1. Notes for this week

• Last Monday's Meeting :
  • A very good rehearsal, with 17 singers present.
  • The jazzy version of White Christmas was well received by our new members.
  • A good afterglow at The Corner Tavern.
• Guest Report:
  • Paul Blondefield,  Steve Cutlip, Steve McGehee, Vern Pike, and John Quick were back with us.
• Next rehearsal is Monday, August 15 at Searstone at 7pm. Our usual location and time.

2. Carol's Korner

• Remind yourself to keep your body “in tonus” meaning bouyant, open, energized from the legs up. Avoid the urge to stand straight-legged and dead still, which will lead to tension and disconnection from your core when you open the throat to allow your body to draw in the air it needs to start the next phrase.
• Keep allowing yourself to sing a line of clear, forward, tall vowels that require the consonants to come forward to sing through the vowel placement.
  • Please practice staying on top of the pitch, especially on the swipes, and keep that hopeful feeling to keep the intonation clean as we head into the body of the song.
• Monday Aug 15 plan includes the following songs
  • All I Want for Christmas is You
  • Carol of the Bells
  • It Came Upon a Midnight Clear / Silent Night
  • Jingle Bell Rock
  • Merry Christmas Darling
  • Songs of Christmas
  • We Need a Little Christmas
  • Almost Like Being in Love
  • Bare Necessities (off spots tonight!)
  • Over the Rainbow
  • Sweet Caroline
• The following table contains the near-term targeted memorization dates for the listed songs.
  •  

    Song	Target Date
    Bare Necessities	8/15/22
    Carol of the Bells	8/22/22
    It Came Upon a Midnight Clear / Silent Night	8/22/22
    It's The Most Wonderful Time	8/22/22
    Jingle Bell Rock	8/22/22

3. Future Notes

• 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
      • This is the same date as NSC District's Lakeside Harmony weekend. Note that Chapter responsibilities take priority.
      • Prior requests for extra workers on this date have been rescinded.
    • 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 (Potential): Dec 5 at Searstone. We are working at finalizing the date. Stay tuned.
  • 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 and Ads.  Start thinking NOW about who you might want to invite or sell an Ad to. 
  • 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.

5. Champagne Room

• Let's Toast the 7th Dimension, one of our chapter quartets, who gave a full hour concert to the Governor's Club in Chapel Hill on Wednesday 8/11. Audience numbered about 80 -- the crowd loved it. And 7D was exhausted! Then was treated to a very fine salmon dinner.
• Previous Toast: Let's listen to our resident concert pianist Sir Kenny Bland tickle the ivories, creating a jazzy atmosphere during the break on 8/7. The clip is kinda short. Was he playing "The Wonder of You"?  https://youtu.be/gMON1pDeZIE