CE news 11 Jan 26

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Well, we are off to another start. We've got our music, our tracks and our awesome team of Andre and Gabe to get us singing our hearts out. This should be a really fun session with the idea of a call in radio show! Something new and inventive for our audience. If you have thoughts about the call in for any of the songs, please write them down and submit to Andre. Be inventive!

This blog's intent is to give reminders, applause and helpful advice. If there is something specific you would like to see, please let me know.

Andre shared some of the ground rules with everyone last Wednesday. Please take them to heart so that we can have the best experience for everyone: the code of ethics was signed by all when we registered, so we have a reference. Andre is always open to comments or questions when you raise your hand. We love us some Andre and Gabe: they are the best!

This is the first blog of the year (session) for me, so there are a few items that will be old news for most, but good reminders for all.

We are all encouraged to bring water to each rehearsal: singing is hard work, and you will need it. Everyone should have a pencil to lightly mark their music with notes to themselves. Warm up your voice running scales or such in your car before you arrive; it makes it easier to get into the right frame of mind as well as warm up your voice. You and your voice are important to us all: please make every attempt to be at every rehearsal. Please see the website for the wellness policy. There will be other policies up there soon.

We will be reaching out soon to request section leaders for each section: this is the person who you go to if you have music questions, who will set up sectionals, and basically keeps the section in the know. The members area is the place to go for information: take a few minutes to check through all the tabs. You can also access all the music tracks and from there download them to your phone or computer. Sue has set up a file with instructions for this (to be uploaded right away!). If you have trouble, please reach out to Sue at suemcleodmail@gmail.com. Thanks Sue!

Choral Evolution has a good Facebook and Instagram presence (thanks, Joscelyn!) Please set us up in your feed. We also have a "behind the scenes" area that is only accessed by members: Backstage at Choral Evolution. If you would like access, please email Joscelyn at joscelyng@gmail.com.

Wednesday, we will be in Langford at the Masonic Centre. Location and maps are in the members area as well.

Westshore Masonic Centre 2832 Bryn Maur Road, Langford. We meet at 7pm (but it is always a good idea to get there a bit early so we can set up!)

Happy singing!

Sherry

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News

CE News 12 April 26

By Sherry Walters • April 13, 2026

A couple of newsworthy mentions: Long rehearsal/retreat has been changed to a time of 10 am to 2 pm. Date is still 18 April and it is still at the Sooke Community Hall, but in the upstairs hall, not the dining room. On this Wednesday, we will be requesting names of those to bring snacks: as we will now be over lunch time, we may need to have a few more. Everyone in the current choir is invited to the board meeting tomorrow at 7pm at Sally's house: 6407 Belvista Place, Sooke. We will be having a regular meeting and invite anyone interested in seeing what the "behind the scenes" looks like. Great idea to check us out if you want to be part of the next board. Bring a friend to choir is on Wednesday, 15 April, in Langford. We encourage everyone to bring someone that might be interested in joining us. Intended walk outing before rehearsal on Wednesday, 22 April in Sooke. Our wonderful socials director Marj, is planning a cup of soup after the walk and before rehearsal. More details to follow, but mark the date! Bottle drive: we didn't get plans finalized in time to have this happen this session, but maybe for next time! If you have bottles you want to cash in and donate to the choir, please do. If you want to bring them and have someone else do the work, bring them on Wednesday April 15th and I will take them off your hands. Because we missed out on some of the grants (Thank you Sally, Tara and Sherry for the submissions) we are running a bit thin for where the board wants to take the choir. Our new format of seating for performing is different but growing on me! I hope it is the same for you. Having the altos sit next to the sopranos means we actually get to hear each other, and as so many of our songs share soprano/alto parts, it makes the blend easier. But I really miss the tenors! I'm sure our sound is improved for Gordon, (and the audience!) which is the most important. Keep up the good work with sectionals, and perfect those sounds together, so that when we come together as a choir, our sound is better. Andre joining us on the guitar was fabulous last week. He is such a complement to the choir both artistically and as our AD. It is great that he is healed enough that he can join us. Did everyone get the first offering of a jingle to learn? I know Keiran and Linda were also working on one. Several people were able to attend the Sing Your Joy concert last evening. I'm sure they will fill us in on how it went. We also had a fun time bowling yesterday. Scores were not bad, and we are certainly not ready for league play, but it was a lot of fun. Thanks to everyone who attended. You will also receive an email that advises our dress rehearsal and show times and the expectations of when to be there for each. It is usually 1 hour before the dress rehearsal and 2 hours before the show time so please be on the lookout for it. Just so everyone is aware: Paula and Tara will not be joining us for the shows. Paula is recovering well, and Tara has conflicts with scheduling so has withdrawn. We are sad to see them not be part of the show after all the work they have done. Adriana will be returning after flying to say goodbye to her brother for the last time. Our hearts go out to them all. This is getting very long, so I will sign off and see you one Wednesday, in Langford at 7. WITH A FRIEND!

CE News 5 April 26

By Sherry Walters • April 6, 2026

We are getting close to the conclusion of all our hard work: it is exciting and a little scary! I know how much work you all have put in to the be the best that you can be, so I know we will have a fabulous show. Thank you all for your commitment to the choir and our music. Andre will be with us on Wednesday in Langford, so we can show him all that we have accomplished. How exciting! On Wednesday, April 15, the choir is hosting the "Bring a Friend to Choir" night at the Langford venue. Please reach out to someone who may be interested in seeing behind the scenes and might want to join us. It is a great opportunity to help someone learn what it is you do every Wednesday. They don't have to stay the entire rehearsal, but we would like to know who might be coming. If you have someone you are bringing, please drop a note to the choralevolution@gmail.com email. The invitation will go out on FB as well, so lets get a houseful of potential new singers! Attendance has been phenomenal now that the cold season is leaving us. The trick is to now stay healthy from now until the show. Washing your hands often is still the best way to prevent spreading those nasty germs. I'd also like to wish a speedy recovery to Paula! We hope you will be back singing with us soon! Know you are missed. The communication about the show shirts is in your email, including the cost. If the cost is insurmountable, please reach out to a board member. If you have a bit extra to give to support someone else, add that on to the amount submitted. Thanks everyone. Reminder that everyone is invited to the next board meeting. Take this as an opportunity to see what goes on behind the scenes and perhaps you might want to be a part of it! Everyone in the choir is invited and you don't have to stay the whole time. Come join the fun. Rehearsal is in Langford this Wednesday, and the same for the 15th. See you there! Keep practicing!

Director Notes

Rehearsal Notes for March 18th, 2026

March 17, 2026

Warm up: 7:00 to 7:10 - 10 min - More Than Words hmmm ... if you wonder why I haven't worked on this song, it's because (I think - subjective I know) there's nothing to it. My hope would be that you sing it once every day with the rehearsal files and then we just sing it together on Wednesday. The more you look at me the tighter we will be. ... I will have it memorized by tomorrow. Let's just enjoy it together. 7:10 to 7:20 - (10 min) Fix the cascading 'Good Nights' in Emotion 7:20 to 7:35 - (15 min) Shine pick up to Bar 52 to Bar 78 7:35 to 7:55 - (10 min) Hotel California . just run bar 89 to the end ... did we remember anything of the work we did last week I wonder? then fix a few things and move on. 7:55 to 8:15 - (20 min) Somebody To Love 8:15 to 8:30 - (15 min) Break and Announcements 8:30 to 8:40 - (10 min) more work on Somebody to Love 8:40 to 9:00 - (20 min) Good Vibrations (bar 9 to 35) (bar 55 to 70) 9:00 to 9:15 - (15 min) Budapest with Soloist (we will work on the whole song) 9:30: Browns Social House Gordon LINK: Gordon Notes LINK: YouTube Playlist

Rehearsal Notes for March 11th, 2026

March 11, 2026

7:00 to 7:10 Rhythm Exercises (16ths 8ths and quarters) 7:10 to 7:30 - 20 min Hotel California - working from the back page and working our way forward. 7:30 to 7:50 - 20 min - Wanabe - by memory to bar 35. then open books work bars 35 to 51 7:50 to 8:10 - 20 min - Emotion - we will work on trying to get some pathos out of this poppy tune 8:10 to 8:25 - BREAK 8:25 to 8:45 - 20 min - Biblical with Soloist 8:45 to 9:05 - 20 min - Somebody to Love 9:05 to 9:15 - 10 min - Lovely Day Gordon LINK: Gordon Notes LINK: YouTube Playlist