August 21, 2026
Happy Friday! Or Fri-yay, as I like to call it -- I made it through my first week back with students in one piece ;)
Big shout out to all of the new friends we made last Monday! A total of 44 people are currently registered for the Christmas show!
Happy birthday to...
soprano Nancy A. (August 12)
bass Samuel B. (August 16)
alto Kelsey B. (August 18)
bass Johnathan S. (August 24)
altos Kay H. and Mary B. (August 25)
soprano Jennifer B. (August 30)
Note that annual dues will be due on Monday, August 31 -- $80 regular rate, and $50 for students.
Here is the link to the YouTube playlist for the music we've received so far (excluding the red book); a couple of the recordings are not professional, but the best I could find that fit our exact arrangements. https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLH32kV2btqgU&si=rQOdhRIU1-ajyXpt
Fundraising notes:
For those who are new, Ester will be selling gift cards to Food Lion and Lowe's Foods each week at rehearsal. The cards you order each week will be distributed to you the following week. The chorus earns a percentage of all sales, so if you shop at either of those stores, it's a win/win! Note that the shipping cost for the cards has tripled this year, which will cut into our profits, so the more we can purchase, the better.
Save the date! We will be doing a fundraiser at Pizza Inn in Selma on Tuesday, September 8, from 4-9 p.m. We will earn 10% of all sales during those hours. Unlike our Culver's fundraisers, we will not be "working" at Pizza Inn, but a few members will be needed to staff an informational table. Do make sure to bring your family and friends out to eat, though!
We have created a new prospectus for soliciting sponsors/donors/advertisers, and it is attached to this email. If you are able to visit any local businesses, this will help you demonstrate to them the value and impact of their contribution. The deadline for recognition in the Christmas program will be November 1. Prospectus link
At the beginning of September, I will be putting together a photo directory of members that will be available in a password-protected section of our website. If you do not want your contact information shared, please let me know. Once we have a final commitment from members for the year, I will provide the password. This section of the website will also include copies of these announcement emails, board meeting minutes, and our budget.
As you heard from Cynthia on Monday, she and Suzanne are working on compiling historical information about the chorus, as next year will be our 50th anniversary. If you have any pictures or artifacts from past years, please contact them.
A little further out...we will be participating in the Clayton Harvest Festival on Saturday, October 24, to advertise our Christmas concert and continue to recruit members for spring.
As a reminder, our concert will be held at 3 p.m. on Sunday, December 13, with a call time of 1 p.m. Tech rehearsal will be the evening of Thursday, December 10 (likely 6:30-9:30 p.m.), and dress rehearsal will be the evening of Friday, December 11 (likely 6:00-9:30 p.m.).
As always, if you have any questions, feel free to reply to this email. Have a wonderful weekend!