Choral Potpourri: Plan for the Unexpected…or Else!

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In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable. ” Dwight D. Eisenhower

We plan and plan and plan but things often happen we have no plans for or control over, so how do we recover and not have them happen again? My friend, Gigi*, recently sent me a few stories about lack of planning for situations no one could have predicted. Choral Ethics problems? Of course. And she sent her solutions too. Thanks, Gigi!

Non-church ensembles of all types are careful with their email lists.  Audience and performers are promised that their information will only be used for communications from the choir. One ensemble encountered a sticky situation when a past singer asked them to email the choir to assist her church in finding an interim, part-time choir director.  The ensemble declined the request, on the grounds that emailing one singer’s request would make difficult to turn down other singer requests, which would be a drain on volunteer time.

All three of these stories are in the plan-for-the-unexpected category.

It’s easier than ever to run a choir without an office.  One community choir found out the downside, however, when between seasons a singer-board member responsible for the post office box key had a long illness.  The director and the rest of the board only knew that the AWOL board member had missed meetings.  They did not know that the P.O. Box had not been checked for a few months.  After the situation was resolved, the first thing the choir did was get a second key for the P.O. Box.

Another choir encountered a more challenging situation when its director was hospitalized just before their first rehearsal.  Fortunately, she was able to quickly contact a fellow director to run the first few rehearsals.  The sub’s challenge was the sheet music was at the director’s home, not the rehearsal or storage space.  The director’s family was busy running back and forth to the hospital, so it was hard to arrange to pick up the music.  If there was ever a case for ordering your sheet music early and getting it to your rehearsal or storage space, you have just read it!

A director planning a concert with a pair of guest soloists was doing everything right, until he had a family emergency that took him away for a couple of rehearsals.  He lined up a sub for those rehearsals, but the sub and the choir board didn’t have soloists’ names or contact information, just as they were approaching deadlines for the programs.  And the director’s family emergency made it hard to reach him to get those details.

Singers who have encountered these kinds of emergencies gave a few tips that reduce stress for choirs and directors:

• Volunteers are great, but get back-up coverage on important items such as access to storage, P.O. box, etc.  If a volunteer has the choir cell phone, have someone call it every couple of weeks to be sure it’s being checked.
• Plan ahead.  Set concert repertoire before the first rehearsal and email it to the choir (or board, if you have one).  If you miss the first rehearsal, your accompanist or sub will know what to do.
• If you are hiring a guest soloist or guest instrumentalist, arrange it before first rehearsal, and give the name and contact information to your board or accompanist.
• Have your sheet music in your rehearsal or storage space before first rehearsal.
• While you are at it, give a copy of the sheet music to the accompanist before first rehearsal.
• Think about whom you might have sub at a rehearsal for you, before you need the sub.  Why not arrange a deal with a conducting friend to cover for each other in case of emergency?
• It’s a good idea to have an occasional rehearsal sub or a guest conductor, so your choir can adjust if they need to sing several rehearsals or even a concert without you in front of them.

*Name withheld