Join the Greater Richmond Children's Choir!

Auditions are held several times a year for the following season which begins in August.

Those interested in joining the Entry Level Treble Choir do not have to audition, but parents and choristers are encouraged to attend one of the information sessions held in the spring.

Singers interested in auditioning for the intermediate and advanced GRCC choirs should prepare a simple song of their choice, accompanied or unaccompanied. (Accompanist will be provided at the audition if needed.) Assessment of music skills, voice range and level of desired commitment will determine choir placement.

Tuition is $475 for entire season and includes camp. Need based financial aid is available. (Treble Choir choristers may attend camp as a way to sample the GRCC experience. Under this plan, camp is $100 and if the chorister then commits to the full season that $100 they paid for camp is applied as a credit against the $475 tuition, meaning they would pay a balance $375 for the season.) 

To register and/or schedule an audition time, email grcchoir@gmail.com or call Executive Director Anne Williford at 804-201-1894.

Don't be nervous! There is a choir for you!

 

Guidelines for Choristers 

Attendance

No ensemble or organization can operate successfully without the full and consistent cooperation of its members. The policies below must be followed: 

  • Members are expected to attend all rehearsals, arriving and departing according to the rehearsal schedule for his/her choir. Constant tardiness or early departures are not acceptable.
  • Concerts are mandatory. In the rare instance when a student must miss a performance, for reasons other than because of illness, permission must have been granted for the absence well in advance of the performance, as soon as the conflict has arisen and has been determined to be unavoidable.
  • Mandatory Rehearsals – These are clearly indicated on the detailed schedule and generally are scheduled immediately preceding a concert. If a chorister does not attend a mandatory rehearsal he/she may not be allowed to perform at the concert. Emergency absences should be reported to the Choir Conductor AS WELL AS the Executive Director.
  • Two excused rehearsal absences will be allowed per semester. Absences must be preceded by notice in writing or e-mail to the Conductor and Executive Director prior to the date to be missed. Emergency absences should be called into the Choir Director or Executive Director as soon as possible.
  • Homework or studying for exams is not an excusable absence. Please plan responsibly for academics.
  • On occasion, we receive invitations to perform after the calendar has been set. In such cases, we ask that you notify us of your availability as soon as possible so that a decision to confirm the performance can be made promptly. In this case, prior game and performance commitments to other groups are excused and do not count toward the two excused GRCC absences per semester.
  • In the event of snow or ice, any cancellation of choir rehearsal will follow the cancellation announcements of the VCU evening classes.

  

Rehearsals

The Greater Richmond Children’s Choir repertoire is both challenging and extensive, so it is essential that every minute of available rehearsal time be used productively. Accordingly, choristers should:

  • BRING TWO SHARPENED PENCILS WITH ERASER HEADS AND ALL MUSIC TO ALL REHEARSALS. This is crucial to take notes so that you may optimize home practice.
  • Arrive in plenty of time to proceed directly to the rehearsal room, check in and pick up new music and hand-outs.
  • Rehearsals are times of serious work, study, and musical growth. It is a challenge to achieve high standards in such limited rehearsal time. Therefore it is vital to our program to accept only well-behaved students who are ready and willing to work, learn, and grow.
  • Water bottles are acceptable, but food and other drinks are not allowed in the choir room, chapel or sanctuary. The church vending machine is off-limits.
  • Students may not “wander around” the church.
  • CHEWING GUM IS NEVER ALLOWED FROM ARRIVAL TO DEPARTURE IN ANY VENUE.
  • Students may socialize before and after rehearsals, and at break times. Chatting at other times is not allowed.
  • Cell phone usage and texting will not be tolerated during rehearsal. Students observed to be texting or otherwise using their cell phones or other devices will have them taken away.

 

Music Folders

Each student will be assigned a music folder. Choristers will be responsible for having their music folder at each rehearsal. THIS IS A MUST! In order to mark musical directions, they should also bring two sharpened pencils; absolutely no pens. The folders and the music are the property of GRCC, and the cost of lost or damaged music must be reimbursed to GRCC. This season a canvas music bag will be provided to every chorister. If the bag and the music are lost, the cost of both must be submitted to GRCC. Replacement can be as much as $50.

 

Handouts and Email

We have found the best method for communicating the details of choir schedules, attire, and other information is by email and by sending letters home from rehearsal with the student. Ask your child after each rehearsal for any handouts he or she received that day. It is difficult to remember to deliver a letter after a long rehearsal. If your child is going to be absent, arrange with someone to give that day’s communications and rehearsal instructions to you and your chorister.

We use email to communicate information that must be communicated between meetings. If you give us an email address, please be sure it is accurate and that you check your email frequently. If you do not have email, please ask another parent in the choir to call you with email details.

 

Discipline

One of the goals of GRCC is to help choristers develop and maintain self discipline. In the case of a child’s chronic misbehavior, we will notify the parents. If the discipline problem persists, the chorister will be removed from the choir with no refund of tuition.

 

Parent Assistance (Pick Up and Drop Off from rehearsals)

The GRCC has benefited each season from an active group of parent volunteers. We are grateful for your involvement in making rehearsals productive. We ask that each family take on a few rehearsals throughout the season during which you will be asked to perform the following duties:

  • Arrive fifteen minutes early to wait by the door for children who are being dropped off.
  • Wait in the alley with the children after rehearsal until the last student is picked up.

Drop off procedure: Drivers may enter the parking lot directly behind the church from Floyd Ave. where they will tap on the card in card reader just before the gate in order to raise the gate up. Please leave the card as you found it. Pull up to the door and the student may get out there. The parent helper will be at the door and let them in. In the event that the helper is not present, please press the buzzer to be let in the building. Drivers should proceed through the lot to the gate at the Cherry St. exit. Pull up to the gate and it will rise to let you through. Please see important information below about parking.

Pick up procedure: After rehearsal, choristers are escorted to the alley on the south side of the church where parents may pick up their child in a carpool line. Please make sure everyone who drives your child knows these procedures.

A parent helper schedule will be sent home after the first rehearsal in September. Please make note of your assigned dates; if you are unable to fulfill that duty on the assigned date, please find a substitute. We appreciate your attention to this detail. This is a matter of safety, and it is very important that you make every effort to pick up your child promptly.

 

Parking

The small lot behind Grace and Holy Trinity Episcopal Church is not to be used by choir parents (it is clearly marked “PERMIT ONLY”) and the alleys behind the church are also clearly marked as “NO PARKING” areas. Grace and Holy Trinity graciously provides our rehearsal space and their only request of us is that we not park in their parking lots. The parent helper for the rehearsal however, may park in the church lot (the angled parking in the alley) if space is available. Upon arrival, please leave a note on your dashboard saying “GRCC parent helper”.

Parking Options

Some time-limited street parking is available around the church neighborhood. In addition, there are two parking decks open 24 hours daily, seven days a week. The decks are located at the corners of Main and Laurel and West Broad Street and Harrison Street. These decks charge a fee.

GRCC parents are responsible for payment of all parking tickets received for parking without permit or decal; GRCC is unable to pay parking tickets or reimburse individuals for the cost of a ticket.

 

Practice at Home

All choristers are required to practice at home for at least 20 minutes per day, six days each week. The

actual time may vary according to the ability of the chorister, but it is essential that all choristers learn the music! Assignments regarding which repertoire is to be learned for the following week(s) are given out at each rehearsal verbally and/or in written form. Follow these home practice instructions!

  • Stand in front of a mirror so that you can see as well as feel and hear that you are singing properly.
  • Start with vocal warm ups to encourage free singing.
  • Practice solfege from Kodaly 333 Exercises every day.
  • Master the week’s assignment first, and then review and/or learn the other music in the folder.
  • Practice singing text in correct rhythm on one note, focusing on proper diction and vowel sounds.
  • Notes must be learned and music must be memorized by the assigned date.

 

Home Practice Instructions for Singers!

Compiled for the Greater Richmond Children’s Choir by Leilani Mork

  • Check your key signature, time signature, and all musical markings (legato, presto, etc.) Make sure you know what they mean.
  • Look through the music and find the potential problems and practice these areas first:
  • Meter changes – circle them and know when and how it changes your counting
  • Key changes – circle them and know when and how it changes where „Do‟ is.
  • Tricky rhythms (tied notes, etc.) – circle them and practice counting the rhythms slowly and correctly as numbers, then with solfege and then with the words.
  • Tricky intervals – practice the solfege slowly so you get it into your ear correctly.
  • Practice the breath marks so you have enough breath for the long phrases and can articulate ending consonants at the correct place.
  • Look up any words you don’t understand in the text so you know what you’re singing about as well as how to pronounce them.
  • Practice in small sections (1 phrase at a time):
  • Tapping the beat while counting the rhythms
  • Tapping the beat while speaking the solfege
  • Tapping the beat while singing the solfege
  • Tapping the beat while speaking the words in rhythm
  • Tapping the beat while singing the words in rhythm
  • Go through each phrase and check dynamics and articulations and add them into your work.
  • Once you’ve mastered a phrase, put two phrases together; continue in this fashion until song is completed.

Things to remember:

  • Check with a piano, keyboard or pitch pipe frequently to make sure you are staying on pitch. Find the note or notes that are the intonation culprits and correct them.
  • Mark in your beats of rests so that you are aware of how many beats there are before your next entrance.
  • If you have the ability to record yourself, do! Your ears will become your best friend and it will give you an immediate feedback if you are right but more importantly, if you are wrong!
  • If you are having difficulty with an area, be sure to circle it and ask when you’re at rehearsal so we can address those issues to make sure you understand what you’re doing wrong and how to fix it.
  • Find phrases that are similar and practice them back to back where any pitch or rhythm changes so you can understand where they are the same and where they are different.
  • Look up the composer so you know who he/she is, when they were born, where they’re from, etc. Find out other major works they have written and then listen to their music to get a better idea of the style.
  • Lastly, if 20-minutes a day is not getting you the results you need by the next rehearsal, try adding in increments of 5 minutes a day and see if that helps. If you have difficulty with finding all that time in one sitting, break it up throughout the day but always do at least 10 minutes at one sitting. Make sure you are not being distracted during that time of rehearsal and always remember to review what you learned the day before!!!

 

Concert Preparation

Parents play an important role in their child’s preparation for performances. The weeks of practice at home, encouragement, and early planning can make performances an exciting and fulfilling culmination of concentrated rehearsal work.

At All Times For General Good Health

  • Sleep well.
  • Drink lots of water and eat nutritiously; avoid sweets, junk food, and caffeinated beverages.
  • Keep a calendar and avoid stress created by over-scheduling yourself.
  • Stay away from people with colds or other contagious illnesses.

The Night Before a Concert

  • Lay out your concert attire; check that everything is ready. Review your music!

On Concert Day

  • Eat a light, nutritious meal one to two hours before the concert.
  • Avoid rushing, plan plenty of time for dressing, travel, etc.
  • Review concert etiquette rules (below)
  • IMPORTANT: Discuss where you will meet up after the concert.

Study your music again on the day of the concert and vocalize before you arrive at the venue.

Arrive ahead of your appointed rehearsal time, so that every group gets to rehearse!

Because so many families come from such a distance, we generally schedule rehearsals prior to the concert instead of having an extra mandatory rehearsal the day before which would be optimal musically. (We are trying to save you travel time and gas!) It is imperative that all singers arrive a few minutes prior to the appointed rehearsal time with the concert music fresh in their heads so that each group can have their full rehearsal time and everyone can have 20-30 minutes between the end of the last rehearsal and the beginning of the concert. This is the goal. Please do your part to make it happen! Thanks!

 

Performance Etiquette

On Stage

  • Move into place with grace and dignity.
  • Keep your eyes on the director at all times.
  • Stand tall with your arms hanging freely at your sides. Distribute your weight equally on both feet and don‟t lock your knees.
  • No scratching, fumbling with clothes and hair, or making other distracting movements. Not everyone can hear who sang the wrong note, but all can see the one fidgeting!
  • Focus on the phrase you are singing, rather than on mistakes made by you or anyone else.
  • Think about the words you are singing and communicate the message to your audience with your diction as well as with your facial expression and body language. You are all wonderful people. Let your light shine!
  • Above all, remember that you are singing for your parents and other people who love you! Everyone loves to hear young people sing, especially when they sing as well as the GRCC.

In the Audience

  • Sit quietly and attentively. Absolutely no talking. Turn off phones and beepers. Keep feet still and don’t poke or play with your neighbor.
  • Do not leave your seat during the performance. If there is an emergency, try to wait until between pieces to exit.

 

Choir Attire

We have uniform outfits for the GRCC:

  • Girls: Uniform long black dress, to be ordered through the GRCC (Cost: $55) Black hose. Knee highs are fine.
  • Boys: Uniform black vest to be ordered through the GRCC (Cost: $30), dress black slacks, white long sleeved dress shirt, black bowtie, black socks.
  • Both: Black close-toed dress shoes.
  • No pointy heels and no heels higher than one inch!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • Keep your hair out of your eyes.
  • Hair accessories, if any, must also be black.
  • Earrings, if any, must be small and must not sparkle. No other jewelry.
  • Watches must not make noise.

We also have informal concert wear that consists of a GRCC t-shirt to be ordered through the GRCC (cost approx. $15.) Black or dark pants - no jeans.

We are looking forward to making music with you!