President's Corner by Jack Biddle, President

Spring Forward

Spring - the time of year when everything's new. Trees begin to leaf out, replacing the leaves we raked up last autumn. New flowers, feeling the warmth of the sun, begin to push through their blanket of earth to perform their concert of color on the hills.

New concerts will conclude our season: Mozart, Bernstein, Verdi. New business and new skits will grace a new Annual Business Meeting during which new members of the Board of Directors will be elected. Newly tidied-up bylaws will support a newly enhanced strategic plan to carry the Chorale into the next three years. Allergies will replace the flu as our new torment. New directors and new officers will join a new Board.

And come September, a new President with a fresh sense of humor will make announcements at rehearsals. Ok, maybe I'm getting ahead of things here. Call it being proactive. Call it springing forward. Welcome to the New, Proactive, SPRUNG FORWARD, Boulder Chorale.

Angel Tickets: An Evening at the Opera

by Sara Neustadtl, Angel Ticket Angel

Angel tickets are available for the upcoming An Evening at the Opera concert, on May 2 only. Anyone who would enjoy attending our concert but hasn't the means to buy the tickets─oldsters, youngsters, your parents' care-givers, your great grandchildren─could be eligible. Please contact Sara Neustadtl at neusaraj@gmail.com if you have anyone you'd like to nominate for Angel tickets.

Bylaws Update

A task force appointed by the Board recently revised the Bylaws. (Members: Jack Biddle, Peg Gorce, Paul Haynes, JoAn Segal.) The new Bylaws are, we hope, typo-free, clear, and very basic. The Board approved the recommended changes and they are now available on the Chorale web site for your review. Members will vote on this version at the Annual Business Meeting on May 6. If you have questions about the Bylaws revisions, please get in touch with JoAn at jsegalvv@earthlink.net.

March 10th Board Meeting Highlights

by JoAn Segal, Secretary / Past-President

Minutes. Board has approved abbreviated minutes for the newsletter.

Bylaws. Check our website, Members Section, for the revised Bylaws. We'll vote on them at our Annual Business Meeting (Pot Luck) on May 6, 2008.

Grants. Two proposals were to go forward by March 15. (completed)

Strategic Plan. Planning Committee presented its 3-year plan, with three goals: finances, structure, and staffing/space. Suggestions will be taken back to the Committee for revision and Board action April 14, 2008.

Treasurer. Although our expenses exceed our revenues, cash flow is good.

Tour to Africa. Interest is high. Negotiations with tour companies will continue.

Chorus America Conference. Several Board/staff to attend the conference in Denver. They'll apply to Jack Biddle for funds, not to exceed $1,000 budgeted.

Fund Raising. Livesay reported on a workshop several Board members attended and will work on a written report for the full Board.

Nominating Committee. Livesay, Chair, received Board approval to appoint Executive Committee and Section Stewards to be the Nominating Committee.

Concert Management. 2008-9 bookings made. A few Make We Joy CD's left!

Newsletter Notables

by Jeff Livesay, Newsletter Editor

In each month's edition, a member's name will be scrambled up and placed in one or more sections. The first person to find that member's name, unscramble it, and email me with the correctly-assembled name will win a prize. Submissions must be made via email to be eligible - Jeff.Livesay@gmail.com.

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Time for a New Board

One of the activities at our Annual Business Meeting (Tuesday, May 6, 2008, at 6:30 at Sacred Heart of Jesus Church) will be electing new Board members. Although there are always some Board members whose terms don't expire, which gives us continuity, we elect roughly half the members each year.

Jeff Livesay is chairing the Nominating Committee, which has begun its work of identifying and interviewing possible Board members. If you would be interested in a Board position, just want to know a little more, or have someone you think would make a good nominee, please speak to Jeff.

The Chorale Board has for a long time been a managing Board, comprised of singing members. As the Chorale matures as an organization, and particularly as its finances become more challenging, it would be wise to move to having a governing Board, with staff undertaking some of the work now done by Board members. Therefore, we'll also consider for nomination individuals outside the singing membership who have a strong interest in the Chorale and who can bring to us skills in areas where we are now lacking, such as fund raising and legal matters. If you think of someone who is not singing with us but who might bring such expertise to the Board, please let Jeff know that, too!

Help for an Old Historian

by JoAn Segal, Chorale Archivist

When a person gets to my age, somehow history seems more important. That's probably why I accepted the position of Archivist several years ago. We have over 40 years of history and a lot of papers to document it! Over time, several volunteers, including Josephine Bynder, Ruthie Merriman, Laurel Seppala-Etra and Art Simmons, have helped organize all those papers and Tom Riis, Curator of the American Music Research Center (AMRC), agreed to house them at the Center in Macky Auditorium. All records through 2002-3 have now been moved there and, I, as a volunteer, am putting them in acid-free folders and boxes and making the finding list.

There are gaps in our holdings; I am hoping some of you can help me fill them. We have very sparse holdings in the early years, 1965 - 75. But even after that, our holdings for 1979-80, 1981-2, and 1985-90 leave a lot to be desired. I know there are some long-time members who may have information about those years. I wonder if any of you would be willing to "submit" to an interview with me to help fill in those blanks. I did an interview with Charlotte Haynes, for instance, which helped me document the beginnings of the Chorale! Thanks for helping an old History buff.

Visited Our Web Site Recently?

by JoAn Segal, Past President

Every now and then we'll make an announcement at a rehearsal and refer you to "the web site". If you haven't been there, let me tell you a little about it.

We have had a web presence for several years and it has grown as our Board and members have gotten more sophisticated. You'll find it at www.boulderchorale.org -- you might want to put it in your list of favorites, so you can get there easily. The design we are using was done by members, and all the information is collected and entered by members who volunteer their time and effort.

The site is updated weekly with the latest rehearsal agenda and announcements, monthly with the latest newsletter, and every season with respect to sheet music, staff and Board. Also, many find the midi files of the music to be a very helpful tool for learning the repertoire. About twice a year there is an update to the sponsors and donors list. When something special arises, it gets posted.

The site has several sections so the general public doesn't have to wade through member-related sections. This year we added ticket purchasing online, and our entire season is up so visitors can tell what we are doing, where, and when. There is also a set of administration pages which allow the maintenance of the season calendar, membership calendar and Local Vocal pages, which are all database driven.

Also in the administration section are pages to manage the ticket sales data for online ticket sales. Incidentals include working with our Paypal account, which we use for ticket sales and donations, and our special ticket gmail account, approving and adding events to the Local Vocal section, and maintaining a photo archive. All this is done by volunteer members who work regular jobs and donate their skills and time to the Chorale.

Another exciting project that involves the web mistress and other tech-wise Board members is a membership database which will allow us to link roster, music, and dues information. The database will be available to Board members through the administration pages of the website and will include a reporting tool to build reports based on the data as needed. It's a massive undertaking, but it is happening!

As in any endeavor, sometimes things aren't perfect. If you discover an error or have a suggestion you would like to share, please get in touch with our wonderful web mistress Christie Evenson at christie_evenson@comcast.net.

Kudos to Christie and her committee! Keep up the good work!

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Tony on Tony and Major on Major

(sixth in a series of people important to the Chorale)

Who has no possessions? Who is bored and numb? Tony and Major Lee are unique to the Chorale---dog and master. Tony accompanies the Chamber Chorale. The article ends with Tony's comments about his life before and after Major. They are interesting and insightful. Major thinks.........grrrrreat!

What is your idea of perfect happiness?

I don't have one. The idea sounds meaningless and completely unattainable to me.

T: What is the quality you most like in a dog?

Intelligence, loyalty, affection--take your pick.

M: What is the quality you most like in a human?

Someone who takes fairly decent and frequent walks.

T and M: Which talent would you most like to have?

T: I'd say patience, but that's a virtue, not a talent.

M: Catching tennis balls on the first bounce.

Who are your favorite composers?

Bach, Messiaen, Britten, Leo Sowerby, Harry Partch

On a desert island, what three musical pieces would you want stranded with you?

Bach's B minor Mass

Britten's War Requiem

Messiaen's Transfiguration of Our Lord J. C.

With which musical historical figure do you most identify?

William Byrd, right now. Probably someone else later.

On what occasion do you lie?

Whenever I think I need to and can get away with it.

T and M: What is your favorite journey?

T: I'm not into journeys.

M: Wherever the old man's going.

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?

Obviously. And several obscenities.

T and M: What is your most valued possession?

T: My mind.

M: I don't have possessions.

What is your current state of mind?

Bored and numb.

T and M: What is your motto?

T: "Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the universe." -Albert Einstein

M: Woof.

Bonus: How did you come to meet Major?

A lucky find at the Humane Society, after three days of going there (in a state of some depression after having lived six months without a dog after putting Rumple down) and looking at one dog after another and going "loser - loser - loser - loser." That was in April 2004; he was 6 then and he's a couple of months short of 10 now. People compliment me on how well I've trained him, but actually I was lucky to get a dog that had already been well-trained by a previous owner. Pedigree? Mongrel--mostly German shepherd, with a little Lab mix. I'm told he gets his sweet disposition from the Lab side.

By the way, I don't believe in pure-breds; they usually have health problems associated with inbreeding and they cost more than they're worth. Money doesn't necessarily buy a good dog, any more than it buys a good life. However, it's useful for paying the rent and hospital bills.

Registration Information

by Wren Fritzlan, Membership/Registrar

Pre-registration for the 2008-2009 Season will be held on April 8, 15, and 22, 2008 beginning at 5:30 p.m. at Atonement Lutheran Church. Full dues payment of $110.00 will be due at the time of registration. Concert Chorale auditions with Tim Snyder will be held in May for current Chorale (Concert and Women's) members. All current Concert Chorale members must register by April 22, 2008 and audition in May to be guaranteed placement in the Concert Chorale for next season. Thank you for planning ahead and I look forward to seeing you at one of these registration times.

A Special Type of Giving

by JoAn Segal, Secretary / Past-President

While we all tend to shy away from thoughts of our own demise, recent deaths have reminded us of our mortality. Memorial gifts have played a substantial role in enhancing our donations list over the past year and a half. Such gifts honor the person who has died as well as helping the Chorale. Whenever we perform a work for the dead, such as a Requiem, memorial gifts come in with hardly a need to ask for them. We all seek opportunities to honor our loved ones and a musical memorial is a special chance to do that.

At the end of the obituary I have written for my children to use upon my death, I have included a sentence asking that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Boulder Chorale. Rare is the person who will remember such a thing when faced with the grief of a dear one's passing, but making the wish clear beforehand increases the possibility it will be done.

How lovely to be remembered in the voices of one's friends!

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Dushanbe Cyber Café Update

by Julie Hale, Member at Large

It's been almost a year since the members of the Boulder Chorale took part in the "Boulder Sings for Dushanbe" benefit and I thought you might like an update on the Dushanbe Cyber Café. Some of this information comes from the Boulder Dushanbe Sister Cities (BDSC) Winter 2008 Newsletter. NLWZRITAFRNE You can read the newsletter and see more Cyber Café photos on their website: www.boulder-dushanbe.org

The Boulder Dushanbe Cyber Café construction is well under way and is expected to be complete later this year. As of March, the Cyber Café project has now received a total of $900,000 with another $15,000 committed. $648,000 has been spent and another $277,000 will be spent to finish the building. An additional $10,000 is needed to complete the job. There is a wish list for items such as more educational materials, art work, and annual support for the first few years of operation. Support from the Boulder community, as well as neighbors and friends throughout the U.S., has been tremendous. Tax deductible contributions can be sent to: BDSC/Cyber-Cafe, P.O. Box 4864, Boulder, CO 80306.

During January 2008, Sam Nishek, Cyber Café Architect, was in Dushanbe, Tajikistan to review the progress of construction, coordinate future construction and select some finish materials. The following is from an article by Sam Nishek:

"This winter has been very hard on the people of Tajikistan. There is limited access to electricity and natural gas. Most people have to endure sub-freezing temperatures, even inside their homes. While I expected to endure the same living conditions on my trip, I was lucky to get a hotel that had electricity and heat. The popular items for sale at the markets were small generators and temporary wood/coal burning stoves. The construction has stopped for the last month due to the cold and lack of reliable power. RSS, the building contractor is confident that in the spring, when the site warms up and power resumes, they will have their portion of the work complete by the end of April. The people that I talked to are excited to receive and use this reciprocal gift from the citizens of their sister city, Boulder, Colorado."

Jeff and Julie Hale hosted a Tajik student, Madina Rakhmanova for a year in 1996-97 and are still in contact with her. Madina now works for the United Nations in Dushanbe and they are currently working with other International Organizations in getting assistance for Tajikistan during this abnormally cold winter and energy crisis. More information can be found at their website: www.untj.org

BDSC is organizing a September 2008 tour to Central Asia and Dushanbe to celebrate the opening of the Cyber Café for Dushanbe. The tour plans to visit such Silk Road cities as Samarkand & Bukhara as well as ancient Khujand where many parts of Boulder's beautiful Teahouse were made. Tour plans also include the mountains of Tajikistan and a visit to Boulder's sister city Dushanbe, where they hope to have a cup of tea and surf the web. For more information please contact Sophia Stoller at 303- 444-3196, sophiastoller@yahoo.com or Mary Axe at mary.axe@colorado.edu.

Calendar of Events

Thursday, April 10¾Mozart Dress Rehearsal
Chamber and Women's Chorales
6:00-10:00 p.m.

First Baptist Church (1237 Pine Street) Boulder

**you do not need to wear concert attire for this rehearsal**

Friday, April 11¾Mostly Mozart Concert

Chamber and Women's Chorales

6:30 p.m. Call / 7:30 p.m. Performance

First Baptist Church (1237 Pine Street) Boulder

Sunday, April 13¾Mostly Mozart Concert

Chamber and Women's Chorales

3:00 p.m. Call / 4:00 p.m. Performance

Monday, April 14¾ Board of Directors' Meeting

7:00 p.m. Atonement Lutheran Church

Please let Jack Biddle know if you plan to attend.

Friday, April 18¾Newsletter Deadline

Please submit articles of interest to Jeff Livesay, Newsletter Editor: jeff.livesay@gmail.com

Tuesday, April 22¾ Final Day of Pre-Registration for 2008-2009 Season. Please see article on page three for information.

Monday, April 28¾ Opera Dress Rehearsal

Concert Chorale

7:00-10:00 p.m.

Green Center, Golden

*please note different day, location and time for rehearsal and

note you do not need to wear concert attire for this rehearsal*

Thursday, May 1¾Opera Dress Rehearsal

7:00-10:00 p.m.

First United Methodist (1421 Spruce Street)Boulder

**you do not need to wear concert attire for this rehearsal**

Friday, May 2¾An Evening At the Opera Concert

Concert Chorale

6:30 p.m. Call / 7:30 p.m. Performance

First United Methodist (1421 Spruce Street)Boulder

Sunday, May 4¾An Evening At the Opera Concert

Concert Chorale

2:00 p.m. Call / 3:00 p.m. Performance

Green Center, Golden

Tuesday, May 6¾Annual Business Meeting/Potluck

5:30 Set-Up

6:30 Meeting/Potluck

Sacred Heart of Jesus Church (Jubilee Hall)

(1316 Mapleton Ave.) Boulder

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