0. Corrections

• More IMPORTANT updates: specific info for next rehearsal, Monday Aug 1. 

1. Notes for this week

• Last Monday's Performance! :
  • It was great to be back on the risers performing for a very appreciative audience! It's only our second outing since COVID, and man it sure felt good!
  • It was great and surprising to see General Assembly / Oak City Sound veteran Vern Pike at the concert -- he has moved back from Florida and expressed an intention to rejoin OCS as soon as practical! Welome back, Vern! We kept your spot on the risers for you -- second row, left side.
• Guest Report:
  • We had a first-time visitor, Paul Blondefield, on Monday, so his introduction to OCS and to barbership singing in general was our own performance. Welcome Paul!
  • Steve Cutlip was back for his second week ... very eager to be on the risers with us at the earliest possible moment.
  • Steve McGehee was back with us again. We are so glad he took the time to check out our performance.
  • Ben Hansen was in Florida recovering / quarantining from COVID.
• Next rehearsal is Monday, August 1, at Searstone at 7pm. Our usual location and time.
• John Zweighaft has entered a few more months onto the Chorus calendar, so please fill out the Attendance Planner information at https://www.oakcitysound.org/dbpage.php?pg=attendance. 

2. Carol's Korner

• We had a great show on Monday! The audience really loved it and many commented on how engaged you all were in your performance. I think we may even have a few men from Searstone planning to try singing with us next week!
• Please be sure to look at the beginning section of Bare Necessities. It works well right now with a quartet, but we will need the whole chorus prepared to sing that for October 15 at Asbury Church.
• Memorization dates have been set for Over the Rainbow and the Christmas show songs. Start working toward those so they don't sneak up on you!
• Keep working on finding more time for vowels in every syllable you sing. That is where the ring happens. The consonants will take care of themselves if you are intent upon singing through the vowels and keeping them front and center.
• Monday Aug 1 Plan:

  • HOLIDAY		Minutes
    All I Want for Christmas is You		10
    Carol of the Bells (Peter Wilhousky Arrangement)		5
    It Came Upon A Midnight Clear / Silent Night		8
    Jingle Bell Rock		5
    Merry Christmas, Darling		8
    Songs of Christmas		10
    We Need a Little Christmas		10
    REGULAR
    Bare Necessities, The	22	10
    Over the Rainbow (men's arrangement)	20	15

• As always: Keep working on creating legato lines by singing into and through the open vowels and making the end of each syllable the beginning of the next syllable. As you get used to this concept, it will make a HUGE difference!
• Along with this, you should develop your interpretational ability, which, for a chorus member, means using dynamic range to express the meanings of the phrases, and even to help delineate the phrases themselves. Longer duration notes, as defined in the context of the song, should have dynamic changes so as to convey the feeling of the phrase, plus maintain the forward direction of the phrasing, and not get mired in chord worship.

3. Future Notes

• Due to the construction that has begun at the front door at Searstone, parking at the front of the building is no longer allowed. All must park at Lorraine Park area. 
• August 27, approx 11AM - Oak City Sound in concert at Cary's Lazy Daze town festival. Mark it on your calendar.
• We will not meet on Monday September 5 for Labor Day.

4. Long Range

• September 10 is our first of 7 football concession sessions at Carter Finley stadium.  These are our most important fund raiser events of the year.  We need to provide 6 workers for each event.  The signup sheet is available now.
• Remember that it does not have to be just chapter members working the concession. Family and friends can help out, too..
• Tim will provide more details as we get close. Meanwhile, click Concession to sign up as you are able.
• Here is the entire schedule, as far as we know right now:
  • Sep 10 - Kickoff @ 12:30pm    Report to work @ 9:30am
    • Many of the ladies will be en route to their International Contest so we will probably need to provide more than our standard 6 workers.  Right now they are hoping we can provide 9 workers for the first game.  We only have 2 who have committed to work so far.
    • This is the same date as NSC District's Lakeside Harmony weekend. Note that Chapter responsibilities take priority.
  • Sep 17 - Kickoff @  7:00pm    Report to work @  4:30pm
  • Sep 24 - time TBA
  • Oct  8 - time TBA
  • Oct 27 - Kickoff @  7:30pm    Report to work @  5:00pm
  • Nov  5 - time TBA
  • Nov 12 - time TBA
• September 10 is also the district’s Lakeside Harmony Camp at the Durant Nature Preserve.  It is an all day fun event of education and singing.  The chapter obligation comes first, but after filling that you should attend this event if you can.
• October 14 and 15:: NSC District will hold this Fall's Convention at Asbury UMC Church at 6612 Creedmoor Rd, in Raleigh.
  • Volunteering: HCA/HOC Choruses in Durham are the hosting chapter. with Jason Kekas as the Convention  Planner and Chairman.. Let Nic know if you are available to help as well. 
  • Particpating: We will compete at the Convention with The Bare Necessities and Over the Rainbow.. Look for future announcements about the qualifying process!
• Christmas Season:
  • Show:  On December 6, a Tuesday evening, we will put on a Christmas show at the Cary Arts Center theater.   We will need to sell tickets.  Start thinking NOW about who you might want to invite. 
  • Community Singouts: Please be on the lookout for possible other places to sing at Christmas time. If they can't come to us, we will come to them! Just to put some context about it: we had 14 singers at our singouts in North Hills Shopping Center, while at the same time we were having only 10 or 11 at practice sessions! Everyone likes singouts in the public setting. Note that we will make every effort possible to schedule these for Monday evenings. We know your time during the Holiday season is precious, so to ask for another night is difficult. We hope you can keep your Monday evenings reserved for Oak City Sound throughout that season.