The Rubbermaid Choral Riser

How many of your choir directors have been faced with having to use these in place of risers?
It seems to be the preferred, cheap and quick method of getting a second row of choristers on a different level in a whole variety of tight and unconventional venues.

I have to admit - I've used them on a number of occasions, and they've been very useful.  I've used them to get a choir closer to an orchestra, or as extension to existing risers with great success.  Many churches for example don't have a good set up for choirs, so these fit the bill in a pinch, plus, you can create a stage anywhere, and in any formation you like.

The problem I have with them is that they look horrible!  I've had at least one complaint after a concert from an audience member about them, and I find the more and more that I see them in a concert, the more I dislike them.  Certainly as a chorister who has had to stand on one (actually I use two, one for each foot) they are probably the most uncomfortable options around, with no ability to "move" your feet.  I also suffer from on stage vertigo, something I picked up a few years ago, and can't seem to find a way to solve, so standing on a plastic stool no wider than my shoulders certainly doesn't help!

My questions is - is there another option?  Should someone approach the rubbermaid company and have them create a stool specifically for this purpose?  Perhaps a larger, yet still stackable portable system that came in a variety of colours to match the stage?

Thoughts?

One down ... four to go

First concert of the year with Da Camera is now in the bag - and I'm happy to say, a resounding (that's re-zound-ing, not re-sound-ing ... sorry inside joke) success.  The concert was a real mixed bag of rep, from Clemens Non-Pappa to Knut Nystedt, and through a literature of gospel spirituals.  I post up some of our sound bites when I get the archive recording back.

We had a few guests on the program, involving a local youth choir of 60 voices, and three different conductors - Me, the conductor of the youth choir, and my assistant.  So, there was a fair amount of choralography with regards to getting all 90 some singers on and off at various moments, and into their various mixed formations.  My wife, who is also the Business Manager for Da Camera was in charge of the logistics of this, and it worked, better than can ever be expected!  (She keeps lists ... I don't)

Now on to the next four concerts - including two runs at Orfeo next weekend (please God, let me suddenly be fluent in Italian and develop a knack for memorization in the next two hours), and then of course the much anticipated Solomon (while you are at it God, can you please cure my Queen of Sheba of her laryngitis?) then the first Christmas concert of the year, yes, in November, with one of our local military bands (God, why did you ever allow someone to write the carol "Do you hear what I hear"?).  Add on to this the fun of Advent carol services and a couple of mid-December runs of Messiah, and you have yourself a pretty full November and December!

I wish you all the best of luck in the upcoming busy season!

How loud is too loud?

At a few key moments in our RES concert a week ago, a back desk first violinist wore her construction-grade ear protectors in order to block out the five or six percussionists behind her. I could not figure out how one could actually play with those things on, but this player is often seen wearing them in large orchestra concerts.

However, an article from the New York times came across my email this morning, outlines the European "noise-at-work" limits, which directly impacted the premiere of a new orchestral work. The article can be found here.

The home stretch

Last night was the last rehearsal with Chamber Choir before the weekend's onslaught of rehearsals with Orchestra begin. Meaning, it was the last rehearsal where the choir will receive my undivided attention (with the exception of the 25 minutes of warm-up before each rehearsal, and the hour or so prior to the concert on Sunday). The majority of Friday's rehearsals will concentrate on the orchestra, and ensemble issues.

The most "not looking forward to this" moment of Friday night will be to figure out how to get the forty voice choir ON the small stage with the Orchestra, making use of Rubbermaid® stools, which have become the 21st century answer to individual movable/portable risers, while still leaving enough "crotch" distance between choristers and the elbows from the down bow of the back desk of violins and violas. Nevermind - we'll figure this out.

I'm feeling good about the musical aspect of the program. The choir is well prepared, and putting the orchestra in place on Friday will just add to the excitement of the choristers. A good work through on Friday night, followed by a dress rehearsal, with "ample" time to fix last minute issues will no doubt make this a very fine event. Soloists arrive on Thursday evening, and at last report they are healthy and ready to go.