Expectations of Singers

Dedicated to musical excellence, The Oratorio Society of Virginia
enriches, inspires, and educates the community through regular performance
of choral masterworks that express the best of the human spirit.

Oratorio Society Overview

The Oratorio Society is a volunteer organization. Membership means you have joined a musical society and have taken on your share of the responsibility for bringing first-rate musical performances to the community.

The Singers, the Board of Directors, and special friends of the Society invest many hours in the rehearsing, planning, publicizing, staging, and presentation of our concerts. Our concerts happen because we all master the music, sell tickets, tote chairs and risers, participate in fund-raising, tack up posters, and surrender a few weekends to rehearsing and performing.

The rewards of this labor are substantial. The exceptional quality of our concerts, year after year, reflects the commitment and hard work of every Society member. In addition, each member benefits personally from two semesters of superb teaching and vocal training under the tutelage of our music director.

Getting Involved

Every member of the Society is encouraged to help with something to produce our concerts. Please support our efforts in these ways:

Selling tickets to fill the house.
Helping to recruit new singers to increase our ranks.
Making gifts and financial contributions over and above payment of dues.
Providing food and beverages for rehearsal breaks periodically and for events associated with concert weekends.
Suggesting ideas to your Section Leader or members of the Board to improve the Society.
Providing housing for out-of-town soloists and orchestra members.
Serving on the Board of Directors or any of its committees.

Member Dues and Other Expenses

Annual Dues
The amount is determined annually by the Board of Directors. For the current season, dues of $75 is required of each member for the season, with a student rate of $30 for the season, and may not be prorated. Dues must be paid within the first month unless special arrangements are made with the Treasurer. The music will be bundled for each concert and sold prior to the first rehearsals for that concert cycle. Singers only need to purchase the music for the concerts that they are performing but may not receive the music until they have paid for it. The music is yours to mark however you like and to keep or to donate back to the Society.
Concert Attire
Women are required to purchase concert dresses that are ordered by the Society. Men are required to purchase or rent tuxedos.
Rehearsal CDs and Concert CDs
You may be encouraged to purchase rehearsal CDs that will facilitate your mastery of the music. Concerts are recorded, and CDs of the concerts can be purchased.

Rehearsals

Regular weekly rehearsals take place during the academic year at the Municipal Arts Center on 5th Street SW, Charlottesville.
Rehearsals begin promptly at 7:30 PM. Singers are expected to be in their seats and ready to sing at that time.
Rehearsals usually last until 9:30 PM but may last longer in some cases.
For the 2011-2012 season, rehearsals will begin on Monday, September 12.
Persons wishing to audition should schedule that audition by calling Joy Tobias at 434-882-1738.
Additional rehearsals for the season have been scheduled as follows (at the Municipal Arts Center unless otherwise noted):
To be determined!!!
Refreshments are sometimes furnished by the Society members during the break.
Members are personally responsible for learning their individual parts. You are encouraged to practice between rehearsals. The rehearsal CDs and on-line MIDI learning files are very helpful in learning the music.

Pre-concert Rehearsals

Please hold the entire concert weekend open for rehearsals and the performance.
Usually, we rehearse with the orchestra in the concert hall on the Friday evening and all of the Saturday morning of the concert weekend.
Attendance at these rehearsals is required as we are interested in balancing sound, seeing how we look on stage, and practicing our entrances and exits as a group.
Warm-up for the performance begins one hour before the concert. Please be on time.

Rehearsal Etiquette

Please remain quiet and attentive while other sections are being rehearsed.
Follow along with the music so that you are ready to sing again when the conductor indicates.

Attendance

Members are expected to attend each and every rehearsal, including special and sectional rehearsals.
Members are expected to sing in all concerts scheduled for the season.
If you must be absent from any rehearsal you need to notify your section leader in advance.
If you do miss a rehearsal, you are responsible for knowing the music that was rehearsed and for entering in your score any markings added during that session.
We ask that members not miss more than two rehearsals. If you will need to miss more than two rehearsals for any given concert please see your section leader. Any exceptions to the two-absence policy will be made at the discretion of the section leader and will involve demonstrating your knowledge of the music to your section (or designated members of your section) as arranged by the section leader. If a member has missed more than two rehearsals and is unable to appropriately demonstrate their knowledge of the music, they will be asked not to sing in the concert. If a member has a problem with a decision made, they may appeal to the board.
If you are feeling unwell and unable to sing but are not contagious, please feel free to sit in a corner and listen in order to get the markings and notes from the week.
Dress rehearsals are not included in the absence policy. 100% attendance is mandatory at all dress rehearsals, no exceptions.
If you know that you will not be able to sing a concert, please do not attend any of the rehearsals prior to that concert as it is difficult for your section to rebalance itself the weekend of the concert.

Section Leaders

Section leaders are designated for each season and take attendance at all rehearsals. If you must miss a rehearsal, please notify your section leader in advance.
Your section leader will notify you of cancellations, changes in rehearsal time or site and scheduling of special rehearsals.
If you have any questions about our rehearsals, policies or other Oratorio Society matters, please contact your section leader before or after rehearsal.

Concert Dress

Our concert dress is formal and conservative. We aim for a high degree of uniformity so that the audience sees one choral body, not a collection of individual fashion statements. If you have questions about the suitability of items you plan to wear, ask your section leader; he or she will arrange to have someone help you. Standards of dress for ladies and gentlemen follow.

Ladies

Black concert dresses purchased through the Oratorio Society.
Black stockings and comfortable black closed-toed shoes.
16-18 inch pearl-like necklace.
No reflective jewelry and only pearl stud-style earrings.
No perfume or hair spray as many people are sensitive or have allergies.

Gentlemen

White (paper white) tuxedo shirt, plain studs and no ruffles.
Black tuxedo, black tie and black cummerbund.
Black socks and black shoes.
No jewelry.
No cologne or aftershave as many people are sensitive or have allergies.

Singer Contracts

To perform in any concert, every singer (as well as the director, soloists and orchestra members) must sign an agreement whose main purpose is to assign rights to the Society for the future use of any recordings made during the performance. A copy of the agreement is available here, and applies to the whole season. You should complete your personal details and sign it before it is countersigned by the Society’s president. If you would like a copy for your own records, two completed copies should be submitted and one will be returned after countersignature.

Address and Phone Number

Call the Society phone number for “emergency” information such as cancellations due to inclement weather and so forth. Your section leader or other Oratorio Society member will notify you of cancellations whenever possible.

The Oratorio Society of Virginia
PO Box 5073 Charlottesville, VA 22905
434-295-4385