Carolina Master Chorale

Members' Section

 

A PERSONAL NOTE FROM THE MUSIC DIRECTOR

Dear Friends,

Every season it is my hope that the membership of the Carolina Master Chorale will be stronger and more committed than ever before.  Every year I am buoyed by long-time committed members and new members who show strong commitment from the outset.  Also every year, I have a number of difficult personal interactions with singers who want to be CMC members, but can only belong if they can apply their own standard of commitment.   I’ll be the first to admit that while I believe I deal as fairly as possible with each of these situations, the member in question does not always agree.  The easiest way to avoid seemingly unfair disposition of consequences arising from an attendance or commitment issue is to stay within the terms stated above.  In cases when that is genuinely impossible, the member should communicate proactively, openly and in an advance and timely manner.

ABOVE ALL - Please do not accept membership in the Carolina Master Chorale without expecting to uphold all aspects of the Commitment Expectation, and Attendance Policy and Procedure.  Those who join the Chorale and apply their own standard for preparation and attendance impede the artistic growth of the organization.

I am pleased that a clear majority of our members prioritize the CMC very highly in their weekly lives.  I think of it as a “top-rung/second-tier” commitment – just below a first tier that might include God, family, and profession.  The small percentage whose lives are busy or distracting enough to discourage good commitment and attendance, can also be the group that can, with effort, organization and communication, tighten up commitment and boost the CMC to new levels of achievement.

On Thursday nights, two Tuesdays, and for five concert weekends a season, you are a member of the Carolina Master Chorale, committed to organize your life well enough to attend all rehearsals and performances.  That plan is a wonderful point from which to discuss how to handle your rare, genuine emergencies and other immutable conflicts.

Together, let’s seek the greatest possible joy and pleasure from the highest possible artistic achievements.

Respectfully,

Timothy Koch, music director

 

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Ok. I’ve auditioned and been accepted as a CMC member!  Now what?

You joined Carolina Master Chorale because you love choral singing, you have an ability to learn and sing challenging repertoire, and you have the drive for excellence that allows you to commit to do what it takes to make CMC a continued success.  Your initial successful audition admits you to The Carolina Master Chorale (CMC) for a particular season. The Artistic Director may schedule re-auditions at any time.  Your successful audition and acceptance into the CMC should reflect your desire to participate in the creation of great music, and reflect your commitment to sing the entire complement of concerts in a particular season.

CAROLINA MASTER CHORALE
COMMITMENT, ATTENDANCE POLICY AND PROCEDURE
2011-2012

We are the Voices of Passion for the Carolinas, and we are serious about inspired performances of great choral music.  The Carolina Master Chorale has made steady, annual artistic growth over the eleven-year period under the leadership of Dr. Timothy Koch and Dr. Andrew Fowler.  Through the achievement of several professional goals and standards, exciting new opportunities enhance the realm of possibility for our beloved organization.  Before long the CMC plans to produce commercial recordings, appear at national conventions, premiere its own opera, sing to larger audiences, collaborate with bigger guest artists, and much more.  Successful pursuit of these goals is dependent on the strong, consistent, full-season commitment of each member to the means and ends of the pursuit.  

ALL MEMBERS ARE REQUIRED TO ATTEND
ALL ANNOUNCED REHEARSALS AND PERFORMANCES
OF THE FULL SEASON OF THE CAROLINA MASTER CHORALE.


1.  Anticipated immutable conflicts should be communicated to the appropriate section leader and/or the Music Director at the earliest possible juncture, in advance of the date in question.
2.  An immutable conflict is defined in the policy as a priority higher than CMC participation about which the member and the Music Director have reached mutual agreement.
3.  Inability to achieve and sustain the attendance standard described herein will result in modification of the individual’s membership at the discretion of the Music Director.  Consequences may include but not be limited to re-entry auditions and suspended or terminated membership.

Rehearsal Absences are excused in the following cases:

•    Significant illness.  Those with minor maladies that affect singing health but do not significantly interfere with work and other daily activities are expected to attend rehearsal to listen for rehearsal notes and remain engaged in concert preparation.

•    Personal travel planned prior to the distribution of the CMC Calendar, or planned at the only available time frame and communicated to the Music Director at the earliest known date.

•    Unplanned professional and personal emergencies.

•    Other immutable conflicts of significant importance discussed between, and mutually agreed upon by, the affected member and the Music Director.

All anticipated rehearsal absences must be communicated to your section leader by phone, email, or in writing.  Unusual absences should be communicated in writing to the Music Director.

Each absence beyond two in a given concert preparation period must be presented in writing to, discussed with, and approved by the Music Director.  A total of three or more absences in a concert preparation period will likely exclude the affected member from concert participation.  At a minimum, a concert preparation audition may be required for permission to perform. 

“Leaving at the Break” is commonly suggested by members as a means to prepare for an early Friday morning or other personal circumstance.  Please avoid leaving at the break except in the direst circumstances.  All such absences must be approved by the Music Director and will record as a half-rehearsal absence.  Failure to communicate with the Music Director before leaving at the break will result in a recorded full rehearsal absence.

Concert Absences are allowable only in extreme cases of immutable conflict.  Permission to be absent from a concert performance must be presented in writing to, discussed with, and approved by, the Music Director.  Unexcused concert absences are grounds for dismissal at the discretion of the Music Director.

Leaves of Absence.  Participation in the CMC Season is a season-long commitment.  Acceptance of membership commits all members to participate in all rehearsal and performance activities except as outlined above.  Should a member choose to “sit out” for a given concert period for any reason not approved by the Music Director, that member will be required to submit for a re-entry audition.  Past commitment history is a critical criterion for successful re-entry auditions.

In principle, the appropriate manner for excusing absences of any kind - particularly rehearsal absences numbering three or beyond in a concert preparation period, and/or absence from a performance – is to ASK permission from the Music Director.  Singers who request permission, rather than announce plans to be absent without regard for the policy and procedure of the CMC, will be accorded the greatest opportunity for excused absences and continuing membership.



So tell me about Section Leaders.
Section Leaders are charged with the responsibility for regular individual interaction with all singers of their voice designation (Soprano, Alto, Tenor, or Bass) regarding musical and attendance matters

Section leaders are your points of contact for reporting anticipated absences, clearing unreported absences, reviewing missed musical material, and receiving additional coaching on materials covered in rehearsal.  Section Leaders are endowed with power to call section meetings and sectional rehearsals to ensure that all members are concert ready.

Section Leaders and Assistant Section Leaders for the 2011-2012 Season are as follows:

Soprano. . . . . . . . .  Carolyn Vereen . . . . . . . . . . . . .843-712-2001. . . . . . . . This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Alto . . . . . . . . . . . .  Renée Jackson . . . . . . . . . . .  . .843-213-1235 . . . . . . .  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Tenor . . . . . . . . . . . Drew Trautman . . . . . . . . . . . . .843-685-0772 . . . . . . .  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Bass . . . . . . . . . . . . Nicholas Twigg . . . . . . . . . . . . .337-244-1029 . . . . . . . This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it




FINANCIAL AND MATERIAL OBLIGATIONS

WOMEN’S UNIFORMS – All CMC women wear a concert dress of the same design with appropriate closed-toe black dress shoes.  The concert top should be paid for and ordered at the first opportunity.  You will also need a floor-length black skirt.  Jewelry is small pearl earrings, and no necklaces.  Our goal is to perform as a unit. 

MEN’S UNIFORMS – All CMC men wear a concert uniform consisting of a black short-coat tuxedo, white long-sleeve tuxedo shirt, black bow tie, black cummerbund, black socks, and polished, black dress shoes.  Cufflinks and button studs are common, though optional, items.  Please be certain to obtain all required items well in advance of the first concert.

MUSIC – Copies of all music to be performed are made on loan to each member and must be returned immediately upon completion of the concert event or series of events in which the music is performed.  Music must be kept in good condition, and only marked judiciously with pencil – no highlighting, please.  All members must acquire a black folder for use in concert performances.

TAX DEDUCTIBLE CONTRIBUTIONS – All members, by action of the elected Board of Directors, are asked to make a personally significant, tax deductible contribution to the Annual Fund of the CMC.  These contributions constitute a critical component of the annual budget.  There are no dues required. 

TICKETS – All members are expected to make a sincere, concentrated effort to sell tickets to all concerts and ticketed fund-raising events.  Audiences are the lifeblood of the CMC mission.  Our membership, far more than all of our advertising combined, is our principal source for audience development.  When tickets are distributed, particularly for subscription concert events, members should expect to sell all assigned tickets and promptly return proceeds from these sales.  Members will be considered financially liable and will be billed for tickets that are unaccounted for.


Okay, I can see making a donation to CMC, and I can sell a ticket or two, but fundraising?   I’m terrible at it!

We’ll admit it:  nobody LIKES to raise funds.  The bottom line, however, is that we can’t survive without everyone’s --- and that means EACH member’s --- fundraising efforts.  Ad sales pay for the printing of our programs, and we can’t do without them.  Corporate sponsorships, auction donations, and other types of funding are critical to our survival as a group.  In a perfect world we would have corporate sponsors to help fund our operation, and we do get some grant monies, but the totals are getting smaller every year, and we have to have a certain amount of money just to run our office, pay our Artistic Director, Accompanist, and Executive Director, and rent rehearsal spaces, rent or buy music, tune pianos, set up concert venues, and pay instrumental or guest performers.  Your monetary contribution, ticket sales, ad sales, and support in our fundraising efforts is critically important to our survival.


PROGRAM ADS/AUCTION DONATIONS, ETC. – All members are asked to help sell program ads, solicit auction donations, and sometimes seek in-kind donations.  These are also crucial sources of funding common to all performing arts organizations.  Over the course of the season, please consider how your personal relationships in the business world and elsewhere might interface with our needs to the benefit of all involved. 




GOVERNANCE

BOARD OF DIRECTORS – The Board is elected by the singing body and charged with the responsibility to plan and execute all administrative, legal, financial, and logistical activities of the organization.  Members of the 2010-2011 Board of Directors are as follows

VOTING MEMBERS		EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS
Norma Culler, President		Larry Wilson, Executive Director
Ron Willis, Vice President		Tim Koch, Music Director
Maureen Foley,Secretary/Treasurer		Andy Fowler, Accompanist and Composer-in-Residence
Ron Brown
Anne Giordano		Elise Reed, Member Emeritus
Renee Jackson
Jay Leskowitz
Jeff Jones
Dona Vasey

The duties of the Board officers are outlined in the Constitution and Bylaws on this website.


HISTORY OF THE CAROLINA MASTER CHORALE

The Carolina Master Chorale is the oldest community chorus on the Grand Strand, founded in 1982.  It began as The Community Chorus, when a group of interested individuals gathered to rehearse and present Handel’s Messiah during the Christmas season of that year.  The group decided to continue.

On September 8, 1983, singers met and officially organized the independent, non-profit Community Chorus.  The stated purpose was to develop and promote appreciation of sacred and secular music through the presentation of periodic public concerts, and to educate and train its members to make such presentations.  The name was later changed to the Community Choral Society, and later to the Carolina Master Chorale (CMC), reflecting the group’s level of performance art and experience.


REHEARSAL AND PERFORMANCE CALENDAR

Weekly rehearsals
Thursday nights - 7-9:30 PM
August 25-December 8, 2011
January 5-May 3, 2012
Exceptions:    Rehearsal will be held on Tuesday night, November 22, 2011 in lieu of Thanksgiving

and Tuesday night, April 3, 2012 during Holy week.