Information and Instructions for Chorus Members

Administrative Section Leaders

Your administrative section leaders are your direct connection to Chorus activities. They will record your attendance and answer your questions. They are available to help you. If you are going to miss a rehearsal or performance, please notify your section leader(s).

See the CSOC Leadership page for this season’s section leaders.

Mailing Lists

The chorus maintains several electronic mailing lists for the dissemination of information to its members. In addition, any information sent out on one of these lists is typically also duplicated and/or supplemented on the Latest News page of this Web site.

Most of the e-mail sent to these lists will originate from choir officers or the director, and will pertain to logistical information pertaining to rehearsals and/or performances. However, it is acceptable for other choir members to use these lists to distribute announcements of a musical (preferably choral) nature, such as those for recruitment campaigns and concerts for other local choral groups. Please do not abuse this privilege by sending messages others may deem as spam.

If you are a member of either the CSO full choir or chamber singers, and you are not receiving e-mail messages from these lists, please contact the Webmaster via e-mail or notify an officer at a rehearsal.

There is also a separate mailing list available for those members of past seasons who cannot perform with us during the current season and do not wish to receive all the performance-/rehearsal-related logistical information, but whom do wish to receive other news items (including announcements of auditions and rehearsal start dates for the next season).

Rehearsal Attendance Requirements

Since high levels of attendance are consistent with high levels of concert performance, the Board has developed the following guideline: Members must attend at least two-thirds of the regularly scheduled Tuesday evening rehearsals (prior to the first dress rehearsal) in order to perform in upcoming concerts. Dress rehearsals (typically the two evenings prior to the concert) are mandatory. Exceptions to these rules must be approved individually by the Chorus Director.

Member Responsibilities and Rehearsal Etiquette

Acceptance of membership in the Chorus implies a commitment to participate in all scheduled concerts unless personal circumstances prevent your participation.

Members are expected to provide prior notice to their administrative Section Leader if personal circumstances require them to miss a rehearsal.

All issued music scores must be returned promptly as instructed. Tardy turn-in creates unnecessary work for our very busy librarians. The cost of unreturned music will be billed to the member to whom it was issued.

Members’ responsibilities are well summarized in the following excerpt from A Singer’s Creed (requires Adobe^® Reader^® to view), provided by Nat Malcolm:

To maintain the highest standards of musicianship, performance artistry, and personal discipline my talents and circumstances allow, I will—

• Attend every rehearsal possible
• Be on time and ready to perform or rehearse at the appointed time and place
• Prepare music in advance whenever given the opportunity
• Provide the conductor with the respect of my attention and concentration
• Annotate my music so mistakes are not repeated
• Rehearse problematic passages on my own
• Pay attention to the sound I make and the ensemble in which I participate
• Follow the directions of stage and ensemble managers
• Grant my fellow performers the courtesy of expecting and respecting their professionalism
• Use my section leaders as my avenue for complaint, concern, and information

Concert Attire

To insure uniform appearance and reduce visual distractions from the objectives of performance, chorus members perform in “concert black” unless otherwise announced.

Men: Black tuxedo with white shirt, cummerbund, black tie, and black shoes.

Women: The Chorus adopted a new standard concert dress in 2007. The cost of the dress is approximately $65 (including shipping). Contact our Wardrobe Mistress, Lauren Petrovich, for more information, or if you need to order a dress. Other requirements: No jewelry or sparkles. Black or pearl post earrings are acceptable. Students or guests singing with the Chorus on a limited basis may use their own concert attire if it meets the requirements of black color, floor length, long sleeves, and covered shoulders.

Holiday Pops Attire: For the Holiday Pops Concerts, the first half of each concert is performed in the normal concert attire, as described above. For the second half, ladies change into elegant holiday dresses and jewelry; men, at a minimum, switch to red cummerbunds and ties but may also ham it up with Santa hats, holiday lights and decorations, etc.

Dress Rehearsals: Note that, just because we call them “dress” rehearsals, this does not mean that concert attire is required…it just means that we will be rehearsing with the orchestra, typically on the stage where we will be performing.

Stage Etiquette

The following are some rules of etiquette for our performances:

1. In consideration of other singers with allergies or sensitive noses, singers are asked not to wear perfume, cologne, shave lotion, or other scents (deodorant is encouraged, however).
2. Turn off all cell phones, beepers, and the like (this goes double for rehearsals as well).
3. Music must be carried in a black folder.
4. When processing onto the stage, carry your music folder in the hand opposite the side on which the audience is sitting (i.e. in your left hand when entering from stage right, and vice versa).
5. After processing onto the stage, remain standing until the last person is in place and sit on their cue.
6. Standing and sitting cues will be provided prior to the dress rehearsal for any long sections where we do not sing.
7. At the beginning and end of the performance, we stand and sit with the Concertmaster/Concertmistress. We also stand whenever signaled by the conductor to rise.
8. During parts where we are not singing, try to minimize following along in your scores. It is highly recommended that you paper clip or otherwise delineate these sections in order to easily flip to the next section where we sing.
9. If you must look at your music during sections in which we do not sing, open your folders towards you (i.e. not lying open in your lap) so that the lights do not reflect off the music and into the audience, causing a possible distraction.

Complementary CSO Tickets

Each season, chorus members receive passes that entitles them to  complementary tickets for CSO Masterworks, Charleston Pops and Backstage Pass Series concerts.  The passes can be used by anyone for best-available seating.

CSO Chorus
Charleston, SC, USA
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2007-2008 Season