November Newsletter
Hello Clements Choir Family!
It's been a very exciting fall for Clements Choir! Thank you to all who volunteered to help with Region Choir Auditions. Our colleagues around the region were nothing but complimentary and even with a few small hiccups, this was the smoothest region experience we’ve had! Moving on in the process, we have 20 students and 1 alternate. That means we have 20% of Pre-Area candidates overall in Region 13!
Additionally, thank you to all who participated in our Fall Fundraiser. We collectively donated over $13,000 to the program! These funds will be used to fund scholarships, meals, uniforms, and more. The impact of your contributions cannot be overstated! There are just a few short weeks until the end of the semester, so hang in there!
Of course, please feel free to email us with any questions.
Jade Blakey | jade.blakey@fortbendisd.com
Justin Shen | justin.shen@fortbendisd.com
Uniform Needs:
Our Winter Concert is the Thursday after we get back from Thanksgiving Break – please make sure you/your student has all of the required pieces for their formal uniform – it can be easy to forget around the hustle and bustle of the holidays and the uniform is a part of their concert grade!
Formal Uniform option 1: Gown
Choir provides: Gown, pearls
You provide:
Make-up: foundation, blush, red lipstick, brown/black eyeliner and mascara, neutral eyeshadow with no glitter. (Send me an email if there is a family objection- we have a social to teach this on Wednesday of this week!)
Formal Uniform option 2: Tuxedo
Choir provides: Tuxedo pants, jacket, tie
You provide:
Black dress shirt
Black dress socks
Undershirt
Black dress shoes
Hemming
The uniforms may require hemming - it must be a temporary hem, meaning the hem should NOT be cut prior to sewing. If it is cut, you will be responsible for the replacement cost.
Gowns should be hemmed to be within 1-2 inches from the ground when wearing character shoes
Tuxedo pants should be hemmed to a full break or a half break. See here for details.
Volunteering for the fall:
Please sign up to help us out with our events this year! Many hands make light work!
We need help at Block Party this Friday! See below for more information.
Region Choir Weekend Update
This past weekend’s Region Choir Clinic & Concert was a success! Our students represented Clements Choir with professionalism and grace. Even when there was an issue with our lunch order, they adapted quickly and stayed positive and flexible. The concert itself was absolutely beautiful; a culmination of hard-work, musicianship, and collaboration. We are so proud of all who participated and thankful for another memorable day of music-making. If you would like to purchase a recording, please click here!
Fancy Face/Tie Tying Social | Wednesday, November 12 @ Choir Room, 3-4:30PM | optional, but highly recommended!
Our Fancy Face/Tie Tying Social is coming up! Students will have the chance to prepare for our first formal concert in December by learning the ins and outs of concert and stage makeup or mastering the art of tying a tie. We’ll have food, games, and plenty of fun as we get concert-ready together! If you want to bring some chips/cookies/sodas to share, you can drop them in front of the choir room door if we’re not here yet!
Booster Club Meeting | Thursday, November 13th @ Choir Room, 5:30PM | Booster Club Members
This is for parents/guardians who want to get involved and be “in-the-know" about what’s happening next. We will be talking about Block Party, the Winter concert, and more! It’s not too late to join the Booster Club.
Block Party | Friday, November 14th @ Fort Settlement MS, 6-8PM | 7th-12th graders and their families from CHS, EHS, FCMS, FSMS, SMS
We Need help!!!
Join us for our 2nd Annual “Clemkins” Choir Block Party! This free community event will feature our fun “Car-nival” (think trunk-or-treat but in November) along with outdoor games, face painting, hot dogs, and a director obstacle course. It’s a great way to connect, celebrate, and enjoy an evening of fun with our choir family. We’ll be taking RSVPs in class this Wednesday. We can’t wait to see you there! Students, we need you to join in on the fun by working the event. Sign-up here for your job!
We are in high need of a grill, food donations, and chaperones for this event. Please sign up here to help us out!
Pre-Area Party | Monday, November 17th @ Choir Room, 3-4PM | All Pre-Area Candidates
All of our Pre-Area candidates are invited to join us for a celebration in the choir room the day before their audition! We’re so proud of each student for reaching this stage of the process, and we want to recognize their hard work and dedication. Candidates are welcome to sing through their audition music, sightread for fun, or simply relax and enjoy an afternoon of food, laughter, and encouragement with friends.
TMEA (All-State) Pre-Area Audition | Tuesday, November 18th @ Elkins HS | All Pre-Area candidates
We’ll meet in the choir room after school for a group warm-up for anyone who’d like to participate from 3-3:30PM. There is no bus to this audition, please ensure you/your student has transportation to and from the audition. Dinner will be provided by our wonderful Booster Club. We’ll finalize orders later this week. We need chaperones! If your student is auditioning, please sign-up on the Sign-up Genius to chaperone our singers and cheer them on when they audition! You need to be at Elkins at 5pm! The host letter will be forwarded to you soon.
Fee Update (paid through Presto Parent Account):
Please make sure to pay any outstanding fees in Presto Assistant. If your student took part in the region choir last weekend, there is another fee in Presto for you. Students that have outstanding fees will not be allowed to exempt any finals this December.
Winter Concert | Thursday, December 4th | Required
This will be a huge collaboration with our amazing Orchestra department and some band students. Please be sure you read through all this, so you know what’s happening! Here is the schedule for the day of the concert. If you need to bring your uniform to school because you cannot go home between final rehearsals and the concert, ensure you have all the pieces and it must travel in the choir garment bag.
4th Period All choir students meet in the auditorium for Concert Logistics
A Lunch Sopranos and Altos, eat lunch; Tenors and Basses, run “Pat-a-Pan"
B Lunch All singers on stage for “Lux Beata Trinitas”
C Lunch Tenors and Basses, eat lunch; Sopranos and Altos, run “Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence”
6th Period Return to class
7th Period Normal Class- Cantiamo works with orchestra at 2:35PM
3:15-3:30 PM A Cappella to stage “Dormi, Dormi” with flute
3:30-3:45 PM Con Brio to stage “Soldier's Hallelujah” with percussion
3:45-4:45 PM Break to get dressed in formal concert uniform/arrive in formal uniform
4:45-5:15 PM Pizza Dinner for all of choir in commons.
5:15 PM Show Circle in Commons
5:25 PM All in seat for attendance
5:30-6:30 PM All Final Logistics walkthrough and uniform check
6:30 PM House opens for families to sit
7:00 PM Concert begins
8:30 PM Approximate concert end time
Choir Website:
Please visit our website for the calendar, practice tracks, and other pertinent information! | clementschoir.org
Calendars:
There is an electronic calendar for all the major choir events for the year, choir leadership, musical, and all-state rehearsals. Please scroll to see all of them!
Donations:
There are a few things that we always need in the choir room. Please consider donating one or more of the following items, there are links attached for easy Amazon ordering! (any brand/amount is fine, we’re not picky!):
Upcoming Events:
Sartartia Winter Concert @ CHS | Friday, December 5 @ 7PM (will need ushers)
Fort Settlement Winter Concert @ Christ Church Sugar Land | Monday, December 8 @ 7PM (audience members)
First Colony Winter Concert @ CHS | Tuesday, December 9 @ 7PM (will need ushers and Alumni are invited to sing “Away in a Manger” with call time at 6:30 PM)
Chamber Gig Schedule