Performance Tips

• We are a choral group and as such should present a consistent appearance in our dress and demeanor. In other words try not to distract the audience by drawing attention to yourself. Specifically:
  1. Adhere to the concert attire guidelines for the performance.
  2. Use the standard black notebook for your music. Carry and hold up a music notebook even if you are memorized to maintain a consistent appearance for the group.
  3. The audience will enjoy seeing chorus members appearing to have a good time but will be distracted by over-animation.
  4. Do not converse or joke with your neighbor between songs. Everything that happens on the risers is observed, even those whispered side comments.
• We normally queue up to enter from the side hall off of the lobby. Please try to keep conversation to a minimum when waiting to enter the performance hall. The sum of all of your "quiet" conversations adds up to quite a cacophony coming from the lobby into the performance hall.
• Walk up to the risers quietly with a purposeful pace and keep even spacing in the line. While walking up to the risers, music books are held in your hand that is closest to the center of the performance hall.
• During the song introduction look up at the director. Trust the director to bring you in. Smile in anticipation of a wonderful song.
• Look over the top of your notebook at the director to follow tempo and dynamic cues. We have to work together to turn these songs into music.
• While singing, hold your book up high so your eye movement is slight. You know this music better than you think.
• Smile when performing. The audience will enjoy the concert more if it is apparent that you are having fun.
• After your last note hold still with your book open until the accompanist stops playing the piano. Any activity such as turning to the next piece distracts the audience from contemplating and enjoying the final passage.
• Turn pages quietly during and between songs. Turning the page slowly (if time allows) is the best way to minimize the noise for the audience and the CD recording.
• If you think you did well performing a song, smile. If you think you made some mistakes, smile anyway. The audience probably didn't hear your mistakes but they will certainly see any dissatisfaction registered on your face.
• At the intermission, we will exit the risers and move out into the lobby the way we came in. Please make the full trip. Don't peel off to start talking to your friends in the audience.
• Don't talk amongst yourself during the Specials even if you are offstage.
• Turn your attention to soloists (piano or vocalist) during songs. You don't need to be reading the music during the solos.
• Applause for the individual performances is okay when you are sitting in the wings and are a part of the audience. However, when on the risers we usually don't applaud for the Specials since we are also "on stage" and a part of the performance.
• And most important: Relax - have fun.