Good Monday afternoon to you all   While I love the warm weather we’ve had, I’m looking forward to some cooler temps this week!  (And maybe a little more rain please…)  Make sure you scan through this message completely to see our Golf Outing pics! 

 CALENDAR 

Thu Oct 17 – 7:00 regular rehearsal (6:30 for Thankful ensemble)
Late Oct – Director search – mock rehearsals with candidates!
Thu Oct 24 – 7:00 regular rehearsal
Mon Oct 28 – 7:00 Ticket system training
Thu Oct 31 – Boo!    NO Rehearsal!
Sat Nov 2 – 8:30 am Matthew 25 Hunger 5K  (see below)Thu Nov 7 – 7:00 rehearsal (If you’re not singing for the Nov concerts, please don’t attend rehearsals in November) 

 TICKETS – NEW SYSTEM, SALES & USHERS 

Our new ticketing system is up and running, and sales are happening (albeit quite slowly to start).  As of Monday afternoon, we have sold… 25 tickets (of the 900 available)!  Concerts are FIVE weeks away…  I’ve attached the concert graphics again for you to share with friends and family.

If you have someone who typically helps usher our concerts, Mary Wynn will have a training session at her home (8220 Glenmill Ct) on Monday, Oct 28 at 7:00 pm.  Yep – we are using cell phones to scan patrons’ QR codes for entry!  It’s not difficult, but we’d like to get our ushers totally comfortable with the new system well in advance of concert nights.  Anyone is welcome to attend!  

 DONATIONS 

The DONATE page of our website has been updated, offering people the option to pay through Zeffy.  Mailing a check and paying through Venmo are still options as well.  Per our budget, we are looking to raise $11,800 this year.  The progress bar has not been updated yet, but we’ve raised about $2,500 to date. If you made a donation in FY2023-24 (or even if you didn’t), would please consider donating again for this fiscal year?  The list of donors ($25 and above) from our May 2024 program is attached.

 ASSISTANCE NEEDED 

Maggi Cobb-Wessling‘s daughter has moved back to her home and Maggi needs some help.  If you have a housekeeper or maid service you can recommend, please email Maggi, KySigner@gmail.com  She also needs someone to weed her flower bed and walk her dog a couple of times a week.  

 M25M HUNGER WALK 

The 5K walk is SATURDAY, 11/2, 8:30AM (If you’re a runner, you can join the runners) If you register before 10/27, you get a break on the cost. HUNGER 5K – Matthew 25 Ministries | Matthew 25: Ministries (m25m.org) Team name is SYCAMORE COMMUNITY SINGERS
Tip: When registering, click on the dropdown and look for our team.  Even if all the fields populate, and look like they’re covered, type in especially the city and state. I didn’t do that at first and it wouldn’t complete the registration.  LET’S SEE HOW MANY OF US WE CAN TURN OUT! May have special guests to be named later!  See Paul Alexander or Lora Swedberg if you have questions.

 FROM POLLY 

If you would like to put your music in concert order, this is the current plan: 

1.  Proclamation of Gratitude
2.  For the Beauty of the Earth
3.  O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
4.  I’ll Be Home for Christmas (women)
5.  Masters in This Hall
6.  Home
7.  Ocho Kandelikas
8.  It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year (with SSC)
9.   (Frosty/Hand Jive – Sycamore Singing Company)
10.  Mele Kalikimaka (men)
11. Thankful
12. The Twelve Days of a Regifted Christmas
13.  Rise Up!
14.  Grateful

 GOLF OUTING 

Twenty-eight golfers teed it up on Sunday in the 2nd SCS Open.  Erica Boyd’s team fired an outstanding three under par to edge out Brian Norton’s foursome in a playoff (going backwards on the scorecard.  Erica will keep the traveling trophy until we tee ‘em up again in April of 2025!  Many thanks to Paul Alexander for organizing this fun outing!  If anyone has additional photos they’d like to share (and I’ll put a post on FB), please send them my way.

Happy Fall Everyone!

Updates on Outreach Opportunities and Social Events:

1.  Thank you to all who have responded to the questionnaire.  Only 14 people still need to let us know your availability for the 3 additional singing dates.  

https://forms.gle/yy45wSD1v19iRzWp6

2.  We have a date for the Findlay Market Caroling!  We will perform on Saturday, December 21, 11:00am-1:00pm.  If you’d like to update your answer about caroling, please follow the link above.  Mary Wynn will send an email to everyone who answered “yes” or “maybe” at a later date to confirm your participation.

3. The Golf Outing has been moved to Sunday, October 13 so as not to cause conflict with our many Bengals fans.     

    2024 Fall SCS Golf Scramble

   Sunday, October 13 starting at 4:00 pm

   Fairfield North Trace Golf Course

   $20 riders / $12 walkers

To sign up:  See Paul Alexander at rehearsal on Thursday or email him at spalex101@hotmail.com

4.  The Matthew 25 Walk/Run is Saturday, Nov 2.  See Paul for more info.

5.  May Festival Chamber Choir – Free concerts on Oct 6 and 20.  Reserve your seats today!  

https://mayfestival.com/concerts-and-events/buy-tickets

CONCERT TITLE – Marketing

Polly has chosen “Notes of Gratitude” as our concert title!  If you have any experience with graphic design (or you think you have a good idea….) and are interested in helping Mary Wynn get designs together for the concert, please reply to this message by tomorrow evening (Tuesday).

New Music Tracks!  The tracks for “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” are now available!  Women Please note – There is a mistake in your parts in measure 39.  We will sing what is on the sheet music “cause US IN her,”  

FROM POLLY

REMINDER #1 – Dress in layers!  Many parts of the church are quite warm this time of year, and we will be using some of them.

REMINDER #2 – “Thankful” Ensemble Auditions Round 2 – Sept 26 at 6:15 PM

€       Please be prepared to sing mm 33-40 in small groups with 1 on a part. The goal is to find a group that can do this a capella, so I will NOT play your part with you every time you sing at your audition.

ALL Tenors – Please learn the T1 part for this audition. Thanks.

Baritone/Bass – You are always the lowest note, as you never have the div. in this song.

€       We will also sing through mm. 17-23 in small groups.

€       LISTEN to the dynamic choices being made in this full performance recording:Thankful full performance from JWPepper

€       If you do not have a copy, PRINT ONE:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TJuAFJjrJCN6QtRefhv_YT0riBn2WGMc/view?usp=sharing

REMINDER #3 – For NEWER members who’ve joined in the last 4-5 years: Make sure you are using the rehearsal tracks to get “caught up” with the rest of the choir for songs from our past repertoire. I strongly encourage you to sit down before rehearsal some time and copy markings from another member who has performed past pieces with us.

REHEARSAL OUTLINE for SEPT 26

Proclamation of Gratitude – We will sing through the entire piece.

€       Review your part, especially mm 35-50 & mm 73-end.

€       Reminder: This song should be MEMORIZED by October 10.

€       Full performance recording: Proclamation of Gratitude full performance from JWPepper

The Twelve Days of a Regifted Christmas – We will sing through the entire piece.

€       Review your part, especially mm 76 to the end.

Rise Up! – We will sing through the entire piece.

€       Review your part, especially mm 51 to the end.

€       Look over DYNAMICS, please.

Grateful – We will sing through the entire piece.

SECTIONALS (Women together / Men together):

For the Beauty of the Earth

€       Focus on mm 61 to the end. Please practice with your voice part’s track beforehand.

€       Review mm 9-57.

Home

€       Focus on mm 1-13. Please practice with your voice part’s track beforehand.

€       Review mm 14 to the end.

€       Full performance recording: Home full performance from JWPepper

Grateful

€       Focus on mm 73 to the end. Please practice with your voice part’s track beforehand.

€       Review mm 17-73.

€       Full performance recording:  Grateful full performance from JWPepper

Masters in this Hall

€       Focus on mm 55 to the end. Please practice with your voice part’s track beforehand.

€       Review mm 1-53.

Ocho Kandelikas

€       ALL WOMEN – Focus on mm 47-56. Please practice with your voice part’s track beforehand.

€       Sopranos – Focus on mm 84-90. Sop1s – Practice singing BOTH of the top two pitches; Sop2s – Practice singing BOTH of the bottom two pitches. We will nail down splits this Thursday night.

€       Pronunciation correction: KAH – nDEH – LEE – KAH (s) = Kandelika(s)

My sincere apologies for confusing everyone.

€       LISTEN to this full performance recording: Ocho Kandelikas – quality full performance w/ instruments

Women – I’ll Be Home for Christmas

€       Review whole song.

Men – Mele Kalikimaka

€       Review whole song.

Happy Labor Day to all!  Hoping you’ve had a most enjoyable weekend!

CALENDAR

9/5 – MEN ONLY rehearse at CHURCH of the SAVIOUR!  7:00-9:00  The men’s sectional rehearsal will be in the music room and chapel at Church of the Saviour United Methodist.  Parking is behind the church, and it is recommended that you enter through Door Two.  This entrance is in the center of the building.  See note from Michelle below for what you should prepare for this rehearsal!  Make sure you have printed all of the pieces YOU need to print! (Details below)

9/12 – Full chorus rehearsal (@ SPC) – Polly should be back!

FROM MARY WYNN

Many thanks to those of you who have sent new headshots over to me.  We’ve only had about 20 people send new pics.  This is a LAST CALL to send a new headshot of yourself to use on our member photo page.  

Rehearsal notes – There is now a button on the member page to find the rehearsal notes taken during rehearsals.  We only have files for Sopranos and Altos currently, but MEN – there are notes in these files that apply to all parts!  If you’ve missed a rehearsal, consider looking through these files and make sure you have appropriate marks in your music.  The same two files for the Sopranos and Altos will continue to be available with the newest markings listed at the top of each file.

Previous newsletter emails – The member page currently lists the five most recent emails.  If you need to find something from an older message, click on the oldest message listed (the bottom message), and then you will be able scroll back to see even older posts.

2024-25 Budget – Don Stuart has been fine-tuning our budget for this year.  Expect to hear from the Board soon with details and a schedule for approving the budget.

FROM POLLY

Greetings, SCS friends! I sure do miss you all. Many thanks for the cards, treats, flowers – you sure know how to make a girl feel cared about!

I have my surgical follow-up this Thursday (Sept 5) and still plan to be back with you on Sept 12. I’ve resumed teaching piano lessons at my home, and this week I’ll be judging show choir auditions at the junior high. My physical therapists have been very pleased with my mobility. I’m getting around the house without a walker or cane at this point, and have been easily navigating our staircase twice a day.  Hopefully you’ve been listening to ALL of this season’s tunes – and especially preparing what Michelle outlined for sectionals – as I’m planning a “Pop Quiz” for my return!  See you soon!  ~Polly

#ohyeahimnotkidding  #savagereturn  #whateverittakes  #bestseasonyet  #accountabilityiskey  #youvegottopreparelikethebesttobethebest  #thatwasprobablytoomanycharacters  #areyoulaughingyet  #youshouldbe  #butseriouslyimnotkidding

FROM MICHELLE

*Men’s Sectional- September 5th* The plan for Thursday is below!  PLEASE COME PREPARED! 

This means… the words “I do not have…” or “I am missing…” will NOT be spoken at all moving forward!!!

If you are missing ANY music from below, you have a few choices.

1. Check this link to PRINT off music at the comfort of your own home. If you do not have access to a printer, please find a friend that will print off the music for you so that you will have it by rehearsal THURSDAY (men- don’t ask a woman-they won’t be there!)

2. Email our wonderful librarian, Peggy Platz, (theplatzfamily@gmail.com) IF you still need something AND if there is no eprint available.

It is YOUR responsibility to make sure you have ALL MUSIC for rehearsal THIS Thursday! (women- by Thursday, September 12th).  I trust we can all figure this out on our own before Thursday’s rehearsal! You are smart singers!!Here is an alphabetical list of our music for this season! (this list can be found 

here! as well as other important information!)

For the Beauty of the Earth
Grateful                                                                                                   
Home
I’ll Be Home for Christmas – a capella, Women ONLY
It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
Masters in This Hall
Mele Kalikimaka – Men ONLY
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
Ocho Kandelikas
Proclamation of Gratitude
Rise Up!
Thankful – ensemble opportunity m.17-44
The Twelve Days of a Regifted Christmas

BE PREPARED to hit the following at our men’s sectional:1. Rise Up– be prepared with specific questions about parts.2. Home– listen to this recording and see if you can figure out the rhythm differences between the track & the sheet music at measure 14-15.  There may be a prize if you get it correct!  We will be following the track rhythm.3. Ocho Kandelikas– listen to tracks, focusing on repetitive rhythms (tenor especially) & pronunciation.  We will hit pronunciation Thursday.4. Oh Come Emmanuel– listen to recording. We will focus on measures 22-41, especially entrances.5. Mele Kalikimaka– our main focus once we split. PLEASE listen to your tracks!!

See everyone Thursday!!!  

Michelle