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Sept. 1, 2017 #23

Admin IssueGHC, HNC, SOUNDINGS & CCLT

Choir Community Newsletter <><><><><><><><> Quick Reminders! <><><><><><><><>

GRANDMOTHERS FOR AFRICA SWATSeptember 10, 2:00 to 4:00, Legislature Lawn

Details in the Open SWAT Schedule section

GHC FALL SEASONStarts the week of September 18, 19 & 21Details in the GHC Registration Info section

GHC New Singers Orientations7:00 to 7:30, September 18, 19, 21, 25, 26 & 28

Details on our Choir Life: Next Season & New Singers web page

HNC FALL SEASONStarts Tuesday, September 19

New Singers’ Orientation 11:30 to Noon ~ Singing Noon to 1:30Details in the HNC News & Business section

CCLT13-2016September 24 to October 9

Details in the CCLT Updates section

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>For access to all current and archived issues please go to: http://www.gettinhigherchoir.ca/choir_life/newsletters.php

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Admin Team Notes

Siobhan & Denis

First of all, kudos to Dick and Cathy for stepping up this summer into their new roles as GHC choir directors, leading a SWAT in August, another one coming up soon, (see details below), and a great series of day and night time August drop in choirs at the Church of Truth. We warmly welcome them to the GHC team.

As you all know, Siobhan is taking a sabbatical for the Fall and Winter sessions of GHC. Denis will continue mainly with the Monday evening group, but will often be at Tuesday and Thursday as well, to provide assistance and support to Cathy and Dick, who will lead those in-town sessions.

However, during our CCLT, on weeks 2 and 3, Siobhan will be co-leading with Denis, as in the old days. After that she will fade away into the lovely land of Sabbatical!

Denis, Dick and Cathy have been cooking up a great cauldron of songs, new and returning, for GHC this fall.

For High Noon Choir, see Siobhan's notes below. Looking forward to singing with you all in a few weeks...

Siobhan and Denis

Dick & Cathy

Welcome back from what we hope was an adventurous, refreshing and/or musical summer! We had a fabulous time in England and Wales in July, connecting with song leaders and choirs, and swapping lots of music. It was a joy to share some of that music and more with many of you who joined our drop-in song sessions throughout August, or who came to the vocal improv workshop with Karen Porkka, or who joined the SWAT event on August 9th. (Check details on the upcoming September 10th SWAT event below!)

We look forward to the start of the singing sessions in two weeks, then Dick's participation in the CCLT program, after which we will begin leading the GHC Tuesday and Thursday sessions during our dear Siobhan's sabbatical year. We feel encouraged and honoured by the warm reception we have had for our music leadership efforts so far. And we look forward to seeing you and singing with you soon!

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Bill

Around the middle of August I did a major re-organization of my “projects and services” web sites. In the last Summer Special I included my “Summer Services” item and the following sentence in it: “All these services can also be accessed from my new company web site.

Unfortunately when I was updating the sites a bunch of bizzies distracted me and I neglected to check and update the menu links on all the sites properly. If you tried navigating around my sites before this past Tuesday and gave up in confusion please try again as the links have now been fixed. (If, by some unfortunate chance, you still happen to find a bad link or three please let me know about them.)

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Open SWAT Schedule

Grandmothers for Africa Cycle Tour Welcome

All singers welcome.

We have accepted a kind offer to sing as the Grandmothers for Africa Cycle Tour wraps up on Sept. 10, as they ride to the BC Parliament Buildings (did you know that's the official name!).

Find Cathy or Dick off to the east of the main steps (toward Government Street) at 2:00pm for a refresher on some or all of the following songs (key in parentheses), then we'll gather at the stage at 2:30pm, and we'll sing a 15-minute set at 2:40pm.

The cyclists will arrive at 3:00pm!

• Dumela Fela (Sesotho "Just Believe, All Is Well") D)• Helele Mama (Zulu E)• Siyahamba (Zulu "G, start D)• Bele Mama (Camfranglais: "Appelle Mama") (C)• Bambelela (Zulu "Hold on") (G)

• One World/Voice/Heart (D)• Stir Me Deep (I'm Gonna Let Life Move Me) (C minor, rising!)• Children, Walk In Your Power (C)• Lead With Love (One Foot in Front of the Other) (Am)

These are all fairly easy, and "Dumela Fela" has a story connecting it to the Grandmothers group. So, it might be the one we sing as they arrive, and to give us a boost with getting it ready, I (Dick) have done up a score and MP3 learning audio files. (It's a little higher than we practiced at the Drop-In sessions!) Links to these files can be found on our sites Open SWATs page along with links to a lyric sheet and choir recoding of Siyahamba.

Bill has

If you'd like to sing at this event and want to receive updates, please write to dick@gettinhigherchoir.ca to let me know.

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Gettin’ Higher Choir InfoGHC Fall Season

Registration InformationFor information on any of these Registration Topics…

Veteran’s Please Note:A refreshing look at the document accessed from the linkbelow will ensure that we are all on the same page andwill minimize unnecessary communications and work

Starting, or paying, late for the GHC fall season

New singers intake (dates, times, locations, etc.)

Registration information & procedures

DeadlineReferring New Singers Returnees paying fees at choir prior to the registration deadlineReturnees paying fees after the registration deadlineContact and other registration record information changes Fees, payments & scholarships

…open this Registration Information Document

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GHC News & BusinessTo All GHC Members Using Tablets

(an updated reminder version)

If you have a tablet computer that you use you may already be using it instead of paper music at choir. A small but dedicated group have been using tablets at GHC rehearsals for a couple of years and feel that they are very useful and user-friendly. These folks do not pick up paper music at all - they just download the pdf files and use their tablet. This also saves having to copy as many paper sheets as we used to - thus saving resources.

Please know that all pdf files that would be sent out are under copyright and therefore are for GHC use ONLY, and not to be sent to anyone else.

If you would like to join the tablet users group, please let Bill know and he will add you to the list for distribution.

Many thanks to Anne Nilsen and Myrna Fisher for doing the distribution in past seasons!

Denis

PS From Bill

1) While any tablet can display PDF files, via a basic PDF reader App, there is an App called "ForScore" that can be purchased on line that is specifically designed for reading PDF sheet music. 

2) Benefits of using a tablet.

a. Accessible

Add your name to the email list and you will receive current music as soon as it is available rather than having to wait until it is printed.

b. Portable You have all your music with you with no bulky binder and no paper shuffling

c. Markable You can add comments, change words or notes, highlight, underline etc.

d. Navigable Links can skip you right back to the chorus, page one, or wherever you need to be 

e. Playable The app includes a pop up pitch pipe and piano keyboard

f. Supportable Help from other choir members is close at hand. Questions can be emailed to all current tablet users via Bill at the usual bill@gettinhigherchoir.ca

(The features listed in “c” & “d” above are available in ForScore. Other apps may exist that can do more may be findable with a little searching. (Playing the sheet music maybe? Probably expensive if it exists.) If you are up for doing the research you could start by checking out this Google "Tablet sheet music App" results list.

3) If you will be joining for the Fall season please register by email to bill@gettinhigherchoir.ca now or as soon as you make the decision.  The earlier we know who the active tablet users will be this season the better.

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Planning On Submitting Items To The newsletter this season?The first Community Issue of the season will be posted on Sep 8th so get your submissions in!

As the season progresses you can plan ahead for your submissions to our Choir Community Issues (every 2nd week) using the schedule that is available on our site’s Using Our Newsletters page.

By scrolling down the page you can also find Submission Guidelines and other information about using our newsletter effectively and, of course, how to be nice to me by sending submissions that I can simply copy and paste into the newsletter without any editing or re-formatting.

~ Bill

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GHC CAR POOLINGWANTED & OFFERED

To arrange car pools you can announce your request/offer at break time at choir (GHC or HNC).  You can also email me at billh@crucible.ca with your name, contact information, where you start from, whether you need a ride or are offering one and which choir you are in.  I will put a listing under the appropriate Car Pool heading for you in the next newsletter.  Don’t be shy about repeating your request in subsequent weeks at choir or in the newsletter if you don’t connect the first time.

Tuesday Nighters

In order to continue with the choir Joanna (Joyanna) Wilkinson and Sheila Gaunt would need a ride. Sheila has a foldable walker.

Joyanna lives on Dallas Rd, corner of Olympia Ave (one block west of Douglas.) Sheila is a few blocks more and 1/2 a block up, on Rithet.  We need to leave in plenty of time to get settled.

If you can offer an on-going, car pool or a ride sometimes as back-up, please contact Joyanna at 250-361-3181 or joyanna@islandnet.com

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Other Info About OurCommunity Of Choirs

High Noon Choir News & Business(Siobhan: any changes?)

High Noon Choir….A daytime community choir

The HIGH NOON CHOIR fires up again on Tuesday September 19, through December 5.

There will be an orientation for new singers at 11:30 on the opening day - Sept.19. 

Whenever Siobhan is in town, she will be leading the High Noon Choir. Dick and Cathy will continue on when Siobhan is away.

Siobhan Robinsong HNC Director

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Admin Team Special Announcements

From time to time Siobhan, Denis, Dick, Cathy, Gloria or Bill will use this section to announce activities and events that they are involved in, or support, outside of

their normal activities on behalf of the choirs or the CCLT.

A Worthy Cause

A Fundraiser at Hermann’s Jazz Club in support of Rainbow Kitchen.  JIVE Jazz band and The Bowker Creek Bluegrass Band.

Come out for a great evening of music Monday, Sept 4th.  By Donation.   Doors at 6:30.  Concert at 7:30.

https://hermannsjazz.com/show/452746/view   

Choir Related Side Notes: 1. The leader of the JIVE Jazz Band is Nick La Riviere a

wonderful musician and performer and the son of former GHC and Current Soundings Bass & Soprano Greg and Elaine La Riviere

2. The Rainbow Kitchen is a great NGO which serves 36.000 meals a year in a safe and supportive environment to the poor and marginalized in our community. As a consequence of the good work they do they recently received a 3 weekend $500,000 Radical Renovation of their facilities from another great organization HeroWork which is the brainchild of visionary Paul Latour husband of GHC Thursday Alto Audrey Mairi.

~ Bill

*********************** QUOTABLES ***********************

Our reality is shaped by our limitations.

Ede Robinson (from: Son of a Trickster)

Editor's Collection

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Another Worthy Cause

This information would normally have been held for the next Community Issue but in this case that would only give those of you who would be interested in it 1 day’s advance notice. So…

Victoria Urban Food-Garden Tour Saturday, Sept. 9, 2017

The tour takes you to your choice of 14 diverse home food gardens – front yards, back yards, allotments, and boulevards. You can talk with gardeners about how to grow fantastic food in small spaces, year-round food gardening, fruit, fowl, bees, soil, irrigation, and much more.  Tickets are $15 at GardenWorks locations or http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3056979. Addresses will be on the tickets. Funds raised support a community teaching farm in Saanich, Haliburton Farm, a similar community farm in South Africa, and help provide fresh, local summer produce to low-income families through the Single Parent Resource Centre. For more information:vicurbanfoodgardens.wixsite.com/tourwww.facebook.com/victoriaurbanfoodgardens/

My thanks to former GHC Alto/Tenor Karen Yearsley for bringing it to my attention

~ Bill

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Choir & Admin TeamWeb Site Links

The Gettin’Higher Choir

GHC Choir Life Home

GHC Choir Life Calendar

Accessing Our newsletters

Using Our Newsletters

Ubuntu Choirs

Community Choir Leadership Trainings

Shivon Robinsong

Denis Donnelly

Soundings Music Ensemble

Bill’s “ICP” Services links

The above list doesn’t appear in all issues of the newsletter Suggestion: If you haven’t previously done so copy it to a Word or other document to store on your computer for future reference.

================== THATS NOT ALL FOLKS ================Our Choir Community Issue (Part 2) follows next Friday with lots of

interesting submissions from other choir community members plus some Quote Breaks and the Just For Fun section!

Please submit any items you have for it by midnightnext Wednesday to bill@gettinhigherchoir.ca

=====================================================You can always find links to both current and past newsletter issues at:

http://www.gettinhigherchoir.ca/choir_life/newsletters.php=====================================================