Sunday 30 March – 1:30-2pm arrive at Orpheum, entering by stage door on Smithe St; they’ll be checking you off on a list. I recommend leaving cars at Bridgeport, and taking Skytrain! Rehearsal starts 2pm. I’m Choir Marshal, so listen for instructions. We’ll check entries and exits before singing.
Rehearsal to 5:30pm. Time to eat – either bring food or find somewhere nearby. Choir rooms upstairs on 5th floor; one will be labelled as a quiet room for rest or reading (no talking). Orchestra will be below stage.
By 7pm you should be back in the building and changed; S/A aqua top/lace jacket/long skirt or palazzo pants; T/B all black
Concert at 7:30pm; we should be done by 9pm
There’s a detailed Orpheum instruction list from Mike Millard here.
Tuesday 1 April – dress rehearsal 2! We do have stage extensions, so the front two and the back row will be on chairs; middle rows sit on risers.
This will mostly be a tidy-up rehearsal, with some focus on the things I will do differently from Edette – so make sure your pencil has a good eraser!Saturday 5 April – as long as all goes well on Tuesday, sound check will be at 6pm, for about 45min. Chorus will be in the usual preschool room; Orchestra in the Prayer Room; Vivaldi in the ex-office on the corner. All the hallway from the bathrooms to the Mellis Rd door will be performer space.
We have no community partner for this, since there’s no intermission.
If you have anyone who can help with Front of House, please contact Rachel
Post-concert, Vivaldi hope to have some social time at Moxie’s (Sandman Hotel, 3233 St Edwards Rd). The sign-up sheet gave me: AnneP & Brian, Cindy, Lea & Ron, Bernie, Max, Alex and me. Anyone else? Please let me know soon so I can pass it on to Michelle in Vivaldi – we need to have space booked...Tuesday 8 April – NO REHEARSAL! You deserve an evening off!
Tuesday 15/22 April – rehearsals as normal
Saturday 26 April is the Raffle selling deadline. The QR code is on our website; the URL is the all-purpose one; if you want the one that auto-connects for ROCA, it is
https://bccf.rafflenexus.com/a/richmond-chorus-roca Your challenge is to get some non-ROCA people supporting us by buying tickets! There are only 9 orders totalling $260 so far - our goal is $1200+Tuesday 29 April – RICHMOND SINGS – with local choirs, in support of the community meal program based at Gilmore Park United. Please note that this will be a 6:30pm call for a 7pm concert (we have kids involved). Let me know if you can’t be there at 6:30pm, because I’ll be organizing teams for choir placement (those of you who’ve done Richmond Sings will know what I mean, the rest will learn!)
We will sing Wie Lieblich, something uptempo and Canadian (Royal Hudson or Watching the Apples Grow) and lead O Canada and Down By the RiversideTuesdays 6, 13, 20, 27 May – rehearsals as usual – probably at least one will be with orchestra.
Tuesday 3 June – dress rehearsal
Tuesday 7 June – A NIGHT AT THE OPERA
Program is: (bolded has Chorus)
Mozart – Marriage of Figaro – overture, opening duet and aria – both soloists
Rossini – William Tell – Villagers Chorus
Bellini – Norma – Casta diva (w chorus) - Chloe
Wagner – Tannhauser – O du mein holder - Aaron
Nicolai – Merry Wives of Windsor – Moonlight Chorus
Mozart – Magic Flute – duet “Pa-pa-pa” - both
Verdi – Nabucco – Va Pensiero (chorus)
Puccini – Gianni Schicchi – O mio babbino caro - Chloe
Bizet – Carmen – Toreador Song (w chorus) - Aaron
Leoncavallo – I Pagliacci – Neddo/Silvio duet - both
Lehar – Merry Widow – Lippen Schweigen (w chorus)–both soloists - in English, so the audience can join on an encore
— Brigid