As I said earlier, don't mean to monopolize the conversation--but I'm sincerely interested in musical groups other people belong to.   I'm always interested in what Jerry has to say about his groups--how rehearsals go, their accomplishments, problems--and anything else he wants to talk about.   And it's also fascinating to hear about your group, Deirdre, and recognize similarities and differences.

So I expect--and hope--that people won't be bored by our talk about that sort of stuff.


As for mine, since you ask:   specifically regarding the question of why everybody doesn't do every gig:   I would say it's basically since our conductor is just a boy who can't say no. And there's no way everybody would have time to do every gig, unless everybody were retired, which the overwhelming majority are not.

This season (2008-2009), for instance, there is a series of 4 concerts, mostly at the Kennedy Center, which all members--there are about 180 of us-- are expected to sing. These are the Verdi Requiem (2 Nov), Christmas music (--3 concerts -- 15, 20, and 24 Dec), a concert of opera choruses and the Haydn Spring from The Seasons (26 April)--and one of either a Bach/ John Tavener concert (27 Feb) or Purcell/ Britten/ Vaughn Williams (29 Mar).

Not all will be singing the Purcell piece ( Come Ye Sons of Art)--just about 30 he picks--and I think the same is true of the Bach (Preise, Jerusalem, den Herrn)--though all in those concerts are expected to sing the other piece or pieces.

But all were allowed to pick either the 27 Feb or the 29 Mar concert--with the expectation that it would be a good split between the 2--and every part would be strongly covered.

In addition we are all pretty much expected to sing a concert honoring Martin Luther King--which we've just done--with 2 large black groups.   That's always a real charge from my perspective, though there are some who don't seem to like to do it--maybe since it's a lot of music, on 3 rehearsals, and we have to get used to various gospel styles of conducting--meaning not singing just what's on the page--and constantly watching the various conductors like a hawk for signals.



But on top of this, there are lots of other gigs. We often sing at the Kennedy Center Honors--which kills a weekend in December, of all times. Fortunately this year we didn't sing for that--December is bonkers enough without that.

Then there are the 2 family concerts--also in December. About 30 of us do them--on a volunteer basis. I find them just delightful, and always volunteer.

And possibly singing at the embassy of whatever country is sponsoring the series of Christmas concerts.   That's a little group chosen by our conductor.   I was part of the group that sang for the Austrian ambassador the year Austria was the sponsor.

Then there are other gigs, like singing at Ford's Theatre for some occasion--most recently in June 2007 we taped a Christmas concert in 2007--I talked about that on this thread--that was the one for which Olivia Newton John's Xanadu was evidently declared a Christmas piece.

And singing selections from Porgy and Bess with a Chinese orchestra--which I volunteered for.    I'll sing Porgy and Bess with any group.

And there are yet more gigs during the summer.

Tours, if there is one--which are actually great fun--and I always try to do those--if we leave the US.


Singing at Wolf Trap. Singing for the 4th of July on the Mall.
I'd rather not sing in a tuxedo during the summer outside in the DC area--so I don't usually volunteer for those gigs. But fortunately there are people who seem to enjoy singing with a bunch of celebrities for the 4th-- though it's background music, by and large. I did that once. I didn't think it was worth the time, considering that we just provide accompaniment. But I have to admit I'd love to sing the Russian chorus portion of the 1812 Overture--which the 4th of July group sometimes does.

And I think there are some other gigs I can't recall.

So basically there are some concerts everybody is obligated to sing, some for which a small group is picked, and others for which he asks for volunteers.

With all the groups and subgroups it's pretty easy to stay pretty busy--(and most of us have full-time jobs also).   I've heard talk of "Choral Arts widows" or "widowers".

But it seems to work out pretty well.