Arriving at rehearsals

• Rehearsals are in the Chapter House unless otherwise announced. The way in is from Pitt Street. Rehearsals start at 7.30 prompt and the door is locked then.

• The door is unlocked at the rehearsal break which is generally around 8.35pm for those who are unavoidably detained or have to leave.

• Please sign in each week on the sheets by the door and indicate on Muzodo whether or not you intend to sing in the concert. Please do this as soon as you can and update your entry if you change your intention; this is vital for planning the seating on the stage.

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First rehearsal of term, music hire, and GCS folders

• Please arrive early at the start of term so that you have time to collect your music. The cost of music hire is included in your subscription, although we occasionally ask members to buy copies of short pieces, and we ask everyone to provide their own copy of Messiah (Watkins Shaw Novello edition). Most music does not belong to GCS but is borrowed from other libraries and therefore it must be returned promptly at the end of each concert, or beforehand if you are not singing in the concert. Libraries will only accept a full set of music back and we can be fined for late returns. Marking of music is acceptable with a soft pencil (B or 2B), but please avoid writing any other non-musical information on the music, eg personal information or reminders. We can be fined if we return copies with too many marks.

 

• A red GCS folder will be issued for the duration of your time in the choir, to be used for all concerts. There is no charge for this providing that the folder is returned on leaving the choir. Members need to pay for any lost or damaged folders.

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Missing rehearsals

It’s important to sign in each week because otherwise it will be assumed that you have missed the rehearsal.  The Friday rehearsal in the week before any concert is compulsory unless you have prior permission to miss it. Permission will not be given lightly, because this rehearsal in the cathedral is vital to the final performance. The Saturday afternoon rehearsal is compulsory in all circumstances. Permission to miss the Friday rehearsal can only be granted by the committee (in consultation with the Director of Music).

 

The Director of Music has the final say on who can sing in the concert, and will require people who have missed too many rehearsals to sing for him before he makes this decision. We call this a concert specific audition (CSA). Even if you have permission to miss it, the Friday rehearsal counts in the total number of rehearsals you are allowed to miss and still sing in the concert. Generally, anyone missing 3 rehearsals must take a CSA. Anyone missing 4 or more rehearsals will not be allowed to sing in the concert.

Anyone who misses more than the number above is not allowed to sing in the concert regardless of their reasons or of how well they know the music. This is because rehearsals are about learning how the piece will be interpreted in this particular performance, not just about learning the notes; and because the balance of the choir changes when people attend some rehearsals and not others.

 

If you know you’re not going to sing in the concert for any reason, please try to return your music to the librarian (librarian@gloucesterchoral.com) before the day. If you have to drop out unexpectedly, please think about how you can return your music promptly and don’t wait to be chased for it.

 

If you know you won’t be attending rehearsals for a while, please let us know by emailing membership@gloucesterchoral.com so we know not to expect you.

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During the rehearsal

• Please bring a B or 2B pencil to rehearsals.

• The loos are on the opposite side of the cloisters to the Chapter House – only one side of the cloisters is lit, so turn right to get there.

• At the end of the rehearsal, please stack your chair with the others at the edges of the room. Please only stack chairs on top of others of the same colour.

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In the week before the concert

• We usually have an evening rehearsal in the cathedral in the week leading up to a concert. For these rehearsals, enter by the usual door and then go into the cathedral from there. The signing in sheets will be out in the cathedral, so don’t forget to fill them in if you haven’t already.

• Taking our seats on the staging always takes time, so please arrive by 7:15pm. The seating plan is very carefully worked out; please listen to the Concert Manager and follow their instructions, even if it means you’re not sitting quite where you’d like or with whom you’d like.

• If you have a special need to sit somewhere easily accessible, please let the Concert Manager know in advance.

• Please only go up and down the staging by the steps at the sides, not by climbing up the middle. This is for health and safety reasons. So if you are sitting on the end of a row, please move promptly at the start of the break or the end of the rehearsal, so that you’re not blocking other people from getting down.

• Take as little as possible with you onto the stage. Bags are easy to trip over, and if they fall below the staging it can be dangerous to retrieve them. On week nights (but NOT on the Saturday) we have exclusive use of the building so you can leave anything you want on the chairs in the body of the cathedral.

• When on stage, even before a rehearsal, please don’t talk.

• If you’ve not yet got a red GCS folder, the librarian will hand them out in one of these rehearsals.
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On concert day – afternoon rehearsal

• We rehearse with the orchestra on the day itself. We usually need to be seated by 12.45pm, but times will be confirmed beforehand. Please arrive in plenty of time. Anyone who misses the concert day rehearsal, for whatever reason, is not allowed to sing in the concert.

• The cathedral is open to the public while we rehearse. Because of this it is NOT SAFE to leave any personal possessions on the chairs; in the past we have had several thefts from under our noses. So, to keep the staging clear, bring as little as possible with you.

• Programmes are on sale to choir members at a reduced price for 30 minutes before the Friday and Saturday rehearsals, one per member. They are not available in the break or afterwards. Look out when you arrive for the person selling them, who is usually towards the front of the nave. Programmes are available for the full price on the door in the evening – there is no discount for members then.