Frequently Asked Questions: This page contains answers to common questions.
- Who are the Village Voices?
- When is the concert?
- Mission Statement
- FOR MEMBERS ONLY!
- Membership
- Rehearsal Schedule - FIRST REHEARSAL
- Attendance Policies
- Performances, Concert Attire and Frangrances
- Communication and Suggestions
- Dues
- Music
- Your Staff, History of The Village Voices and Volunteering
Who are the Village Voices?
The Village Voices is a community chorus at Oronoque Village in Stratford,
CT. The group of 75 members are voluntary and enjoy gathering together to
sing for rehearsals on Mondays. We perform two concerts a year at the
Village, as well as other invitational performances. Enthusiasm is our motto!
When is the concert?
June 7th at 7:30pm
at Oronoque Village in Stratford
Mission Statement
The Oronoque Village Voices is an adult non-profit organization based at
Oronoque Village in Stratford, CT, dedicated to the rehearsal and
performance of choral music for the benefit, education and enjoyment of it�s
members and audiences.
FOR MEMBERS ONLY!
Spring 2006 Program
OPENING Moments to Remember
July Yankee Doodle
Proud to be an American - God Bless the USA
This Land is Your Land
August Cruising Down the River
By the Sea
September School Days
A You're Adorable
September Song
October Autumn in NY
Take Me Out to the Ballgame
Moonlight in Vermont
November Button Up Your Overcoat
Count Your Blessings
December Baby it's Cold Outside
Auld Lang Syne
January We Shall Overcome
The Snow Has a Song
Notre Dame Fight Song
Feb My Funny Valintine
I Can't Give You Anything But Love
IF
Hail to the Chief
March When Irish Eyes are Smiling
Let's Go Fly A Kite
April Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head
If I Were a Rich Man
May I love a Parade
M is for the Million Things - MOTHER
This is My Country
Apple Blosson Time
June My Heart Belongs to Daddy
You're a Grand Old Flag
June is Busting Out all Over
Winter 2005 Program
Opening
Holiday Lights
The Glowing Candles of Hanukkah
A Wish for Hanukkah
Hanukkah�s Child
Hine Ma Tov
Happy Hanukkah, My Friend
The Guiding Star of Bethlehem
Once Upon a Starry Night/O Come All Ye Faithful
Rise Up Shepard and Follow
We Three Kings
The Twinkling Snow of Winter
Snow
White Christmas
Winter Fantasy
The Snow Has a Song
Winter Wonderland
The Joy and Peace of the Season
Angels Among Us
We Need a Little Christmas
Christmas Don't be late
Deck the Hall For All
Traditional Carol Medley Sing-Along � Joy, Silent, Silver, Frosty,
and Rudolph
Let There be Peace on Earth
Membership
Residents of OV who demonstrate and interest in the group, love of singing
varied music styles and desire to commit their time and voice to the group
are those who make up the Oronoque Village Voices. Due to staging
constraints, there must be a cap on the size of the ensemble and a waiting
list established. Presently, we number approximately 65 members and are not
accepting new members at this time.
Members are to Sign-in, pay dues, and collect handouts at the start of each
meeting.
Pencils should be brought to each rehearsal to mark changes in your music.
Highlighters are often used and recommended as well.
Rehearsal Schedule - FIRST REHEARSAL
FIRST REHEARSAL - Wednesday, September 7th 2005 at 7:00PM - See you all
there!!!
The Oronoque Village Voices rehearse on Monday nights from 7:00 to 8:30pm.
Approximately once a month this meeting is on a Tuesday. As a concert date
approaches, extra rehearsals will be called. Please plan in advance for the
week or two before a concert to be available. Our concert schedule is handed
out at the beginning of each season.
Attendance Policies
Goals of the OVV include furthering our knowledge of music and providing our
audience with the best possible performances, while having a good time
preparing. With this in mind, attendance to rehearsals is a priority among
the members. IF you find that you will miss numerous rehearsals, we ask
members to consider dropping out of that season�s performance.
(Consideration has been given to the �snow birds�, as most of them return by
the end of March and are able to catch up.) We understand that there are
conflicts on rehearsal nights with other organizations. If this should
happen on a regular basis, you might consider making a choice. Also, we
cannot have members, after a lengthy absence, returning two or three weeks
before a performance.
Frequent absences will cause missing specifics of music learning and
important announcements at rehearsals. The lack of full group attendance
will also limit our success and potential. Please inform the board of a
leave of absence or dates that you are aware of in advance if possible.
Performances, Concert Attire and Frangrances
The OVV have two major performances a year, Winter and Spring. Dates are on
the schedule. These concerts are also supplemented by traveling to area
centers to perform our concert music. Community service, by sharing our
music with others, is a part of our mission.
Our concerts have the same attire for the most part: Men and women: Black
pants, black shoes (and socks or stockings), and white long sleeve shirts.
Each concert we select a bow tie, boutonniere, scarf � to add a little color
to out attire.
Fragrances
The Chorus is large and we often rehearse or perform in close quarters!
Please be considerate of your fellow singers by using fragrance-free
cosmetics, deodorants, hairsprays, and the like. Often many people are
sensitive to scents (your conductor is!) and this can cause drying out or
tickling of the throat, hindering breathing/singing ability.
Communication and Suggestions
At our meetings we offer time for important announcements to be made. These
announcements should be regarding our group only to avoid conflicting
interests as well as wasting rehearsal time. Should you miss a rehearsal, it
is vital that you find out if you missed any announcement, as well as
handouts or music learning that occurred. Please do this by contacting a
friend in the group or a board member. We will provide a list of names and
phone numbers of members. Changes or cancellations regarding weather or
other issues will be made by phone. (Also posted on the Oronoque information
television channel 10.)
Suggestions
Should any member of the group have a suggestion, comment or concern, please
offer it in writing and signed to the director or a board member. Verbal
comments at rehearsals take time away from music learning and do not offer
the time necessary to address the issues at hand. Personal comments and
issues are valued and important to the overall contentment of the group and
will be handled at the appropriate time and place.
Dues
Dues are collected at the start of each meeting. These monies are your only
cost of involvement. Dues money and concert ticket sales are used for the
following purposes: copies of music, administrative costs, programs, gifts,
annual party goods and food, after concert refreshments and other
miscellaneous costs that come up throughout the season.
Music
The copies of music you receive in rehearsal are yours to maintain. Please
try to avoid loss of music, as copies are costly and time consuming to make.
The OVV sings music with the attempt to expose a variety of music to
ourselves and audiences including standards, foreign language, sacred,
secular, holiday, contemporary, folk songs, masterworks, madrigals, multi-
cultural and music from select genres. Through these selections the singers
learn the value of choral music from its historical background and composer
contributions to the educational value of the notes on the page, as well as
how to sing chorally and expressively bring the best possible concert to our
faithful audiences.
Your Staff, History of The Village Voices and Volunteering
Your Staff
Director and Founder - Marilyn Phillips
Conductor � Deana W. Saunders
Board Members � Jerry Brown, Lou Trapasso, Bernice and Melvin Robinson,
Eileen Leary, Vito Sorge, Barbara Butterworth and Rose Schippani.
Instrumentalists � Eileen Leary, Piano and Vito Sorge, Bass
History of the Village Voices
A letter from the Director and Founder Marilyn Phillips
In the year 2000, my love of music and the encouragement of friends in the
Village inspired me to put out a call for anyone interested in forming a
chorus. The response was overwhelming. It was amazing the hidden talent that
resided at Oronoque Village. First, a chorus needs a conductor and
accompanist. Who better than Ed Seman, conductor, and Eileen Leery,
pianist. As far as a musical program, it was not difficult to come up
with a theme. What would the residents of OV like to hear? Thanks to Eileen
Leary and her extensive collections of music songbooks, the one titled Old
Time Favorites was just what we needed. We were ready to go! So, in May
of 2000 we had our first rehearsal. We numbered about 55 eager voices, a
nice mix, a on October 6, 2000, we performed our first concert to a packed
house. What a wonderful response from the villagers! That was four years
ago and we are still going strong. With our present conductor, Deana
Saunders, a choral director in the Trumbull school system, we have gotten
bigger and better. We have all learned more about reading music and singing
in parts. Big steps for us! Our most recent concert had and overwhelming
attendance of over 250 audience members. We are very proud of our
accomplishment and know that the future only holds good things for the
Oronoque Village Voices.
Volunteers
Volunteers are often needed for events. If you wish to help or know someone
who likes to work behind the scenes, please contact the director.