This Week in Choir: Week 11

Good Afternoon Grissom Choir,

I am SO excited for this coming week’s 54th Annual All-City Choral Festival!  Participating students, please be sure you know everything concerning this festival using the information below.  For students not participating, if you attend the concert on Tuesday night, and show me you are there, you will receive an extra 100 point test grade!  ALL students, please be sure you are aware of what your in-class assignments are next Monday-Wednesday while I am out via the update on Schoology!


This Week in Choir…

Women’s Choir:
Music Theory Review
Continue learning Laus Deo!
Continue learning Sweet Silent Night & Psallite
Continue learning Long Ago

Men’s Choir:
Music Theory Review
Continue learning Riu, Riu, Chiu & Star of Wonder
Continue learning Rise Up Shepherd & O Come Emmanuel
Continue learning Long Ago

Concert Choir:
Music Theory Review
Continue learning Who Has Seen the Wind?
Continue learning Gaudete!, Snow on Snow, & Autumn Gives Her Hand to Winter
Continue learning Gloria in Excelsis Deo

Chamber Choir:
Music Theory Review
Finish reviewing Veteran’s Day Program Repertoire & learning White Winter Hymnal
Continue learning Run to the Manger & O Nata Lux & Sing We Now
Continue learning Christmas Cantata


New Grissom Choir Room Rules
Students, please read below the new rules for the Grissom Choir Room:

• NO FOOD is allowed to be eaten in the choir room what-so-ever.
• ONLY WATER is allowed, and can either be at your seat, or on the wooden table under the Securly Pass system, NOT with your back-pack
• Practice Rooms are ONLY available during Advisory, not before the bell rings or during the 4-minute break.

All-City Festival Permission Form & Payment
The 2024 All-City Choral Festival will be held THIS COMING MONDAY, on Monday October 21st & Tuesday, October 22nd. An email was sent out weeks ago with important documents concerning this event, and was handed out to students in class.  Please see the provided email & paperwork for all details (same information found at www.grissomchoir.com/allcity2024.  The single, full-year, digital Permission-To-Travel Form (see below) and $30 Festival Fee are due TODAY Friday, October 18th!

Buff City Soaps Fundraiser
This past week, Grissom Choir kicked-off its 3rd fundraiser of the school year, a Buff City Soaps Fundraiser.  Each item can be sold for varying amounts, of which 50% will go towards the student’s individual My Music Office Account.  This is a great and simple way to raise money for Grissom Choir related fees!  Order forms were made available this past week, and students have 2 weeks to sell.  All monies will need to be turned in to the Grissom Choir Money Box (and order forms turned in) by the due date in order to receive items in a timely manner.  Please visit www.grissomchoir.com/fundraisers for more information and to access the order form!

Voces8 Educational Encounter & Concert
The Huntsville Chamber Music Guild will be presenting Voces8 in concert TOMORROW, Saturday, Oct 19th at 2 pm in the sanctuary of Trinity United Methodist Church on Airport Road.  In addition, there will be a FREE Educational Encounter that same day, Saturday Oct 19, from 10:30am- 12pm, also to be held at Trinity Methodist Church. The Encounter will begin at 10:30 am with Q and A, followed by an open rehearsal until 12 pm. All students who attend the Educational Encounter will receive a FREE ticket to the afternoon’s performance. While this is not a requirement to attend, I highly encourage you to do so, as this grammy winning, professional octet is world renown.  Feel free to search the web and youtube for Voces8 to see what amazing things they have done, and visit the link below to sign-up!  Note, this opportunity is COMPLETELY on-your-own, and not an official HCS Field-Trip:  https://form.jotform.com/242815353392054

Advanced SSAA & TTBB Ensemble Auditions
This coming Thursday during Advisory, Grissom Choir will be hosting auditions for an Advanced SSAA & TTBB ensemble, open to any current Grissom Choir student.  Students will be assessed on their major scale & sequence, as well as their work ethic and pitch accuracy in class.  The Winter Concert will be a “trial run” for both of these ensembles to see if this is something that Grissom Choir can sustain every semester.  For those that are interested, please audition!

All-State Audition Date
The 2024 All-State Choral Festival Auditions are officially set for SATURDAY, November 9th, which is only 3 weeks away!  More information, will be emailed out next week.  However, there are several students who have yet to receive their All-State music due to lack of payment.  These fees have been posted on My Music Office, and music has been available for students to pick-up once payment is received (MMO or Money Box).


Sincerely,

Tucker Ratcliff
Choral Director | Grissom Choir
Webmaster & Editor | Alabama ACDA
Treasurer | Huntsville Choral Director’s Association
(256) 428-8000 ext. 2271 | [email protected]