These will be the final announcements for our Fall 2011 semester singers. There are a few loose ends to tie up and, as always, a big thank you to each and every one of you for your commitment and focus this semester. As Mimi’s recent letter said: “Wow!” The concert was just amazing and reflected all the hard work we put in to perform so beautifully and confidently on January 15^that the Strom Auditorium.

The birthday party and town hall meeting was very well attended and full of great feedback and suggestions as we move forward. We are continuing to receive email notes from singers, so please don’t hesitate to send us your thoughts and comments if you missed the gathering or if you prefer to share your feedback in a less public manner. We welcome hearing your ideas (topics discussed are in Mimi’s letter).

We urge you to complete our semester survey. This can be done by clicking on the link below and following the simple instructions online at our survey site. All information is completely anonymous and only this semester’s singers are being given this link. We hope you will take the few minutes required to complete the survey. We will be refining this process for future semesters and we welcome feedback on the survey itself. Thanks to Kim Palermo for reviewing past survey questions and creating this useful online tool for us. Control click on the link below to get started:

http://www.surveybuilder.com/s/IiahShivQAA

Spring 2012 Semester: Spring 2012 registration form and membership form are now available for downloading and printing. If you’d like to register early and save time on February 13^th, please complete your forms and send them to us with full payment. You can then simply pick up your new music packet on the 13^th and move right into our first rehearsal (please plan to be there no later than 6:15 to do this!). Remember, your membership dues are annual dues—if you are unclear about your expiration date, just email us and ask. Membership levels are listed on the membership card.

Recruiting male voices: We are pleased to hear that many of you have been recruiting more male singers for the chorus. Keep up the good work and remember that sometimes a final nudge just before registration closes the deal!

Concert concession: Many thanks to all who baked cookies and dessert bars or offered fruit for our concessions table. We cleared $370 from our sales at intermission!

Facebook and YouTube: We’ve seen a lot of recent activity on our Facebook page and with our YouTube video—thanks to everyone who is helping to spread the word, and please keep at it. In fact, sharing the link for our video with family, friends, co-workers and potential singers is a powerful fundraising tool. We have received several donations from folks who saw our video and wanted to support our work in the community.

Newsletter launch: We are launching a quarterly newsletter for all MCC members which will go out in the next ten days, so watch your Inbox. This has been planned for a long time and having Annie’s help has meant we’re finally doing it! We know that many members are not singing with us in a given semester, and some do not sing with us at all, so our newsletter will be a means to keep everyone updated about MCC happenings.

MC³! (Children’s Chorus): Our Spring 2012 semester for MC³! kicks off with registration and a mandatory parents meeting on February 8^th from 4:30-5:30 at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Camden. First rehearsal will be held from 4:00-5:00 pm on Wednesday, February 15^th at St. Thomas.

More information will be included in our upcoming newsletter!

As we near our concert date, there’s not only an emphasis on polishing our musical presentation but also a great deal of activity around producing the concert. Our concert team, headed up by Teresa Taylor and Laura Jackson, oversees a complex and well-organized system so that everything gets done; we also ask for the help of each chorister. We need everyone to “talk up” the concert and look for ways to let people know where and how to get tickets; we need you to sell tickets to your friends, families, neighbors, and co-workers; we need you to purchase and sell ads in our concert program; and we need you to look for ways you can help—it might be something as simple as leaving a few handbills in your wake on counters, coffee tables and in waiting rooms as you go about your errands and appointments. We will give you the tools you need, so if you are unsure of how to help, please ask us.

Save the Date You received a “Save the Date” electronic note last week to send out to your contact list and will receive another one with complete ticket information once tickets go on sale to the public on December 12. These are great tools and easy to forward to folks on your e-mail lists to help us get the word out. And they work!

Early order tickets We began accepting early orders for tickets last week, and as always, tickets (especially reserved) are going at a fast clip. We will continue to accept these order forms until December 5 and distribute tickets at rehearsal on December 12. We will also continue direct ticket sales at rehearsals starting December 12 (and on this date tickets go on sale to the general public) for as long as tickets last. Tickets to sell on consignment (these are general admission tickets only) will be available depending on ticket sales levels by December 12.

Please pay close attention when completing your Early Order Form. If you are ordering reserve seats, you may choose your seats or make notes about where you prefer (i.e., which side, how far back) on the form. Gaby fills these orders on a first come, first served basis and to best match your request. Click here for a seating diagram. If you have a special request for aisle seating or wheelchair location, please note this. All orders must include full payment by check or cash. If you have questions about tickets, please see Gaby Wicklow. These early order ticket forms give you an opportunity to make sure that your family, friends, and co-workers get their MCC concert tickets (we expect a sellout!) and have the best shot at reserve seating. We’ve given our choristers a full five weeks lead time to do this so don’t miss out on this opportunity!

As you come in the door to rehearsal: From now until our final rehearsal at John Street church on January 9, the foyer will be a VERY busy area! We will have a ticket table and other tables as needed for other concert activities like ad sales and distribution of promotional materials to choristers. Lyn Donovan, MCC Music Librarian, will also have a table to the side for any new music to be distributed and will help those that missed a rehearsal pick up any music they missed. Please check out this table every Monday evening so we do not have to use precious rehearsal time distributing music. Plan to get to rehearsal a few minutes early for this. If you are coming out of a sectional, swing by this table to pick up any needed materials.

December Schedule: We will be rehearsing every Monday night through December except for December 26. Our final rehearsal at John Street church will be on January 9, followed by our dress rehearsal at the Strom Auditorium on Saturday, January 14 starting at 1 pm. Please review the semester schedule provided in your folder for this information and make sure to have these times blocked out on your personal calendars.

Program Ad Sales: Cindy Anderson and Laura Jackson are coordinating ad sales for our concert program. Cindy has a master list of businesses (help us continue to add to this!) and would like folks to check the list to coordinate sales calls and update information each week. Ad forms are available and can also be sent by email in pdf form for easy emailing to potential businesses. You may also refer businesses to the website where there is a great spread and clear instructions on how to place an ad (under Events).

Online Help: All MCC written announcements can be found on the website under “Chorister News” and also on our wikispaces.com site. Mimi’s weekly “Notes to Singers” are also posted on the wikispaces.com site along with any additional tools like pronunciation sheets and articles. On both the wikispace site and on our Facebook page, you will find YouTube videos that we think are great tools for learning a piece or something we found particularly moving and informative. We try to provide a variety of ways for people to access and utilize helpful and inspiring information and, in the case of Facebook, to be able to interact in between rehearsals. We are always open to suggestions for additional or improved ways to communicate with our choristers, please drop us an email if you have suggestions at info@mccsings.org.

News from Midcoast Community Children’s Chorus (MC³!): Our children’s chorus (ages 7-12) will be holding a recital for family and fellow MCC singers and members on December 9^th at 7:00 pm at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Camden. This performance is free and light refreshments will be served following the concert.  The children’s chorus will also be performing with us in our January 15^th concert. Please note: MC³! will not be participating in the Maine Pro Musica Holiday Pops Concert on December 17^th as previously announced.

Reminders:
Tenor Sectional 5:55 pm on November 14^th in Fellowship Hall
Alto Sectional 5:55 pm on November 21^st in Fellowship Hall
Small Ensemble Rehearsal on November 20^th 1:00-2:30 pm at St. Peter’s
Ad deadline for concert program: November 28

Well, this is it! The final week in preparation for the concert on the 15^th! Mimi sent her notes to you earlier in the week and included with these announcements is information on taking care of yourself as a singer readying for performance.

Tickets: We are now sold out of general admission tickets but still have side reserve tickets for $20 and a few center reserve tickets for $25. Please see Gaby Wicklow if you need tickets, or leave a message at 975-0582. There are no more tickets at The Green Store in Belfast and only side reserve tickets at HAV II and The Grasshopper Shop. Hats off to Gaby, her team of helpers, and all of you for all your work on ticket sales!

We’re closing in on a sellout—but we are NOT sold out yet—folks can still get tickets!

Dress Rehearsal: For those who have not experienced a dress rehearsal, we’d like to offer some advice and sense of what to expect. Dress rehearsals are more demanding and tiring than the actual concert so it is important to learn how to pace yourself and take good care of your voice and energy during the hours-long process. Our dress rehearsal runs from noon until 5:00 pm. There will be periods of time where you are not singing but are left on the risers and, yes, there is a lot of singing and stopping and then singing again and then adjusting a sound level and singing again, checking solo microphones…..you get the drift. Mimi will be running back and forth to the sound board and working closely with the musicians as well as directing the chorus. There will also be 30 children from our children’s chorus joining us for a portion of the rehearsal, and the small ensemble pieces to rehearse. It helps if we all go into the dress rehearsal with focus and also a sense of humor. It always comes together! If we all arrive on time ready to rehearse with focus and patience, things will go smoothly and we’ll all have fun.

Please dress comfortably (it is quite hot on stage so layer your clothing so you can react accordingly) and wear very comfortable shoes. Save your concert clothes for concert day. Bring plenty of water and a snack that is simple and easy to throw back into your bag or coat pocket. Note: No food is allowed in the Strom Auditorium, only water may be consumed within the auditorium.

PLEASE have your binder completely ready to go in concert order and organized in a fashion that works for you. There may be last minute changes that Mimi will need to make for artistic reasons so have a pencil in your binder and a blank sheet of paper for dress rehearsal notes. You may take your water bottle onto the riser for dress rehearsal. Only small water containers that can fit in your pocket or tuck under the waistband of your pants are allowed during the performance. That is—no water bottles may be brought on stage and placed on the risers on concert day! But you will only be on the risers approximately 45 minutes at a time for our performance and have access to water during intermission.

Dress rehearsal will include lining up in order to process onto the risers and back off again. We have enough concert veterans that this now goes pretty smoothly but you will still need to pay attention so we look professional and poised as we enter and leave the stage (until we dance!).

Binder and Music Return: Before the concert, please erase everything that is not absolutely essential for you to see during the performance. Please consider using Post it Notes on your scores for your markings for performance. Plan to take time after the performance to finish erasing and/or removing any Post Its before you turn in your music.

Following the concert:

• Put your brown folder in your binder and drop it in the correctly labeled bin.
• If you own your binder, just turn in the folder of music.
• If you have chosen to purchase your music ($20), we have this recorded and you can simply turn in your binder (unless you own that as well). 

Thank you for doing your part to take good care of what is an important investment—MCC Music Library

This Monday Night: Tomorrow night we will be joined by our band members:
Jeff Densmore—percussion
Sam McKenna—oboe
Duncan Hardy—steel drums
Chuck McGregor—bass
And of course, our very own “Flying Fingers” Fleming on piano! Mimi will be going over pieces with the band as you arrive, so please take a seat quietly and we will start rehearsal at 6:30 pm as usual.

Note:
There is no sectional this Monday
Small Ensemble will meet in the Chapel for a brief run through from 5:45-6:15 pm.

Fair Weather Saturday and Sunday: Everyone send out your wish for clear weather on Saturday and Sunday for the concert weekend! If there are any significant weather developments as we approach the weekend, we will be in touch by email for a heads up and then post a definitive note on the website and on the MCC phone voicemail (975-0582).

See you all on Monday!

From Mimi:
Taking Care During Concert Week: Please read this section so you’re ready and in fine form for both the dress rehearsal and our concert!

PREPARING THE MIND

Make sure you have all of your music in order. Make sure all of the markings that you need are clearly written in your score. Spend time with your music this week. Each and every piece of music. As you are going through each piece, sing it – the whole song – either out loud, or in your mind’s ear. Remember how it feels and sounds to have everyone else singing around you. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE arrive at the dress rehearsal with each song we are singing on the tip of your mind.

PREPARING THE BODY

I am not going to lie to you. Dress rehearsals are arduous. You are standing on the risers for along time (longer than for the concert). We are working through any and all musical and technical glitches. There is a lot of information for you to absorb – where to stand – how things sound and feel different on the stage than in our rehearsal space – how to get on and off the risers, etc. In order to make sure that you are taking good care of yourself , please make sure ofthe following:

Be well rested.

Eat a healthy (and not too heavy) meal within an hour of our rehearsal. Please plan ahead by packing something to eat.

If you are someone who needs to have snacks in order to keep your energy up, please bring a healthy (neat) snack…. Good examples would be: A granola bar, protein bar, some crackers, some easy to eat fruit – grapes, etc. (Note: you may not consume anything but water in the Strom Auditorium. To snack, you will need to step into the hallway or go to the café.)

Bring a bottle of water with you to rehearsal (and onto the stage once we are there—dress rehearsal only).

Also… we are in close quarters on the risers. Please make sure that you are not wearing any perfume or cologne, or strongly scented hair products that day (and on concert day). Many people have significant sensitivities and allergies to fragrances. Please be considerate of those around you. And…. good hygiene is important. While this may seem silly, it really can be an issue when we are standing so close together.

PREPARING THE SPIRIT

Take time to remember why you are doing this. Reflect on all of the time and energy we have shared preparing for this concert. Think of how we have created one voice out of many, and how we have all felt the magic that comes from this special combining of energies. Know tha tby being prepared and present to the process you are adding your own special magic in the best way you possibly can.

OVERALL

The absolute best way to ensure a positive flow of energy for yourselves as you enter into concert weekend is to have a positive experience at the dress rehearsal on Saturday. Arrive at the Strom on both rehearsal and performance days with enough time for you to be relaxed and present. Make sure you have your materials organized, your body well cared for, an open heart, a sharp mind, and your beautiful voice. Take care of the small details so that your energy can be used to being present to the process of creating magic and making magnificent music!

Wishing you all a beautiful, restful few days. See you on Saturday!

Mimi

Happy Holidays to everyone and warmest wishes for the New Year! We will resume rehearsals on Monday, January 2^nd as usual and hold our final sectional of the semester: sopranos are up for this one at 5:55 pm in Fellowship Hall. You should have received Mimi’s note last Tuesday urging us all to remember to check in with our music and not let its hold on us lessen—we want to start rehearsal on January 2^nd where we left off two weeks ago. This rehearsal will be our last one together without also working with band members or all the details of the performance venue. Please find some time to go over your music and keep it in you and work on any rough spots as needed before next Monday. Thank you all for making this commitment.

Seating for next rehearsal: Next Monday, Mimi would like everyone to sit in a different seat and next to someone you do not normally sit next to. We will still maintain our seating by section (and sub-section) but please seat yourself next to different singers. This is a practice that readies us for concert where you are likely to be standing next to someone different and will certainly have a different view of Mimi from that spot and hear things differently. It is a good practice to do this prior to the concert, so please choose your seat accordingly when you arrive for next Monday evening’s rehearsal.

Concert tickets: Payment for all consignment tickets or unsold tickets MUST be returned on Monday January 2^nd. We had a nice surge in tickets sales at our last rehearsal and things are picking up at our ticket outlets but we still need to use every opportunity possible to get the word out and help folks get their tickets. Our phone line (975-0582)  is open for credit card sales and orders for Will Call and, of course, we will continue to have tickets for sale each Monday until we run out.

Getting the word out:  We have provided an email poster for forwarding to your email list and handbills that you can distribute to friends, post on bulletin boards, and place in waiting rooms and counters throughout the region. Please help our promotional efforts by using these tools to get the word out. Most of our ticket sales come through our choristers so we need everyone to do their part. The poster team has placed our beautiful concert posters in key locations around the region and we will have a larger press release coming out over the next ten days. If there are ways you think we could do more to get the word out—let us know and help us to do it!

MCC DVD: Check out the new MCC DVD, a twelve-minute promotional piece, now posted on both our Facebook page and on YouTube. This video is the result of hours and hours of videotaping by Bill Kunitz and editing by Resa Randolph—hats off to both of these talented MCC volunteers! Help to spread the word by forwarding the YouTube link or sending folks to our Facebook page (and ask them to “like” us). We will also send the link out separately for easier forwarding or simply go to YouTube and search: Midcoast Community Chorus. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pd9LWvxQZPc&feature=colike>

Annual appeal: Many thanks for the generous donations we have received for our annual appeal. As most of you know, our semester fees do not cover the full cost of preparing each singer for concert and we donate our June concert proceeds to our concert beneficiary, so donations through our annual appeal and other fundraising efforts as well as proceeds from our January concerts keep us going. We will continue to have the Annual Appeal box in the lobby for the next two rehearsals.

Concert day volunteers: We still need a few more non-singing volunteers for concert day. There is a sign-up sheet in the lobby or you can email us at info@mccsings.org. Volunteer activities include: ushering, staffing CD sales and membership tables, and staffing concession tables at intermission.

Concession refreshments: Sandy Yakovenko is gathering her crew that will provide all the goodies for our concession area at intermission. We earn significant income from this effort and appreciate all who have stepped forward to bake cookies and brownies for this concert. If you haven’t signed up yet, please see Sandy (alto) or email her at gypsystargazer126@yahoo.com. Those that signed up will receive specific instructions by email and can bring their baked goods on concert day when they arrive at the Strom. Thanks to all the bakers out there helping with this!

Readying for concert: Please be sure to have your binder ready with your music (or placeholder sheets for off-book pieces) in concert order for rehearsals—please don’t wait until the last minute to do this. If you don’t have your binder yet, please check one out on Monday prior to rehearsal. A reminder: you may opt to purchase your music for $20, otherwise all music will be returned immediately after the concert. A sheet about how to properly care for your music and tips for setting up your binder is included in all binders or can be picked up in the lobby at the binder table this Monday. Please see Lyn Donovan or Shelley if you would like to purchase your music.

A Note from Mimi about Somebody Prayed For Me: “As most of you know, at Monday’s rehearsal I started singing the solo line when we rehearsed this piece. I had not planned on doing so, but while you were singing I felt that the energy in the song was significantly lacking, and started singing the solo as a way to boost the energy and enthusiasm. It worked! The sound and energy from the group was quite lifted, and we were able to do the song justice. Since then I have received feedback from a number of people requesting that I sing the solo for the concert.  Were it not for the fact that it seemed to make such a difference, my tendency would be to leave things the way they were for a few reasons.  Most importantly, I am very careful and intentional about how much I sing at our concerts. While I love to sing (it is my career after all!), there is no mistake in my mind that our concerts are about the chorus, not me and the chorus. I NEVER want to take advantage of my position as Artistic Director by putting myself in our concerts as a soloist, and have tried to keep my solos limited to that of songleader for Sing a Longs. That said, as I have always told you – those who sing solos are the ones who can best capture the energy and spirit of the songs we are singing. I wanted to find that voice for Somebody Prayed For Me  among the chorus members, but was not able to, and thought we could sing it without a soloist, but it seems as if the song really needs one. So… it looks like I will take the hint and sing the solo for Somebody Prayed For Me. With the addition of having me singing this song, I am seriously considering not singing the opening verse for All Night All Day. Best for me to err on the side of too little than too much…  And just between you and me (all 125 of you!), putting myself out there singing this song is a big stretch for me (believe it or not!)…. Rehearsals with you are one thing…. you’re family…. performing a gospel song as soloist is a whole other ball game….”

Schedules for concert day and dress rehearsal:  In our next announcements on January 8^th, we will include guidelines for taking care of yourself during concert week and any updates to the dress rehearsal and concert schedules. You all have your semester schedules for these days and times, so please refer to those to make sure you have blocked out adequate time on these two important days.

Dress rehearsal is mandatory! You do not need to be in concert clothes for dress rehearsal.

Reminders:
Soprano sectional at 5:55 pm on January 2^nd in Fellowship Hall (regular rehearsal follows)
Rehearsal from 6:30-8:30 pm at John Street with the band January 9^th  (no sectional that evening)
Small Ensemble rehearsal Saturday January 7^th from 4:00-5:30 pm at St. Peter’s
Small Ensemble brief rehearsal on January 9^th in chapel at John St. from 5:45-6:15 pm
Dress rehearsal: January 14^th at Strom Auditorium from noon-5:00 pm (Small Ensemble arrives at 11:30 pm)
Concert: January 15^th at Strom Auditorium, arrive at 1:00 pm (Small Ensemble arrives at 12:30 pm)

We are now in the thick of concert preparation and production schedules! There’s great activity surrounding this time as we near our concert date and begin to publicize the concert to the general public. Below are a few reminders:

Concert Tickets: The final day to submit early ticket orders will be Monday December 5. Early orders may be picked up on December 5^th and December 12^th. We will also make tickets available for consignment beginning December 12^th  through December 19^th (assuming we have enough to consign!). All unsold consigned tickets and monies collected must be returned to our ticket coordinator, Gaby Wicklow, by January 2^nd. Tickets go on sale to the public beginning December 12^th and you will have the opportunity to purchase tickets prior to rehearsal and immediately following rehearsal throughout the remainder of December or as long as tickets last. Please arrive early to rehearsal to conduct any ticket business and continue to spread the word! Ticket tables close at 6:20 pm each evening.

Concert Program Ads: We will continue to accept ads through Monday December 5^th. Our original ad deadline of November 28^th has been extended one week, but one week only! Final program ads need to be submitted to Cindy Anderson prior to rehearsal no later than next Monday, December 5^th. So, if there is someone sitting on the fence or you haven’t had time to place that follow-up call, you’ve got this next week to finish up! Thank you for all your hard work on this.

Concert Poster Team: Please touch base with Resa Randolph if you are planning to help with the poster effort. Resa has organized the poster distribution by region, and will be distributing posters to her team at rehearsal on Monday December 12^th. Please be prepared to meet after rehearsal on the 12^th for a few moments for a briefing by Resa.

Concert Production Team: Please be sure to recognize the following key volunteers who commit countless hours ensuring a successful concert production and direct any questions you might have to the appropriate person.

Concert Producers                                          Teresa Taylor and Laura Jackson
Concert Publicity Coordinator                        Shelley Johnson
Promotional Materials and Program Design   Ken Gross
Program Coordinator                                      Laura Jackson
Program Ad Sales Manager                            Cindy Anderson
Ticket Coordinator                                          Gaby Wicklow
Poster Distribution Manager                           Resa Randolph

MCC Annual Appeal: By the first week of December, you will receive a letter from MCC’s Board of Trustees signed by Teresa Taylor (Board Chair), Mimi Bornstein (Founder and Artistic Director), and Shelley Johnson (Executive Director). This letter will ask for your support as part of our Annual Appeal. The money that we raise in our concerts and through membership dues and registration fees is not sufficient to meet our yearly operating costs so we must go to our members and the community at large and ask for support to continue our mission: singing as a community for the community. Please help us in any way that you are able. Thank you. We will have a box in the lobby for annual appeal donations starting next week.

Concert Promotion Schedule: As you probably gathered, the next two weeks are chock full of both deadlines and release dates for our concert production team. On December 12^th, concurrent with tickets going on sale to the public, we will provide our choristers with handbills to place around the community and into the hands of the general public. By that date, our concert posters will be put up in prominent places throughout the midcoast region and our first press release will be placed. And, by the morning of December 12^th, everyone on our mailing list will be sent a digital poster to kick-off ticket sales. We are providing all of these useful tools to help you get the word out about our January 15^th concert. Our choristers are still our best means of promoting the concert and we will be counting on you to not just talk up the concert and remember the date (!) but also to be able to explain how to get tickets and where. Keep a handbill in your pocket and in your car for these important details so we don’t lose a chance to not only fill a seat in the Strom Auditorium but also to introduce someone to the joy that we bring to this community through our singing.                       

Volunteer Job Board: We have updated our Volunteer Job Board and will have new postings up this Monday in the lobby. These job postings are for key positions within the organization and have clear job descriptions and the support you will need to get the job done. If you find a position that is a good match, please see Shelley or Teresa.

In addition to the key positions on the job board, we will need help in the following areas for this concert:

Ushers: We need ten folks to serve as ushers at our concert. This is a perfect job for family and friends that would like to help out. All ushers must be ticket holders, and if they hold general admission seats, they may choose and save their seat before the doors open with the use of an MCC Volunteer Placard. We are also seeking a Head Usher to oversee all ushers on concert day. All the tools to do this job will be provided.

Concession Coordinator: We are looking for someone to coordinate gathering the cookies and other goodies for our concession tables at intermission (these are baked by our choristers and friends). This job could be easily split between two people and we will also be looking for help on concert day from several non-singing volunteers to staff the concession tables. If you can help in any way with our concession efforts, please let us know. Our concessions raised $600 last January!

Potluck Dinner on December 5^th:  We had a wonderful turnout and some awesome food at our November potluck. The December potluck is our last of this semester, so please make it if you can and enjoy sharing in some great food and great company prior to our rehearsal. Potluck runs from 5:00 pm until 6:15 pm in the Fellowship Hall. Please bring your own utensils and plate, and a dish to share.

MC³! (Midcoast Community Children’s Chorus) Recital: On Friday, December 9^th at 7 pm at St. Thomas Episcopal Church, our new children’s chorus will hold its first performance. We have thirty young singers, ages 7-12, who will be singing for their family, friends and MCC members. The recital is free. We would like to celebrate our young singers’ efforts and thank their parents by providing refreshments following the recital. This is a gift from the “big” chorus to our new children’s chorus. If you are planning to come to the recital, please bring a plate of cookies as a thank you to the kids and their families and to celebrate this special evening!

Reminders:
Soprano Sectional November 28th at 5:55 pm in Fellowship Hall
Bass Sectional December 5^th at 5:55 pm in Sanctuary

moira smiley & VOCO holiday/winter show
women’s a cappella harmonies

Sunday, December 4 at 4 pm

Sounds Good! Music Live at Johnson Hall
280 Water Street
Gardiner, ME 04345
582-7144
http://johnsonhall.org/?event=moira-smiley-voco

Sponsor: Riverside Disposal
Co-supporters:  Chiropractic Family Health Center and Gardiner Family Chiropractic

A “Note to Singers” from Mimi was sent out on Thursday in preparation for tomorrow’s rehearsal. Everyone’s commitment to practice in the days between our Monday night rehearsals is apparent—keep up the good work!

Wikispaces.com updated: More practice tracks have been added to the wikispaces site. You will now find tracks for It Don’t Mean a Thing and Simple Gifts as well as a new version of You Are the New Day. Additional tracks will be added over time. Also, both rehearsal tracks are now posted for our Small Ensemble singers. Please remember to file the wiki instructions you received on September 29 when we launched the site in a place where you can find them. On occasion folks have had to sign back in and could not remember the steps or the username and password. If this happens and you cannot find the instructions, please let us know and we’ll send a new set for your files. We post the “Notes to Singers” on the wikispaces site, helpful videos of performances, and other tools for learning your music, so visit this site regularly to see what’s new.

Facebook: We are regularly posting YouTube videos and other items we think you might find interesting on the Facebook page. This site is open to everyone with a Facebook account (it’s free) and we have also provided links to MCC “friends.” If you have not done so already, please “like” us and get your friends and family to do so as well. Our Facebook page is a useful vehicle for getting the word out about our concerts and semester registration as well as general information on MCC and its mission.

Snow cancellation of rehearsals: Given yesterday’s crazy weather, it seems a good time to remind everyone that we have a protocol for rehearsal cancellations. These procedures are spelled out in detail in your music packet documents (and on the website www.mccsings.org  in “Chorus 101” under Chorister News tab). Please review them so you will have the information you need if we encounter difficult weather on a Monday.

Potluck Dinner on November 7: We will hold our first potluck of the semester next Monday, November 7. Our potlucks begin at 5:00 pm and continue until 6:15 pm to allow time for cleanup before starting rehearsal. Please drop in anytime and bring a dish to share. If you are unable to bring something, please join us anyway—there’s always plenty. We ask for a $2 donation to cover the rental costs of the hall ($60 total). You should also bring your own plate and utensils. We try to avoid as much paper and plastic waste as possible so please plan accordingly. This is a great time to chat with other choristers, section leaders, board members, and staff. For this potluck, we hope to have a couple of laptops set up to help answer questions about wikispaces site and downloading. We are still trying to obtain a wireless connection from the church for that evening but we’ll do our best to have what is needed for a useful demonstration for anyone that is interested.

Early Order Concert Ticket Forms are on the way!: In the week prior to Monday, November 7 you will be sent your Early Order Form by email and these will be available to you in the lobby prior to rehearsals. Using the form, you can order your concert tickets for family and friends with a five week head start—we open our ticket sales to the general public starting Monday, December 12. We will provide seating diagrams to help you make your ticket choices and you can drop off completed forms with payment each Monday evening for Gaby Wicklow, MCC Ticket Coordinator. All the information you need will be on the form. Please help us by printing your own Early Order form and completing it before you arrive—this saves us money on copying costs and also keeps our waste to a minimum. On December 12, we will begin direct sales of tickets at rehearsal and in our ticket outlets. So, beat the rush and get your order in!

Also arriving by November 7 will be an email “Save the Date” electronic postcard to send out to your email list. This is an easy way to let everyone know the concert date. All you need to do is hit “Forward” and paste in your address book or targeted addresses. A later “E-Vite” will be sent with further information just prior to tickets going on sale to the public. In December, handbills will also be available for folks to leave throughout the community and, of course, we will begin poster distribution as well.

Concert Program Ads: MCC creates professional quality concert programs for each of our concerts and we rely on advertisements to defray the costs of this and actually add to our bottom line. So we need lots of people to solicit businesses and individuals to buy ads in our concert program. The rates are reasonable and each ad is an opportunity to reach 900+ people in our community with information about a given business or organization. All choristers are encouraged to sell ads. Ad forms can be picked up on the table in the foyer and can be emailed to you. All ads and money are due to Laura Jackson by November 28. That’s just five weeks to secure all of our ads for the program! For more information, talk to Laura Jackson at rehearsal or at ljackson@bowdoin.edu

Advertising Sales Team: We are looking for a team of people to call former program advertisers to secure their continued support. We will provide you with a targeted list of businesses to call and suggestions on what to say when you make the call. This is a one-time task that you can do from your home or office. Please see Laura Jackson and Cindy Anderson for more information.

Semester Schedule: When you refer to the semester schedule, please understand that we do not list the date for every Monday night rehearsal. We list sectionals, potlucks and other events that are held only on specific dates. We will rehearse every Monday evening through January 9, with the exception of December 26.

Concert Dress: For the January concert we will once again wear our warm, rich colors of winter. Here are the specifics: please wear a long-sleeve solid color top in a deep red or orange—think of the warm colors of embers. No pastels, no yellows and no prints—the color must be a solid shade and only in either deep orange or red. From the waist down, please wear all black: pants or skirt with black socks or hose and black shoes. Over the next few weeks, Teresa will have a color chart to help everyone see the color palette available for your concert top. If you are still confused, please feel free to bring in your top to show us to make sure you have chosen well. Remember the aim is to create a warm blend of colors for our winter concert—you do not want to stand out!

Midcoast Community Children’s Chorus (MC³!): We invite all MCC singers to come and hear our new children’s chorus perform a recital at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Camden on Friday, December 9 at 7:00 pm. Admission is free—come support your fellow Midcoast Community Chorus singers! The children’s chorus will also be performing a piece in the Holiday Pops Concert produced by Maine Pro Musica on December 17 at 4:00 pm at the Strom Auditorium (snow day is December 18).

Reminders:
Soprano sectional October 31 at 5:55 pm in Fellowship Hall
Bass sectional November 7 at 5:55 pm in the Sanctuary
Potluck dinner November 7 from 5:00 pm-6:15 pm in Fellowship Hall

          All singers should have received a note from Mimi on Wednesday, October 12, which outlined how to prepare for rehearsal this Monday. These notes will be sent weekly so please keep a lookout for them.

            We’re now truly settling into the semester and sectional rehearsals have begun. These are short rehearsals for each section on a rotating basis lasting thirty minutes (5:55 pm-6:25 pm). They will be held in the Fellowship Hall unless noted otherwise. If you are having trouble with any particular area of your music, please email your section leader in preparation for your sectional so the problem areas can be covered. Reminder: Tenors are up this week followed by the altos on October 24.

Our concert planning: Our concert production team is already working on details in preparation for our January 15 concert date. Ad forms for the concert program will be out soon and volunteer opportunities will be posted. We are always looking for a team of folks to call past advertisers to confirm their continued participation. We will provide the support you need for this job, so if you can help in this area please see Laura Jackson (tenor).

Potluck Dinner: We will hold our first of two potluck dinners for the semester on Monday, November 7 starting at 5:00 pm in the Fellowship Hall. The potluck will run until 6:15 pm and you can drop in anytime. We try to minimize our waste so please bring all of your own utensils, plate and cup, and a dish to share. If you cannot bring a dish to share, please join us anyway—there’s always plenty. We ask for $2 donation to cover the extra cost of renting the hall (a total cost of $60). The potluck dinners are a great time to meet other choristers and be able to carry on those conversations you’d love to but cannot during rehearsals! Please join us on Nov 7.

Your Music: We may sound like a broken record but we must remind everyone to only mark their scores with pencils lightly and only when necessary (i.e, don’t doodle!) unless you have chosen to purchase your scores for the additional fee of $20. Please do not use highlighters and please do not punch holes in the music unless you own it. The music you received in your brown numbered folder will be returned to our music library following the concert, so please take good care of it. Our music costs for each semester run well over $2000 and replacements are costly and inefficient. Thank you so much for your attention to this.

New Music: Over the course of the semester, we will be handing out new music. You will find this on the table in the lobby as you come in that evening. If you miss a week and need to pick up some new music, please see Lyn Donovan our volunteer music librarian.

Wikispaces.com: As new music is added, we will also be adding new practice tracks to our site on wikispaces.com. Everyone should have accessed this site by now (full instructions were sent out on September 29). There you will be able to listen to all the tracks for your section and those of others (as you get more proficient with a given piece, it’s great practice to sing your part against another section’s track). You may find that using a set of earbuds or earphones helps since most computer speakers are of poor quality. The tracks are recorded in stereo so you can even turn down your part as you get more comfortable with the music and wean yourself from the support provided by the individual piano track. If needed, you may also choose to download some of the tracks onto a CD to play in the car though the best practice comes from sitting with the music while listening to the practice tracks.

Also on the wikispaces site are copies of all notes from Mimi as well as past announcements.

MCC website: Please visit our website mccsings.org. There you will find community music event listings, MCC store, archives of our concert posters and pictures, and interviews with Mimi. We are always updating this site and will soon have a new MCC video presentation to share. As we near our concert date, ticket information will be posted along with digital posters and program ad forms.

Facebook page: Our Facebook page has become a dynamic spot for our community of singers, past singers, and supporters. If you haven’t done so already, please visit it and “Like” us and ask your friends to like us so we can help spread the word about our concerts and future semesters. Our Facebook page includes some wonderful links to news stories and articles.

Lost and Found: If you have left anything behind (except for the mushrooms left behind last week!) on a Monday evening, you will find it in the Lost and Found crate at the church. This crate is to the right after you enter the lobby under the coat rack. All found items are put in this crate. However, if we find a wallet, purse, or car keys we do take these with us since we assume you will need to retrieve these as soon as possible.

Name Tags: If you have not picked up your name tag, you will find it on the table in the lobby. If you found a mistake on yours or yours was missing, please see Shelley for a corrected version or replacement.

Thank you: MCC is a volunteer driven organization and we could not possibly do all the things we do and provide the services that we do to our choristers and the community without a lot of help:

            Thank you to Susan McGovern for sharpening all our pencils and collating the music packets prior to registration. Thank you to Asha Stager and her amazing chair corps: Jo McAlary, Bill Bullock, Sandy Keller, Kathryn Fogg-Hill, Julie Boyer, Susan Wind, Lucia Elder and Karen Searls (you simply would not believe what they must go through each Monday evening in doing their job). Thank you to Hildy Ellis for her continuing work on the MCC website, managing our content and updating our site regularly.

Reminders:
Tenor sectional on October 17 at 5:55 pm in Fellowship Hall
Alto sectional on October 24 at 5:55 pm in Fellowship Hall