On Saturday, May 12, 2018, hundreds of singers and invited choirs from all around the region will join forces in Singing Together For Peace, an uplifting intergenerational festival of gospel and folk music at Yale’s magnificent Woolsey Hall! This event is being sponsored by the Saecula Choir Foundation in honor of the 25th Anniversary of the Elm City and United Girls’ Choirs.
For participating singers, the day will begin with a friendly group warm-up at 9:30am followed by an inspiring gospel music masterclass led by the amazing Michael Whitney Brown! The culmination of the program will be an uplifting concert at 12:30pm featuring performances by individual ensembles as well as a spectacular massed choir.
You’re invited to participate in both the masterclass and concert. Please reserve your masterclass ticket online by following the instructions below. Masterclass tickets include reserved seating for the 12:30pm concert, so you do not need to order a separate concert ticket. Guest singers will be seated in an assigned section of the audience and will come forward at the appropriate times to perform with their individual ensembles (if applicable) and with the massed choir.
HOW TO ORDER YOUR MASTERCLASS TICKET:
- *Select the masterclass ticket option of your choice.
*Tickets for both the masterclass and concert are available on a “pay what you can” basis to ensure accessibility for all. Please note that this event is a fundraiser for Saecula Choir Foundation and Sisters in Song Scholarship Fund, so you are certainly welcome and encouraged (though not expected) to contribute the suggested donation (or any other amount) if you’re comfortable doing so. Anyone wishing to offer extra support may become a benefactor, which includes a special listing in the concert program. Thank you for your consideration!
- If you wish to order any additional masterclass and/or concert tickets for other people, you may use the same form to do so. Perhaps you have a friend who would enjoy singing with you or a neighbor who might like to attend the concert. It promises to be an inspiring and unforgettable day, and all are welcome!
- Click “next”, fill out the requested information. Then click “next” again.
- Enter payment info (if applicable) and then click the appropriate button to complete your order.
Your ticket will be e-mailed to you. Please bring a copy with you on May 12 (either printed out or displayed on a smartphone or other electronic device) to expedite your registration process. The QR code will be scanned when you arrive.
WHAT TO WEAR:
If you are a member of a choir that has a specific uniform or dress code for performances, please dress accordingly. Otherwise, please wear an all-black outfit or other simple attire (solid colors and dark tones preferred) or simply “come as you are”!
WHAT TO BRING:
Please bring a water bottle, a bag lunch and/or hearty snack, at least one pencil, an open mind, and a huge smile!
SCHEDULE:
9:00am – 9:25am Registration for Masterclass Participants (individual singers and choirs) in Woolsey Hall Rotunda
9:30am – 9:40am Masterclass Participants Assemble in Concert Hall
9:40am – 10:00am Welcome, Warm-up, and Introductions for Masterclass Participants
10:00am – 11:30am Massed Choir Rehearsal for Masterclass Participants: An uplifting and inclusive intergenerational workshop on gospel and folk music led by renowned singer / songwriter, Michael Whitney Brown. Participants will learn several songs, which they will perform during the 12:30pm concert as guests of the Saecula Community Gospel Choir. All are welcome – even those who may prefer just to observe! There is no expectation of prior choral experience or musical training, and participants will never be asked to sing by themselves unless they wish to do so. The only requirements are an open mind and a smile!
11:30am – 12:20pm Lunch Break for Masterclass Participants (bring a bag lunch from home or grab a quick bite at a nearby restaurant)
12:30pm – Concert: An inspiring “song share”-style performance featuring the Saecula Community Gospel Choir, Elm City Girls’ Choir, United Girls’ Choir, Newark Boys Chorus, Saecula Singers, GMChorale & Vocal Alchemy, and many other wonderful choral ensembles from around the region. You will surely leave feeling refreshed, invigorated, and energized!
A NOTE TO THE DIRECTORS OF FEATURED GUEST CHOIRS:
Featured guest choirs are invited to perform one short piece individually during the concert (gospel, folk, and peace-themed repertoire are especially encouraged, but you are absolutely welcome to perform any selection of your choice). Please do your best to choose something that does not exceed 3 1/2 minutes in length to help us keep the concert to a reasonable length. Please e-mail scf@saecula.org by Monday, May 7 or ASAP to let us know whether or not you will be performing a piece individually and, if so what the title, composer/arranger, and approximate duration of the piece will be. If possible, please also send us an informal recording of your ensemble rehearsing or performing the piece or an excerpt thereof (this will help us to program the featured choirs’ individual selections in a logical order).
We will be running on a very tight schedule, so we won’t have a chance to do an entire “walk through” before the concert, but we realize that some of the featured choirs may want an opportunity to assemble briefly on the stage and do a quick “sound check.” Featured choirs can sign up for a three-minute sound check on stage between 8:30am and 9:25am on this sign-up sheet (if you sign up for a sound check, please also e-mail scf@saecula.org to confirm the time for which you have signed up). If you don’t need an on-stage sound check, another option is to hold an off-stage rehearsal with your ensemble sometime between 8:45am and 9:25am and/or during the lunch break (11:30am-12:20pm). Off-stage rehearsal space at Woolsey Hall is quite limited, but if everyone is flexible and creative, we should be able to find places for groups to assemble and rehearse. If you need accompaniment for your rehearsal, you are encouraged to bring along a battery-powered portable keyboard, as there are no rehearsal pianos in the building, and electrical outlets may not be accessible in all locations. Some options for informal rehearsal spaces include the second floor lobby, outer rotunda, somewhere in the basement (below the stage or below the audience area), or outdoors in Beinecke Plaza — a courtyard behind Woolsey Hall (weather permitting). If you have signed up for a sound check and/or you are planning to rehearse informally with your choir prior to 9:25am and/or during the lunch break, please instruct them accordingly.
DRIVING DIRECTIONS AND PARKING:
Driving Directions to Woolsey Hall, Yale University, 500 College St., New Haven, CT 06511:
From 1-91 North or South: Take exit 3 (Trumbull Street). At the end of the exit ramp, turn left onto Orange Street. At the first traffic light, turn right onto Grove Street. Woolsey Hall is three blocks down on the left at the intersection of Grove Street and College Street.
From Route 34 (Derby Ave.) into New Haven: Stay on the right of Route 34 as it changes into George Street. Follow George Street to Church Street. Turn Left onto Church Street. At the fifth traffic light turn left onto Grove Street. Woolsey Hall is three blocks down on the left at the intersection of Grove Street and College Street.
Parking: Metered street parking in the Woolsey Hall area is available on Grove, College, and Wall Streets.
QUESTIONS:
If you have any questions, please contact the Saecula Choir Foundation office at scf@saecula.org or (203) 772-8618.
Thank you!
Saecula Choir Foundation 