“The One Heart Choir" is a community devoted to singing as a Spiritual Practice through the service of sharing the Joy of music, and the oneness of Harmony and Love.

ONE HEART CHOIR   FALL 2008 - SPRING 2009 

The “One Heart Choir”  is a singing community whose vocal sound is woven together by something more than the strength of individual talent.  With an emphasis on community, members are committed to helping each other rise above “limitations” by supporting individual creative and personal growth within the group.  What you get when you experience “The One Heart Choir” singing together is music that expresses the love and trust that is developed in the process.

Values: Spirituality. Community. Joy. Harmony. Fun.
Devoted to singing as a spiritual practice, "The One Heart Choir" comes together as a service community to share the joy of music and the harmony of oneness in a fun, uplifting way.

Membership:
There is open enrollment, as space allows, in September.Prospective members are asked to contact director Claire Victor (Vocalist@comcast.net) to set up an audition time BEFORE August 24. This short vocal interview will determine your range and skill level in order to match you with an opening in the appropriate section.

Time Commitment:
Thursday evening rehearsals begin at 6:30 on September 18, 2008. Mandatory sectional rehearsals begin September 25, 6:30 -7:25 in assigned rooms; 7:30-9:00 the whole choir meets to work on blend and dynamics in room 10. We sing on designated Sundays at all three services. Performance days, we meet at 7:40 a.m. for warm ups and sound check onstage in the sanctuary. Final meeting is a celebration usually the week after we have our final performance – tentatively May 21, 2009. We will also have an all day fall retreat November 15 and a weekend retreat in the spring TBA.

Performances & Rehearsals: 2008-2009
Oct 19 Sunday service
Nov 15 All day retreat off site
Nov 22 Choir showcase “Many From the One”
Nov 25 Choir Band rehearsal for next evening
Nov 26 Thanksgiving Eve service
Dec 21 Sunday service
Feb 22 Sunday service
T.B.A. Spring weekend retreat (off-site)
April 12 Sunday service
May 16 “Resurface the roof” concert
May 17 Last choir Sunday of season
May 21-(Tentative date) End-of-Season Potluck Celebration

On the Thursday evening prior to our performance Sunday, we set up risers in the Sanctuary and have a full band rehearsal. On these evenings prepare to stay until 9:30 and sometimes 10:00. Also, the week or two before any concert date, expect to attend additional rehearsals as scheduled.

Membership Requirement:
To join the choir, you must have completed or be concurrently enrolled in the Foundations class. Fall 2008 Foundations class begins Sept 8. It is strongly recommended that in addition to this you attend the Free SEVA workshop and/or attend the Church Membership classes. Call Georgett at 546-4543 for date of next workshop

Accountability:
EVERYONE needs to have a choir buddy from your section. If you need to miss a rehearsal please inform your choir "buddy" at least 1 hour in advance. You are responsible for any missed material. Your buddy can tape rehearsals and give you any new info. Please let section leader know if you plan to miss a performance date. Please indicate planned absences on attendance sheet. Respect others in your section, come on time and be prepared.

Music Preparation:
A practice CD is distributed with sectional parts on it at the beginning of each session. Because some parts may be taught in sectionals, everyone is expected to have a recording device at all rehearsals. If you miss this it is your responsibility to get your parts from a section buddy and be prepared for the next rehearsal.

Sheet Music is now provided in the yahoo group. Look under “files” for “PDF files” of the music. You'll find that some songs/chants just have the lyrics, some only include a melody line and some will have parts. You are responsible for printing your music in a timely fashion.

Homework:
Learn your parts to the best of your ability AT HOME. Listen to your work CD in-between rehearsals. In sectionals we review the parts you have been learning at home, work on blend, musical interpretation and tackle challenging places in the music. All music is to be memorized and we are “off book” two weeks prior to performance date.

Choir Email:
Choir email is essential. Check weekly before rehearsal for announcements. This is the way we keep each other informed of music related announcements, community-building events, questions pertaining to music preparation, prayer requests and appreciation. If you do not have email make sure you get a copy from your choir buddy BEFORE rehearsal. Choir email is for currently enrolled members only. Please, NO chain letters or political mail or stories, cards, angel blessings and so on no matter how cute they are.

Here are the e-mail addresses to post, subscribe or to unsubscribe from our group, & the website location:
Post message: OneHeartChoir@yahoogroups.com
Subscribe:  OneHeartChoir-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Unsubscribe: OneHeartChoir-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
List owner: OneHeartChoir-owner@yahoogroups.com
Group Website: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/OneHeartChoir

Yahoo Groups has ALL of the One Heart Choir messages ever sent, and you can look at them any time.  To do this you have to:
 
1)  Go to Yahoo.com;  
2)  Find the Groups "button" and push it, so you'll be at:http://groups.yahoo.com 
3)  Find the Sign In! "button" and push it; 
4)  Sign in with your Yahoo ID and Password (you must already have one if you are in the group); 
5)  Push “OneHeartChoir” in the 'My Groups' column; 
6)  Bookmark the page so you never have to go through this nonsense ever again (very, very important!);  
7)  Read any of the messages ever posted.

Service:
Your service participation is requested and necessary in sharing the day to day activities that keeps choir running.  Please find a way to help share the many SEVA positions available as they come up.  If you can't make a full time commitment, share a service with someone.

Dress Code:
Created for the purpose of visually enhancing our choir presentation, we ask the choir to wear a certain dress code style or color for performances to give the visual expression of harmony and beauty that carries our music's message of Oneness even deeper. You will be expected to either borrow or purchase some items if you do not currently own them. Typically there is a 3 week advance notice so you can plan your outfit. Questions? Contact Denise Tidd - tstidd@sonic.net

Treatment and Prayer:
Choir practitioners are available for you to request prayer. We open each sectional with prayer and this is a great opportunity to practice praying out loud. You also might consider having a choir prayer partner.

In addition to the above each member is asked to sign a personal commitment to the choir as stated below. 

One Heart Choir commitment agreement, September 2008 
The “One Heart Choir”  is a singing community whose vocal sound is woven together by something more than the strength of individual talent.  With an emphasis on teamwork, members are committed to helping each other rise above “limitations” by supporting individual creative and personal growth within the group.  We invite you to join in this sacred SEVA music ministry for the Center of Spiritual Living, Santa Rosa.

In signing this agreement I mindfully embrace certain commitments and responsibilities for the greater good of the choir community.

I commit to attending a full session; September through Christmas with a 2 week holiday break then continuing January through May.  Choir sings at the second and third service, generally the third Sunday of the month.  Tentatively scheduled Fall/Spring 2008-2009 performance dates are:

Performances & Rehearsals: 2008-09
Oct 19 Sunday service
Nov 15 All day retreat off site
Nov 22 Choir showcase “Many From the One”
Nov 25 Choir Band rehearsal for next evening
Nov 26 Thanksgiving Eve service
Dec 21 Sunday service
Feb 22 Sunday service
T.B.A. Spring weekend retreat (off-site)
April 12 Sunday service
May 16 “Resurface the roof” concert
May 17 last choir Sunday of season
May 21-(Tentative date) End-of-Season Potluck Celebration

Commitment Agreement
I will arrive on time to rehearsals and performances.  I will bring a binder notebook for my music, a recording device & pencil to all rehearsals.  

I will adhere to the dress code for choir Sundays.  See “Rise and Shine” dress team handout for details.
  
I recognize that I will be expected to either borrow or purchase some items if I do not currently own them.  

I will have a “buddy” relationship with someone from my section. I will call or email my section leader or choir buddy at least 1 hour prior to any missed rehearsals and will be responsible for any material missed by my absence that my buddy will collect for me.   I will inform my buddy and  the choir director about absences from choir Sunday.  
 
I will join the yahoo email group or have my buddy make email copies for me prior to rehearsal so I am up to date on weekly announcements.  
To Subscribe:  OneHeartChoir-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

I have completed Foundations class or the date I am planning to attend class.    ________  
Please mark additionally if you are a member of the CSLSR. ________  
Please mark additionally if you have attended the SEVA workshop ________

I agree to to process my personal challenges in the following manner:  First to pray.  If it is not resolved, then speak directly to the person involved, then see a practitioner, then speak to my section leader or the choir director, then speak to the minister.

I acknowledge that I am 100% responsible for my experience in Choir.  I promise to ask for what I need, be part of the solution, not part of the problem, and to be the “Us” in chorus, not the “I” in choir.

I acknowledge that there are many SEVA opportunities in choir; I promise to contribute some service to the Choir in addition to singing.

I acknowledge that participating in the Music Ministry at CSLSR is a spiritual practice and I am committed to giving and receiving the most joy possible in this practice.

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Name printed

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Signature and Date