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News & Notes #1
April 3, 2022
Please read this important info about our first rehearsal.
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We are thrilled to introduce this season's volunteer Producers: Gale Batchelder and Ann Wynne!
The Producers are your "go-to" folks for questions about the season, and they'll be making some of the "Mystic Magic" happen behind the scenes. Thank you Gale and Ann!
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Welcome, Singers!
We are looking forward to singing with you this season, it is sure to be AMAZING! I am looking forward to saying HELLO to all of you in person on Tuesday.
For those who don't know me, I have been singing with Mystic since 1996 -- and I went to high school with Nick Page! I sing in the soprano section.
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Welcome Mystic singers! Singing together is always something to be grateful for but even more so in these times. My rookie producer season was this past Gospel one. Even though I have sung with the choir since 1994 I haven’t been part of the production team before. I am amazed at this group’s dedication and patience! Thank you!
Spring is such a hopeful season. We will arise and celebrate Nick’s last spring leading us.
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Questions about the Season?
Reach out to Ann and Gale at:
Our Producers are volunteers with busy lives! They will do their best to get back to you ASAP.
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It is bittersweet to be beginning my final Spring season with the Mystic, a community I formed long ago in a Universe far far away (Watertown). Our season theme is ARISE!, a hopeful theme as we rise from two years of Covid restrictions.
I am asking all of you to make a commitment this spring, a commitment to being amazing, a commitment to connecting with each other, connecting with the resonance of every distant star. To paraphrase Joni Mitchell, “We are starfire.”
Commitment means learning the music starting on day one. It means singing as conscious resonance, aware of every breath and every tone, creating beauty with every phrase. I see no point in going through life with a generic “let’s just have fun” mentality. Becoming Magnificent requires discipline, focus, and hard work both in and outside of rehearsal.
The rewards are infinite if we let them be. And I’m not just talking about the reward of the final June 10 celebration at Cary Hall. I’m talking about every moment we breathe, open our mouths, and allow wonder and light to resonate from within.
In Zen archery, the goal is never the bullseye. It’s always some distant connection. When we strive for that distant connection, everything in between is a bullseye. With that in mind, we will need to begin learning the music at home after each rehearsal. The recordings and music are available online so you can begin on day one.
This week we will warm up with Steal Away, the Ysaye Barwell arrangement we sang in the fall, then we’ll introduce Lo V’Chayil (Not By Might), Arise! Arise!, and Fill My Cup. We’ll end the rehearsal with Donnell Patterson teaching us one of his songs. Then we go home and we practice these songs. The following week, we review these songs and introduce Glory Glory, the South African Haleluya, Die Gedanken and Donnell’s second song. Challenge yourself to become amazing.
Nick Page
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On Tuesday, in-person singers will pick up a music packet and a practice CD (please don't take a CD if you don't have a CD player or won't use it).
If you are a virtual singer, or want to get a head start, the music and practice audios are also available online.
This link will take you to the "My Seasons" Page. Make sure you're logged in, then select Spring Season 2022. Scroll down to "Practice Audio" and click on your section to see all the practice recordings.
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Please review this important info about what to expect at our first rehearsal |
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Attending in Person?
Please review our first-night procedures, below.
Attending Virtually?
Please scroll down for the Livestream link and instructions (with RED headers).
Can you help with check-in and set up?
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First Night Procedures
PLEASE REVIEW
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BRING WITH YOU:
- Proof of vaccination, including booster.
- If you are not boostered, bring your negative test result
- Photo ID
- Water bottle
ARRIVAL/CHECK-IN TIME: 6:30-7:25
If you can arrive before 7:00 please do, to avoid crowding at the last minute. Our volunteers will be ready to begin checking you in at 6:30. If you need directions, you can find them here: First Parish Directions, Map & Parking Info.
PLEASE USE THE CHURCH OFFICE DOOR ONLY
Please come to the OFFICE DOOR of First Parish, opposite the Arlington Library, to keep arrival traffic moving in one direction. You will pass the office on your way to the Vestry and check in at the following stations:
STATION #1: VAX CHECK & HEALTH ATTESTATION
(in the Vestry)
Please bring your proof of vaccination and a photo ID. A photocopy, photo on your phone, or other digital confirmation of your vaccination status is acceptable. PLEASE NOTE: No one without proof of vaccination (including booster) will be admitted. Sorry, no exceptions for lost or forgotten vax documents.
Health Attestation: At the vaccination check, and every week at sign-in, we will ask you the following four questions. If you answer "Yes" to any of these, please do not attend rehearsal in person. Instead, you can tune into the Livestream. See the Livestream link and instructions below.
- Have you tested positive for COVID in the last 10 days?
- Have you been in close contact (within 6 feet for 15 minutes or more) with a person infectious with COVID in the last 10 days?
- Do you have COVID symptoms: nasal congestion, cough, sore throat, fever, shortness of breath, gastrointestinal symptoms, new loss of taste or smell, muscle aches or any other signs of illness?
- Have you recently traveled to a very high risk area, CDC-rated level 4 or higher? (Note that the US is currently "high risk" but not "very high risk.")
STATION #2: SINGERS MASKS
(in the Vestry)
Please purchase our official, high-quality singers' masks for use throughout the season; $10, cash or check only. For more info on these masks, click here. We ask that you keep this mask on, properly fitted over your nose and mouth, during the entire rehearsal. You may take sips from a water bottle, but otherwise, please keep your mask on throughout the evening. We will have some KN95 disposable masks available for anyone who wishes to double-mask with this under the singers' mask.
If you are a returning singer, you may use the mask your purchased last season. As a reminder - they should be hand-washed and hung to dry.
STATION #3: NEW SINGER WELCOME TABLE
(in the Vestry)
If you are a new singer, stop in to pick up a nametag and say hello to our new singer welcome team. You can ask questions, learn about our buddy program, and start making friends!
STATION #4: MUSIC
Pick up your music packets and practice CD's & get ready to sing! Note: Please don't take a CD if you don't have a CD player or don't think you will use it - thanks!
TAKE A SEAT
Volunteers will help point you to a seat. Returning Singers, please note: If you haven't sung with Mystic for a while, we have a new seating arrangement, and will be allowing for ample distance between singers, so please follow the guidance or our volunteers.
OTHER NOTES:
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Bring your filled water bottle. For safety reasons we will not be providing water, please bring what you will need.
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Remember to observe distancing when using the bathrooms. We will not be having a break so use the restrooms as needed. Bathrooms are on the main floor, through the Vestry and on the right.
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No eating is permitted anywhere in the building, per First Parish rules. This is in keeping with best practices for safety.
ONE LAST THING:
The Mystic is asking your help in creating a comfortable environment for all. Please be mindful that some people will be feeling more cautious than others, and our “old normal” greetings, hugs, and close talking might not be comfortable. Let’s create an environment where we can all communicate and respect each other’s boundaries.
And then we’ll SING!!
We can’t wait to see you there.
If you have any questions, please reach out to us:
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Please pitch in where you can - we are an all-volunteer organization and we need you! It's a great way to meet new people and feel part of the action! |
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First Rehearsal Check-in Volunteers (April 5) Be part of the check-in team for our first in-person rehearsal! You'll check vax cards, sell masks, hand out music and help singers get settled. 4 additional volunteers needed - one week only. Time commitment: 6:00-7:30.
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Chair set-up Help set up the room for rehearsal: move chairs, mark seats with colored paper. 4 volunteers needed. Time commitment: Tuesdays, 6:45-7:15.
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Sound/Microphone set-up Set up the microphones for rehearsal. Detailed instructions and training provided. 1 additional volunteer needed. Time commitment: Tuesdays, 6:45-7:15.
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Livestream set-up and/or monitor(s) We need someone to set up the Livestream equipment to broadcast rehearsal to singers at home. 1 or 2 volunteers needed. Time commitment: Tuesdays, 6:45-7:15 for set up. 2 volunteers could share this role and trade off each week.
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TO VOLUNTEER or learn more or about any of these roles, please contact:
Linda Shoemaker
Mystic Admin Director
& Volunteer Coordinator
Volunteering is a great way to meet new people, and have fun making the "Mystic Magic" come to life!
I look forward to working with you!
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Livestream Instructions & Tips |
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Welcome Virtual Singers!!
We are so glad you are joining us, and look forward to having you there "with us" in the rehearsal hall!
What you will need:
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A computer/laptop (recommended) We recommend your computer or laptop - the bigger the screen, and the better your speakers, the more you will feel "with" us. But a tablet, ipad or phone will work, too.
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A place to sit and sing comfortably. We suggest an upright chair, similar to what you would find at rehearsal. A soft chair or couch is not as conducive to good singing.
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External Speakers (optional). The better your speakers, the more you will hear.
How to tune into the Livestream:
At 7:30 on Tuesday, click the video preview or link below, and you'll be with us!
Each week, we'll post the link in News & Notes, and on the website, here. If you miss the Livestream on Tuesday night, it will be available on a YouTube Playlist after rehearsal.
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Click here to join the rehearsal from home |
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Rehearsals:
10 Tuesdays, April 5 - June 7, 7:30-9:30
First Parish Unitarian Universalist, Arlington
New Singer Reception:
Tuesday, April 12, 6:30-7:20
Vocal Workshop
with Kevin McDonald from Handel & Haydn
Tuesday, April 19, 6:30-7:20
Sectionals:
Thurs, April 28, 7-7:55, Sopranos
Thurs, April 28, 8-8:55, Altos
Thurs, May 5, 7-7:55, Basses
Thurs, May 5, 8-8:55, Tenors
Dress Rehearsal:
Thursday, June 9, 7:30-9:30
Cary Hall, Lexington
Concert:
Friday, June 10, Cary Hall
Concert day schedule TBD
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