Acton Community Chorus
~ I don't sing because I'm happy; I'm happy because I sing. ~ William James
We Rehearse Every Monday 7:30pm - 9:30pm. Join Us!
(If the weather cancels our rehearsals, we'll give you the ALERT here!)
Join Acton Community Chorus
The Acton Community Chorus is open to all local citizens 18 years and older without audition, but we do ask for a serious commitment to our rehearsal and concert schedule.
Membership Costs
Our members pay season dues of $75 ($65 for seniors). These dues, as well as yearly fundraising and concert ticket sales, cover our expenses for the year including salaries, space rentals for rehearsals and concerts, and any other administrative and create expenses incurred. In addition to dues, there will be a minimal fee for the rental of rehearsal tapes and possibly a small cost for music and/or costumes used in performance.
Scholarships
Those who cannot afford to pay the membership dues but would like to sing are encouraged to make arrangements with the president to pay what they honorably can. No one will be denied the opportunity to sing just because they can't pay the dues.
Rehearsal Schedule
ACC rehearses EVERY Monday night, except certain holidays. We expect a firm commitment to participate in rehearsals and concerts. We start singing warm-ups at 7:30 pm so please arrive by 7:15 to allow time for sign-in, music distribution, and other administrative tasks. We finish up around 9:30 pm.
Musical Ability
We vary in skill from no previous choral experience to substantial vocal training. Some of us are learning to read music; others are practiced sight-readers. We range in age from teenagers through senior citizens. We are business people, students, educators, engineers, homemakers, and retirees. We give of ourselves to each other and to our community and feel we are richer for doing so.
New Member Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
* If you have specific needs or require an accommodation of some kind, please speak to your section mentor or a board member and we will be happy to help in any way we can.
Rehearsal Logistics
Q: Where can I park?
A: Anywhere in the parking lot. However, please leave the handicapped spaces and those directly in front of the entrance free for those who need them and for members who bring large boxes of music and other materials.
Q: What is the rehearsal schedule?
A: The entire semester’s rehearsal schedule is available at the back table with the Chorus newsletter. The location and dates of all rehearsals and concert dates for the semester are listed.
During open rehearsals and perhaps the first few regular rehearsals, we may start a little past our normal time of 7:30. However, the official starting time of rehearsal is 7:30 and you should expect to be ready for vocal “warm up” at that time. At 8:30 pm we take a 10-15 minute break for water (and sometimes other yummy refreshments), bathroom break, and to socialize. Rehearsal ends at 9:30. If you would like to spend some time chatting with and getting to know your fellow chorus members, please come a little before 7:30 to socialize.
Q: I don’t know anyone, where do I sit?
A: We sit in voice part sections (alto, soprano, tenor, bass/baritone), but we do not sit in subsections (first sopranos, second sopranos, etc.).
Q: I am not sure which voice part I am, what should I do?
A: Sit in a section and try singing that voice part. If the music seems too high or too low, you will know that you need to switch sections and sing a different voice part.
Q: Do we sit in the same places every week?
A: Some people are creatures of habit and sit in the same or similar places each week. Others just sit where there is space in a pew. Because we sit facing each others’ backs in the pews, a good way to meet other members of your section is to change where you sit from time to time.
Q: What is a section Mentor?
A: Section mentors are meant to be welcoming and friendly faces for new members. A mentor is a person in your voice section that you, as a new member, can approach with questions, no matter how small. If the mentor can’t answer, he/she will ask someone else who can. Section mentors can introduce you to other members and, when necessary, take comments and suggestions to the membership chair.
Membership
Q; Why is there a membership fee? When do I pay?
A: Purchasing music, renting rehearsal space and performance venues, and paying musicians cost a lot of money. The Chorus’ annual budget is between $25,000 and 28,000. We also raise revenue by selling ads in each concert program, through concert ticket sales, and we receive some support through minor grants. Membership dues are also needed to meet our operating expenses. Members who find it difficult to pay standard membership dues may speak in confidence to any Board member for information about membership “scholarships.” Membership dues will be collected each semester (both winter and spring).
Q: Will we get a list of all chorus members?
A: Yes, once everyone has decided whether or not to join and has paid his/her dues, a membership list with addresses, emails and phone numbers (of those who consent) will be available for distribution. If you do not want your contact information to be listed, please make that notation when completing your membership form.
Attendance:
Q: What if I can’t make it for a rehearsal or two during the semester? Do I need to report it to someone?
A: Each week, you will “sign in” when you arrive at rehearsal. When you are absent, obviously, no check mark will be made for your name that week. That is how we will know if you have been unable to come. If, for some reason, you decide you cannot participate in the chorus at all for the semester, let your section mentor know (see membership roster for phone number or email).
Q: If I know I cannot stay for the entire night’s rehearsal should I still come?
A: Yes, please do. It does happen that sometimes people must leave early. We’d rather have you come and sing for part of a rehearsal, if you can, than not come at all.
The Music
Q: Will we sing a new piece that we don’t know all the way through regularly?
A: When we first start a new piece of music, it is not unusual for Paul to ask us to just “try” and sing through from start to finish, whether or not we have ever heard or seen the song before. Not only does this give the chorus an idea of what the music sounds like, but it also gives Paul an idea of where we are musically (a “baseline”) and how much work and rehearsal the piece will require.
Q: Will we spend a lot time learning the music?
A: Yes. Every rehearsal will be spent going through the music in detail, learning notes, learning phrasing and dynamics. In addition to learning the music at rehearsal each week, you will have the opportunity to buy a custom made rehearsal recording of your voice part for every song. The chorus has these recordings made at some expense, and they are well worth the trouble. As chorus members will tell you, including long-time members, the recordings are extremely helpful and very convenient to listen to while driving, walking, exercising, or working around the house.
Q: I would feel more confident if I could sit near someone who reads music well or has a strong voice. What should I do?
A: Your section mentor should be able to recommend a chorus member who you can sit near (in front of, next to, or within a few seats of). Or, the section mentor will discretely ask Paul, our Music Director, for a recommendation on your behalf.
