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Letter from Dr. Sharon Paul, Women's Choir Director - posted 11/2/09

Dear Singers,

Greetings from Oregon!  I very much look forward to meeting all of you in February.  In the meantime, I wanted to tell you a bit about the program you will be singing.

Since the theme of this year’s conference is “We the People,” I wanted our program to reflect the varied faces of the people who populate the United States.  My concept is to open with our patriotic, quintessentially American piece, America the Beautiful, which we will likely perform a cappella.  This will be followed by two settings by American composers (How Can I Keep from Singing and How Sweet the Moonlight Sleeps), both pieces emphasizing the importance of music in one’s life, something all of us participating in this Honor Choir can relate to!  Then we honor the melting pot nature of our country by singing three songs originating in different cultures, all making comment on the varied lives of young people. Noël des enfants qui n’ont plus de maisons is from the point of view of children during war, the Yiddish lullaby, Schlof Main Kind, emphasizes the love and comfort a child receives from his mother, and the Czech piece, Hoj, hura, hoj, refers to working youth herding their cows. (Well, there may be a bit of a love story between a shepherd and shepherdess there as well!)  We end with one final nod to our global land, with a celebratory Romanian dance, Chindia.

It may be a bit unusual to program five different languages in an Honor Choir program, but it suited our theme and I know you are up to the challenge!  For the editions of music that contain pronunciation guides, please follow them carefully. 

There is one note correction to give you.  In bar 59 of the Debussy, in the soprano part on the word “Serbes” it should be an Eb – in unison with the alto part.  This should be correct on the practice CD but it is often misprinted in the music  (with no flat symbol).

I hope you enjoy the process of learning this music and I look forward to working with you very soon.

Best wishes,
Sharon Paul

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Letter #2 from Christine Cramer Merkel - 11/4/09

Hello students and teachers,

Many of you have asked questions about the details of the women’s choir rehearsal schedule and the performance time for the final concert at Holy Trinity.  The tentative schedule is posted online for your viewing at: www.acdaeast.org/2010_phila/hc_schedule.html.

There may be some slight adjustments to this schedule between now and February, but performance times are definite.

I have also gotten questions about the tracks on the rehearsal CD.   Track listings for the rehearsal CD are posted online at: www.acdaeast.org/2010_phila/hc_cd_tracks.html.

Finally, the Eastern Division ACDA Honor Choir Facebook Event Page is up and running!  For those of you who are active in social networking, this is an easy way to stay updated about our “event.”   We encourage you to visit the site and register for the event.   Benefits include meeting other participants, receiving messages when there is new information pertaining to the Women’s Honors Choir, and sharing in the excitement surrounding this event.  The page can be found by searching the name “Eastern Division ACDA Conference” on Facebook and following the link to the honor choir event page.

Thanks,
Christine Cramer Merkel

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Letter #3 from Christine Cramer Merkel - 1/17/10

Dear students, teachers and parents,

We are less than four weeks away from the ACDA Women's Honors Choir in Philadelphia! Students, by now you should have a good handle on your music. I encourage you to keep practicing daily to become proficient on your part by February 10. This letter includes some important details that we need to convey to you so that everyone arrives prepared in Philadelphia.

Students, please read every word of this email very carefully and then print it out or forward it to your parents ASAP. There is information in this letter that they need to know, and we are relying on you to communicate it to them. Teachers, if you could either print out this email and deliver to parents, or forward it to them via email as well, that will help us ensure that everyone has received it.

1. REGISTRATION: Honor Choir Registration goes from 2 pm-5 pm on Wednesday February 10 in the Franklin Hall Lobby at the Marriott. Marriott room check-in does not start until 4 pm. Singers and sponsors who arrive earlier than the hotel check-in time may store your luggage in Room 309-310. This room is at the top of the escalators on the third floor.
   The luggage room will be open between 12:00pm and 5:00pm, and we'll have an ACDA worker staffed there for security purposes. Please know that this is not a check-in/check-out situation, it is just a place to put your luggage.
    
2. SCHEDULE: Below please find the final schedule. As you can see, there is a good mixture of rehearsal time, sightseeing outings, and social activities. Students, remember that the primary reason you are in this choir is to sing, and there will be a lot of that, so we will encourage you to stay hydrated, take care of your voice, and get good sleep at night. For our outings to sightseeing attractions, restaurants and performance venues, we will be walking outside. Please dress appropriately for winter weather in the Northeast!!
    
3. MEALS: All breakfasts for students will be served buffet style at the hotel. These were included in the registration price. There will be THREE lunches that students will need to pay for on their own. We will be walking the singers to neighboring food courts including the famous Reading Terminal Market for lunches. I recommend budgeting about $10 per lunch. Dinners are included in the registration price as well and locations are listed on the schedule. Please note that on the first night, Wednesday February 10 there is no group dinner for students before the first rehearsal. We ask that parents and/or sponsors assist their students in plans for this meal. There are several restaurants within a block of the hotel, as well as Reading Terminal Market, which is open until 6 pm on weekdays. Here is the website for Reading Market: http://www.readingterminalmarket.org/
    
4. DRESS: Required concert dress will be white long sleeve tops and black skirts that are longer than knee length with dark or black stockings and black shoes. Ankle-length black dress pants may be substituted for the skirt if it is not a possibility for you to obtain one. Absolutely no miniskirts, no tank tops with bare shoulders, and no jeans, sneakers or flip-flops. Remember, this is a formal concert in a beautiful historical church and we want to look our best. Additionally, when selecting shoes, please do not wear uncomfortably high heels. We will be walking to the church, and standing for more than 2 hours before we perform. You must select shoes that are comfortable to walk in (through the snow?) and that will be sturdy as you stand on risers. Also make sure you wear or bring a warm winter coat.
    
5. PART-CHECKS: Our system for administering part-checks or "re-auditions" has changed slightly. Instead of administering part-checks during registration hours on a first-come-first serve basis, we will use a more efficient procedure that involves hearing you during the first hour of rehearsal. We will listen to you perform short excerpts from your repertoire in small groups or "clusters". We want to ensure that every individual singer has done the necessary practice to learn the repertoire well. We will immediately notify teachers and parents of any unprepared students.
    
6. REHEARSALS AND INFORMAL CONCERTS: All rehearsals at the Marriott will be open for parents, chaperones, teachers and concert attendees to observe. Our final concert at Church of the Holy Trinity in Rittenhouse Square at 5:00 pm Saturday February 13 will be open to the public as well. http://www.htrit.org/  Seating is ample, but not unlimited, so we advise audience members to arrive early to get a seat. Posted on the ACDA website http://www.acdaeast.org/2010_phila/driving_chuchofholytrinity.html are driving directions to Holy Trinity. We have two other "informal" performances. One will be across the street from the Marriott at the MACY's store where the historic Wanamaker Organ is housed. http://www.wanamakerorgan.com/  We will be part of their daily recital hour there. All parents and guests are welcome to attend. The other brief performance will be when we visit Independence Hall. We will sing "America the Beautiful" as a patriotic homage to this historic city. If parents or sponsors would like to visit this attraction, you are welcome to obtain your own tickets and join us. http://www.nps.gov/inde/index.htm
    
7. CHECK-OUT: After the conclusion of the 5:00 pm concert on Saturday February 13, the Honors Choir Festival will be over and ACDA will no longer be responsible for chaperoning the high school students. Students housed by ACDA will have already checked out of their rooms earlier in the day and stored their luggage at the hotel. After the concert, parents and/or sponsors will be responsible for picking up their student, retrieving luggage and continuing with travel plans.

Thank you so much, and please email me at ccramersing@yahoo.com  if you have questions about any of the above information!

Sincerely yours,
Christine Cramer Merkel
ADCDA Eastern Division Women's Honors Choir Coordinator