REBRANDING INITIATIVE
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. History and Summary of Issues.
2. Review of Strengths and Weaknesses.
3. Suggested Actions Organized in the Following Categories:
a. Board Structure
b. Administrative Structure
c. Financial
d. Choir Structure and Performances
e. Marketing
4. Current Mission and Vision Statements
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HISTORY AND SUMMARY OF ISSUES
The San Antonio Choral Society began in 1964. It’s original purpose was to provide a community based choir that would be large enough to sing master works and more difficult works than most church choirs could perform. The choir drew members from all over San Antonio (mostly from church choirs) and was an instant success. SACS continued in that mode until the 1990’s when the repertoire was expanded to include more popular music. In 1996, Broadway musicals were added for a “Pops” concert.
The choir continued to be managed by a group of charter members until 2013 when a large number of charter members retired from the choir. At that time Jennifer Seighman was hired to be the artistic director for the choir. Jennifer began to raise the standard in terms of music quality, performance arrangement, singer’s skills and music education. Everyone enjoyed the new challenge. In addition, in 2014 the choir was the beneficiary of sizable funds from the estate of a deceased member that continued through 2016. Those funds have now ceased leaving the choir in a quandary as to how to deal with increased costs of operations and no clearly defined revenue source.
The loss of funds has caused the officers to reassess our current situation and try to project what direction is needed for the future. A general consensus is that we need to be professionally managed, grow to at least 120 singers to provide flexibility in programing and become recognized in the San Antonio area as a serious musical group.
The Choral Society’s first strategic planning effort was initiated in June 2015. Base- line data (organizational finance, policies & procedures, health and culture assessment) were initially collected through core capacity assessment findings, four committee meetings, focus groups, personal interviews with Board of Directors members, choral member surveys, programing requirements, and audience feedback.
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Grant opportunities were presented halting the initiative, driving the need to review our governing documents (By-laws, Charter, etc.) and financial position. In March 2015, the SACS Board of Directors began an initiative to revise the organizational bylaws through a top-to-bottom organizational assessment. Organizational controls and governance were thoroughly reviewed and discussed. Significant improvements were made to ensure the document represented the SACS organization, as a whole. This shifted the document's focus from emphasis on BOD-centric governance to representing all levels of SACS membership and staff.
Notable Revisions:
• The new Executive Director position was incorporated with associated roles, authorities, and restrictions. • Frequency of scheduled Board of Directors meetings has changed to occur bi- monthly. • Greater detail was added to otherwise vague or misleading statements. • Language was added that guarantees each non-executive committee member would have a defined, unique role. As a committee chair, each is charged to champion a key result area and/or special project.
The findings and corrective measures developed a framework for a new management structure, but then they began to realize that there was no obvious operational direction and strategic vision and had no plan or vehicle in place to move toward a long-range end state. Complicating matters, the terms for most of the board members were about to expire. It became apparent that a “plan for the plan” was the only viable option to set the pace for the incoming administration.
The Artistic Director laid the groundwork by spelling out the artistic vision and goals from the event/special project programming perspective. This provided the framework necessary to establish a short-term vision that would carry SACS through two-years and categorize each near-term opportunity. The categorization became the five proposed, macro-level goals listed in the draft strategic plan.
Although the proposed draft 2016-2018 budget imparted a better understanding of the organization’s fragile state, a more radical outlook would be required to stimulate programming growth and SACS’ footprint in the community.
Once the new board members were in place, they came to realize the current vision statement is too broad to provide any specific guidance or direction to effectively manage and focus our efforts. The current vision was useful for short-term goal
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achievement; however, to decide on a long-term vision the best approach was to evaluate SACS’ current state, assess the program direction the Artistic Director envisioned, and develop specific goals that will help us move forward to build a better choir.
Current State The Choral Society’s reputation in the community is that of an amateur community choir and not a serious musical group. In contrast, other similar organizations have a reputation as a serious choral group primarily because they are aligned with the enabling organizations like the symphony. We feel our singing is on a par, if not better than those groups, offering a more diverse repertoire and other competencies that set us apart from the rest. Yet to command the required public image we need further work. This led to a strategic analysis of our current situation called a SWOT analysis.
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SWOT ANALYSIS
A SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) was conducted to set the stage for actions plans. After preparing this analysis, we listed goals by five major categories that can be carried forward from year to year and amended as needed.
Strategic Analysis
Strengths
1. We have been around for 52 years 2. We have a diverse base of singers 3. We have an exceptionally well qualified artistic director 4. There is no other quality choir in San Antonio with our size, demographic makeup and community coverage. 5. We are independent of other groups which allows us flexibility in programming and venue selection. 6. Strong commitment to the organization by core group of singers.
Weaknesses
1. We lack continuity in leadership and management. Rotation of board members and officers ensures lack of continuity of management. 2. No clear set of goals that can be carried forward from year to year that are easily adopted and continued by each new administration. 3. Lack of business experience and community connections among the board members and officers. 4. We have no consistent source of funding 5. We are dependent primarily on volunteer services from the choir membership who have limited time to devote to singing and to managing the choir organization. 6. Lack of focus and frankness in deciding who we are and what we want to be in the community. 7. We are recognized in the community as an amateur choir rather than a serious musical group. 8. Executive Director will be retiring at the end of this fiscal year.
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Opportunities
1. To become the Premier Choral Group in San Antonio 2. To expand our footprint in the community. This might include expanding our mentor program, adding a youth choir, adding a silver singer group, etc. 3. To become a self-sustaining organization.
Threats
1. We don’t have a lot of competition from the market place as there isn’t another group quite like ours. Most of our threats come from within. 2. Apathy on the part of some board members. 3. Singers that sign up for a performance and then renege on their commitment. 4. The perception that funding for the arts is limited in general. We don’t really have a good sense of the size or sources of the funding market. 5. Difficulty in attracting new good singers. 6. We are facing financial insolvency in the short term.
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SUGGESTED ACTIONS BY CATEGORY
BOARD STRUCTURE
1. Move toward a board that is comprised of at least 75% non-singers. 2. Make the primary function of the board that of fund raising. 3. Make the officers an executive committee that deals with day to day operational issues.
ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE
1. Long range goal would be to have the choir managed by paid professionals. 2. Short term goal is to look for funding that would cover the cost of hiring a paid fund raiser. 3. Paid staff would report to the executive committee and the executive committee would report to the Board of Directors.
FINANCIAL
1. Make an all-out effort to raise money for the remaining four months of this year. 2. Encourage all board members to make corporate contacts. 3. Review list of prior donors and send out a mailing requesting contributions. 4. The budget for next year must show all performances at a breakeven or better as well as the rest of the budget. 5. Benchmark other successful choral groups and related musical groups to determine approaches that may assist us in improving our financial condition. 6. Source and develop a paid Fund Raiser position: A paid fundraiser should develop consistent funding sources that would allow SACS to budget more accurately and cover the cost of additional paid staff.
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CHOIR STRUCTURE AND PERFORMANCES
1. Grow in number to approximately 120 singers to allow enough flexibility for additional programs. 2. Set and enforce standards for singers for professionalism and commitment. 3. Continue to collaborate with other musical groups in San Antonio. 4. Increase rehearsal time. 5. Improve music education among singers. 6. Consider re auditions or consultations to give singers better feedback on their performance. 7. Increase size of mentee program. 8. Have regular sectional rehearsals.
MARKETING
1. Define role of marketing committee and chair.
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The San Antonio Choral Society (SACS) fosters passion for choral music Mission among singers and audiences through musical development, mentorship, community outreach and high-quality, diverse performances. SACS will be the premier choral performance organization, recognized by Vision audiences and peers for exemplary, diverse and inspiring performances and broad community engagement. SACS 80+ members and target audiences reside in the San Antonio Who We metropolitan area and the 11 counties surrounding Bexar County. Through Serve SACS, members and audiences join together to share their passion for live choral music.
SACS plans and presents a performance season offering a mix of musical styles in different venues around the city as we attempt to maximize our appeal and accessibility. This is accomplished through 3 program areas: Programs • Large Venue Featured Performances and Services • Chamber Performances • Education and Mentoring: high school (mentoring, scholarships and undergraduate students (internships) • Community Outreach: senior citizen, and cross-nonprofit philanthropy
• Service to our audience and singers, involving them (Beatles, Pops, Downtown abbey, Messiah Sing), engaging the community through audience participation • Constant collaborations and partnerships with other community choirs and musical organizations (Symphony, Children's Choirs, etc.) • Raise money for charity organizations Core • Visibility of community events- Tricentennial, Luminaria, Airport, Spurs Competencies games, etc • Setting ourselves apart from other choirs with a large repertoire, classical, masterpieces, masterworks, new music (Artistry and passion) • Teaching and pedagogy- preserving and passing down the knowledge and music. We take all people from the community, and even try to support those who cannot pay for their membership, and try to develop them musically • Expand artistic program focus and accessibility to a larger, more diverse member and audience demographic. • Strengthen SACS economic sustainability and solvency. • Revitalize and grow our community outreach and educational / Goals professional development programs. • Develop and implement a strategic marketing and advertising plan that strengthens SACS community engagement and brand recognition. • Pursue and cultivate relationships with other nonprofits, key institutions and potential benefactors (business, local government, philanthropy, etc.) that will increase collaborative and fiduciary opportunities.
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SOURCE NOTES
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Date: January 10, 2017 Attendees: Doug McCarroll, Lowell Goode, Jennifer Seighman,
Notes: I asked Jennifer and Doug to meet with me today to discuss several issues facing the choir and suggestions to deal with them. My main concern is that the vision statement is too broad to give us any specific guidance in running the SACS. The Vision statement is fine as far as it goes, but it could apply to the SACS twenty years ago or today. I think we need a set of specific goals that will help us move forward to build a better choir. From there we should revisit our vision statement. Our current reputation in the community is that of an amateur community choir that is not a serious musical group. In contrast, the Mastersingers have a reputation as a serious choral group primarily because they are aligned with the symphony. I think we sing as well as the Mastersingers (probably better) and certainly have a better variety of performances, but we don’t have the public perception we need. This calls for a quick strategic analysis to set the stage for actions plans. The usual strategic analysis is a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis. I offer the following as my own analysis; please feel free to add your own thoughts to this list: 1. Strengths a. We have been around for 52 years b. We have a diverse base of singers c. We have an exceptionally well qualified artistic director d. There is no other quality choir in San Antonio with our size, demographic makeup and community coverage. e. We are independent of other groups which allows us flexibility in programming and venue selection. f. Strong commitment to the organization by core group of singers.
2. Weaknesses a. We lack continuity in leadership and management. Rotation of board members and officers ensures lack of continuity of management. b. No clear set of goals that can be carried forward from year to year that are easily adopted and continued by each new administration. c. Lack of business experience and community connections among the board members and officers. d. We have no consistent source of funding e. We are dependent primarily on volunteer services from the choir membership who have limited time to devote to singing and to managing the choir organization.
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f. Lack of focus and frankness in deciding who we are and what we want to be in the community.
3. Opportunities a. To become one of the Premier Choral Groups Ensembles in San Antonio b. To expand our footprint in the community. This might include expanding our mentor program, adding a chamber choir, adding a youth choir, adding a silver singer group, etc. 4. Threats a. We don’t have a lot of competition from the market place as there isn’t another group quite like ours. Most of our threats come from within. b. Apathy on the part of some board members. c. Singers that sign up for a performance and then bail out at the last minute. d. The perception that funding for the arts is limited in general. We don’t really have a good sense of the size or sources of the funding market. e. Difficulty in attracting and retaining new good singers.
I have been in the choir for nine years now and have served on the board for four years. When I first joined the choir it was a family community choir that was run by a handful of old timers that had been with the choir since the beginning. Since then, most of those people have left the choir. Jennifer has tried to raise the standard some and I feel we are in a state of flux trying to decide whether to stay as we were or move on to bigger and better things. Watching our financial resources dwindle over the past three years convinces me that we need to make a commitment to either go forward with bigger and better, and do what is necessary to make that happen, or revert back to what we were. We cannot continue as we are without going out of business. Personally, I think we should go forward. I see the ultimate goal as becoming financially self-sufficient with a paid staff that can take care of day to day operations. This would include an Executive director, Artistic Director, Fund Raiser, Marketer, and an Accountant. This would require an annual budget of $400,000 to $500,000. That obviously would be a long term process of at least five years and probably more. So the question is, if you accept this as an ultimate goal, where do we start? The following is what I would suggest. Please feel free to add or subtract.
1. We need to raise the standard of our singing and our performances. There is always a risk that some singers may get discouraged by this and leave, but we won’t attract new better singers unless we raise our standards. Also, the
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community won’t take us seriously until we have consistent quality performances. Also, investors will be more likely to fund a quality group. 2. We need to have a growth goal of approximately 120 singers to allow us to be self-sufficient in performing major works with orchestra and to have enough singers to break into smaller groups that will not put a large burden on the same few that sing in small groups now….and to have a large enough pool of musical leaders from which to form a true chamber choir or mentee choir. 3. Decide who we are and how to describe us. This will be difficult due to our diversity. Everyone knows what “Barbershop” is, but how do we describe a choir that has diversity? Never the less we need this quickly to help with current fund raising efforts and to start building community recognition of our changed direction. I see this as a necessary step before we decide on a logo as the logo should reflect how we describe ourselves. 4. Set and enforce standards for professionalism and commitment. I understand we have had problems with a few singers not acting professionally and deciding at the last minute they would rather do something else than sing in the performance. Jennifer needs help from the board enforcing these standards. 5. Contact other successful choral groups to see if they would share with us how they were able to become self-sufficient, or how they achieved their level of success. For example, YOSA has been around far less than we, yet they seem to have all the bases covered. They are not a choir, but it still may be helpful to talk with them from an administrative and funding standpoint. 6. Seek funding for a new paid position of Fund Raiser. Unfortunately, we need money to operate. A paid fundraiser should develop consistent funding sources that would allow us to perform larger works and to move further ahead toward the ultimate goal of being self-sufficient. This should also allow us to perform at least one major choral work per season. 7. Continue to collaborate with other groups to perform larger works. 8. Consider whether it would make sense to merge with another group for mutual benefit such as the Texas Children’s Choir. Perhaps we could explore sharing some personnel to benefit both organizations financially (e.g. marketing person). 9. Our Executive Director unfortunately has an incurable illness that will eventually force him to resign from his position. I think we need to work openly with Doug to plan for the coming transition so that it will be good for both Doug and the choir.
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10. A team of consultants (Anne, Troy, Brandon), and the Artistic Director, needs to be included in the next Executive Director search/screening and advise/guide the BOD who would then have the final vote in hiring an individual. 11. Utilize Anne’s and Brandon’s expertise in refining/focusing the job description for the incoming Executive Director. 12. Consider having Anne mentor/oversee our new Executive Director during their first year.
These are still fairly general goals. I would like to see Jennifer outline specifics that would result in setting higher Standards for the choir and for Doug to outline specific steps for funding raising during the next 5 months. I encourage each of you to make whatever comments or changes you feel necessary to the above suggestions. I would like to distribute a finalized copy of this before the next Branding meeting which is set for January 19th. Lowell Goode
Heather EMAIL: January 19 I do think that one of our strengths (and the reason we have had 52 years) is that basically singers have enjoyed it enough to stick around and sing and do what else needed to be done. If we are not conscious of that as a strength to preserve, then we can be at risk for losing it. Re: higher standards I mainly want to know what and how. Re: increased size I am questioning whether it is likely given the size of the community from which to draw, how large can a community choir in a city our size be esp in one that is relatively active with church goers and church choirs.
Date: January 19, 2017 Attendees: Doug McCarroll, Lowell Goode, Jennifer Seighman, Kalavati Martinez
Notes: We discussed the memo that Lowell sent out and worked with Jennifer to get a better understanding of what her vision of the choir was. (Attached above)
Here's Jennifer's vision with some our thoughts and discussions sprinkled in:
• Based on the history and origins of the choir, it was started as a serious musical group that worked on complex masterworks
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• It was not until the 1990s that they started incorporating more popular music into their repertoire and began the Pops series. From 1996-2002 SACS performed Broadway musicals with the SAS. • Our definition of a serious music group is o one that has a high standard of performance for themselves, o one that is committed to improving their quality with each season. o made up of members that exhibit professional behavior both on- and off- stage o one that performs high-quality repertoire and engages in authentic, historically informed performance practice o one that is held in high esteem among the SA arts community and beyond o one that forms meaningful partnerships/collaborations with groups of equal or greater value • To become a more serious music group, we would have to o enable singers to make music at the highest possible level…improve music education among the members, (this may be achieved through employing vocal coaches and other experts from time to time to work with singers, offering music reading courses, etc.)…ultimately the goal is to provide a place where everyone can improve their skills and grow musically/vocally; personal ownership o enforce some responsibility on our members to take more care during practice, and consider re-auditioning singers or having consultations each year o tours to increase motivation, engagement, and level of musical preparation o hire a concert manager/ production manager (contract Anne Schelleng) for each concert going forward to handle non-musical coordination at performance venues o we need to solve our orchestra problem (funding?) or create a meaningful alliance in order to continue performing masterworks as the SACS has since its inception o We need to have a growth goal of approximately 120 singers so as to have sufficient forces in performing major works with orchestra à increased membership also increases income from dues and potential audience size, etc……and to have a large enough pool of musical leaders from which to form a true chamber choir or mentee choir o Have better marketing, branding, and PR that will be recognized throughout the community; promotional videos o Reach and build a larger audience base o Have a better operational structure to support what we are doing/ hope to do artistically • Being more professional does not take away the fun for the singers. o Singers will take more pride in being part of a choir that helps them grow and produces quality music. o We don't want to drive people away, the point is to make music more accessible and enjoyable for the people we have.
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o At the same time, we'd like to be challenging enough to retain some of our better singers. o At the same time, we need someone (most likely Membership Affairs Coordinator) to arrange outside social bonding activities for the singers and better integration of new singers, etc. Perhaps a once a month social activity (e.g. dinner at a restaurant where 10% of proceeds comes back to SACS, Saturday morning hike, attending special concerts of touring choirs, bowling fundraiser). • Thoughts and ideas to raise standards: o Setting rehearsal standards o Musical section leaders o Sectional rehearsals o More time in rehearsal venues (depending on budget) o More time with the orchestra (depending on budget) • Going back to our old model does not help with financial stability. We've spent as much money on our concerts 10 years ago as we do now. We have more corporate sponsors and more community visibility through increased small group engagements (yet not where we'd like to be for how long we've been around) and a funded executive director. • We do need to increase outreach to get a bigger audience and to attract more talent- we could have open rehearsals and advertise our auditions more aggressively • ……diversifying venues is a double-edge sword because we do not have a “home base” for our concerts as most groups and when we jump around too much (not revisiting the same venues each season) it hurts our efforts to build a consistent audience base. Also, few venues in SA accommodate a group our size or have acoustics which are optimal to choral singing (and often organ accompaniment).
Actions: Kala to organize a follow-up working session that will help us constructively determine our future We will then take that vision to the board. Jennifer, Lowell and Doug to send in any thoughts and comments to add to that discussion.
Supplement provided by Jennifer as a comparison with 5 other choral organizations….
1)SALT LAKE CHORAL ARTISTS
Comprising more than 300 singers in five different ensembles, SLCA is one of America’s premiere community choirs. The choir focuses on classical, contemporary, and culturally diverse music and enjoys collaborating with other performing groups in the community. SLCA has been critically acclaimed for its innovative concerts and Summer Choral Institute program, and was named Best of State for best choral ensemble 2012- 105. Its mission is to promote the performance of choral music by educating and inspiring choral singers, conductors, composers, vocal soloists, and accompanists at all levels
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through performance of a wide range of musical genres. Since the appointment in 2004 of Dr. Brady Allred as Artistic Director and Conductor, the choir has grown to include a chamber choir, a children’s choir, a professional-level ensemble, and a women’s choir, and introduced both a men’s choir and a youth choir in 2013. Dr. Allred’s wealth of choral conducting experience, remarkable range of musical talent, and exceptional leadership has brought SLCA to a higher level of artistic excellence and generated new enthusiasm among choir members, serious interest from the media, and the attention of donors who recognize the importance of promoting quality performing arts in the area.
Concert Choir The Concert Choir is the core of SLCA. With 150 dedicated singers, this ensemble prepares and performs masterworks and major repertoire from a broad range of styles and time periods. Always unique and challenging, their season concerts have been lauded by critics as “lustrous and expressive,” and the choir praised for performing at the highest level with “professionalism and passion.” The Concert Choir believes strongly in community outreach and collaboration, and has twice performed with Ballet West for their productions of Carmina Burana.
Chamber Choir With 50 members drawn from the Concert Choir, this ensemble challenges those who have the ability and desire for additional learning. Performing more specialized repertoire, the Chamber Choir is featured on season concerts as well as at its own performances, such as appearances in the Assembly Hall at Temple Square. The group believes in promoting local artists, and released their first CD in 2009, He Loves Me, a recording of sacred music by Utah composer David Naylor.
Women’s Choir The Women’s Choir is dedicated to singing the broad range of music written for treble voices in all styles. Now over 50 voices strong, these women enjoy performing with the ensembles of SLCA as well as in their own featured concerts. They also collaborate with other women’s choruses in the area. Each year, the Women’s Choir produces “SWING IT,”an exciting evening of singing, dining, and dancing to music of the big band era that is becoming a traditional close to their SLCA concert season.
Salt Lake Vocal Artists The Salt Lake Vocal Artists was formed in 2010, providing an opportunity for those in the organization who have professional-level capability to rehearse and perform at the highest level. SLVA’s inaugural season began with a tour of Spain’s Basque region where the group competed in an international competition, earning first prize awards in every category and a special Audience Favorite award. This recognition led to invitations for 2011, including an appearance as the only United States choir at the World Choral Symposium in Argentina. In September 2011, SLVA traveled to Italy for another competition, where they once again earned five first prizes. SLVA performs several times each year throughout the Salt Lake Valley and has released four CD recordings.
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Young Choral Artists (YoCA) Now in its sixth year, YoCA is a program of education and performance for children ages 7- 15. Ensembles are structured and repertoire chosen to accommodate changing voices, and rehearsals focus on learning musicianship skills and vocal technique, and preparing for performance. Organized into three different ensembles throughout the valley that rehearse on separate days, YoCA gives families a choice to help accommodate different schedules. The group performs with the other ensembles of SLCA as well as at their own concerts, where they often collaborate with other local children’s choirs.
Salt Lake Choral Artists Men’s Choir In January 2013, the Salt Lake Choral Artists added another choir to their organization to feature and promote men’s choral singing. At the invitation of the organizers of the internationally acclaimed Choralies festival in Vaison-la-Romaine, France, the SLCA Men’s Choir was featured in concerts throughout the region including a performance at the ancient Roman Theater for an audience of 5,000 choral music lovers! In addition, the members of the choir participated in workshops with notable international conductors in the music of Fauré, Martinu, Patriquin, and Orff.
SLCA Youth Honor Choir In January 2013, the Salt Lake Choral Artists added an Honor Choir especially for talented youth ages 1521. Those who participate have the opportunity to work regularly with Dr. Brady Allred, an internationally acclaimed conductor and educator, sing advanced choral literature in an ensemble of gifted young singers, perform music by such composers as Morten Lauridsen, Eric Whitacre, Duke Ellington, Andrew Lloyd Webber, W.A. Mozart, and others in solo concerts and in collaboration with the Salt Lake Choral Artists and Salt Lake Vocal Artists, and receive vocal training and musicianship skills that will not only improve individual performance in their own high school choirs but prepare them for future opportunities and auditions. Applicants are accepted year round.
2)CHORALIS The Choralis Foundation was established by Artistic Director Gretchen Kuhrmann in 2000 to nurture a passion for choral music through excellent choral performances, professional development opportunities for young soloists and conductors, education and training for young choristers, and community outreach events. Nearly 200 singers perform across five ensembles: Choralis, an auditioned SATB chorus; the Ēchos chamber group; and three Cantus Youth Choirs that serve children from ages 5–14. Choralis is committed to programming that includes not only the classical choral repertoire, but compositions of living composers and world music.
Overview of Our Ensembles
The ensembles are: Choralis, a 100-person mixed-voice chorus with a paid professional core; Ēchos, a 20-member chamber ensemble drawn from the ranks of Choralis; and three youth choirs, Cantus Liberi, Cantus Medius, and Cantus Primo.
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Choralis Lauded by reviewers for The Washington Post and other publications, Choralis annually presents a season of choral masterworks as well as works by contemporary composers and world music. Recent performances have included Walton’s Belshazzar’s Feast, Verdi’s Requiem, and Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, as well as the world premiere of Bob Chilcott’s Gloria.
Ēchos Ēchos is known for exceptional musicality and artistry, with a sound described by The Washington Post as “…full-bodied and thrilling.” The ensemble performs a wide range of choral repertoire and styles each season.
Cantus Youth Choirs The Cantus Youth Choirs Program ensembles welcome children ages 5-14, providing both choral music training and music education. The choirs are featured in several concerts each season. The select Cantus Primo choir is shown at left, preparing to sing Carmina Burana at the Strathmore Music Center.
Our Season at a Glance
Ēchos | Grant Us Peace | Sunday, October 2 at 5 pm | The Falls Church Episcopal
Special Event | Young Artists Competition | Saturday, October 8, from 10 am – 1 pm | The Falls Church Episcopal
Choralis | Ein deutsches Requiem | Sunday, October 30 at 5 pm | National Presbyterian Church
Choralis | A Classic Brass Christmas | Friday, December 2 at 8 pm and Saturday, December 3 at 5 pm | The Church of the Epiphany
Choralis and Cantus | A Choralis Family Christmas | Sunday, December 4 at 4 pm | The Falls Church Episcopal
Cantus | I Love You Truly Cabaret | Sunday, February 19 at 7 pm | The Falls Church Episcopal
Cantus | The Magical Kingdom | Sunday, April 30 at 4 pm | The Falls Church Episcopal
Choralis | A Royal Affair | Saturday, May 13 at 7 pm | Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center
Special Event | Greater Washington DC Area Choral Excellence (Ovation) Awards | Tuesday, June 6 at 6:30 pm | The Clarendon Ballroom
3)The Choral Society of Durham, Rodney Wynkoop, conductor
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The 150-member Choral Society of Durham draws singers from all walks of life, selected by audition within and around the Research Triangle area, some coming as far as Virginia. The long-time conductor Rodney Wynkoop, who is also the Director of University Choral Music at Duke University, has earned critical acclaim for artistic excellence and innovative programming with his various choral groups
Duke Medicine Orchestra conducted by Verena Mösenbichler-Bryant
The Duke Medicine Orchestra provides an opportunity for musicians affiliated with Duke Medicine to come together to play substantial pieces from the classical repertoire. More than 90 orchestra members represent 26 departments across the Duke Medicine community.
Duke University Chorale conducted by Rodney Wynkoop
This 50-singer Chorale is the primary choral group of the Department of Music at Duke. The Chorale performs numerous concerts throughout the year, both on and off campus, and tours annually during Duke’s Spring Break.
Christmas Concert: Britten’s Saint Nicolas, plus carols with Durham Children’s Choir, Dena Byers, Conductor Duke University Chapel Saturday, December 10, 2016 at 8:00 p.m. and Sunday, December 11, 2016 at 4:00 p.m.
Brahms’ Nänie and Kodaly’s Te Deum with Duke Chorale and Durham Medical Orchestra Baldwin Auditorium, Duke University Sunday, February 26, 2017 at 4:00 p.m.
Chamber Choir Concert Schubert Serenade: A Concert of Chamber Music with Ciompi Quartet First Presbyterian Church Friday, April 7, 2017 at 8:00 p.m.
Berlioz’s Te Deum and Poulenc’s Gloria with Riverside High School Chorus and Duke Chapel Choir Duke University Chapel Sunday, April 30, 2017 at 4:00 p.m.
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4)The Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh: A Rich Musical Tradition
The Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh, (MCP), a symphonic chorus composed of volunteer members and professional “core” singers is passionate about choral music. Renowned for its excellence, the Choir combines the clarity of words with the mystical power of music so that the deepest and most universal of human expressions are magnified through a community of voices. Founded in 1908, the MCP holds the distinction of being Pittsburgh’s oldest continuously performing arts organization at 108 years young.
The Choir, in its first season under the direction of Matthew Mehaffey, is known for its mastery of the great choral classics. During the 2015-2016 season, the Mendelssohn Choir performed an emotional Duruflé‘s Requiem to the delight of audience members. Other past performances include Beethoven‘s Mass in C, Brahms‘ Schicksalsleid, Rossini‘s Petite Messe Solennelle, an entire concert devoted to the works of George Gershwin, as well as Aaron Copland’s In the Beginning, Mozart’s Great Mass, and Bach’s majestic Mass in B Minor to sold-out audiences at East Liberty Presbyterian Church. In 2009, the Choir sang a critically acclaimed performance of Rachmaninoff’s a capella masterwork, The All-Night Vespers at St. Paul’s Cathedral, and performed the epic oratorio Elijah in 2008 under the baton of its Director Emeritus and Grammy Award winning Robert Page.
Flexible in size as well as in style, the 32-voice Mendelssohn Chamber Singers presented an invited performance on the Library of Congress concert series in Washington D.C.
As the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra’s chorus of choice, the MCP has performed under the baton of some of the world’s greatest conductors, including Lorin Maazel, Mariss Jansons, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, Michael Tilson Thomas, Claudio Abbado, Mstislav Rostropovich, Leonard Slatkin, Charles Dutoit, André Previn, Sir Neville Marriner, Yan Pascal Tortelier, Helmuth Rilling, Ingo Metzmacher, Richard Hickox, Zdenek Mácal and Manfred Honeck.
Performances of the Choir with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra are heard locally over WQED-FM (89.3) and distributed nationally by PRI. The MCP has numerous commissions and premieres to its credit, including works by Ned Rorem, Nancy Galbraith and Derek Bermel. Through its recordings and commissions of new choral works, the Mendelssohn Choir seeks to advance the choral art. The Choir’s most recent recording is Mahler’s Symphony No. 3 with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and the Children’s Festival Chorus of Pittsburgh with Manfred Honeck conducting.
A leader and collaborator in the regional arts community, the Mendelssohn’s artistic partners have included the Pittsburgh Opera, the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, the River City Brass Band, the Children’s Festival Chorus, and the Duquesne University Tamburitzans. The Mendelssohn Choir continues to garner critical accolades as it shares the joy of choral music with the more than 50,000 individuals who hear the Mendelssohn in performance each year. The singers who comprise the Mendelssohn share a remarkable commitment to the art of making great choral music and collectively contribute more than 45,000 volunteer hours each year.
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A prime component of the MCP’s educational outreach is the Junior Mendelssohn Choir, a training and performance project serving select high school students from throughout the greater Pittsburgh region. Students receive personalized vocal training and exposure to some of the great works of the choral repertoire as a way to supplement their high school choral experience.
The Music of Downton Abbey October 8, 2016 - 7:30pm Matthew Mehaffey, conductor East Liberty Presbyterian Church
Junior Mendelssohn Concert: Brahms’ Zigeunerlieder, Gypsy Songs November 20, 2016 - 4pm Stephen Neely, conducting the JMCP Third Presbyterian Church
Haydn’s Creation December 2 & 4, 2016 - POSTPONED Manfred Honeck, conducting the PSO Heinz Hall
Highmark Holiday Pops December 9-11; 17 -18, 2016 Francesco Lecce-Chong, conducting the PSO Heinz Hall
Annelies February 25, 2017; 7:30pm Matthew Mehaffey, conducting the MCP Rodef Shalom Congregation
Mahler’s Resurrection June 2 & 4, 2017 Manfred Honeck, conducting the PSO Heinz Hall
5)FAIRFAX CHORAL SOCIETY
The Symphonic Chorus, comprised of approximately 120 volunteers who audition annually, is conducted by Artistic Director Dr. Douglas Mears. The Symphonic Chorus has received rave reviews for its performance of choral masterworks in collaboration with the Fairfax Symphony, Cathedral Choral Society, Choral Arts Society, National Symphony Orchestra, City of Fairfax Band, and other arts organizations in the region. The Washington Post has
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described the FCS Chorus as “…confident and polished…this chorus produced waves of gorgeous tones and a rich tapestry of color…the effect of some very skillful conducting.”
The FCS Youth Choruses, under the direction of Patrick Vaughn, Michelle McCarten, Bonny Tynch, Kristen Jorde, and Miranda Lansberry, provide singers ages five to nineteen the opportunity to expand their vocal experience in an auditioned choral program. Almost 250 singers participate in more than fifteen classes and eleven performing ensembles at three campuses located in Annandale, Vienna, and Centreville. The FCS Youth Choruses have sung for choral festivals, schools, church concert series, with the National Symphony Orchestra and the American Youth Philharmonic, at Carnegie Hall, at the White House, and in collaboration with other youth choruses throughout the Washington area. Their repertoire includes classical, folk, and the finest contemporary compositions for treble and mixed voices. FCS was honored by the Arts Council of Fairfax County with the 2016 Arts Education Award for its outstanding music education program.
In addition to the choirs, FCS has a rigorous education program. Early childhood musicianship classes for ages 3-4 start children and parents on a musical journey together. For high school students, FCS offers advanced music theory seminars. Music literacy classes for adults, commissioning contests, special guest workshops, and guest lecturers provide opportunities for musical enrichment and education for the entire community.
Feast Your Ears! An Evening of Choral Classics October 29, 2016 - 7:30 pm Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall & Arts Center, 4915 East Campus Drive Alexandria, VA 22311 United States The Fairfax Choral Society opens its 55th anniversary season with an evening of some of the greatest and most popular masterworks for chorus and orchestra composed throughout history. The program includes works by Bach, Handel, Mozart, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Brahms, just to name a few.
Christmas with FCS December 3, 2016 - 7:00 pm Grace United Methodist Church, Celebrate the splendor of the season with the Fairfax Choral Society as we join together to present a concert of yuletide favorites. With over two hundred voices, this annual holiday celebration includes new and imaginative arrangements of classic Christmas carols and features Holst’s beloved choral fantasy, “Christmas Day.”
Softly Falls the Winter Snow December 6, 2016 - 7:00 pm Annandale United Methodist Church, The season of hustle and bustle is upon us and our annual Annandale Campus Youth Concert is sure to bring you some calm and serenity as we present Softly Falls the Winter Snow. This
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concert will feature all five of our Annandale Youth Choirs with songs that not only bring a smile to your face, but will wrap you in the beauty and peacefulness of the season. This Joy! December 10, 2016 - 4:00 pm Vienna Baptist Church, “Be glad for the hope that springs, sing out for the joy it brings.” The Youth Choruses of the Centreville and Vienna Campuses join together to present a concert featuring a glorious selection of traditional and inspirational songs of the season. We will be hosting a Toys for Tots drive at this concert so that we can bring joy to our community this holiday season.
Christmas in Fairfax December 17, 2016 - 7:00 pm Fairfax High School, The FCS Symphonic Chorus once again joins with the city of Fairfax Band for this local celebration of the Christmas season presented as our annual gift to the community. This holiday favorite also features a visit by a special guest from the North Pole. Tickets are free but must be reserved in advance.
Hollywood Goes Choral IV March 4 - 7:00 pm Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall & Arts Center, 4915 East Campus Drive Alexandria, VA 22311 United States Back by popular demand, the FCS Symphoic Chorus presents a night of magical movie music. Dedicated to the power and influence of music in motion pictures, the Symphonic Chorus along with the Washington Symphonic Brass pay tribute to several epic films. The program features a James Bond medley, songs from Star Wars, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and works from the prolific film composer John Williams.
Harmonious Art: Journeys March 18 - 1:00 pm Annandale United Methodist Church, This year, the Fairfax Choral Society launches a new concert collaboration with young artists of Fairfax County Public Schools. Our youngest choruses will portray life’s journeys through song, accompanied by young artists’ visual interpretations.
Poetry of Music: Let the River Run March 28 - 7:00 pm Annandale United Methodist Church, 6935 Columbia Pike Now in our 13th year of the Poetry of Music project, the Youth Choruses of the Fairfax Choral Society has, once again, partnered with Fairfax County Public Schools to bring a brand new musical work to life. Each year, FCS joins forces with a world class composer and one or more local schools to create a new work to be premiered as part of this concert. This collaboration is evidence of the creativity and artistry of our county’s students.
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Spring Follies! May 12 - 7:00 pm Richard J. Ernst Community Cultural Center, Northern Virginia Community College, Annandale Campus Annandale, VA 22003 United States This not-to-be-missed concert is a highlight of the season. The concert format, now in its 11th year, offers FCS students the opportunity to design their own concert—through preparing the music, choreographing the selections, and finding the costumes. This concert is a testament to all that the singers have learned throughout the year. Featuring songs of the stage, Spring Follies! is one of the most well-attended concerts at FCS.
“Ode to Joy” – Beethoven Symphony No. 9 May 13 - 8:00 pm George Mason University Center for the Arts Concert Hall, 4400 University Dr Fairfax, VA 22030 United States Beethoven’s glorious final symphony celebrates the bonds that unite humankind and has been described as his “great vision of the future.” As our 55th Anniversary season comes to a close, the Fairfax Choral Society joins with the Music & Arts Chorus to commemorate the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra’s 60th Anniversary. This concert represents a collaborative celebration of our shared history and dedication to the enrichment of cultural life in Fairfax County.
Date: January 28, 2017 Attendees: Doug McCarroll, Lowell Goode, Jennifer Seighman, Heather Yun, Kevin Zealberg
Notes: First order of business was setting goals for the meeting itself which were somewhat undefined. It was decided that the primary goal of the meeting was to set goals and objectives for the remainder of the season as well as the next 1-2 years for the choir.
It was agreed upon that the general mission and vision of the choir were sufficiently broad as to capture the priorities of the board and the Choral Society.
Lowell noted that his primary concern was that the choir has been (without factoring Polly’s donations in) losing money for the last 3-4 years and that as there is no more Polly money to be had, there must be a course correction for next year or the choir will fold. Heather agreed that this was the matter of first importance and noted that before further expanding goals related to artistry that generate expenses we must balance our budget. We have had budgets that appeared to balance at the beginning of every season but then through a combination of unexpected expenses and overprojected revenues we end up short. Heather offered that there is no way to guarantee nearly any of our revenues for next (or any) season and that it is easier to control our expenses than it is our revenues. Asked Lowell to determine the ratio of our net losses for each of the past four seasons (without
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factoring in Polly’s money) to the projected total budget at the start of each of those seasons. Fictional Example: The net income loss for the 2015-2016 season was 12,501.17. At the beginning of the 2016 season the budget (which had anticipated neither a profit or a loss) had projected a total of 83,000 in expenses. This would mean that the projections were 15% off (either in terms of revenues or expenses). Would trend how wrong projections were for the last four years and course correct for next season by reducing projected expenses. Lowell and Heather will get together offline to figure this out. Jennifer asked whether there was something else that could be reduced in terms of expenses besides concert costs. Unfortunately there are not a lot of options as most of our expenses are either concert costs or staffing. Lowell and Heather have recently gone through the budget line by line with very little else that could be adjusted in the short term.
It was felt that there were four primary areas of focus for the board for which immediate and short-term goals at least should be developed.
1. Finance/fundraising: a. Lowell/Heather to correct projected expenses for next year based on trends for the last for years as above. Timeline: 1 March b. Big Give: have not heard any details about this yet. POC will be Doug and he will find out what the details are and muster support for this. Jennifer noted that this would be optimized if we had specific goals we were working on (e.g. organizations can win prizes for things like, “most donations between 12 and 1 am”) c. Upcoming auditions which generate limited revenues in dues d. Grants: Doug working on Texas Music Office, Arts Respond grants. Time lime??? e. Initiate charitable bingo application: POC Heather and Doug, timeline 1 April f. Contacting “old” donor list: POC Doug, timeline 1 April g. Approach Chris Ortiz about helping with this next year. POC Yun h. Continue to expand on corporate donor asks: Capitol Group, TIAA-CREF, Valero (need to also figure out what we can do for them, Doug says they want volunteer opportunities where they can be seen working in the community, he will think on this), HEB, Joeris possibilities i. Combined Federal Campaign an option for next year j. Jennifer proposed having social activities as fundraisers to fulfill dual goals of raising money and increasing organizational cohesion. Examples: meeting at a restaurant (painting with a twist, bowling) that would give 10% back to the organization (or something like that) monthly. It was thought that perhaps either Karen or Kala could take the lead on this.
2. Performances/standards: after some discussion it was felt that much of this was within Jennifer’s sphere of influence and not so much the board’s. Heather proposed that one way recently encountered as a means to recruit new singers was offering “free voice lessons” broadly advertised (much as what Jennifer has already done with vocal boot camp) to reel people in---this could also potentially come with a
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small fee ($5 per session) as a limited fundraiser. Jennifer to consider. Jennifer has acknowledged that expanding rehearsal time not a realistic option at this point and those in attendance agreed. a. Increased use of sectionals: it was discussed that many of performance related issues including people learning the music, accountability about being the “one guy” who sticks out re: intonation or volume in a small group, keeping people’s attention span and making the most of limited rehearsal time, would be addressed by increased use of small sectionals. Right now we are not doing this primarily because the keyboard situation in the sanctuary is suboptimal and the other spaces are too small regardless. However we own a keyboard. Doug: can you ASAP touch base with St. Francis and find out if there is someplace we can keep our keyboard at the church? Also if there is another space that we can use for sectionals besides the sanctuary (that would fit at least 26 people) this would be ideal because the lighting in the sanctuary is also bad.
3. Administrative/Leadership related: Kevin notes that our board does not function like any other board he has ever served on for a nonprofit. Our is mostly concerned with details of a variety of things which likely do not need board approval, and most others are strictly concerned with fundraising. Heather noted that she perceives the lack of continuity and nearly 100% board composition of current singers to be the major rate limiting factor for growth of the organization. Her goal is to add 1-2 community members per year to the advisory board and 1-2 members to the regular board (probably moving from advisory) each year until the board has approximately 50% nonsingers as membership. These ideally should be community leaders who have broad networks which are currently limited among singers.
a. First short term goal is to recruit the next board. Doug must determine who is scheduled to rotate off. Each of the others must be approached to find out whether they are planning on continuing to serve. Plan on having nominating committee nominate new members: Sara, Amanda, Kala, proposed for this. Specifically we need a new finance director as Lowell indicates he is unable to continue to serve in this capacity at this time. b. Jennifer noted that CCSA seems to have a very helpful ED who is willing to help us with some of the behind the scenes stuff at Tobin. (Anne Schelleng). CCSA seems to have a pretty mature and well developed administrative staff and we might approach them and YOSA when the time comes for a search committee for a new ED to be part of that. A team of consultants (Anne, Troy, Brandon), and Jennifer, should be included in the next Executive Director search to advise/guide the BOD. c. It was proposed that potentially we might share marketing or fundraising staff with some other organization, but that issues arise with the “favorite” vs the less favorite employer and proportions of time/effort spent. d. Heather feels that primary weakness of the group contributing to lack of growth/ability to meet long term goals of the organization is the short term and overcommitted singer nature of the board. The ED role is still maturing
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and developing but nevertheless there will never be an ED who is able to do every executive task for the group as well as 100% of the fundraising. Heather’s goal is to have the board more closely resemble the boards of other nonprofit organizations which primarily consist of nonmembers (nonsingers in this case) who are committed to the success of the group, community leaders with a large network, a diverse skill set, connected to potential donors, and involved with fundraising. Her short term goal here is above. Specific names of people to contact about being advisory members are Craig Wilson, Jennifer Munzel, Sheila Mayfield, Jennifer Cantu, John Burnam who was very helpful with the Big Give the first time we did it. Will ask Kevin and Sandra if they are willing to serve on regular board next year. e. Lowell: is there a grant that would contribute specifically to hiring a part time fundraiser? Doug to investigate.
4. Marketing/Branding: short term goals here deferred due to Kala’s absence. However Lowell ad Kevin agreed to develop something with which potential donors could be approached that would be a little more informative than the mission and vision statements.
Date: February 12, 2017 Attendees: Heather Yun, Lowell Goode, Jennifer Seighman, Anne Schelleng (CCSA Executive Director since 2007)
Notes: We asked Anne questions related to her position as Executive Director at CCSA (what her duties encompass, what the challenges have been), the composition of their staff and board, the CCSA mission, general climate of non-profit arts organizations in SA, and the structure by which the CCSA organization is run.
Here are Anne’s thoughts based upon our discussion:
We need to determine why our singers like to sing in our organization. What is their story? That needs to be our mission and the bar against which we measure everything else. CCSA has had to expand their mission recently to offer choral ensembles in underserved areas of the city, while still maintaining their top choir which sings with the symphony, opera, etc. This is how they get more grant money from the city. We should attempt to listen to what the city wants from us.
YOSA has been successful at complimenting local HS programs as opposed to conflicting with them. YOSA members must participate in their school ensembles. Many of our SACS students are home school or university students, so this doesn’t seem as crucial for us. We tend to get students who aren’t in their school choral programs. Another potential membership source for us is graduating college students. Most of the people that audition for SACS are new to the SA area (young professionals) who have previous choral experience and are looking to get back into singing with a choir.
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As far as CCSA staff, Anne and the Artistic Director are full-time. There are at least 18 part- time employees, including teachers and 1-2 operations people (send weekly emails to parents of every child in their programs). Anne works at least 60 hrs. on a slow week; her duties include maintaining the website and doing the accounting. They have an audit every year. CCSA and YOSA both outsources their public relations (marketing/media) to the Eisenberg group (Gina Galvan and Ron Aaron) for a monthly fee (unlimited hrs.).
Regarding the Executive Director position, we considered that it might be better to advertise for a Director of Development as that is our most pressing need, rather than a jack-of-all-trades ED who probably doesn’t exist for the salary we can offer. Though this would still leave Marketing/PR/Media, website, concert production, and operations that would need to be covered through outsourcing or internally. With this Director of Development scenario, the BOD/finance committee would look at the projected expenses for the year and set a monetary goal for the development person to raise each season. If the Development Director doesn’t meet the goal, they don’t get to keep the job. We could list this position with the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) and the Area Foundation Non-Profit Council.
Regarding committees, Anne stated that the staff guides/leads each committee so they stay focused and motivated to complete tasks. The staff person lays out what needs to be done and it is the committee’s job to do it. Each committee is driven by a staff person.
Regarding the board, its exclusive responsibility is governance and financial responsibility. It should be comprised of folks who have an expertise in these areas. It should consist of non-singers/non-parents of singers and have term limits. Anne does a one-on-one orientation with each new board member. There are several resources we might consider when looking for qualified new board members. In addition to Valero, we might pursue candidates from the Masters Leadership Program https://www.mlpsa.org/ and the “Get on Board” program which the Area Foundation holds each November.
Regarding the overall climate of arts organizations in SA, it starts at the top. The SA Symphony is struggling and the city doesn’t seem to have the nucleus yet to support the arts the way places like Houston and Dallas do, though this is changing slowly with more young professionals and families moving in. To have a “home base” we might see if the Tobin is taking new resident companies.
Other resources: Brandon Hanson (YOSA) She will put us in contact with others as she thinks of them.
Actions: Jennifer will set up a meeting with the Eisenberg Group and Tom Hardaway (Texas Children’s Choir) sometime after Mozart. Heather will pursue ideas above for finding new board members. Lowell will look into the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP).
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Jennifer and Lowell will meet with Victoria Garcia from the Department of Arts & Culture.
Date: February 15, 2017 Attendees: Lowell Goode, Jennifer Seighman, Victoria Garcia (Department of Arts and Culture, City of San Antonio)
Notes: We first discussed the situation with Doug and his planned departure at the end of this fiscal year. We asked if she had any leads to fill the position, but had none. Her suggestion was to post a job description on their web site and also to submit the listing to her for inclusion in their newsletter.
We also asked if she might be aware of any organization that might be using a part time person that we could share at least on a temporary basis. She didn’t know of any but suggested we contact Jump Start and YOSA.
I asked her if Doug’s leaving would cause the current grant funds to be terminated. She said no, that Jennifer was also covered by the grant so if we couldn’t invoice for Doug we could invoice for Jennifer. The grant was for a two year period so we don’t need to reapply this year. However, she said having an Executive Director is a requirement for their grant. As long as we were looking for a replacement, we would be OK. If we decided to not replace Doug, then the City would have a problem with continuing the grant funding.
We asked how we could increase the amount of grant money received from the City and if it was even possible to do so. She indicated it was possible, but we would have to increase our own revenue in order to receive an increase from the City. She called it “capacity to handle money”. This becomes the classic chicken or egg scenario as we need more money in order to increase the programs that would bring in more money.
She then began to explain that there would be a change in how grants were requested in the future. They are going to an RFP (request for proposal) system, primarily because the new head of her department comes from a contracting background. RFP’s are typically used for construction contracts where there is a specific project and contractors are asked to bid on that project. The winner gets the contract. This implies the City would group all the choirs together and the winner would get the money and the others would get nothing. This makes no sense to me and Victoria said she agreed and wasn’t sure how it would ultimately be structured.
I asked her if the city felt they had to spread money around to cover as many groups as possible and she said no, they determined the amount based on the merits. Then I asked her why our funding has gone down from prior years. She said it was because there were more groups requesting money. (Rather contradictory).
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We asked her if there were deficiencies in our application that if corrected, would improve our chances in obtaining larger grants. She said no, our application was fine.
She did suggest that we meet with the consultant they had provided. She agreed that the consultant would not be able to help us find a replacement for Doug, but should be helpful on longer range issues. I plan to schedule a phone conversation with her to see if anything develops. In general, I didn’t feel the meeting was particularly helpful. It did help us better understand how the process works. After the meeting, Jennifer raised the question as to whether the city grant requirements were actually holding us back. I think that is a question we should discuss.
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