7th Fall Message - No rehearsal Oct 11

1)  Happy Thanksgiving 🦃

i)    I hope all of you have some special moments this weekend with those important to you, and we will sing again on October 18th.

2)   Potluck October 18 - link to Potluck Signup

a)   Planning on attending and have yet to write down what you will be bringing?  See the potluck signup link in the heading. Bringing something to the potluck is not a requirement for attending and enjoying what is provided. But if you do plan to bring something, please aim for your dish to feed 8 people. 

b)   Want to perform for a couple of minutes that night? Reading poetry, singing a song, playing an instrument?  On your own or with others? There is a signup sheet for that as well that you can find by clicking the link. There is a new tab at the bottom called "Entertainment Sign-up".   Or you can also reach out to Patrick at Patrick Stewart. Having 8 or more individuals/groups performing adds that special touch to our potluck.

c)      Guests are encouraged to arrive around 5:00 pm, after rehearsal is over and we have had a chance to get the tables up and the food out.

d)   Thank you for helping to put on our Potluck!

3)   From Len:

a)   So this weekend, Thanksgiving, is interesting, as it is a unique socially sponsored time for being grateful and sharing with others what of value we can.  It is a beautiful segue for me into noting that our choral “gift” of song, is something we have been crafting for a few weeks now, to be refined and ready at time of concert.

b)   Two things; One, when the weekend settles and you return to practicing your music, look for a way to sing the message that is in each phrase.  Once you know the words, and the notes, then (as I am frequently reminded), do your best not to sing the words but sing the message in each phrase.  Your passion will be revealed by doing so.

c)   Second thing.  The collective meaning of the songs we sing converges nicely with the purpose of our beneficiary (to support the efforts of new and newly expectant mothers).  As such, the title chosen for the concert is the verb phrase Up Lift.  It both fits and begs being curious about who is being up-lifted and by whom.  Nice I think.

d)   Our concert beneficiary will be at our October 18 session to discuss their work and the relevance of our concert to their purpose.

4)   Concert Beneficiary this Season is Healthy Start.

a)   Executive Director of Healthy, Start Davorka Monti, sent this description to us:

i)     We are truly grateful to have been chosen as the recipient of this year's December concert proceeds. I am looking forward to working with your "Dream Team", they sound fantastic and clearly have so much passion for the choir!

ii)    Please find our program description below (if it's too long, please let me know and I can provide a shorter version):

iii)  Healthy Start is a community-based program dedicated to ensuring every baby in Winnipeg gets the healthiest possible start. For over 29 years, we have provided strength-based pregnancy and early parenting support across eight Winnipeg neighborhoods. Each year, our collaborative team of Outreach Workers, Dietitians, and Public Health Nurses welcomes approximately 1,200 participants across nearly 5,000 group visits. Our drop-in model is free and open to all.

iv)  A unique feature of Healthy Start is our Newcomer Program, where parents learn about prenatal and infant care in their own language through simultaneous interpretation in up to 15 languages. For many interpreters, this provides a vital first job in Canada. Proceeds from December’s Margaret’s Choir performance will directly support this interpretation program. Thank you for helping us give Winnipeg babies and families a healthy start!

b)   Gene and I visited Davorka at the beginning of August.  We formalized the process for the beneficiary concert and were provided with an overview of the services provided.  Some of the stats mentioned by Davorka are eye-opening. They provide practical services to women across a wide range of ages; no qualifying conditions during pre-natal and post-natal times. Healthy Start was our beneficiary partner in 2013, and Davorka fondly remembers a successful high energy concert.