Member Guidelines & Policies
Member Pages
Attendance
The DePaul Community Chorus believes that membership is considered to be a privilege and an opportunity for personal and cultural enrichment. Since you successfully completed our audition process, you already have the necessary musical skills and background to fully benefit from chorus membership.
We expect our members to attend each of the rehearsals prior to our concert to ensure the necessary time to develop a well-prepared ensemble. We understand that there may be some evenings when a singer might not be able to attend because of illness or other conflict. A member in good standing should not to miss more than 2 or (at most) 3 rehearsals during a given term; attendance at the Dress Rehearsal for each concert is mandatory. It is your responsibility to sign the attendance register at each rehearsal (especially if you arrive late). Advance notification of absences is always appreciated; no reason is required. Notify your section leader by e-mail or phone. Please expect that your section leaders will reach out to you if absences accrue.
Maintaining Active Status
We expect chorus members to sing with us for the complete concert season. Members who show that commitment to the chorus are considered to be on “active” status — they give us our personal and artistic continuity as an ensemble. Once you’ve joined, you are considered to be on active status as long as you’ve participated in two of the prior three concerts (even if overlapping from one season to another). If you fail to participate in two consecutive concerts, you lose your active status and will be required to re-audition to maintain your place in the chorus.
The assumption when you sign up is that you understand your obligation to perform in our concerts. In rare cases, we know that there are extenuating circumstances that might prevent you from being able to do so. As soon as you discover such a conflict, please contact the conductor to petition for “rehearsal only” status. Rehearsal only (RO) status can be granted by the conductor when you have paid for that term, can attend most of the rehearsals as usual, but are not able to participate in the dress rehearsal or concert. In this way, you can maintain your active status in the chorus even when life makes things difficult.
Music
All members are expected to register with staff and pay for their music (by check or credit card) before the first rehearsal. No music will be given out unless your payment has been received and there is no reimbursement of payment if a member drops out during the term. If at any time additional copies of music are needed by a singer, notify our librarian Maxine Gere or Stephen Blackwelder and we will do our best to see that copies are made available. All checks should be made out to DePaul University.
Rehearsals
We will begin promptly at 7:30 and end promptly at 9:30.
Please be on time so that you do not miss your vocal warm-up. There is no “intermission” during the course of our two-hour rehearsal. If you need to take a personal break, please do so quietly and not in the middle of a musical section. Wait until the music has stopped and then quietly slip away so as not to disturb others. You are welcome to bring water bottles into rehearsal, but please don’t leave them behind.
Use of cell phones during rehearsal is really inappropriate— it distracts you and all around you from the pleasure of making music together. Turn those ringers off and enjoy your freedom for those 2 hours. In event of an actual emergency, please take your call outside the rehearsal room. Yes, of course you may ask musical or logistical questions during the rehearsal. More personal concerns or general feedback are encouraged AFTER rehearsal, but it’s usually best to send your section leader or the conductor an e-mail.
Nametags
Singers are asked to wear nametags at every rehearsal. This is very helpful for both the director and others around you that would like to converse with you. Nametags have made a big impact on the overall fellowship of the choir as well as helping the conductor identify the singers.
Section Leaders
We have eight section leaders (2 from each section) to inform and assist you. You can email them from the Contact List page. They may be emailing you suggestions or answers to musical or administrative questions that pertain to your section. They are just another line of communication to help you. They will also notify you in the rare event that a rehearsal is cancelled.
Attire
Concert attire simulates that of a symphony orchestra. Men are asked to wear tuxedos. There is no preferred style of tuxedo– peak lapel, double-breasted or shawl collar, etc. is acceptable. A white tuxedo shirt and black bow tie are a necessity, as are black dress shoes and socks. A very dark suit that closely resembles a tuxedo is allowed if the member is unable to acquire a tuxedo. Information is available for those that would like to buy a tuxedo at a reasonable price.
Women perform in all black. Floor length or mid-calf length skirts and dresses or dress pants are all acceptable. Casual pants are not acceptable. Hosiery should be opaque and black. Shoes should be black, and hosiery or socks should be opaque black. Please wear “straight across” hemlines as opposed to asymmetrical or jagged hemlines. We also ask that no strapless, spaghetti strap or halter type tops be worn at performance. Use your good judgment. Light reflects off of your skin– the less skin under your faces we see, the better the light will reflect from your face. The best presentation of a choral ensemble highlights the performer’s faces, not their bodies. Members are asked not to wear any perfume. Small jewelry is encouraged as long as it does not draw extra attention to you as an individual on stage.
Contributions
The solicitation of contributions to the DCC is not required of the membership, but please don’t blame us for asking. DePaul University funds our rehearsal and concert facilities, the salaries of the conductor, accompanist, CMD support staff, plus paper, photocopying of materials and recordings of our concerts. We are provided with risers and stage management on the day of the concerts as well as the facility itself. But a successful musical organization requires more, especially when it comes to funding the fine professional orchestra that accompanies us at least once per season. From time to time, we ask you to help us raise funds for things that will enhance the chorus and your own musical experience. Never feel pressured by this. We appreciate any help you can give when asked.
— Stephen Blackwelder