Notice of AGM 2024 & Updated Covid Protocol

Hello Richmond Orchestra & Chorus Members,

This is your official notice of our 2024 Annual General Meeting (AGM).

Date: Tuesday, November 5, 2024

Time: 8:00 pm (expanded break between rehearsals)

Location: South Arm United Church (11051 No. 3 Rd, Richmond) - in the Sanctuary

Please plan to attend. Please make sure you sign in. Our Board members will offer reports from this past season and fiscal year and you will have an opportunity to learn about how our great organization is doing, and ask questions should you have any. And, we will approve our budget for this season.

All ROCA members have a voice and a vote at our AGMs. Mark your calendars and see you there!


ROCA – Revised Covid Guidelines October 2024

Covid guidelines have evolved over the years, based on known science and the advent of vaccines. ROCA’s Health and Safety Committee has therefore revised our guidelines developed in 2022.

These new guidelines are based upon the most recent (July 2024) information provided by the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC).

The ROCA community is blessed to have a wide range of members, some of whom have conditions which put them at increased risk of infection. Therefore, in the interest of keeping everyone healthy, Orchestra and Chorus members must continue to self monitor for symptoms of respiratory illness and Covid prior to attending rehearsals. Completing a Covid test is an excellent tool to check for illness if you are experiencing symptoms or have been in contact with someone who is.

ROCA recommends that members follow current BCDC recommendations to self isolate at home until a fever is gone for 24 hours without use of fever reducing medications, (48 hours for vomiting or diarrhea) and until symptoms have subsided and you feel well enough to participate in daily activities.

ROCA recommends that members mask and maintain physical distance from other members if they are well enough to attend rehearsal after self isolating, with the understanding that they may be contagious up to 5-10 days after symptoms appear depending on the severity of their illness.

ROCA Health and Safety Committee
October 2024


Most recent emails from Admin & Chorus Conductor

In case you missed it…

From Admin (September 23):

Wardrobe
Let Rachel know If you need costume pieces. Our wardrobe deposit fee for shells, jacket & "triangle" is $100. $25 is non-refundable for wear and tear. $75 would be returned to you if you leave the Chorus. The deposit for pocket squares (poofs) to be worn with tuxedos is $25. Cash, cheque or etransfer (use "rocaisgr8" for the security answer) are all great!

Pub Night: Beach Boys Sing-Along
We need to sell tickets, folks, to make this event a success. Direct everyone HERE to purchase tickets for this fun - fundraiser!! It's coming up fast. There are several burger options and you get to choose your beverage (non-alcoholic included). Kids are welcome until 8 pm. If you have any questions, please let me know. We could also REALLY use some help at this event (checking names at the door and handing out tickets, selling tickets "at the door" to folks who don't already have one, selling 50/50 raffle tickets, etc). If you're planning to come anyway, please consider giving us a hand at some point during the event. Reply to this message and let me know if you're able and willing - thank you!

Posters & Publicity for our first concert: Oct 26
Please take a few posters to put up around your community! Tickets are available for purchase now! Forward our posts on FB and send out emails.

Fall Tune-Up Workshops
October 5 - sign up here!

From Brigid (September 23):

Big thanks all the ROCA folks who turned out on Saturday morning for the beginning of Culture Days - our "Klee Wyck" was appreciated, and Rachel had a busy day at the table, with Kathy's "Rainy Night Troubles" performing.  ROCA was obvious!

Some sad news for long-time ROCA singers - Barry Madden died on 21 September - he was 83, and had been dealing with poor health for some time. Barry sang with us 2004-2018, and was ready to record, or do anything tech - he was most proud of the recording he (illegally) managed to make of the Chorus singing at Carnegie Hall!

Please note the attached workshop info for October 5; Geordie Roberts is the clinician in Richmond. I am disappointed that we have only 4 ROCA singers officially registered - I hope that's just you being last-minute, but it's a good idea to register so we know where we are for music copies.  Please pass this poster on to anyone you know - they don't need to be in a BCCF choir, and it would be a good boost to high-school and church choir singers.

And then the following weekend is the Pub Night - please talk to Kathy Hori or Rachel if you can help or if you want tickets.

Alto sectional tonight (Monday);   soprano sectional next Sunday evening at Adele's;  tenor/bass sectional not till the evening of Friday 11 October...

Alison and Mary (both Choir 1) are away on Tuesday, and sadly, Graeme and Alex - so our poor tenors are WAY outnumbered.  Always be VERY nice to tenors who are present and singing!

The good news is that (though we lost Peter, Tony and Harry at the start of the season) we have THREE good basses joining us - Alex Gowans is director of music at Our Saviour Lutheran, and sang bass solo in the Faure Requiem some years back;  Don Harder sings with EnChor and is a CBC sound man; Jonathan Robinson is a friend from way back who I re-encountered while singing at St John's Shaughnessy - we're lucky enough to have him before he vanishes to New Zealand in November. Please make them welcome! I've put Don in Choir 1, and Alex and Jonathan in Choir 2.  I wish I could find tenors like that - but it took five
tries to find our soloist - they are obviously busy that evening!

Double-chorus stuff tomorrow night (sorry, tenors, but we gotta!) - we'll probably sing through the Kyrie and the Credo, so I hope you have all the little playful bits of the latter sorted out from last week!

See you on Tuesday.
Brigid

Our final concert of the season is right around the corner!

Please pump our May 4th Concert! You can find everything in your email, right here on the website and on Facebook. And if you can volunteer for Front of House - please let me know: roca.office@gmail.com

Then, we’ll have The Wonderful World of Music on June 8 to round out the year.

Here’s our “working” program and listening helps for Chorus members:

MAGICAL WORLD OF MUSIC CONCERT - JUNE 8, 2024

Orchestra: The Sorcerer’s Apprentice

Chorus: Disney Dreams to Share

Orchestra: TBA

Both: Over the Rainbow

*** Intermission ***

Orchestra: something from Harry Potter

Chorus: Double Trouble

Chorus: Be our Guest (A) Be our Guest (B)

Chorus: Colours of the Wind

Chorus: Under the Sea (A) Under the Sea (B) Under the Sea (C)

Orchestra: something from Narnia

Chorus: Into the West (LOTR) Annie Lennox

Both: Medley from “Frozen”

Holiday Sing-Outs

Caroling Singouts – updated as of November 21

Wednesday 29 November: Concert Realty breakfast
8-10am (1190 Hornby St, Vancouver)
Soprano – Rachel    Alto – Brigid
Tenor – Graeme      Bass – Bernie

Saturday 2 December: Winter Wonderland at City Hall lobby
6-7pm  Singalong w/ Mayor Brodie, and a performance spot...

Carol of the Bells
Lo, How A Rose
De Virgin Mary
Jingle Bell Rock

Sopranos      Anne P,  Roxanne, Mary, Karen T, Susan, Doris
Altos            Kate, Liz, Jennifer, Cindy
Tenors          Graeme, Don, Chris
Basses          Tony, Brian, Victor, Will, Bernie, Harry

We’re inside, but dress Christmassy! 

Tuesday 5 December: Dress Rehearsal at Fraserview – 7pm start

          PLEASE COME IN CONCERT DRESS – Photographer working...

 Sunday 10 December: Concert at Fraserview – 1:30pm call for 3pm concert

      - please ask around for FOH help
- we may decide to carol a bit pre-concert or at intermission – or we might decide it’s too much! 
     - Let me know if you’d like to be part of a caroling group

Tuesday 12 December: ROCA party at Edgewater Park (details tba)

Saturday 16 December: Steveston Caroling

          2pm - Gilmore Gardens

          (S) Karen T, Amy, Laura, Rachel, Susan    (A)  Kate, Liz, Jennifer, Elizabeth
(T) Graeme, Don, Chris   (B)  Tony, Victor, Will, Harry

          3:30pm - The Maples

          (S) Amy, Laura, Rachel, Susan    (A)  Kate, Liz, Jennifer, Elizabeth
(T) Graeme, Don, Chris   (B)  Tony, Victor, Will, ?Harry

          5pm - Songs in the Snow – Steveston Museum

          (S) Rachel, Susan    (A)  Kate, Liz, Jennifer, Helen, Pat
(T) Graeme, Don, Chris   (B)  Tony, Victor, Will, Bernie

 Basic program (with tweaks – possibly readings at the residences; shorter for Songs in the Snow)

16      Joy to the World
20      O come, all ye  (1,3,4)
18      Lo, how a rose
3        Carol of the Bells *
CH     Deck the Hall
CH37 O Christmas Tree
26      De Virgin Mary *
11       Have Yourself a MLC
27b     White Christmas
12      Here we come a-wassailing *
22a     Rudolph
15      Jingle Bell Rock
CH42 Jingle Bells
CH19 Silent Night
27      We wish you             

Monday 18 December: Singing Christmas Card
10am-12:30pm – possibly some media interest!

          10 am: Presto Print (13988 Cambie Rd, Suite 383 - actually facing No 6 Rd)

                    Deck the Hall, Silent Night, We Wish You...

          10:15: RAPS (3380 No 6 Rd – right to the back)

                    Deck the Hall, Catmas Carols, JB Rock, SN, WWY

          10:45: Shelley Morris office (1130-10691 Shellbridge Way)

                    DtH, O Chanukah, JB Rock, WhiteC, WWY

          11 am: Richmond Food Bank (100-5800 Cedarbridge Way)

                    DtH, O Xmas Tree, Carol of Bells, JB Rock, SN, WhiteC, WWY

          11:30: Richmond Hospice (6460 No 4 Rd - park on Alberta Rd)

                    whatever...  there’s a piano...

(S)      Anne P, Pat H, Karen (to 10:30)    (A)     Helen, Kate, Liz (to 11:30), Jennifer
(T)      Graeme, Don , Chris                    (B)     Tony, Brian, Will, Peter

First Concert of the Season - Saturday, October 28th!

SATURDAY, OCT 28 - FIRST CONCERT “CLEAN & CLASSIC”

Concert begins at 7:30 pm at Fraserview MB Church.

Call-time for sound check and any last minute “stuff” is 5:30 pm.

Please try to park away from the church, if possible, to leave plenty of spots for our audience.

No scented products, please!

CHORUS:

  • Concert Attire = royal blue shell/lace jacket/long skirt or tux with royal blue pocket pouf

  • Bring hydration and make sure it’s labeled.

  • Personal items/valuables and “green room” area = Nursery Room (from the parking lot entrance to the church, turn right from the lobby)

  • We are not performing in the FIRST half of the program. Let audience members settle into seats first, then fill in as able and use balcony to enjoy the orchestra.

  • You can hold on to your music until Oct. 31st rehearsal.

AGM - October 17

Greetings, ROCA Board Members and Performing Members!

It is time to prepare for our Annual General Meeting. We will follow the format used last year:

Meet Tuesday, Oct. 17 at 7pm, for separate chorus and orchestra rehearsals at South Arm United Church (hall for chorus, sanctuary for orchestra). At 7:45pm we will gather together for our AGM meeting and then following that will rehearse together, in preparation for our Oct. 28 joint concert. 

Thank you for arriving on time and for your participation in the meeting. Reports will be provided on the members' section of the website prior to the meeting. The agenda is attached here.

If you would like to be nominated as a ROCA Board Member, please reply to this email. We are currently seeking Directors, especially from the orchestra. We also would like to strive toward creating a co-chair role, shared between orchestra and chorus members.

Thank you to ALL our members for your involvement and participation!

Sincerely,

Laura Rhead

on behalf of ROCA Board of Directors


Welcome from Brigid Coult, Chorus Creative Director

Hi, folks

Schedule time – these dates were out before our last concert, but NOW is the time to make sure everything’s in your calendar.

First of all, please put Tuesday 12 September into your calendar – that’ll be our first rehearsal. We’re back at FRASERVIEW in the Sanctuary. Plan to be there early to meet-and-greet, get music sorted out, deal with any financials – though I hope most of you will have registered for this season online before we start (reminder – go to our website: roca@roca.ca – use the menu in the top righthand corner or scroll down to the black section at the bottom and click on Member Login – login is ROCAisgr8).

We had talked about doing something for Culture Days, but I think instead that we are going to make the September rehearsals open sessions, both for would-be singers, and for potential audience. If you know anybody who might be a possible member, encourage them to come without commitment September 12/19/26. I already know that we’ll be welcoming Pat Hodgins back, and new members Teresa, Cindy, Lea and David.

First formal concert will be the last weekend of October – CLEAN & CLASSIC, on Saturday 28 October. Program will be:

Orchestra – Mozart: Overture to “Don Giovanni”

Orchestra – Mozart: Sinfonia Concertante

intermission

Chorus/chamber orchestra – Mozart: Laudate Dominum

Chorus/chamber orchestra – Vivaldi: Gloria

Tabitha Brasso-Ernst will be our soloist

Our Christmas concert will be on the afternoon of Sunday 10 December – CHRISTMAS AT THE MOVIES – and I think it’ll be mostly Orchestra-led, with Chorus arrangements derived from the orchestral scores.

The spring concert marks my 30th season with ROCA. CONDUCTOR’S CHOICE on April 6. We’ll do some stuff from earlier years, but also some new rep that’s been on my must-do-sometime list, but has never fitted with any of our themed programs. I think you’ll love this rep!

Then on June 8 we’ll offer a program called MAGICAL WORLD OF MUSIC with a focus on your favourite Disney songs – though there’ll be a little Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter to enhance the magic.

I think this is going to be a great season – all we need now is the singers!

Please let me know If there are any of the concert dates that you can’t do, or if you are going to be away for any period of time that might require a re-audition before a concert.

If you know any other singers who might like to join us – encourage them to try-out this month.

And the big reminder, since 2020 – COVID’s not gone away, so we’re going to have to live around it (and around RSV and influenza and colds and all that stuff). If you might be infectious, please call me to let me that you will join us on Zoom. A Zoom rehearsal is not the greatest, but it’s better than missing altogether. However, I will not bring my laptop for Zoom unless I know people will be attending online.

Please email or call me as early as possible to let me know if you’re not coming – don’t tell me at rehearsal; I need it in time so that I can do my seating plan. If I think you’re not ready for a concert or you’ve missed too many rehearsals, I may ask to hear you separately.

For those in rehearsal together, wearing a mask is nobody’s favourite thing, but I am quite happy to see masked faces – whether you mask because you’re protecting others or yourself.

Fall rep recordings:

Mozart Laudate Dominum

Statskappelle Dresden - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WL2H162wRCo
– chorus starts at 2.38

Vivaldi Gloria

U of Texas, conducted by my friend Richard - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvZYhxT5Mf8&t=123s

This was the performance at La Pieta we watched together during COVID! -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgaOVV4JQHA&t=6s

There are lots of other recordings, but these are my favourites.

Christmas rep – depends on James’s selections.... What are YOUR favourite Christmas movies?

Looking forward to seeing you all on September 12!

-Brigid

604-790-2367

brigidatROCA@gmail.com

April Concert notes: CHORUS

Tuesday April 18 – The Music’s Always There

dress rehearsal will be Tuesday 11 April

Chilcott – Mairi’s wedding

Faure ed Rutter – Cantique de Jean Racine

Rutter – Psalm 23 (from Requiem)

set, tba, by Steveston/London choir

Chilcott – Jazz Mass

Rutter – The Music’s always there

-----

Rutter – Blow Blow

Chilcott – Greensleeves

Mikulin – By Shallow Rivers

Chilcott – Walking the Red Road

Rutter – Prayer for Ukraine

Rutter – Gaelic Blessing

Chilcott – And so it goes

Chilcott – Buffalo Gals

Rutter – The Terrible Tale of Tom Gilligan

Rutter – Down by the Riverside

(bolded – joint choirs in red – music not in your hands yet)

Reminders from Brigid for "Magnificat!"

Hi Singers, please review these links: listen and inwardly digest!

Vivaldi - Magnificat

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zqoztX4u9A – all the “solo” movements are choral

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGJYPSSJM7k – wonderful work with soloists – sometimes not

exactly as in our edition!

Cyber-bass for individual part-work:

http://www.cyberbass.com/Major_Works/Vivaldi_A/vivaldi_magnificat.htm

Robert Ray - Gospel Magnificat

Not very good recordings – mostly amateur choirs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoko8IIl3OU - this makes me laugh – it’s a bit caffeinated! Want

some choralography?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJD-gzi34V4 – not such a good choir, but a better tempo.

Biebl: Ave Maria

There are many recordings of this around, but most of them are all women, all men, or low voices vs

high ones. They’re worth listening to, but may not help with notes!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG7MAGog26E – this is the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir singing

the same edition we use.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQWb4I87b88 – this is the right version, but I don’t like the

balance of voices – what do you think?

Britten: Hymn to the Virgin

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Z0O8X26UIU – Voces 8 – gorgeous! Though it helps to have that

acoustic!

Carol of the Stable Dog – sung by Phoenix Chamber Choir – I think Corlynn had retired by then....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xW3FaJIYkQQ

Mary did you know

This will not help you with learning our version, but you should hear this group, with the original

writer... Wow! Incredible tuning!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaRpeMT1tjQ

This Christmastide

My favourite version – beautiful sensitive singing -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YxGFKM27_8

Here’s Jessye Norman: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isWViEYXM3M

and here’s our MAGNIFICAT PROGRAM, so far:

ALL : ONCE IN ROYAL DAVID’S CITY solo:

Hymn to the Virgin Benjamin Britten—Pat Hodgins, Elizabeth Oh, Harry Gray, Bernie Barrett

Gabriel’s Message Basque arr. Pettman

Ave Maria Franz Biebl —Laura Rhead, Alison Cole Genny Trigo-Gonzalez, Elizabeth Oh, Don Moir, Bernie Barrett

reading?

Magnificat Antonio Vivaldi

Magnificat

Et Exultavit

Et Misericordia Eius

Fecit Potentiam

Deposuit Potentes

Esurientes ~ Sopranos: Rachel Eaton, Pat Hodgins

Suscepit Israel

Sicut Locutus Est

Gloria Patri

(with string quartet)

~ INTERMISSION ~

ALL: DECK THE HALL

A la nanita nana solo: Genny Trigo-Gonzalez arr Ed Henderson

Mary did you know arr Schrader

Carol of the Stable Dog - solo: Laura Rhead arr Corlynn Hanney

reading

All: DE VIRGIN MARY Caribbean, arr B Coult

Gospel Magnificat Robert Ray —solo: Amy Koop

Jessye’s Carol (This Christmastide) Donald Fraser

Reading Christmas Landscape

ALL : O COME, ALL YE FAITHFUL

Recordings for fall listening

Magnificat program draft 1