2022-2023 Christmas Concert Wine and Cheese Social

2022-2023 Comedy

2022-2023 Musical

We are happy to announce that we will be returning to St. Margaret’s School for Staff Choir rehearsals in September.

We will for the time being continue with the maximum of 50 choir members that we accommodated last season. We will still have online application, but sadly may not be able to accept everyone. As you know, we need to have some readers and some strong voices in each section, so that could mean varying slightly from the first 50 to register. We’re also aware that being slightly distanced from other singers in your section may be problematic for some people. If that doesn’t work for you this year, we understand.

We will continue to follow provincial guidelines and monitor them for changes. As of now, they have lifted mask requirements for social gatherings and organized public events as well as for places of worship. However, please don’t attend rehearsal if you are not feeling well, or suspect you may have Covid. We will have a break, but recommend that people bring their own refreshments.

Place: St. Margaret Catholic School
Address: 85 Carmichael Avenue North York, Ontario M5M2X1 (map)
Day Of Week: Wednesday
First rehearsal: Wednesday September 28
Time: 4:45 pm to 7:00 pm

Date: Mon Nov 28, 2022
Time: 4:45 pm to 7:00 pm
Place: St. Edward the Confessor Catholic Church
Address: 75 Churchill Ave, Toronto, ON M2N 1Y8 (map)

Date: Fri Dec 2, 2022
Time: Call Time TBA
Place: St. Edward the Confessor Catholic Church
Address: 75 Churchill Ave, Toronto, ON M2N 1Y8 (map)

We will continue to monitor the situation, but hope to have our traditional wine and cheese reception after the concert at St. Edward’s Church.

Here is the link for the choir member application which is open effective immediately. Please remember that completing the application does not guarantee you a place in the choir. We will confirm as soon as possible if we can include you in this year’s choir.

Thanks for your understanding.

Welcome to the TCDSB Staff Arts Choir! We are very lucky that Staff Arts provides us with this opportunity to make beautiful music together, build new friendships and renew old ones. The Choir has also always been a great morale booster for those working within the board, and a wonderful opportunity for retirees to stay connected. We want everyone to feel that their time at rehearsal is well spent and enjoyable. In order to facilitate that, we’ve put together some guidelines for newcomers, which will also serve as reminders for the veterans.

Looking forward to the first rehearsal!

Men: Dark Suit white shirt, red tie

Women: White blouse, long black skirt

• Please treat rehearsals as compulsory. If attendance is erratic, the quality of the concert will suffer.

• Arrive early enough to sign in and pick up new music before rehearsal starts.

• If you are an inexperienced singer, you need to be at rehearsal to learn your music; if you are an experienced singer, we need you at rehearsal to help others in your section.

• Please do not invite friends to join the choir once rehearsals have begun. We have a very short rehearsal period, and if someone has missed several rehearsals, they are holding up our progress by starting late. Despite this, the conductor may choose to augment a section with some extra voices to balance the parts. These would only be singers with solid voices and excellent reading skills.

• Please do not leave rehearsal early without speaking to the conductor beforehand.

• If someone has to miss several rehearsals, it will be at the discretion of the conductor whether or not they will sing at the concert.

• If you have to drop out of choir before the concert, please inform the conductor and return your music promptly.

• If you are sick or for another reason unable to attend a rehearsal, please contact Francine Giroux at francine.giroux@tcdsb.org before the rehearsal.

Please save socializing for before and after rehearsal and during the break; chatting with your neighbour(s) during the rehearsal, (including while another section is going over their part) is distracting to the singers and the conductor, and makes it difficult for all to hear.

Bring a pencil and eraser to every rehearsal to mark your music; use pencil only to mark your music - no pen or highlighters.

Water is the only suitable refreshment during rehearsals. Please do not eat or chew gum during rehearsal. Refreshments will be provided during the break.

Please come to rehearsals and concert performances ‘fragrance free’ as we have choir members who are allergic to scents and perfumes.

Work on your music at home.

Look after your music and folder. They are expensive to replace.

Return all music promptly after the concert.

HAVE FUN!!!