Less than two weeks to go to "Strange & Preposterous?” Time to sell some tickets, send some emails, post some posters and, of course, work on those troublesome passages you need to tackle!
I. REHEARSAL MARCH 17, 2025
For this coming Monday, Andrew Chung has asked that we rehearse “A Strange and Preposterous Affair (the composer may attend this rehearsal), Brahms' 4th Movement, and Beth’s Oboe Concerto (well Mathilde Capuis’ Oboe Concerto actually). Snacks: viola, cello and double bass. At the Dress Rehearsal March 21: snacks by winds, brass and piano.
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II. MARCH 22 CONCERT: “STRANGE & PREPOSTEROUS?”
Dress Rehearsal: Friday March 21, 7:00 to 10:00pm, at Eastminster United Church, 310 Danforth Avenue (one block west from the Chester Subway station). Doors open at 6:00pm, primarily for our set-up. Help if you can. There is no Green Room available on Friday. Our set-up will be left as is overnight.
Concert: Strange & Preposterous? on Saturday March 21, 7:30pm, Eastminster Church. The CCO's rental agreement starts at 6:00pm. Report time for musicians: 6:30pm. There is a large Green Room, downstairs, from a staircase located along the side wall of the Sanctuary.
Concert Dress: Black shirt and pants, or all black dress, or black pants or skirt with a white shirt or blouse. Black jackets optional.
Concertmaster: CCO’s Concertmaster, Gemma Donn, will be performing with the Hamilton Philharmonic for the next few weeks, and is sorry to be missing the concert (although she may be at our March 17 rehearsal). As those musicians who attended the March 10 rehearsal know, Elena Spanu from the North York Concert Orchestra will be our concertmaster for Strange & Preposterous? Welcome Elena!
Poster: Here is the poster for our upcoming concert to circulate to your entire mailing list and post on your local notice boards.
Tickets: The CCO’s concerts are very reasonably priced at $20 for adults, $12 for youth (18 and under.) Tickets are available on-line on the orchestra’s website CCOrchestra.org, at the ticket desk at the concert, and can be purchased from Helen Li (clarinet) at the final two rehearsals (cash or cheque or e- transfer to treasurer@ccorchestra.org ).
Please remember that all CCO members are expected to sell at least two tickets. If your friends buy their tickets on line, ask them to note on their purchase that you are the seller so that you get credit for your two sales. Ticket sales are one of the few revenue sources for the CCO. With ticket sales, cookie sales, a 50/50 draw, and donation jars strategically placed, the CCO’s concerts still lose money. Please take seriously your obligation to sell (or pay for) at least two tickets.
Cookies: Whiskful Thinking Bakery is once again supporting the CCO at our cookie table during the concert’s intermission. However, we need more refreshments, from the CCO musicians. Our audiences appreciate this show of appreciation and give back with donations to the jars left on the cookie tables. You can bring your cookies to the Dress Rehearsal, or give them to the volunteers who will greet you on concert night.
Speaking of cookies, Whiskful Thinking Baking is located around the corner from the 519 at 72 Wellesley East. It closes daily at 7:00pm. If your section is bringing cookies to a rehearsal, please consider supporting this local business that has been so generous in its support for the CCO.
50/50 Draw: The raffle winner in the 50/50 raffles at our last few concerts took home around $500, and the CCO earned an equal amount - a good return on the cost of the raffle tickets. Be sure to tell your friends and family to bring cash and purchase lots of tickets: 1 for $5.00, 3 for $10, $20 for “an arm’s length”.
Concert Volunteers: It takes about 20 volunteers to put on a concert, and we are lucky enough to have many repeat volunteers. However, we can use some new blood. If you know someone who would like to join the team, please ask them to email the Front of House Manager, Robert Mansell robert.mansell@sympatico.ca. High school students can get credit for their required volunteer hours pretty easily by helping out at a CCO concert. And the concert volunteers seem to have a good time.
Emcee: Enza Anderson has once again agreed to be our lively and lovely MC.
III. TOUR OF THE ARQUIVES APRIL 24, 6:30PM
Principal cellist, and CCO Vice Chair, Daniel Payne, is hosting a tour of his workplace, The ArQuives, for CCO members on April 24, 2025, at 6:30pm. The ArQuives is the largest independent LGBTQ+ archives in the world. The “queer archive” was established in 1973 to preserve and maintain a wide range of materials (newspaper articles, photos, publications, books, memorabilia such as buttons and flags, and other rainbow artifacts) to protect the history of the queer community. Counterpoint has some material on file with the ArQuives, as our orchestra is a long-standing part of the queer history of Toronto.
The ArQuives is located at 34 Isabella Street. The tour will last about an hour, and some participants will then adjourn for food and drink at the Artful Dodger pub, 10 Isabella Street. The number of participants is limited at the ArQuives, although you may bring your Plus One. Let Daniel know at payne.danny@gmail.com if you would like to attend.
The ArQuives (like the CCO) is a not-for-profit, charitable corporation. Normally there is a charge for its tours. The CCO’s tour is free, although donation jars will be “strategically placed” that night.
IV. IMPORTANT CCO DATES
Rehearsals are Monday nights, 7:30 to 9:30 at The 519 Community Centre unless otherwise indicated. Musicians are expected to bring their own music and stand. Snacks are provided in rotation by section: first violins, then seconds, then viola, cello and double bass, then winds, brass and piano.
Thursday March 13 - Board meeting by Zoom. Members may attend. Request a Zoom invitation from emitchell1727@gmail.com
Monday March 17 - final rehearsal before the Dress. Snacks: viola, cello and double bass.
Friday March 20 - Dress Rehearsal 7:00 to 10:00pm - Eastminster United, 310 Danforth Ave. (Chester subway). Doors open for our setup at 6:00pm. Snacks from winds, brass and piano.
Saturday March 22 - "Strange & Preposterous?" - 7:30pm - Eastminster United. Doors open for the CCO at 6;00pm. Musicians are asked to report by 6:30pm.
Monday March 24 - no rehearsal
Monday March 31 - rehearsals resume at The 519. Snacks: first violins. Next rehearsal: second violins.
Monday April 21 - no rehearsal (Easter Monday holiday) (possibly will hold a vote about rehearsing this date)
Monday May 19 - no rehearsal (Victoria Day)
Friday June 6 - Dress Rehearsal, 7:00 to 10:00pm - Eastminster United Church
Saturday June 7 - Concert, 7:30pm - Eastminster United Church.
In July and August, 2025, there will be two outdoor concerts in Allan Gardens Park, on dates yet to be determined, one in July and one in August. The featured performers will be small ensembles (at least one member must be a CCO musician). CCO musicians will perform as a group as part of the afternoon programme, or with a smaller ensemble if invited. If you would like to perform as a small ensemble, please apply to Daniel Payne, payne.danny@gmail.com.
V. OTHER MUSIC AND CCO MEMBERS
Double bass player, Jude Littlefield Buschien, is playing with the University of Toronto Symphony Orchestra with the U of T Opera on March 13,14,15,16 at the Harbour Front Center, performing Mozart's Cosi Fan Tutte. Tickets are available at https://harbourfrontcentre.com/event/university-of-toronto-opera-cosi-fan-tutte/ , or tickets@harbourfrontcentre.com or call (416) 973-4000 (Option 1). Jude believes the tickets are selling out quickly, and his opinion from the rehearsals is that the vocalists are doing a great job! Tickets are from $10 to $40. Times:
Friday, March 14, 7:30pm
If you personally are performing somewhere and you would like others to know, you can:
(i) post it in the Musicians Only portal of CCOrchestra.org;
(ii) bring your poster to the rehearsals and leave it at the table at the entranceway (musicians can also leave information about other performing opportunities there);(iii) send details to emitchell1727@gmail.com for including in the CCO Announcements.
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