Most of you should have received tonight the following email from our President Kit…but here’s a copy if you don’t have it:

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Hello Masterwork Chorus Friends,

I hope you all enjoyed a relaxing Labor Day weekend and are ready for our first rehearsal of the season this Wednesday, September 5.

I’m writing with a couple of chorus updates since we were together at the end of last season as well as some important date reminders. Many of these items are posted on Masterwork’s blog site. I strongly suggest regular visits to the blog to keep up with our most important chorus member news. Visit www.masterworkblog.org to learn more. This online community, moderated by Andrew W, is a great complement to our regular web site, but contains much more member-specific information which is kept timely and up to date.

As you’ll see through the news posted on the blog, the Masterwork Board of Directors, Executive Committee, and many of our other committees have been hard at work over the summer. Here is a recap of some of the most significant news:

1. First, and perhaps most timely, please be aware that the Morris County Freeholders have again contracted Masterwork to sing at the Morris County September 11 Remembrance and Candlelight Service.

This year’s service will be conducted by our Associate Conductor Tom Cunningham and will be held on Sunday, September 9, at 7:00 pm at the Morris County September 11th Memorial on West Hanover Avenue in Parsippany-Troy Hills, across from the Morris View Nursing Home.

We will be performing the following pieces from our repertoire. These are the same pieces we sang last year so if you have scores, please bring them. If not, scores for select pieces can be found on our blog site – please print and bring with you to our rehearsal. We will have limited number of copies for those who can not print prior to rehearsal.
• The Star Spangled Banner
• How Lovely is Thy Dwelling Place, in English, from Brahams’ Ein Deutche Requiem (link to score on our blog)
• In Paradisium, from Faure’s Requiem (link to score on our blog)
• America the Beautiful
• God Bless America

Masterwork is being compensated for our participation and I strongly encourage as many of you as are available to join us in performing this service.

2. I am also very pleased to announce that, during the summer, The Masterwork Board of Directors elected Andrew W as our new Treasurer for the 2007/2008 season. Andrew is taking over all the responsibilities of outgoing Treasurer Nancy R and is also taking on the bookkeeping responsibilities most recently handled by past Treasurer Carl R. Please welcome Andrew as our new Treasurer – and many, many thanks to Nancy and Carl for their tireless efforts on Masterwork’s behalf.

3. Additionally, I’m equally pleased to announce that the Masterwork Marketing Committee, with the support of the Executive Committee and Board, has hired a new publicist for the upcoming season. We have hired the local firm of Irene Maslowski and Associates. Marketing Committee Chairperson Faith F is working closely with Irene and other members of Marketing to already begin promoting the chorus and our upcoming season.

4. Speaking of committees, please remember that our committees currently include the following:
• Concert Logistics Committee – George C, Chair
• Music Committee – Tom M, Chair
• Marketing/Public Relations Committee – Faith F, Chair
• Web Site Committee – Alexandra Fittin, Chair
• Community Outreach Committee, including Summer Sings and ReachOut – Kathy H, Chair
• Education Committee – Tom M, Chair
• Workshop Sub-Committee – Faith F, Chair
• Development Committee – Marty C, Chair
• Finance Committee – Andrew W, Chair
• Personnel Committee – Diane G, Chair
• Membership Committee – Becky A, Chair
• Nominating Committee – Chair selected prior to nominations

After years of service some of the current committee chairs will be transitioning their positions this year. Stay tuned for updates!

Additionally, chorus members have the opportunity to work with committees on a number of behind-the-scene tasks that make our performances successful. Among these: preparing or proofreading the content for our programs; proofreading printed materials; soliciting financial support; helping plan special events; promoting ticket sales; sending out weekly chorus news via email; and many others. To get involved, speak to a board member. You don’t have to be a committee member to help!

5. I am also very pleased to announce that Associate Conductor Tom Cunningham will be taking on additional oversight of the Chamber and Touring Choirs this year, assuming overall conducting responsibilities. Tom has some exciting ideas for the groups and more information on auditions and repertoire will be available at rehearsal.

6. Additionally, please make sure these concert and special event dates — which were in the member letter mailed in August — are on your calendar. All of these dates are on the calendar on our blog.

Check it out! You’ll be hearing more about some additional Masterwork events, like our annual Cider and Song fundraiser in November, very soon:

2007-2008 Masterwork Chorus Schedule

Orff’s Carmina Burana and Bruckner’s Te Deum Sunday, Oct. 21st, 3 pm – Clinton Presbyterian Church, Clinton, NJ Saturday, Nov. 3rd, 8 pm – Dorothy Young Center at Drew University, Madison, NJ

Handel’s Messiah
Saturday, Dec. 22nd, 2 pm and 8 pm – Carnegie Hall, New York City Sunday, Dec. 23rd, 3 pm – The Community Theatre at Mayo Center for the Performing Arts, Morristown, NJ

Michael Haydn’s Requiem and Mozart’s Vespers Sunday, April 27th , 3pm – Dorothy Young Center at Drew University, Madison, NJ

Locations and dates for our Chamber and Touring Choir concerts are being finalized, but these groups plan to perform a holiday concert in December at the Holy Family Chapel at St. Elizabeth, and an annual spring concert at another local venue. Additionally, the Board continues to evaluate additional opportunities to perform some pieces from the repertoire at both new and familiar venues.

Auditions for Prospective New Members: Thursday, September 6th, 7:15 pm - 10:00 pm at Xavier Center, by appointment. Becky Adams will help schedule auditions.

Chamber and Touring Choir Auditions: Date and time TBD in mid September, by appointment. Becky Adams will help schedule auditions. More information will be available at our first rehearsal.

Morris County September 11th Memorial Service: On Sunday, September 9th, 7:00 pm.

Fall Workshop: Mark your calendars for Saturday, October 6th, at the Millburn Library, morning start time TBA. We will once again have an opportunity to enjoy a day filled with music, learning and lots of rehearsal time, not to mention spending a great day with friends.

In closing, I have some additional personal news for those of you whom I haven’t seen since the spring. I’m very excited to share that my husband and I are expecting a baby daughter at the end of November, and you’ll all be seeing me in a rather pregnant state as we begin this new season. I am, however, as committed as ever to Masterwork, and will be working very closely with the rest of the Executive Committee and Board to make sure all Masterwork business continues smoothly through the year.

See you all on Wednesday!

Kind regards,

Kit