2023-2024 Choir Members
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. With this being our 50th Christmas Concert, we are a anticipating a large turnout, so we may have to limit numbers if we get more registrations than we can accommodate.
COVID Constraints
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.
Rehearsals
Location: St. Margaret Catholic School
Address: 85 Carmichael Avenue North York, Ontario M5M2X1 (map)
Day Of Week: Wednesday
First rehearsal: Wednesday September 27, 2023
Time: 4:45 pm to 7:00 pm
Dress Rehearsal
Date: Mon Dec 4, 2023
Time: 4:45 pm to 7:00 pm
Location: St Paul's Basilica
Address: 83 Power St, Toronto, ON M5A 3A8 (map..)
Concert
Date: Fri Dec 8, 2023
Time: Call Time TBA
Concert Start Time: 8:00 pm
Location: St Paul's Basilica
Address: 83 Power St, Toronto, ON M5A 3A8 (map..)
Reception
We are planning to have our traditional wine and cheese reception after the concert.
Choir Member Application
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. With this being our 50th Christmas Concert, we are a anticipating a large turnout, so we may have to limit numbers if we get more registrations than we can accommodate.
Thanks for your understanding.
Staff Arts Choir Guidelines
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!
Concert Dress
Men: Dark Suit white shirt, red tie
Women: White blouse, long black skirt
Attendance
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 girouxf@gmail.com before the rehearsal.
Choir Etiquette
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.
Choir Member Responsibilities
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!!!