| Changing the world, one song at a time.... |
New Mexico Women's Chorus
"Singing For Our Lives!"
Welcome Packet
FOR THOSE OF YOU JOINING US FOR THE FIRST TIME
An Overview of New Mexico Women’s Chorus
We are a chorus of women who welcome women of all orientations and cultural
backgrounds. We celebrate diversity in all forms and work very hard to reflect that in our
music. The chorus is continually working on ways to attract this diversity. We welcome
your help in accomplishing this goal.
We are a non-auditioned chorus that welcomes ALL levels of musical
experience. Whether your only singing experience is in the shower, or you’ve spent
most of your life belting out arias at the Santa Fe Opera, you are welcome.
NMWC, along with the New Mexico Gay Men’s Chorus (NMGMC), belongs to the
Turquoise Trail Performing Arts, Inc. (TTPA), a non-profit performing arts organization.
Additionally, both choruses are members of the Gay and Lesbian Association
Choruses International, Inc. (GALA). This is the largest gay/lesbian (et al!) choral
membership organization in the world.
We are dedicated to having a performance-ready women’s chorus. While we are
a non-auditioned group, this does not mean that we don’t work hard! We take pride in
what we have been able to accomplish and continue to work hard to improve our skill
and our repertoire.
In our choice of music, we strive to promote the strength, power, diversity and
beauty of our community. Although we are not radically political, we do promote
culturally diverse women-authored and feminist music. In a world facing a backlash
against alternative communities, we want our music to be heard and enjoyed. It is our
gift to our community and a way of reaching out to those who have not been reached by
other means. We are not a lesbian chorus, but we do honor our lesbian and bisexual
members and their cultures as we do other cultures. We perform many works that are
not heard in any other arena in New Mexico!
The “Herstory” of NMWC
1993: NMWC had its birth in the dreams of a small group of women who
gathered together that fall to sing for fun.
1994: the New Mexico Gay Men’s Chorus, which celebrated its twentieth
anniversary in 2002, extended an invitation to women interested in creating a women’s
chorus. This small group of six original “Founding Mothers” accepted the challenge
and in June of that year, the NMWC, then directed by Karen Kinsman, had its first
performance at the First Unitarian Church of Albuquerque. Later that summer, NMWC
performed with eleven members, and by the end of July of 1994, we were fourteen
members strong. October heralded a well-received joint concert with Jamie Anderson.
December saw the joining of NMWC and NMGMC voices for the first time.
1995: NMWC joined GALA. In between holiday concerts with NMGMC, NMWC
celebrated its first anniversary with a sold-out concert at the First Unitarian Church in
June of that year.
1996: NMWC repeated the treat of performing with Jamie Anderson in April, and
then sang again with NMGMC for the holiday concert in December.
1997: Dawn Chambers led the group in a celebration of spring entitled
“Trabaritz.”
1998: A February concert of “Gracias a la Vida.” This performance also
signaled the conclusion of Dawn Chamber’s directorship as she moved on to other
pursuits. An initially unsuccessful search for a director and accompanist almost meant
the end of NMWC. However, a core group of strong-willed women kept the dream
alive. By December, the group was under the directorship of Alan Stringer and sang
with NMGMC in their winter concert.
1999: In April, we celebrated the Earth with a concert entitled “Love Your
Mother” which even included a song in Chinese! The Fall season’s concert was
entitled “Celebrate” and included a sing-a-long of some not-so-traditional carols.
2000: NMWC sent an ensemble group to GALA in July 2000 at San Jose, CA.
This was NMWC’s first appearance outside of New Mexico, and was an exciting time
for the members. It augured personal and choral success as well as visions of growth
potential. In the winter, NMWC performed Benjamin Britten’s “Ceremony of Carols” for
one of its largest audiences ever.
2001: In March, NMWC hosted a concert with guest artist Holly Near. This was
a definite highpoint in NMWC’s anthology. In the summer, NMWC commemorated the
20th anniversary of NMGMC at the KiMo. In December, NMWC lifted its voice in tribute
to “Winter and Women.”
2002: April and May saw joint performances with NMGMC. These were well-
received concerts in both Albuquerque and Santa Fe.
2003: NMWC performed the New Mexico premiere of Diane Benjamin’s “Where
I Live,” an Oratorio On Breast Cancer, accompanied by a small string ensemble of
Albuquerque’s finest musicians. Five percent of the proceeds went to a local breast
cancer awareness and funding group, the Anita Salas Memorial Fund. This
performance combined music with dramatic presentations of various women’s
experiences with breast cancer performed by chorus members. Performances held in
Albuquerque and Las Cruces were deeply moving for both the audience and chorus.
We enlisted the help of a voice teacher, Sandy Neal, to help us prepare for the Oratorio.
Her coaching has raised the bar of NMWC’s vocal quality. The Winter season brought
not only another concert at the First Unitarian Church in Albuquerque, but another
opportunity to sing with NMGMC to a nearly sold-out crowd at the Unitarian Church in
Santa Fe.
2004 Marked the 10th anniversary of the New Mexico Women’s Chorus! We
celebrated with a May concert entitled “To Life: The First Ten Years”, which was
recorded and produced on CD. Sales of the CD are just part of our ongoing
fundraising efforts after sending all of our members to GALA’s Seventh International
Festival in Montreal, Quebec, in July of 2004. “To Life,” the CD’s title song was penned
by new Assistant Director, Liz Lopez. Fall of 2004 was a little more mellow, with a
theme of peace.
2005 In April, NMWC romped through a concert entitled “Women at Play: A
Musical Revue”-definitely a side of the chorus that needs more exploring! In June, we
were pleased to again share the stage with international singer-songwriter-social
activist, Holly Near. In December, we once again joined the very talented “parking lot
attendant” singer-songwriter, Jamie Anderson, on stage for a concert entitled “Seasons
We Have Heard on High.”
2006 On May 6th, 2006, we brought to the stage, “Noche de Nymphs” a
celebration of women’s connection with nature and each other. In addition to Liz Lopez
as Artistic Director, we welcomed Carol Wolvington, as Associate Director. A
Performance Ready Ensemble was begun to be able to represent the chorus at
community events. The Ensemble sang at the Nob Hill Shop and Stroll events in June
and November. The P.R.E. also sang at Pride in June and for a Breast Cancer
Seminar in October.
2007 Over the MLK weekend in January we presented the concert “One Small
Difference: Songs to Wage Peace” dedicating this concert to Parker Davidson and
Linda Gilkey. In May we performed in a joint concert with the New Mexico Men’s
Chorus. The concert, “A Lifetime of Love”, was performed at three different venues,
including one in Santa Fe.
2008 “Sound of Spirit”, a collection of spiritual and gospel music, was the
theme for our Fall 2007 season. We performed at First Unitarian Church and
Immanuel Presbyterian Church. In addition we performed during the season for
Sunday services at First Unitarian Church and First Congregational Church and at Las
Colinas Village. We took both the chorus and Hot Flashes (previously the P.R.E.) to
Miami, FL in July 2008 to perform at GALA’s Eighth International Festival.
2009 Our Fall concert, “Women on the Edge”, was performed over two
weekends in January. This collection of music celebrated those women who have
pushed the envelope by being pioneers in civil rights, social justice, music, feminism,
and politics. It was also the debut of NMWC’s band. In the spring, we joined NMGMC
and the Unitarian Church’s Chorus in a benefit concert for the Albuquerque Peace and
Justice Center, entitled “Waging Peace.” In June, we embraced “The Songs That Go
Like This,” performing at Immanual Presbyterian Church, as well as participating in the
Interfaith Pride service at the Unitarian Church.
The last sixteen years have brought the NMWC many changes in leadership and
membership. The journey, however, has never strayed from the goal of women
performing and honoring woman-authored music while creating a safe space for
women of all backgrounds. Along the way, the chorus has performed at the Zia Rodeo,
Gay Pride events, World AIDS Day memorials, PFLAG meetings, UN Support group
Peace celebrations, benefits for the Coalition for Human Equality, and services for both
the First Unitarian and the First Congregational Churches of Albuquerque.
WHAT DO YOU HAVE WHEN YOU COMBINE HAVING FUN AND GIVING YOUR BEST
EFFORT? A GREAT REHEARSAL!!!
GUIDELINES FOR HAVING A BETTER CHORUS WHILE STILL HAVING A GOOD TIME
A big part of what makes this a great chorus to be member of is having a good time
during rehearsal. It is also important to learn our music, watch the director(s), and
respect our fellow chorus members. We can do all these while considering the
following:
1. Plan to attend all rehearsals. Rehearsals are on Monday evenings from 6:30pm
to 8:30pm (although sometimes they may run later, if needed). For your comfort (and,
okay, for the comfort of your section) please eat lightly before coming. Rehearsals not
only provide an opportunity for you to learn your music; it is also a time for the sections
and the rest of the chorus to become more cohesive. There will be a 10-minute break
about halfway through rehearsal for refreshment and socializing. All are free to bring
goodies for sharing.
2. Open Rehearsals (the first four rehearsals of the season) give everyone time to
“try us on.” Encourage your friends to join us and decide if they, too, want to participate
in the fun.
3. Bring a Pencil. Sometimes changes are made, phrases are emphasized-notes
need to be taken so we don’t forget (we’re not getting any younger….)! Please number
your songs as well as the measures within the songs. If you like to highlight your part
please make a copy to highlight as you please. ALL copies must be turned in at the
end of the season due to copyright laws.
4. Be on time. Rehearsal begins promptly at 6:30 with warm-ups.
5. Getting into the building. Members will take turns at the door to let in their fellow
singers.
6. If you cannot attend rehearsal, please call your section leader. If you don’t know
who your section leader is, call anyone in the chorus.
7. Laughter and socialization are important, but keep your voice (and laughter)
down. Be respectful while the director is working with another section. Remember the
rehearsal room echoes. Some of our chorus members have hearing and learning
challenges.
8. Turn off all cell phones and pagers or turn them to “vibrate” during rehearsal.
9. Sing your own part. Sections take pride and work very hard to learn and perfect
their parts. However well intentioned, it can be seen as inconsiderate to start “helping”
another section by singing their part. If a section needs help, please wait until the
director or section leader asks you to help.
10. Breaks are important. They’re a good time to catch up. But, please take it upon
yourself to limit breaks to ten minutes. It should not have to take several people to try to
“rein in” everyone.
11. Drink lots of room-temperature water. Warmer water is also okay. Water (not
sugared liquid) keeps your vocal chords well hydrated, while ice water constricts your
vocal chords.
12. No forms of sugar and milk products are conducive to singing well. They tend
to produce mucus or phlegm that clog up your throat. In fact, it is best to avoid these
foods before going to bed anyway (especially during cold and flu months).
COSTS TO CONSIDER
Dues are $50 per member per season. Dues go toward the purchase of the
music we perform, payment of our director and accompanist, and the cost of
performance space. If you would like to spread out your payment of dues over several
months please make arrangements with the Treasurer. We do NOT want the lack of
finances to stop anyone from participating! If this is an issue for you, let a board
member know. This information will be kept discreet. We have an in-kind plan in
which you may participate.
Performance Dress usually includes black dress slacks (not jeans) or skirts,
black shoes and socks, and a CUSTOM Made purple or lilac top. The chorus has the
fabric to make the top and there are chorus members available to sew tops for a fee.
For more “casual” performances, we wear a tie-dyed T-shirt that was made especially
for the chorus. Contact a member of the board for information about purchasing this.
You may be requested to dress in another manner as appropriate for the performance.
Please remember to wash and iron, as needed, before performances. Many of our
chorus members are sensitive to perfumes, hairsprays, and/or cigarette smoke.
Please respect their need to breathe and abstain from use of these products during
rehearsals and performances.
Rehearsal Tapes/CD’s are “instrumental” (pardon the pun) in learning our
music. During the second month of rehearsal, a group of us get together to produce
practice tapes and CD’s for each section. The cost will be $2 per tape/CD. We will
make a valiant effort to have rehearsal tapes as soon as possible and we certainly
welcome anyone who wishes to help with the recording and duplication of these.
OTHER EQUALLY IMPORTANT THINGS
Chorus Retreat does not mean evacuation of the rehearsal hall! A Saturday or
Sunday is selected sometime in the 2nd month of rehearsals to discuss the social and
directional goals of the chorus and how to accomplish them, and look at strategic
planning. Please plan on attending – it’s a great opportunity to get to know your fellow
chorus members better and have an impact on the future of the chorus. And of course
we’ll take some time to sing – it’s a chance to work on our music in a different structure
than regular rehearsals.
Music selection happens by committee about two months prior to the beginning
of the season. Each section “elects” their representative for the Music Selection
Committee. Themes or direction for the season is decided at the prior chorus retreat.
Once a theme is decided, begin thinking about music that you would like to include,
and get your ideas to your section representative..
Practice at home. Start looking over your music as soon as you have it; if you
have access to a keyboard, start picking out your part and getting familiar with it right
away. When the rehearsal tape/CD is available, sing along with it every chance you
have – preferably at least once a day. We all spend a lot of time singing in the car!
Practicing during the week can lead to a more productive general rehearsal time.
Section rehearsals provide a time, separately from regular Monday night
rehearsals, for practicing with your section. This is a time to really work through difficult
passages and to work on learning to blend our voices to get the best possible sound.
Sections should meet at least once a month.
Section Leaders are representatives from your section. A Section Leader
organizes section rehearsals, a section phone tree, and serves as the person to call if
you have to miss a rehearsal. They convey information to the director(s) concerning the
singers in their section. Section leaders are encouraged to attend 2 board meetings a
season. We encourage those members who have at least one season of experience
with the NMWC to consider becoming a Section Leader. There is an opportunity to
choose Section Leaders each season.
We aim to memorize 99.99% of our music. Start learning now! Don’t worry.
Many of us are horrible at memorizing and, yet, we seem to be able to do it. Listening
to your rehearsal tape/CD is very helpful in the memorization process, and one of the
chorus members usually types out the words to all the songs as well. But DON’T WAIT
TILL THE LAST MINUTE to get started!! If you are unable to memorize your music,
accommodations will be made-we don’t want that to keep you from singing!
If you are not feeling well during rehearsal, particularly if you have a sore throat
(or no voice at all), let the director know. Just spend rehearsal time listening. If you are
contagious, we want you to get better - and we don’t want you to infect the rest of us.
So, saying this in the nicest, kindest way possible: stay home! Consider asking
someone with a tape recorder to record rehearsal.
We all have situations that come up and prevent us from coming to rehearsal. As a
rule, if a chorus member misses more than three rehearsals, the board, in conjunction
with the affected section, may ask her to stop coming and return next season. This is
not meant as a punitive measure! This is a chorus and it requires voices getting used
to singing with and sounding similar to each other. One person showing up off and on
makes a difference .
Like all organizations, we have committees. Try as they might (and they shouldn’
t!), the board cannot do it all. Please consider helping with publicity, fundraising,
production, social outreach, and/or music selection or anything else the season might
bring up.
The few weeks around a concert are usually hectic, with extra rehearsals and
performances. We always schedule a dress rehearsal the week before the concert.
We may be asked or choose to sing smaller performances, i.e. church services, in the
month prior to a performance as performance practice and a means of advertising our
upcoming concert(s).
If a chorus member has a concern and she is not comfortable taking it to a board
member she can take it to the Chorus Liaison instead.
We have a website: http://www.nmwomenschorus.org If you have skills in this
area please let us know!
If you have e-mail please check it at least weekly. We have a chorus lists serve
and use e-mails to disseminate information. Please sign-up for a yahoo ID to get the
most out of this communication tool.
PERFORMANCE READY ENSEMBLE
Our performance ready ensemble, Hot Flashes, provides additional opportunities to
sing. It is comprised of all interested chorus members and requires at least two
additional rehearsals a month. This past year Hot Flashes sang at the Balloon
Museum, and at Manzano and Las Colinas Retirement Villages. More information
concerning this ensemble will be announced during Open Rehearsal.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
NMWC elected its first Board of Directors in November 1995. The Board currently
consists of seven voting members, plus the Music Directors who are non-voting. Board
members make a two-year commitment. Because it is important to ensure that there
are people who have been on the Board before, we make sure there are always two or
three who were there from the previous year. Elections are generally held in the Fall, if
you are considering being on the Board, please talk with a current Board member as to
how you can be a part of this exciting opportunity!
The Board is responsible for bringing information and suggestions from the general
members of the chorus to the other Board Members for discussion at a Board Meeting.
Each member of the board discusses the direction of the chorus, how to get there,
what needs to be done or overseen, and, based upon each person’s strengths and
desires, who will be responsible for which tasks.
Below is a list of current Board Members:
George Dresden-Rader Board Member
Kaile Goodman Board Member
Sandra Jardin-Vause Board Member
Claire Lapierre Board Member
Andy Mungle Board Member
Kathy Morris Board Member
Brenda Funches Board Member
Liz Lopez Director
Sandie Keene Assistant Director
Chan Blackstone Assistant Director
THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN THE NEW MEXICO WOMEN’S CHORUS
The NMWC continually strives to listen and respond to the needs of our members.
Giving voice to the various cultural expressions of women depends on you. We
welcome any suggestions that will help us continue to meet the challenges of our
mission statement. Again, thank you for your interest and continued participation and
we look forward to you becoming part of our community!
An Overview of New Mexico Women’s Chorus
We are a chorus of women who welcome women of all orientations and cultural
backgrounds. We celebrate diversity in all forms and work very hard to reflect that in our
music. The chorus is continually working on ways to attract this diversity. We welcome
your help in accomplishing this goal.
We are a non-auditioned chorus that welcomes ALL levels of musical
experience. Whether your only singing experience is in the shower, or you’ve spent
most of your life belting out arias at the Santa Fe Opera, you are welcome.
NMWC, along with the New Mexico Gay Men’s Chorus (NMGMC), belongs to the
Turquoise Trail Performing Arts, Inc. (TTPA), a non-profit performing arts organization.
Additionally, both choruses are members of the Gay and Lesbian Association
Choruses International, Inc. (GALA). This is the largest gay/lesbian (et al!) choral
membership organization in the world.
We are dedicated to having a performance-ready women’s chorus. While we are
a non-auditioned group, this does not mean that we don’t work hard! We take pride in
what we have been able to accomplish and continue to work hard to improve our skill
and our repertoire.
In our choice of music, we strive to promote the strength, power, diversity and
beauty of our community. Although we are not radically political, we do promote
culturally diverse women-authored and feminist music. In a world facing a backlash
against alternative communities, we want our music to be heard and enjoyed. It is our
gift to our community and a way of reaching out to those who have not been reached by
other means. We are not a lesbian chorus, but we do honor our lesbian and bisexual
members and their cultures as we do other cultures. We perform many works that are
not heard in any other arena in New Mexico!
The “Herstory” of NMWC
1993: NMWC had its birth in the dreams of a small group of women who
gathered together that fall to sing for fun.
1994: the New Mexico Gay Men’s Chorus, which celebrated its twentieth
anniversary in 2002, extended an invitation to women interested in creating a women’s
chorus. This small group of six original “Founding Mothers” accepted the challenge
and in June of that year, the NMWC, then directed by Karen Kinsman, had its first
performance at the First Unitarian Church of Albuquerque. Later that summer, NMWC
performed with eleven members, and by the end of July of 1994, we were fourteen
members strong. October heralded a well-received joint concert with Jamie Anderson.
December saw the joining of NMWC and NMGMC voices for the first time.
1995: NMWC joined GALA. In between holiday concerts with NMGMC, NMWC
celebrated its first anniversary with a sold-out concert at the First Unitarian Church in
June of that year.
1996: NMWC repeated the treat of performing with Jamie Anderson in April, and
then sang again with NMGMC for the holiday concert in December.
1997: Dawn Chambers led the group in a celebration of spring entitled
“Trabaritz.”
1998: A February concert of “Gracias a la Vida.” This performance also
signaled the conclusion of Dawn Chamber’s directorship as she moved on to other
pursuits. An initially unsuccessful search for a director and accompanist almost meant
the end of NMWC. However, a core group of strong-willed women kept the dream
alive. By December, the group was under the directorship of Alan Stringer and sang
with NMGMC in their winter concert.
1999: In April, we celebrated the Earth with a concert entitled “Love Your
Mother” which even included a song in Chinese! The Fall season’s concert was
entitled “Celebrate” and included a sing-a-long of some not-so-traditional carols.
2000: NMWC sent an ensemble group to GALA in July 2000 at San Jose, CA.
This was NMWC’s first appearance outside of New Mexico, and was an exciting time
for the members. It augured personal and choral success as well as visions of growth
potential. In the winter, NMWC performed Benjamin Britten’s “Ceremony of Carols” for
one of its largest audiences ever.
2001: In March, NMWC hosted a concert with guest artist Holly Near. This was
a definite highpoint in NMWC’s anthology. In the summer, NMWC commemorated the
20th anniversary of NMGMC at the KiMo. In December, NMWC lifted its voice in tribute
to “Winter and Women.”
2002: April and May saw joint performances with NMGMC. These were well-
received concerts in both Albuquerque and Santa Fe.
2003: NMWC performed the New Mexico premiere of Diane Benjamin’s “Where
I Live,” an Oratorio On Breast Cancer, accompanied by a small string ensemble of
Albuquerque’s finest musicians. Five percent of the proceeds went to a local breast
cancer awareness and funding group, the Anita Salas Memorial Fund. This
performance combined music with dramatic presentations of various women’s
experiences with breast cancer performed by chorus members. Performances held in
Albuquerque and Las Cruces were deeply moving for both the audience and chorus.
We enlisted the help of a voice teacher, Sandy Neal, to help us prepare for the Oratorio.
Her coaching has raised the bar of NMWC’s vocal quality. The Winter season brought
not only another concert at the First Unitarian Church in Albuquerque, but another
opportunity to sing with NMGMC to a nearly sold-out crowd at the Unitarian Church in
Santa Fe.
2004 Marked the 10th anniversary of the New Mexico Women’s Chorus! We
celebrated with a May concert entitled “To Life: The First Ten Years”, which was
recorded and produced on CD. Sales of the CD are just part of our ongoing
fundraising efforts after sending all of our members to GALA’s Seventh International
Festival in Montreal, Quebec, in July of 2004. “To Life,” the CD’s title song was penned
by new Assistant Director, Liz Lopez. Fall of 2004 was a little more mellow, with a
theme of peace.
2005 In April, NMWC romped through a concert entitled “Women at Play: A
Musical Revue”-definitely a side of the chorus that needs more exploring! In June, we
were pleased to again share the stage with international singer-songwriter-social
activist, Holly Near. In December, we once again joined the very talented “parking lot
attendant” singer-songwriter, Jamie Anderson, on stage for a concert entitled “Seasons
We Have Heard on High.”
2006 On May 6th, 2006, we brought to the stage, “Noche de Nymphs” a
celebration of women’s connection with nature and each other. In addition to Liz Lopez
as Artistic Director, we welcomed Carol Wolvington, as Associate Director. A
Performance Ready Ensemble was begun to be able to represent the chorus at
community events. The Ensemble sang at the Nob Hill Shop and Stroll events in June
and November. The P.R.E. also sang at Pride in June and for a Breast Cancer
Seminar in October.
2007 Over the MLK weekend in January we presented the concert “One Small
Difference: Songs to Wage Peace” dedicating this concert to Parker Davidson and
Linda Gilkey. In May we performed in a joint concert with the New Mexico Men’s
Chorus. The concert, “A Lifetime of Love”, was performed at three different venues,
including one in Santa Fe.
2008 “Sound of Spirit”, a collection of spiritual and gospel music, was the
theme for our Fall 2007 season. We performed at First Unitarian Church and
Immanuel Presbyterian Church. In addition we performed during the season for
Sunday services at First Unitarian Church and First Congregational Church and at Las
Colinas Village. We took both the chorus and Hot Flashes (previously the P.R.E.) to
Miami, FL in July 2008 to perform at GALA’s Eighth International Festival.
2009 Our Fall concert, “Women on the Edge”, was performed over two
weekends in January. This collection of music celebrated those women who have
pushed the envelope by being pioneers in civil rights, social justice, music, feminism,
and politics. It was also the debut of NMWC’s band. In the spring, we joined NMGMC
and the Unitarian Church’s Chorus in a benefit concert for the Albuquerque Peace and
Justice Center, entitled “Waging Peace.” In June, we embraced “The Songs That Go
Like This,” performing at Immanual Presbyterian Church, as well as participating in the
Interfaith Pride service at the Unitarian Church.
The last sixteen years have brought the NMWC many changes in leadership and
membership. The journey, however, has never strayed from the goal of women
performing and honoring woman-authored music while creating a safe space for
women of all backgrounds. Along the way, the chorus has performed at the Zia Rodeo,
Gay Pride events, World AIDS Day memorials, PFLAG meetings, UN Support group
Peace celebrations, benefits for the Coalition for Human Equality, and services for both
the First Unitarian and the First Congregational Churches of Albuquerque.
WHAT DO YOU HAVE WHEN YOU COMBINE HAVING FUN AND GIVING YOUR BEST
EFFORT? A GREAT REHEARSAL!!!
GUIDELINES FOR HAVING A BETTER CHORUS WHILE STILL HAVING A GOOD TIME
A big part of what makes this a great chorus to be member of is having a good time
during rehearsal. It is also important to learn our music, watch the director(s), and
respect our fellow chorus members. We can do all these while considering the
following:
1. Plan to attend all rehearsals. Rehearsals are on Monday evenings from 6:30pm
to 8:30pm (although sometimes they may run later, if needed). For your comfort (and,
okay, for the comfort of your section) please eat lightly before coming. Rehearsals not
only provide an opportunity for you to learn your music; it is also a time for the sections
and the rest of the chorus to become more cohesive. There will be a 10-minute break
about halfway through rehearsal for refreshment and socializing. All are free to bring
goodies for sharing.
2. Open Rehearsals (the first four rehearsals of the season) give everyone time to
“try us on.” Encourage your friends to join us and decide if they, too, want to participate
in the fun.
3. Bring a Pencil. Sometimes changes are made, phrases are emphasized-notes
need to be taken so we don’t forget (we’re not getting any younger….)! Please number
your songs as well as the measures within the songs. If you like to highlight your part
please make a copy to highlight as you please. ALL copies must be turned in at the
end of the season due to copyright laws.
4. Be on time. Rehearsal begins promptly at 6:30 with warm-ups.
5. Getting into the building. Members will take turns at the door to let in their fellow
singers.
6. If you cannot attend rehearsal, please call your section leader. If you don’t know
who your section leader is, call anyone in the chorus.
7. Laughter and socialization are important, but keep your voice (and laughter)
down. Be respectful while the director is working with another section. Remember the
rehearsal room echoes. Some of our chorus members have hearing and learning
challenges.
8. Turn off all cell phones and pagers or turn them to “vibrate” during rehearsal.
9. Sing your own part. Sections take pride and work very hard to learn and perfect
their parts. However well intentioned, it can be seen as inconsiderate to start “helping”
another section by singing their part. If a section needs help, please wait until the
director or section leader asks you to help.
10. Breaks are important. They’re a good time to catch up. But, please take it upon
yourself to limit breaks to ten minutes. It should not have to take several people to try to
“rein in” everyone.
11. Drink lots of room-temperature water. Warmer water is also okay. Water (not
sugared liquid) keeps your vocal chords well hydrated, while ice water constricts your
vocal chords.
12. No forms of sugar and milk products are conducive to singing well. They tend
to produce mucus or phlegm that clog up your throat. In fact, it is best to avoid these
foods before going to bed anyway (especially during cold and flu months).
COSTS TO CONSIDER
Dues are $50 per member per season. Dues go toward the purchase of the
music we perform, payment of our director and accompanist, and the cost of
performance space. If you would like to spread out your payment of dues over several
months please make arrangements with the Treasurer. We do NOT want the lack of
finances to stop anyone from participating! If this is an issue for you, let a board
member know. This information will be kept discreet. We have an in-kind plan in
which you may participate.
Performance Dress usually includes black dress slacks (not jeans) or skirts,
black shoes and socks, and a CUSTOM Made purple or lilac top. The chorus has the
fabric to make the top and there are chorus members available to sew tops for a fee.
For more “casual” performances, we wear a tie-dyed T-shirt that was made especially
for the chorus. Contact a member of the board for information about purchasing this.
You may be requested to dress in another manner as appropriate for the performance.
Please remember to wash and iron, as needed, before performances. Many of our
chorus members are sensitive to perfumes, hairsprays, and/or cigarette smoke.
Please respect their need to breathe and abstain from use of these products during
rehearsals and performances.
Rehearsal Tapes/CD’s are “instrumental” (pardon the pun) in learning our
music. During the second month of rehearsal, a group of us get together to produce
practice tapes and CD’s for each section. The cost will be $2 per tape/CD. We will
make a valiant effort to have rehearsal tapes as soon as possible and we certainly
welcome anyone who wishes to help with the recording and duplication of these.
OTHER EQUALLY IMPORTANT THINGS
Chorus Retreat does not mean evacuation of the rehearsal hall! A Saturday or
Sunday is selected sometime in the 2nd month of rehearsals to discuss the social and
directional goals of the chorus and how to accomplish them, and look at strategic
planning. Please plan on attending – it’s a great opportunity to get to know your fellow
chorus members better and have an impact on the future of the chorus. And of course
we’ll take some time to sing – it’s a chance to work on our music in a different structure
than regular rehearsals.
Music selection happens by committee about two months prior to the beginning
of the season. Each section “elects” their representative for the Music Selection
Committee. Themes or direction for the season is decided at the prior chorus retreat.
Once a theme is decided, begin thinking about music that you would like to include,
and get your ideas to your section representative..
Practice at home. Start looking over your music as soon as you have it; if you
have access to a keyboard, start picking out your part and getting familiar with it right
away. When the rehearsal tape/CD is available, sing along with it every chance you
have – preferably at least once a day. We all spend a lot of time singing in the car!
Practicing during the week can lead to a more productive general rehearsal time.
Section rehearsals provide a time, separately from regular Monday night
rehearsals, for practicing with your section. This is a time to really work through difficult
passages and to work on learning to blend our voices to get the best possible sound.
Sections should meet at least once a month.
Section Leaders are representatives from your section. A Section Leader
organizes section rehearsals, a section phone tree, and serves as the person to call if
you have to miss a rehearsal. They convey information to the director(s) concerning the
singers in their section. Section leaders are encouraged to attend 2 board meetings a
season. We encourage those members who have at least one season of experience
with the NMWC to consider becoming a Section Leader. There is an opportunity to
choose Section Leaders each season.
We aim to memorize 99.99% of our music. Start learning now! Don’t worry.
Many of us are horrible at memorizing and, yet, we seem to be able to do it. Listening
to your rehearsal tape/CD is very helpful in the memorization process, and one of the
chorus members usually types out the words to all the songs as well. But DON’T WAIT
TILL THE LAST MINUTE to get started!! If you are unable to memorize your music,
accommodations will be made-we don’t want that to keep you from singing!
If you are not feeling well during rehearsal, particularly if you have a sore throat
(or no voice at all), let the director know. Just spend rehearsal time listening. If you are
contagious, we want you to get better - and we don’t want you to infect the rest of us.
So, saying this in the nicest, kindest way possible: stay home! Consider asking
someone with a tape recorder to record rehearsal.
We all have situations that come up and prevent us from coming to rehearsal. As a
rule, if a chorus member misses more than three rehearsals, the board, in conjunction
with the affected section, may ask her to stop coming and return next season. This is
not meant as a punitive measure! This is a chorus and it requires voices getting used
to singing with and sounding similar to each other. One person showing up off and on
makes a difference .
Like all organizations, we have committees. Try as they might (and they shouldn’
t!), the board cannot do it all. Please consider helping with publicity, fundraising,
production, social outreach, and/or music selection or anything else the season might
bring up.
The few weeks around a concert are usually hectic, with extra rehearsals and
performances. We always schedule a dress rehearsal the week before the concert.
We may be asked or choose to sing smaller performances, i.e. church services, in the
month prior to a performance as performance practice and a means of advertising our
upcoming concert(s).
If a chorus member has a concern and she is not comfortable taking it to a board
member she can take it to the Chorus Liaison instead.
We have a website: http://www.nmwomenschorus.org If you have skills in this
area please let us know!
If you have e-mail please check it at least weekly. We have a chorus lists serve
and use e-mails to disseminate information. Please sign-up for a yahoo ID to get the
most out of this communication tool.
PERFORMANCE READY ENSEMBLE
Our performance ready ensemble, Hot Flashes, provides additional opportunities to
sing. It is comprised of all interested chorus members and requires at least two
additional rehearsals a month. This past year Hot Flashes sang at the Balloon
Museum, and at Manzano and Las Colinas Retirement Villages. More information
concerning this ensemble will be announced during Open Rehearsal.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
NMWC elected its first Board of Directors in November 1995. The Board currently
consists of seven voting members, plus the Music Directors who are non-voting. Board
members make a two-year commitment. Because it is important to ensure that there
are people who have been on the Board before, we make sure there are always two or
three who were there from the previous year. Elections are generally held in the Fall, if
you are considering being on the Board, please talk with a current Board member as to
how you can be a part of this exciting opportunity!
The Board is responsible for bringing information and suggestions from the general
members of the chorus to the other Board Members for discussion at a Board Meeting.
Each member of the board discusses the direction of the chorus, how to get there,
what needs to be done or overseen, and, based upon each person’s strengths and
desires, who will be responsible for which tasks.
Below is a list of current Board Members:
George Dresden-Rader Board Member
Kaile Goodman Board Member
Sandra Jardin-Vause Board Member
Claire Lapierre Board Member
Andy Mungle Board Member
Kathy Morris Board Member
Brenda Funches Board Member
Liz Lopez Director
Sandie Keene Assistant Director
Chan Blackstone Assistant Director
THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN THE NEW MEXICO WOMEN’S CHORUS
The NMWC continually strives to listen and respond to the needs of our members.
Giving voice to the various cultural expressions of women depends on you. We
welcome any suggestions that will help us continue to meet the challenges of our
mission statement. Again, thank you for your interest and continued participation and
we look forward to you becoming part of our community!
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