NEWSLETTER
August 11, 2003

Dear Choirmembers and Parents:

Hello all! I hope you have all had a very pleasant summer and are enjoying this splendid weather!

Thank you to the Touring Choir for your outstanding singing on the Canada tour. All went very well--wonderful singing, great sights and lots of new friends at the Niagara Festival. Thank you to all the chaperones and staff who provided wonderful leadership on the tour--and especially to Glennis Ireland for heading up the leadership team!! We all had a wonderful time!

Thank you to those of you who sang at this summer's special performances--at the Alaska Flag Day celebration on July 9 and for the Alaska Zoo on July 11.

STATE FAIR SINGING: Thank you to those of you who have signed up to sing at the State Fair on Thursday, August 21. We'll be singing in the Colony Theatre building--our performance begins at 7:30 p.m., we'll need to be there by 6:45 p.m. to warm-up and prepare. I'll have two rehearsals the week prior to that performance--one in the Valley for Palmer/Wasilla singers--Monday, August 18 from 6-7 p.m. and one in Anchorage for Anchorage singers--Tuesday, August 19 from 5 p.m.-6 p.m. At the rehearsals on those days, you'll receive your State Fair pass for August 21. You'll receive the meal chits on Thursday, August 21 at the Fair.

AUDITIONS AND BEGINNING OF FALL SEMESTER: The Fall Semester will begin the week of September 2. Registration and auditions for everyone will be held the week of August 25. All returning singers are asked to sign up for an audition appointment--each appointment lasting approximately 10-15 minutes. By listening to everyone, I will be able to assess vocal range and skill of a singer staying in the same level and /or determine whether a singer should advance to the next level. All registration materials will be available at this time so this can be completed before the first rehearsal. (I've also attached registration documents to this email for your convenience.) I will also be auditioning new singers.
Auditions will be held in two locations: in Palmer at Trinity Lutheran Church on Monday, Wednesday (August 25/27) and in Anchorage at Central Lutheran Church , 15th and Cordova on Tuesday and Thursday (August 26/28). To schedule an appointment, please email me--jstotts@pobox.alaska.net or call 746-3164.


REHEARSAL SCHEDULE FOR 2003/2004
Minisingers, Mastersingers, Chambersingers, Jubilate must attend one rehearsal per week. Touring Choir members must attend two rehearsals per week.

Tuesday/Anchorage--Central Lutheran Church

Minisingers and Mastersingers 4:30-6:30 p.m.
Chambersingers 5:00-7:00 p.m.
Touring Choir 7:00-9:00 p.m.


Wednesday/Palmer--Trinity Lutheran Church

Minisingers, Mastersingers and
Chambersingers 4:30-6:30 p.m.
Touring Choir 5:30-7:30 p.m.


Thursday/Anchorage--Central Lutheran Church

Jubilate 6:00-8:00 p.m.
Touring Choir 7:00-9:00 p.m.


Friday/Palmer--Trinity Lutheran Church

Jubilate 4:30-6:30 p.m.
Touring Choir 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Monthly Saturday rehearsals will be held at Anchorage Lutheran Church--15th and N Streetsh for ALL CHOIRMEMBERS --Saturday rehearsals are normally scheduled on the third Saturday of the month:
September 20, October 18, November 15, January 17, February 21, March 20, April 17.

Minisingers, Mastersingers, Chambersingers rehearse from 12 noon until 2 p.m.
Jubilate from 1-3 p.m.
Touring Choir from 1-4 p.m.
Camerata from 4-5 p.m.

REHEARSAL SCHEDULE FOR WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 2 and SEPTEMBER 9, 2003:

Tuesday, September 2 and September 9: 4:30 -6 p.m. --Anchorage group of Minisingers, Mastersingers, Chambersingers, Touring Choir at Central Lutheran Church, 15th and Cordova, Anchorage

Wednesday, September 3 and September 10: 4:30-6 p.m.--Valley group of Minisingers, Mastersingers, Chambersingers, Touring Choir at Trinity Lutheran Church, Palmer

Thursday, September 4 and September 11: 4:30-6 p.m.--Anchorage group of Jubilate and Touring Choir at Central Lutheran Church, 15th and Cordova

Friday, Spetember 5 and September 12: 4:30-6 p.m.--Valley group of Jubilate and Touring Choir at Trinity Lutheran Church, Palmer

I am the music director for Valley Performing Arts production of "The Sound of Music" which opens on Friday, September 12--the first two weeks of September are very busy with run-throughs and dress rehearsals. By the way, we have several ACC singers who are in the cast--Rolf is Ben Martinson, Friedrich is Sawyer Graber, Kurt is David Kennedy (former ACC member) , Brigitta is Madelyn Peterson, Gretl is Holly Peterson, Louisa is Chelsea Hubbard, among the nuns and postulants are: Liza Krauszer, Jessica Wetherell, Katie Smith.

PRELIMINARY CALENDAR INFORMATION

September 2: Fall Semester begins
September 20: Monthly Saturday rehearsal at Anchorage Lutheran Church, Anchorage
October 18: Monthly Saturday rehearsal at Anchorage Lutheran Church, Anchorage
November 15-21: Anchorage Opera's production of La Boheme (we'll have 12 singers participating)
November 15: Monthly Saturday rehearsal at Anchorage Lutheran Church, Anchorage
December 6: Valley Holiday Concert
December 7: Holiday Concert at Anchorage Museum
December 19: Dress Rehearsal for Holiday Concert at Discovery Theatre, ACPA
December 20-21: Holiday Concert at Discovery Theatre, ACPA
January 5: Winter/Spring Semester begins
February 6-8: Participation in Choral Festival with guest conductor--John Ferguson--held at Anchorage Lutheran Church
February 21: Monthly Saturday rehearsal at Anchorage Lutheran Church, Anchorage
March 20: Monthly Saturday rehearsal at Anchorage Lutheran Church, Anchorage
April 17: Monthly Saturday rehearsal at Anchorage Lutheran Church, Anchorage
May 8: Valley Spring Concert
May 15-16: Spring Concert in Anchorage at Discovery Theatre

FEE SCHEDULE FOR 2003/2004
Semester tuition for Minisingers, Mastersingers, Chambersingers and Jubilate is: $360. Music fee is $40 per semester. Semester tuition for Touring Choir is: $480. Music fee is $50 per semester.

Tuition payments are due at the time of registration. Tuition may be paid in one payment to receive a discount, or may be divided in three payments. The first payment is due at time of registration and must include the music fee.

If paying in installments, the amount due at registration for Minisingers, Mastersingers, Chambersingers, Jubilate is: $160 and for Touring Choir is: $210. If electing to pay at once, the amount due for Minisingers, Mastersingers, Chambersingers, Jubilate is: $380;
the amount due for Touring Choir is: $505.
Families with two or more singers in the Choir program receive an additional discount for tuition--regular rate for first singer, 10% less for second singer. There are no discounts on music fee.

There are two semesters in the Choir season.
Semester I is September-December, 2003. Semester II is January-May, 2004.

JUBILATE/TOURING CHOIR:
I will need to select 12 singers from Jubilate/Touring Choir to participate in Anchorage Opera's La Boheme. Rehearsals will begin at the end of October and performances will be in November.

We will plan to do another weekend tour within the State this next Spring for Jubilate/Touring Choir.

There are plans for an international children's choral festival to be held in Fairbanks this summer--July. Henry Leck's organization, the Indianapolis Children's Choir, has contacted us about involvement and preliminary plans. I'll keep you informed.

TOURING CHOIR:
We are gathering information on options for tour destination. One of them is the Tuscany International Children's Chorus Festival to be held at end of June, beginning of July. The guest conductor for this year's festival is Jean Ashworth Bartle.
We will have a Touring Choir Parent Meeting in September where we'll discuss options for the tour.

I look forward to hearing from you!!
Thank you!

with love,
Janet

Janet Stotts
Alaska Children's Choir
200 West 34th Ave. #715 
Anchorage, Alaska 99503
jstotts@pobox.alaska.net
746-3164 562-7006

Choir Manager: Glennis Ireland -- glenroy@gci.net; 694-3407