Chorale Acadienne - Singers' Handbook

Welcome to Chorale Acadienne

Here are our guidelines and some information to help you become a part of this group. Please read them carefully. This handbook outlines your responsibility as a member of Chorale Acadienne.

Auditions

Chorale Acadienne is a choral group with professional standards. An audition is held to determine admission. After three years of membership, a singer may be asked to have a routine audition in the interest of group excellence. Auditions are held in August and January.

Membership

There is a $50 participation fee which is due in August of each year. The fee remains the same during the entire performance season. If the fee is a hardship, a member may contact the Artistic Director, President, or Treasurer to make arrangements. Each member is expected to sell a minimum of two (2) season tickets per year.

Acceptance and Commitment

Your entry into Chorale Acadienne implies a sincere desire on your part to participate in the creation of beautiful music. This privilege requires a dedication and commitment to sing the entire complement of concerts dictated by the schedule of a particular season. A statement of commitment will be signed by each singer each year.

Concert Dress

Ladies - Concert dress includes an approved Chorale Acadienne gown and jewelry, appropriate back shoes, and black sheer hose.
Men - Black tuxedo, white tux shirt (with no ruffles), black bow tie, black cummerbund, black socks, and black dress shoes.

Rehearsal Routine - See Rehearsal Schedule

Be on time. Allow for inclement weather, crowded parking, issuing of music, locating your place, setting up chairs, helping with coffee, etc.
A break is usually taken from 8 to 8:10. Return Promptly!
ALL rehearsals are mandatory. You are expected to notify the director or your section leader prior to an absence. After two absences a singer may be sked to sing selections of music to determine musical preparedness.
Anyone who is dismissed during one year must schedule an interview with the director prior to re-admission.
Smoking is not allowed inside the building.
Strong perfume, colognes, and shaving lotion can affect breathing. For this reason, these are PROHIBITED.
Music preparation outside of rehearsal is REQUIRED by all. Prior to each performance, random groups of singers may be asked to sing their parts.
Absence from dress rehearsal or a performance requires a WRITTEN request to the director well in advance.
EVERYONE is needed to do his/her part to make the Chorale Acadienne experience good for all. Be aware and willing to help as needs arise.
A POSITIVE, RECEPTIVE ATTITUDE IS BENEFICIAL TO ALL.

Concert Routine

Arrive at the performance location ON TIME! This enables you to warm-up, get in the proper place and receive any last minute instructions.
St. John Cathedral is a house of God and must be treated as such. Disrespect or irreverent behavior will not be tolerated. The altar is the place where offerings are presented to God; it is not a repository for music, books, beverage containers or personal effects.
Only bottled water is allowed inside the church; NO bottled water is allowed on the risers or on the altar. Spilled water must be wiped up immediately.
The rest rooms are to be left in as good a condition as they were when Chorale members entered the church. Coat hangers are not to be left in the rest rooms; paper and waste paper must be picked up and properly disposed, and nothing is to be left on the floors of the rest rooms. The Cathedral office center requires the same respect.
The plaza on the side of the church is part of the cathedral proper; cigarette butts and trash are to be placed in proper receptacles.
Irreverent or rude behavior of any sort, including talking on the risers before, during or after the presentation of music, is unacceptable.

Chorale Acadienne Concert Decorum

CONCERT ATTIRE IS NON-NEGOTIABLE. It is designed to make the group as uniform as possible.
Process with your folder in your UPSTAGE hand. That is the hand away from the audience.
Walk in a relaxed but DISCIPLINED manner to insure uniformity and respectful decorum.
REMAIN QUIET once you are on stage and in place. Talking is unprofessional as well as distracting to the audience and the other singers. A simple smile to acknowledge audience members is appropriate, NOTHING MORE.
BE SENSITIVE to the needs of the singers behind you. If someone touches your back, move in the necessary direction to avoid blocking his/her view of the director.
WAIT to turn the page until the entire selection of music is completed either by voice or orchestra. If there are pages to skip between numbers, CLIP them ahead of time to avoid flipping pages in concert.
CLIP pages to avoid following along with soloists. Mark each choral entry. Keep your folder still and movement to a minimum to avoid distraction of the audience.
PERFUME, AFTER SHAVE LOTION, AND HAIR SPRAY ARE NOT ALLOWED during performances due to the proximity to other singers. Also, please be sensitive to this fact during rehearsals.
WATCH THE DIRECTOR AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE WHILE SINGING. It is also important to watch him between selections to get last minute tempo instructions.
It is inappropriate for performers to APPLAUD at any time before, during or after the concert.

Your Music

Music is handed out at the first rehearsal for each program. You will be assessed a music fee. If the music fee is a hardship for you, please contact the treasurer to make arrangements for payment. In general, we encourage you to turn in your music after each concert so that we can store it for you in our offices.

We will have black music folders for all concerts. Susan Orgeron is the music librarian and will distribute the music, the folders, and other associated materials whenever necessary. If you lose your music or your folder, contact Susan Orgeron.

Membership Policies

Continuance of membership shall be conditional upon satisfactory attendance at rehearsals and performances and punctuality. Any member who, without good cause, fails to attend rehearsal, or misses a scheduled performance without good cause, or whose attendance is deemed by the Director and the Board of Directors to be too irregular to justify continued membership may be dismissed from membership. You must treat your membership as a serious, season-long commitment, doing your best to attend all functions. (as set forth in the guidelines governing vocal ensembles.)

Policy Agreement

The following is a copy of the agreement signed by each member of Chorale Acadienne for the season:

With any musicial organization, the cooperation of all involved is imperative in the effort to create an atmosphere in which a successful performance can occur. This spirit must extend into rehearsal etiquette and policy. As a member of Chorale Acadienne, you are expected to read and to abide by this agreement.

As a concientious member of Chorale Acadienne, I pledge to attend ALL rehearsals and performances except in cases of emergency. When possible, the director or section leader will be notified in advance of any absence.
Because I realize that punctuality is crucial to the effectiveness of this organization, I will arive at all rehearsals and performances on time. I also pledge to remain in attendance for the full duration of rehearsals.
It is the responsibility of each performer to master his/her own part for each concert. I agree to spend individual practice time to assure mastery of my part. If I continue to have difficulty, I will consult with the director or my section leader.
The commitment that I have made as a member of Chorale Acadienne includes the full season of 2008-09, which includes all rehearsals and performances as listed in the handbook.

Board of Directors