Hi everyone,
You will have just received (by email) your registration and commitment forms for the 2010-11 season. They'll only take a couple of minutes to fill out, but please do so ASAP. I haven't posted them here since the general public could then fill them out so please access them via your email.
Only 6 more days until our first rehearsal!!
Christina
Monday, August 30, 2010
Saturday, August 28, 2010
IPA [ai pij :ei]
Hi everyone!
What an AWESOME camp weekend we had!! The evaluations were extremely positive and I know that I had an amazing time. Thank you so much to everyone for planning this into your summer schedule so we could kick the year off in style!
A number of you listed the session on IPA (the International Phonetic Alphabet) as one of your favourites. Don't worry if you missed it or felt you didn't grasp it all - we're going to be doing lots of it this year! For those of you who would like to continue to practice and expand your repertoire of IPA knowledge, I thought I'd pass on this really amazing website:
http://www.yorku.ca/earmstro/ipa/
On it you will find charts that you can click. When you click a chart, it becomes bigger and each letter is then clickable so you can hear what the symbols sound like! It's very, very useful! You'll discover that we've only scratched the surface with our vowels and consonants!!
Only one more week to go until we start the year off in earnest! I can't wait!
What an AWESOME camp weekend we had!! The evaluations were extremely positive and I know that I had an amazing time. Thank you so much to everyone for planning this into your summer schedule so we could kick the year off in style!
A number of you listed the session on IPA (the International Phonetic Alphabet) as one of your favourites. Don't worry if you missed it or felt you didn't grasp it all - we're going to be doing lots of it this year! For those of you who would like to continue to practice and expand your repertoire of IPA knowledge, I thought I'd pass on this really amazing website:
http://www.yorku.ca/earmstro/ipa/
On it you will find charts that you can click. When you click a chart, it becomes bigger and each letter is then clickable so you can hear what the symbols sound like! It's very, very useful! You'll discover that we've only scratched the surface with our vowels and consonants!!
Only one more week to go until we start the year off in earnest! I can't wait!
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Our newest Soprano 1
BRIANNA COOMBS (Soprano 1)
Brianna comes to us from the Annapolis Valley Honour Choir (Heather's group!) She is beginning her first year at Dal and also plays french horn in a number of ensembles.
Friday, August 6, 2010
And another new member!
Somehow I totally forgot Andrea from the list .... sorry Andrea! There is likely another new member to come who is auditioning tomorrow so I'll add her bio later in the week so you can "meet" her before camp. :-)
ANDREA ELLIS (Alto 1)
Andrea is on her way to Halifax from PEI so she can finish her master's degree in musicology and work in arts management. She has sung with the National Youth Choir as well as numerous groups and vocal ensembles at UPEI. She's a smart, organized person who will be an awesome addition to Xara!!
ANDREA ELLIS (Alto 1)
Andrea is on her way to Halifax from PEI so she can finish her master's degree in musicology and work in arts management. She has sung with the National Youth Choir as well as numerous groups and vocal ensembles at UPEI. She's a smart, organized person who will be an awesome addition to Xara!!
Introducing ....
.... our new members!!
We have a number of new members this year and they are all fantastic!! The choir is a bit bigger than last year so there's even more XaraLove to go around. :-)
ASHLEY WITHROW (Soprano 2)
Ashley is a high school science teacher who grew up singing in the Dartmouth All-City Girls Choir. Last year she sang with the Bay Chorale (Christina's other choir) and is thrilled to be part of Xara!
MACKENZIE COSTRON (Alto 1)
Mackenzie is a student of Acadia University where she studies Music Therapy. She grew up singing with the Cantabile Choirs of Kingston, ON under Mark Sirret and is a great friend of our own Margaux Ross!
ROBIN LAURISTON (Alto 1)
Robin has recently finished studies in photography here in Halifax but grew up singing in choirs, including in the First Baptist Girls Choir of Truro under Jeff Joudrey. She's also a strings player and has a strong musical background!
EMMA BAASCH (Alto 2)
Emma is entering a PhD program in English lit at Dalhousie University. She grew up singing in Montreal at the FACE school (a Fine Arts School that our Jade also attended) and has sung in numerous other groups over the years including a small vocal ensemble in Ireland where she studied for a time.
JENNY TRITES (Alto 2)
Jenny sang with Xara during our first season but then moved to Montreal. We are thrilled that she is returning to Halifax and now with her new husband in tow (who has a degree in technical theatre from the National Theatre School!). They are actually getting married this weekend!! Congratulations Jenny and we can't wait to have you with us again!!
We have a number of new members this year and they are all fantastic!! The choir is a bit bigger than last year so there's even more XaraLove to go around. :-)
ASHLEY WITHROW (Soprano 2)
Ashley is a high school science teacher who grew up singing in the Dartmouth All-City Girls Choir. Last year she sang with the Bay Chorale (Christina's other choir) and is thrilled to be part of Xara!
MACKENZIE COSTRON (Alto 1)
Mackenzie is a student of Acadia University where she studies Music Therapy. She grew up singing with the Cantabile Choirs of Kingston, ON under Mark Sirret and is a great friend of our own Margaux Ross!
ROBIN LAURISTON (Alto 1)
Robin has recently finished studies in photography here in Halifax but grew up singing in choirs, including in the First Baptist Girls Choir of Truro under Jeff Joudrey. She's also a strings player and has a strong musical background!
EMMA BAASCH (Alto 2)
Emma is entering a PhD program in English lit at Dalhousie University. She grew up singing in Montreal at the FACE school (a Fine Arts School that our Jade also attended) and has sung in numerous other groups over the years including a small vocal ensemble in Ireland where she studied for a time.
JENNY TRITES (Alto 2)
Jenny sang with Xara during our first season but then moved to Montreal. We are thrilled that she is returning to Halifax and now with her new husband in tow (who has a degree in technical theatre from the National Theatre School!). They are actually getting married this weekend!! Congratulations Jenny and we can't wait to have you with us again!!
Directions to Camp
Here are driving directions to camp ... if you like written out directions (i.e. words) they are just below this map. Please note the map only shows what to do after you reach Exit 15 on Hwy 101.
Drive on Hwy 101 for 105 km
Take exit 15 for Berwick
At the top of the ramp turn left.
Drive through the cute town.
Pass a Royal Bank (right side), a Tim Horton's (right side), and a Home Hardware (right side).
Just AFTER Orchard St. (also on the right - do NOT turn onto Orchard) are the camp grounds (right side).
The first small driveway/gate is not accessible - continue to the main, white gates and turn into the camp here.
One of the Xara girls will be there to direct you for parking.
Driving Directions
Get yourself to Hwy 101 (which goes to the Valley)Drive on Hwy 101 for 105 km
Take exit 15 for Berwick
At the top of the ramp turn left.
Drive through the cute town.
Pass a Royal Bank (right side), a Tim Horton's (right side), and a Home Hardware (right side).
Just AFTER Orchard St. (also on the right - do NOT turn onto Orchard) are the camp grounds (right side).
The first small driveway/gate is not accessible - continue to the main, white gates and turn into the camp here.
One of the Xara girls will be there to direct you for parking.
Camp Packing List
Here's a list of things you should bring to camp. After this, bring what you like but there are two things we are not allowed to have on site: candle and cigarettes (etc). To my knowledge we don't have smokers in the group (hooray for healthy singing lungs!) but if you are, please do your best to be cigarette free by camp time!
Packing List:
Weather-appropriate clothes;
Warm clothes for evening
Toiletries
Towel & facecloth
Warm bedding (double sheets)
Pillow
Shoes for walking around camp
Gym slippers or lightweight sneakers for sessions
Water bottle, pencil
Yoga mat or large towel
Journal or something to write in/on
$15 for supper at Union St. Cafe
flashlight
Packing List:
Weather-appropriate clothes;
Warm clothes for evening
Toiletries
Towel & facecloth
Warm bedding (double sheets)
Pillow
Shoes for walking around camp
Gym slippers or lightweight sneakers for sessions
Water bottle, pencil
Yoga mat or large towel
Journal or something to write in/on
$15 for supper at Union St. Cafe
flashlight
Camp Details!
Hi everyone!
It's so exciting that Xara Camp is just a few weeks away! I wanted to let you know some important details so you can begin planning for this wonderful weekend of singing, moving, and social time!
Xara Camp is taking place this year from Friday August 20 (7 PM) to Sunday August 22 (7 PM) at the Berwick United Church Campgrounds. Please make sure that you have this time booked off of work so you can be there for the whole weekend!
Important details:
It's so exciting that Xara Camp is just a few weeks away! I wanted to let you know some important details so you can begin planning for this wonderful weekend of singing, moving, and social time!
Xara Camp is taking place this year from Friday August 20 (7 PM) to Sunday August 22 (7 PM) at the Berwick United Church Campgrounds. Please make sure that you have this time booked off of work so you can be there for the whole weekend!
Important details:
- Xara camp is FREE for everyone (i.e. the Camerata Board is paying) - with the exception of travel costs and supper on Sunday evening (yay!)
- You must organize your own transportation to Berwick - please start planning this ASAP!
- It can be super hot or super cold at Berwick camp, so make sure to bring lots of layers
- We will be staying in cabins this year - these are rustic but comfortable! You will be sharing accommodation with 4-5 other singers. The rooms are not remotely soundproof, so if you are light sleeper, bring ear plugs!
- There are showers, sinks and flush toilets at camp in a building beside the cabins.
- There will be both new and returning members at camp this year so we are approaching this weekend with a spirit of openness and fun!
- We would like to ask that each cabin inclues at least one new singer to help everyone get to know each other a bit better!
- In the spirit of the trickster theme of our spring show "Played", we are going to have 'secret friends' over the course of the weekend. On Friday night, you will draw someone's name out of a hat and they will be your 'secret friend' for the weekend. Your job over the course of the weekend is to surprise them in a fun and positive way (ie leaving them a little surprise on their bed, at their place for dinner, in an unexpected way etc) without them knowing that it's you! We will reveal the secret friends on Sunday! You my want to bring a few things to help you with secret friend projects.
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