keep from Singing?”. I like our sweatshirt tweaks to that title, reading “How Can WE Keep from Singing?”. This rehearsal will focus on three works: the Shaw/Parker “I’m Going to Sing,” the Vaughan Williams Serenade to Music, and Ed Tyler’s arrangement of “How Can I…” just mentioned. In your ongoing personal preparations, please be reminded that earlier web postings of the MP4s of the Perkins piece had errors in movement #1 (near the end) and in movement #4 (also near the end, for basses only). These have been replaced on the webpage, where you will also find a great deal of important information, including access to the ever-important edit masters.

Thanks to the efforts of our Anniversary Commission Committee, and in particular the efforts of Adlyn Lowenthal, the Chorale has been invited by the Presidents’ College of the University of Hartford to present a pair of seminars about the Perkins work. These are Thursdays, May 5 and 12, from 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., the first of which will be led by Dr. Aimee Pozorski, Professor and Assistant Chair of the English department and Co-coordinator of the American Studies Program at CCSU, and will include an impressive deep dive into the poets and poetry of Alive Poems. The May 12 session will focus upon the music itself, and Scott Perkins will join online. Do consider taking advantage of these means of enriching your own experience of what lies ahead.

See you Monday!

Rick

 

From the Board President …

Dear Hartford Chorale,

All roads lead to Monday! I was finishing up my edit masters, and I’m not exaggerating when I tell you that I wanted to leap out of my chair and sing. I can-NOT wait for Monday. It has been too long!

From a housekeeping standpoint, if you haven’t already done so, please send your proof of vaccine + booster (if eligible) to the office. Please arrive a few minutes early, as it will take time to find your seats. We’re about 135 strong and a full house!

Many thanks go to so many who are helping us get ready for Monday. The ultimate seat guru, Greg Benoit, our fabulous webmasters, Catherine Little and Diana Garcia, our unshakeable 50th anniversary chair, Joanne Huelsman and our fantastic librarians, Jeanine Lovendale and Danielle Foint have all spent innumerable volunteer hours to help us back to life in-person. Our office is in excellent hands with Lisa Nappi, and our technology/media is ready to go with Jack Pott. It’s time to say, “Good evening Mr. Coffey”. We are ready!

Lalitha

 

From the Assistant Music Director …

Dear Chorale,

I hope you had as much fun as I did over the last three Monday nights as we took a deep dive into vocal warmups/exercises and vocal technique, all in preparation for our first in person rehearsal coming up! It was wonderful to see so many faces, and especially to hear your voices. I came away from it with a strong sense of confidence in our ability to master what lies ahead in the coming weeks.

While there will be vocal warm-ups at the beginning of each rehearsal (as is our custom), I would encourage each of you to also do your own vocalizing prior to your arrival. This will ensure that your voice is ready to go for each rehearsal.

A special note for the sopranos and altos: you will be happy to know that there are now German diction recordings on the members page of the website to help you in your preparation of the Brahms. Also, there you will find a PDF of the Brahms that has the German text enlarged, and easier to read. (You have Pam Johnson to thank for the this.) You are welcome to download and use that to sing from, however, you will still need to put in markings from the edit master.

See you soon!!

Jack

 

From the Media Coordinator …

Dear Chorale,

We are providing a recurring Zoom link for rehearsals. If you are unable to attend rehearsal because of illness or an excused absence but still want to benefit from listening in, here’s your chance. Zoom link is below and will be the same for each week.

Hartford Chorale is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Hartford Chorale Rehearsal Zoom

Time: This is a recurring meeting Meet anytime

 

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83910415884?pwd=Syt4empsWjdCUElHTDRhRFkzSGYxUT09

 

Meeting ID: 839 1041 5884

Passcode: 478543

One tap mobile

+13017158592,,83910415884#,,,,*478543# US (Washington DC)

+13126266799,,83910415884#,,,,*478543# US (Chicago)

 

Dial by your location

+1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)

+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)

+1 929 205 6099 US (New York)

+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)

+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)

+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)

 

Meeting ID: 839 1041 5884

Passcode: 478543

Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kcetf0wFmN

 

From the Marketing Committee …

President’s College Course

 

Members and friends of the Chorale have wonderful opportunity to attend the Hartford University President’s College course Alive Poems: Commissioning a Symphonic Choral Work around Stories of Our American Heritage. The two-session course will be conducted in the Wilde Auditorium on May 5, 2022, and May 12, 2022, from 4:00 – 5:30 p.m. You can register for this course by clicking on the link above.

This course offers music lovers a rare opportunity to gain an insider’s view of the commissioning and creation of a new choral work. Dr. Aimee Pozorski, Professor of English at Central Connecticut State University, will lead the first session focused on the consideration of the poems at the heart of the text including “The New Colossus” by Emma Lazarus; “Soy un Amasamiento” by Gloria Anzaldua; “The Storyteller’s Escape” by Leslie Marmon Silko; “Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou; and “Remember” by Joy Harjo. Dr. Perkins will join this session virtually to explore the setting of text to music.

Our own Maestro Richard Coffey will lead the second session, with Dr. Perkins chiming in virtually, to explore the complex commissioning process and the selection of texts, and to offer a sampling of the music. Course attendees are invited to a production week rehearsal led by Maestro Coffey with the participation of Scott Perkins.

Ticket Sales and Attendance:

To ensure maximum ticket sales and attendance, we need your help. What I’m asking from you is multi-faceted:

  1. Please complete this group sales form with the names and contact information of groups (Senior Living Communities, Performance Arts schools, Church Choirs, Social groups or Clubs, etc.) that would be interested in purchasing tickets using our Group Sales discounts.

ž Group Sales discounts are:

    • 10 – 24 tickets receive a 15% discount
    • 25 or more tickets receive a 25% discount

ž Group tickets do not need to be purchased in a single section of Mortenson Hall, but

ž Group Sales tickets do need to be ordered at the same time in order to receive the discount.

 

  1. Use this media contacts link to introduce us to radio and TV contacts you know so that we can arrange for coverage and interviews for Rick and Scott.

 

  1. Send us the name and contact information of any local newspapers in your area so we can provide them press announcements.

 

Finally, we need to sell ads for our program book. The sales form is attached to this email. I will be reaching out to the Chorale members who sold ads for our prior self-produced concerts so that they can offer the historic rate to their previous ad customer.

Thank you for your commitment to Hartford Chorale!

Fred Baker

Marketing Chair

#KEEPTHESONGSTRONG

 

From the Golf Committee …

 

The Golf Committee needs your help for the 2022 Hartford Chorale Classic.  We are searching for a member who would be willing to assist in finding tournament sponsors.  This person would work with the Golf Committee in our search for Tee Sponsors as well as Team and Tournament sponsors in support of our event.

Tee sponsors pay $100 each for a sign which is posted at one of the golf holes advertising their business.  Our goal is to get at least 18 Tee sponsors this year (last year we had 12). The golf committee will help with information from previous years’ sponsors and searches, but we need a dedicated person who can organize and send emails or visit local businesses to sign them up and brainstorm with the team to find some additional sources.  If you can assist in this important role, please reply to Joan Hultquist jbhultquist@comcast.net  Timing would be April 2022 to June 2022.

Thank you.

 

From the Office …

I will have new name tags for everyone at your first rehearsal on Monday, April 4th. These name tags will replace your current name tags as we have a new logo. Please bring your plastic name tag holder and your lanyard and replace the old name tag with the new. We will also have tag holders and lanyards for the new members, additional singers, VSLs, and anyone who has misplaced or lost theirs. Jeanine Lovendale and Danielle Foint will help distribute the goods – please come see us at the tables near the Parish Hall entrance.

After you’ve received your new name tags, please review for accuracy, and let me know if there are anydiscrepancies. If so, I will print a replacement for you.

Thanks.

Lisa

 

Hartford Chorale Logo merchandise is available for purchase!

See attached flyer – Show your support for Hartford Chorale by wearing a tee shirt or sweatshirt with our new LOGO.

Orders/payments will be taken before rehearsals on April 4 and April 11. Merchandise to be delivered in early May.

Stay tuned for additional merchandise coming soon! Don’t miss out on this opportunity!