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This is a BAD Idea

pete

Brassica Oleracea
Staff member
Administrator
As mentioned elsewhere, I sing bass/tenor II in my church's choir -- at least I have been, until my recent health issues.

The section leader sent out an e-mail the other day and I RSVP'd. He asked if I'd be rejoining the choir after the summer break. The only changes:

No director.

No parts.

No music.

No practices.

Increase in performance schedule to every service, every week.

Mmm. 50 people, most without formal musical education, singing whatever they want whenever they want doesn't sound like a good idea to me.

There *are* some people in the choir who, like me, are former professional musicians and they've been over-used before. Burn out is a real issue.

This doesn't sound like a good idea to me.
 
As mentioned elsewhere, I sing bass/tenor II in my church's choir -- at least I have been, until my recent health issues.

The section leader sent out an e-mail the other day and I RSVP'd. He asked if I'd be rejoining the choir after the summer break. The only changes:

No director.

No parts.

No music.

No practices.

Increase in performance schedule to every service, every week.

Mmm. 50 people, most without formal musical education, singing whatever they want whenever they want doesn't sound like a good idea to me.

There *are* some people in the choir who, like me, are former professional musicians and they've been over-used before. Burn out is a real issue.

This doesn't sound like a good idea to me.

Hmmm...I think I know what the result is going to be.
 
Utopian societies don't exist in the real world and they sure don't exist with a bunch of musicians!
 
According to the section leader, what is going to happen is that he is going to rip songs and/or point people to them on the internet and we get to listen to 'em. And look at the words.

a) Moderately illegal (if you rip the songs and retransmit) and b) a large percentage of this choir is still, "What's a computer?" and/or have dial-up.

Also according to this SL, in lieu of "practice" (all apologies to Allen Iverson), we're supposed to meet before each performance for a run-thru with teh band. There will be a random band and a random "front" singer.

This can't possibly end well.

The former director -- who really had minimal skills beyond being a good singer -- is departing, probably because she was part time and the church is havening financial troubles -- and she makes more money singing out places. The director before that was a full-time person with mondo skillz and music education degree (and was my former vocal teacher). She left to be a stay-at-home mom.

FWIW, it has become increasingly obvious that most "modern" church music does not require a choir, but two- or three-part harmony and a rhythm section. I think the choir is being used to appease the older church members.

Hey, I've mentioned before that when I ran sound board at another church, I would turn off one of the singers because she was awful -- and I didn't do it on my own authority; the leader of the group asked me to. That may be what they're going to do with this choir.
 
Brrr. And why don't they simply tell the singers to well-you-know-what-I-mean and declare the choir defunct and out of service? That would be more honest to all.

My motto is "if a thing is not worth to be done right, it is not worth to be done at all".
 
I agree.

The thing is, I know if they *asked* for someone to volunteer to direct the choir, someone would. IMO -- because they've occasionally done this -- the church administration is doing the passive aggressive thing and hoping that someone will just take over the group. And donate music. And time.

Or, as you said, just disband it.
 
I agree.

The thing is, I know if they *asked* for someone to volunteer to direct the choir, someone would. IMO -- because they've occasionally done this -- the church administration is doing the passive aggressive thing and hoping that someone will just take over the group. And donate music. And time.

Or, as you said, just disband it.
What about the good old business plan approach? (I know it is horribly out of fashion these days, but nonetheless)

- Who and how big is the target audience?
- Will anyone notice a change in quality if we were present or absent?
- What are our immaterial goals? How many of them will be satisfied?
- What would a reasonable expense/revenue (pardon the wording) ratio look like?
- Where are our limits?

Maybe you can continue your choir, but you might reach more people while busking than while supporting a service.
 
If they actually try this approach, will there be any video "evidence" of the end result? :???:
Yup. It might not be posted on their website, but I can probably buy the DVD. Be a month or so.

TTT said:
Maybe you can continue your choir, but you might reach more people while busking than while supporting a service.
All of the other stuff you mention is good advice, too, but someone has already decided the answers to all those questions, so it's moot. I wish they had different answers.

I don't lead the group and don't want to, but if I was running it, I wouldn't want "every week" either -- that's three services a week. Additionally, I'd have set practices, music, a director, etc. If you just want a bunch of folks that can sing and you don't want a director, etc. I really don't see how you can have any kind of an effective group. Improvise it all? Yah -- 50 part harmony always sounds good.

It's one of those cases where they have to spend something -- hey, at least give us some music.
 
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