Rehearsal Etiquette
Updated: Sep 6
Dear Singers,
Last rehearsal I mentioned a few basic rules in order for the rehearsals to be as efficient as possible. Here they are:
The rehearsal room
From about 19:20 we need to prepare the rehearsal room:
setting up the piano and speaker for the pianist
setting up the table/platform for the conductor
setting up about 90 chairs for the singers
It would work best to have 10 people for this! Think of making a roster per voice group, so that everyone takes a turn
The cue at the bar during the break is legendary. If you are able to buy your drink already before the rehearsal, please do!
Don't linger at the end of the break: keep track of the time!
Please help empty and clean the room after the rehearsal. Please bring your own glass/can back to the bar.
Attendance
We want to sing with the highest possible quality at our performances. This will only work if you are present during the rehearsals and we use all the available time.
When you're running late, let your voice group section leader know.
If you cannot be present, please notify your section leader. The sooner we know the better, because I can adjust the content of a rehearsal when for instance half the T1s will not be present.
75% attendance rule
When you are present during less than 75% of the rehearsals, you have to do a little test before you can join our performances: show us that you know your melodies, lyrics and choreos, and you are allowed on stage.
We like everyone on stage to perform their best. Of course we know that this rule doesn't guarantee perfection, that's why we also want everyone to do the home assignments.
Please come prepared
Make sure you have all the scores you need for the rehearsal.
- either on paper in a folder. Not stapled together, because you cannot turn pages quick enough! Bring a pencil too!
- or on a tablet. Make sure you have a score-reading and -annotating app, like ForScore (for iPad). Make sure you have downloaded the scores onto your device before the rehearsal starts.
Don't read your music from a phone. There are several reasons why it is inefficient. Use a tablet or paper (and make notes!). Experiences in previous years have shown that I have to be stricter, so here is the rule for this year: If we see you read the music from a phone three times, the whole chorus expects you to buy them a drink (dancers included).
Do the home assignments. Why this schoolish rule? Two reasons:
- If everyone works on the assignments at home, the rehearsal will be interesting, diverse and quick-paced. If too many people ignore the home assignments, rehearsing will be slower, voice groups will have to wait longer, people will lose focus, start chatting or start checking their phone, the rehearsal will be more boring,
Don't do the homework to please me, do it for your fellow singers.
- If you do the weekly work at home, you will be well prepared for those weeks when you have to start memorizing all the songs of the show. Less stress = more fun!
Make notes during the rehearsal. So bring a pencil or know how to annotate your score on a tablet.
During the rehearsal you need to make notes, for instance on where to breathe, where not to breathe, to remind yourself of the difficult bits so you can study more efficiently, to give yourself cues where to get the beginning note from, to correct your pronunciation, etc; these notes are as important as the score itself when learning the song by heart. You also might want to highlight the staff you're singing so it is easier to follow the score.
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