Greetings by JoAn Segal, President

This is the last of my monthly letters to the members. In May, I will move to the position of Past-President of the Chorale and Jack Biddle will become your new president. We had just returned from our Austrian tour when I undertook the presidency of the Chorale. We had an exciting year ahead of us, our 40th anniversary season. Fine concerts, the design of a new logo, adoption of uniform dress, highly successful fund raising events and grant proposals, and our first audit by an outside firm marked the 2005-6 year. Our tour task force worked hard to select the location and agent for the tour we will take to Greece this summer. The 40th anniversary gala was a huge success. Our annual meeting became a joyful event as well as a time and place for business, with entertainment woven into its pot-luck fabric.

The 2006-7 season had new challenges. After changing the by-laws so we could add two Board members, we were back to our previous number because of two Board resignations. We did a lot of work on planning, but didn’t finish the process, which got side-tracked by a move for re-structuring the Chorale into an auditioned community chorus. This stormy process culminated in a good, workable compromise and a high level of acceptance of the plan put forward by the Planning Committee and Board.

This plan makes the Boulder Chorale the “umbrella” organization, with three ensembles. The Boulder Concert Chorale is a large auditioned chorus capable of singing a wide range of music, from settings of folk music and spirituals to opera choruses and large choral works with orchestra. The Boulder Chamber Chorale is an auditioned 40-voice group dedicated to works suitable for a smaller vocal group. The Boulder Women’s Chorale is an non-auditioned chorus that prepares vocal music written for women’s voices. The Planning Committee will continue with the remainder of its work, leading us into a period of planned growth and development, with clear goals, identifiable time lines and means for evaluation.

In 2006-7 we also held our first all-chorale retreat. In late September we had a very successful experience: a whole day for rehearsing in large and break-out groups, with some opportunities for socializing. We plan to have two retreats in the 2007-8 year – included in the new dues structure.

We began a monthly birthday serenade this year and it has been fun to see our colleagues stand as we serenade them. We also made news as we participated in the planning and presentation of a civic benefit, Boulder Sings for Dushanbe, the proceeds of which went to support the CyberCafé we are building for our sister city, Dushanbe in Tajikistan.

Of course, the most important of all is what we produced – wonderful performances. The Lux Aeterna concert, featuring the works of Maurice Duruflé, was one of quiet beauty, a challenge we met quite well. We surely did Make Joy in December with our friends the Kutandara Ensemble and the Cathedral Brass. Our American Tapestry concert had the added attraction of the Heavenly Echoes group and our performance was really very fine. As the season ends, we will be singing the Ode to Joy with the Boulder Philharmonic.

We are headed into the “home stretch” of the season now, with our last concert, our Puttin’ on the Ritz benefit party, the annual meeting, and the Board’s transition meeting all in the next few weeks.

So, goodbye to being president, but not to belonging to and working hard for my beloved Boulder Chorale! Thank you for your support during these past two years.

From the Concert Managers

by Miriam Lindahl and Greg Herring

The 4th Annual Top 10 Reasons Greg and Miriam Have To Say, “THANKS”:

10. For Pastor Deb, Staff and Congregation at Atonement. They share their beautiful, sacred space with not only the singers, but also store the Chorale’s seven risers and back railings.

9. Thanks for collaboration with ‘behind the scenes’ folks from Atonement Lutheran Church, First United Methodist Church, Macky Auditorium, Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish and the Unitarian Universalist Church. They make teamwork with this organization an art form. The Concert Managers, of course, recognize our collaboration with Jubilate!, Kutandara---always fun!---and Madame Andrews and the Heavenly Echoes and the Boulder Philharmonic.

8. Remembrances of the wonderful voices of our friends: Charlotte Haynes, Gibb Oram and Nell Frostman. We miss placing them on the risers.

7. Thanks for a visionary governing board and Planning Committee. (Special recognition goes to JoAn Segal, small in stature—big of heart and mind!) We believe that both groups view the Chorale’s glass as “half full, not half empty”.

6. For spouses, family and friends who willingly serve as ushers, ticket takers and who sponsor this organization in a myriad of ways—we give thanks. They contribute in a unique way to the ensemble.

5. Thank you for members who say ‘yes’ more often than ‘no’—those who realize there is a job for everyone. The Chorale shows such kindness to each other.

4. Thanks for someone very special named Kelly, known to all as “you know, Franzi’s husband”!

3. Thanks for all the riser guys (usually in their tuxes!) who diligently help—making our jobs look easy and giving us some great laughs.

2. Hats off to our Muses: Tim, Kim, Mike, Tony—a pat to Major!—and Caitlin.

1. Thanks for everyone’s health, enthusiasm and sincere interest in and love of the music.

SEE YOU AT THE POTLUCK! HAVE A RELAXING, SAFE SUMMER!

Annual Meeting

The annual meeting of the Chorale will take place this year on Tuesday, May 8th at Sacred Heart of Jesus Church. As we did last year, we’ll try to combine work and play effectively in this every-year event.

It will be a pot luck supper – we have wonderful cooks among us! We’ll elect new Board members. The Nominating Committee is still working on that. If you have an idea -- like you’ve decided to volunteer to be on the Board or you want to suggest someone else -- please let Jack Biddle, chair, or Joan Foutz or John Williams know. We’ll honor our volunteers. And there are many heroes among us this year! And we’ll have some fun. I know a couple of groups are figuring on hamming it up a bit! We’ll start at 6:00 p.m.

Need More Singing?

by Michael Mastronicola

For anyone interested in singing Randy McIntosh's 'Gloria' for choir and marimbas again, I'm conducting this piece with my church choir and the Kutandara Marimba Ensemble on Sunday, May 27th, 10:15 a.m. at First Presbyterian Church in Brighton. The dress rehearsal is on Wednesday, May 23rd, 8:00 p.m. All are welcome! It will be a Brighton premiere! Tenors and basses are especially welcome (will tutor/ accompany in exchange for singing). For more information, please contact Michael at mastronicola@yahoo.com.

Bon Voyage!

Even if you can’t go with us, do come and wish us “Bon Voyage” as we prepare for our tour of Greece, which will take place June 28 – July 7. The Bon Voyage concert will be held on Sunday, June 24, 2007 at 4:00 p.m. at the Sacred Heart of Jesus Church.

Chorale Tour to Greece

Erin Christensen-Mandel, Tour Coordinator

Get ready for summer! The Tour Ensemble will have Tuesday night rehearsals beginning on May 22nd. Please join us on Sunday, June 3 at 5:00 p.m. for the Tour Social/Meeting. There will be a Gateway representative there to give another presentation and to answer all your last-minute questions! In the meantime, enjoy your brief break!

Board Transition Meeting

On May 19-20, the Board will hold its annual transition meeting, when the 2006-7 Board will have its last session, reporting on the work and results of the previous year, and the 2007-8 Board will begin to meet, plan, and budget for the upcoming season. This year the sessions will be at the home of Peg Gorce, on Saturday the 19th from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and on Sunday the 20th from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

This is when incoming Board members will learn a little about their new jobs and can talk about their ideas for moving things along in the new year.

It’s also when outgoing Board members can brag a bit about what they have accomplished, admit they haven’t been able to do everything they had hoped, and can give advice using what they have learned. So, you potential candidates for Board, there’s one for your thinking cap!

Calendar of Events

Sunday, May 6—Cocktail Dance Benefit

“Puttin’ on the Ritz” $50 per person

Boulderado Hotel

Tuesday, May 8—Annual Meeting/Potluck

Lots of business with some entertainment, too.

6:00 p.m.

Sacred Heart of Jesus Church (1318 Mapleton, Boulder)

Greece Tour Ensemble Rehearsals—Tuesdays:

May 22, May 29, June 5, June 12, June 19.

7:00-9:00 p.m. Atonement Lutheran Church

Sunday, June 3—Tour Social/Meeting

5:00 p.m. (no rehearsal afterwards)

**Please note new date and time.

Tuesday, June 19—Bon Voyage Rehearsal

7:00-9:00 p.m.

Sacred Heart of Jesus Church (1318 Mapleton, Boulder)

Thursday, June 21—Bon Voyage Rehearsal

7:00-9:30 p.m. Atonement Lutheran Church

Sunday, June 24—Bon Voyage Concert

3:00 p.m. Call Time

4:00 p.m. Concert

Sacred Heart of Jesus Church (1318 Mapleton, Boulder)