Things you absolutely can NOT do if your non-auditioned community choir is only 10 years old:

• Perform effectively with a choir of nearly (or more than) 1oo members. Too many humans, too many logistics challenges, no way to get that many voices aimed in the same direction at the same time to make music of any quality. Destined to suck.
• Organize and host a high-class fundraiser for over 300 people with multiple themed musical performances and an award program and a silent auction and no injuries. Not enough volunteers, no way to manage a budget for putting it together, not enough support from the community for a choir so young, not enough talent out there willing to do a show for a group that isn’t “established enough”. And of course there’s no way to net over $20K. Can’t be done.
• Sing in several dozen languages. That’s just silly. Move along.
• Bring multiple major works into the repertoire including one that features a full orchestra. Organizing the thing, getting donations to pay for professionals, having the discipline to even think about singing such a thing…mighty darn pompous. Wait 5 more years and then MAYBE you can consider it.
• Have rehearsals with 100 singers that start and end on time, run successfully on a tight schedule and have enough volunteers to put things together and take them apart efficiently and effectively. Might as well try to herd cats or nail Jell-o to a tree.
• Manage a music library maintained in a storage facility organized in such a way that anything can be found at a moment’s notice. Haha…good luck.
• Organize a successful letter-writing campaign utilizing a contact database (Database? In 10 years? Bwahahaha…) that consistently raises thousands of dollars.

I guess nobody remembered to tell us.

Oops.

🙂