FEBRUARY 26, 2025
I. REHEARSAL MARCH 3, 2025
Conductor Andrew Chung has asked that, for this coming Monday, we rehearse:
A Strange and Preposterous Affair
Brahms No. 1, 4th Movement
Brahms No. 1, 1st Movement.
Snacks - First Violins. March 10 snacks: Seconds.
II. STRANGE & PREPOSTEROUS? MARCH 22 CONCERT
Poster: Here is the poster for our upcoming concert for you to circulate to your entire mailing list. And please take some from the pile at the rehearsal to post in your favourite neighbourhood cafes, on your local notice boards, and tape to your handy lampposts. Volunteers Lee-Ann Ngu and Robert Lau designed something interesting and eye-catching - to match the intriguing title for the concert.
Tickets: The CCO’s concerts remain very reasonably priced at $20 for adults, $12 for youth (18 and under.) Tickets are available on-line on the orchestra’s website CCOrchestra.org, will be available at the ticket desk at the concert, and can be purchased at rehearsals.
All CCO members are expected to sell two tickets. Helen Li (clarinet) has tickets for you at the rehearsals and is happy to accept your cash or cheques, or you can pay for them by e-transfer to treasurer@ccorchestra.org. If your friends buy their tickets on line, ask them to put a note on their purchase naming you as the seller so that you can get credit for your two sales.
Cookies: Once again we will have cookies and water available for audience members at the intermission. The cookies are provided by the musicians, a fact our audience members seem to appreciate, as the donation jars on the cookie tables are a profit source for Counterpoint. We are hopeful that Whiskful Baking will support us once again.
50/50 Draw: We’ll have a 50/50 draw again. The raffle winner in each of the last few concerts took home around $500 - a pretty good return on the cost of a raffle ticket. Be sure to tell your friends and family to come equipped with cash to purchase lots of tickets: 1 for $5.00, 3 for $10, or $20 for “an arm’s length”.
Concert Volunteers: We need quite a few volunteers at every concert (about 20), and fortunately enjoy a lot of repeat volunteers. If you know someone who would like to join the team, please have them email the Front of House Manager, Robert Mansell robert.mansell@sympatico.ca. Enza Anderson will be our lovely MC once again.
III. CONFIRMING THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Recently, member John Alonso (piano) retired from his position as a Director on the Board of Directors. Fortunately, John is continuing as a CCO member and musician. The remaining Directors truly appreciate John’s willingness to try the Board out for a while, and hope one day when he has some time he’ll join the Board again.
A reminder of who serves on this year’s Board:
Elizabeth Mitchell (Vn II) - Chair
Daniel Payne (cello) - Vice Chair
Kevin Seymour (basson) - Treasurer
Jessica Fernando (Vn. I) - Secretary
David Brownstone (Vla) - Director
Russell Westkirk - Director.
Elections for Board positions are held at the CCO’s Annual General Meeting in October or November. Never too early to start thinking about standing for election. In fact, the CCO’s By-Laws allow for more than the current six Directors, so let any Director know if you would like to consider an appointment right now.
IV. IMPORTANT CCO DATES
CCO rehearsals are Monday evenings, 7:30 to 9:30pm. at The 519 Community Centre, 519 Church Street, unless otherwise indicated in the schedule below. Musicians need to bring a music stand and a copy of their music. Intermission snacks are provided by sections in rotation: first violins, then seconds, then viola, cello and double bass, then winds, brass and piano.
Monday March 3 - rehearsals continue Mondays unless noted otherwise. Snacks first violins. Next week, seconds.
Thursday March 13 - Board meeting by Zoom. Members may attend. Request a Zoom invitation from emitchell1727@gmail.com
Monday March 17 - hoping to invite composer Kathryn Knowles to this rehearsal.
Friday March 20 - Dress Rehearsal 7:00 to 10:00pm - Eastminster United, 310 Danforth Ave. (Chester subway)
Saturday March 22 - Strange & Preposterous? - 7:30pm start - Eastminster United
Monday March 24 - no rehearsal
Monday March 31 - rehearsals resume
Monday April 21 - no rehearsal (Easter Monday holiday) (possibly will hold a vote about rehearsing this date)
Monday May 19 - no rehearsal (Victoria Day)
Friday June 6 - Dress Rehearsal, 7:00 to 10:00pm - Eastminster United Church
Saturday June 7 - Concert, 7:30pm - Eastminster United Church.
In July and August, 2025, there will be two concerts, on dates yet to be determined, outside at Allan Gardens. Performances by featured small ensembles, plus CCO musicians, one in July, one in Aug. with a picnic following the August performance. If you have a small ensemble (at least one member must be a CCO member) you can apply to perform at one of these concerts to Daniel Payne, payne.danny@gmail.com.
V. OTHER MUSIC AND CCO MEMBERS
Message from Beth Brown (oboe) about her performance February 28, 7:30, Annette Studios, 566 Annette Street, Toronto: “… I’ll be performing a piece for oboe and mezzo-soprano by Dorothy Rudd Moore as part of the Untitled Ensemble’s Black history month concert. Details are here and CCO members can get a 20% discount using this link:
Elizabeth Brown 604-505-0454; www.UntitledEnsemble.ca::www.oboistic.ca”
If you personally are performing somewhere and you would like others to know, you can:
(i) post it in the Musicians Only portal of CCOrchestra.org;
(ii) bring your poster to the rehearsals and leave it at the table at the entranceway (musicians can also leave information about other performing opportunities there);
(iii) send details to emitchell1727@gmail.com for including in the CCO Announcements.
To unsubscribe, contact a Director, make suggestions, or volunteer, contact emitchell1727@gmail.com.
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