Ashley F. Nelson-Oneschuk, Director
Sue Fortin, Assistant Director & Accompanist
Roy Kelley, Founder & Director Emeritus
DIRECTOR’S WELCOME
Dear Chorale Member,
Thank you for joining us this season! Our amazing community of joyful singers and supportive Board should ensure a wonderful experience. Remember – what you put in is what you will get out, so please give every rehearsal and performance your “all”!
Chordially yours,
Ashley
ABOUT THE CHORALE
We are a welcoming regional community chorus, with members from towns throughout the greater Charles River watershed area. Under the professional direction of Ashley Nelson-Oneschuk, our chorale learns a variety of repertoire, performing in two concerts (generally December and May) each year. Members are not required to audition in order to join.
The Chorale’s mission is to bring a variety of choral music to the regional community that is engaging, enriching and enjoyable. Ours is a diverse membership—we have men and women from a variety of cultural, ethnic, and religious backgrounds in different stages of their lives, from students to retirees. New members are welcomed during the first three rehearsals of each season.
While the ability to read music is not a requirement, members are expected to practice their music at least one hour per week, and are encouraged to further their sight-reading skills. Helpful learning resources are included later in this handbook and on the CRC website.
CHORALE WEBSITE
The Charles River Chorale website is www.charlesriverchorale.com. It is designed for the discovery of our group and to provide information to our members. Please contact a board member with any missing or incorrect information. The website contains the rehearsal schedule, upcoming events, program and advertising information, community outreach, and information about donations and 501(c)3.
REHEARSAL ETIQUETTE & ATTENDANCE
Rehearsals are held on Tuesdays from 7:30-9:30 p.m. at the Church of Christ, 142 Exchange Street, Millis, MA. Doors open at 7:00 p.m., for those who want to arrive early to socialize. Dress rehearsals for the fall and spring concerts will be held at the concert venue; see the rehearsal schedule for specific information.
We suggest that members bring a pencil and/or highlighter (for marking their music) and water bottle to each rehearsal.
In order to achieve the highest level of musicianship possible, and to be fair to fellow singers, all members are expected to be seated in their sections and ready for warmups promptly at 7:30 p.m. Attendance is taken, and any member who misses (or anticipates missing) more than three rehearsals will need to have a conversation with the Director and Board Chairperson before that season’s concert. While we understand that traffic, weather, and train/bus delays can occasionally interfere with the ability to be on time, chronic tardiness (15+ minutes late to a rehearsal four times in a season) will be counted as one missed rehearsal.
At the end of rehearsals we ask you to return your folding chair.
ASHLEY’S 5 REHEARSAL & PERFORMANCE REQUESTS
MUSIC LEARNING RESOURCES
As part of our warmups, Ashley uses Solfège exercises. Solfège, a method of naming pitches that was invented by music theorist Guido of Arezzo in 11th century Italy, is a valuable learning tool that aids with pitch recognition and ear training, improves sight-singing skills, and provides a better understanding of intervals, melodic patterns, and chord progressions. Solfège works for any scale and key; an example (in C major) is shown below.
Pronunciation:
Do = doh Re = reh Mi = me Fa = fah Sol = sohl La = lah Ti = tea Do = doh
Members who would like to increase their music reading skills are encouraged to visit www.musictheory.net, a free online music reference site with theory lessons, exercises and other tools.
MUSIC
Members only pay for the cost of the music—there are no other fees. Once purchased, the music is yours to keep.
DUES
Membership dues are an important part of CRC’s funding – they help pay the salaries of our Director, Ashley Nelson-Oneschuk, and our Assistant Director and Accompanist, Sue Fortin. Dues help defray the costs of our rehearsal and performance venues, concert programs and outside musicians. They also allow CRC to limit its fund-raising efforts to one or two events per year. Membership dues allow the Chorale to provide financial support to the Charles River Children’s Choir and other community outreach events.
SUPPORTING THE CHORALE
The Chorale’s success is dependent on the commitment and involvement of all of its members. Members are asked to provide their support for the Chorale—not just as a singer—but in one or more of the following ways:
CONCERT PROGRAM ADS
A large percentage of the Chorale’s income relies on the sale of advertisements for our concert programs. Our singers are our “salespeople”, as we have no professional sales staff! We ask that ALL members help support the Chorale by asking the businesses you frequent to purchase an ad, and encourage members and their families to purchase their own commercial, memorial, thank you or best wishes ads. Color, electronically-submitted ad copy in PDF, JPG or PNG format is preferred; email to crchorale@gmail.com or submit through the CRC website. Hard copy ads are also accepted.
SUNSHINE COMMITTEE
The Sunshine Committee’s mission is to improve the well-being, morale, and culture of its members. By celebrating members’ happy times and supporting them during difficult times, the committee looks to bring the chorale together as a family.
CHARLES RIVER CHILDREN’S CHOIR
The Charles River Chorale sponsors a local children’s chorale that brings together children in elementary school from towns around the Metro West area. Aside from financial support, we invite The Charles River Children’s Chorale to join us during our two concerts as a special guest. This gives the children a larger audience and opportunity to sing with adults.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH
The goals of our community outreach program are to increase musical opportunities for performers in our MetroWest area, to bring music into our communities through free performances, and to build lasting relationships within our various communities. The Chorale provides funding and performance opportunities for the Charles River Children’s Choir. Each year, the Chorale offers free performances at local festivals, road races, and summer concerts!
ANGEL FUND
The Angel Fund is designed to ensure that everyone is afforded the opportunity to sing with the Charles River Chorale, and is available to any member who may need financial assistance. Donations to the Angel Fund are tax-deductible and matching gift eligible.
Use of the Angel Fund is strictly CONFIDENTIAL; only the Board Chairperson and the Treasurer will know who is using the Angel Fund. Any financial reporting to the CRC Board Members regarding the Angel Fund will be done at the aggregate level and will not include specific member identification. Members who make use of the Angel Fund are asked to give back to the Chorale through a variety of non-monetary means (please see the “Supporting the Chorale” section in this handbook for ideas), and should be discussed with the Board Chairperson and/or Treasurer.
CONCERT DRESS & PERFORMANCE REMINDERS
Option 1:
Option 2:
For All:
Please keep jewelry and hair adornments (barrettes, headbands, etc.) subtle. A little sparkle is fine, but remember that we want the Chorale’s look to be harmonious. Please don’t wear anything that will cause you to stand out from your fellow performers. Please limit heavily scented products.
Performance Reminders:
Updated: August 2024