An update from Music Director, Dr. Paul French
I hope this finds you well and coping as best you can with these extraordinary circumstances we are living through. It seems like forever since the high of the “Sheen of Dew” performances in March and now… we wait. And while we wait, we make plans for that happy day when we can perform once again. As an organization, we are committed to the safety of our audience and singers, and will be governed by the State’s health care professionals. We will also need the approval of SOU before we can rehearse and perform in the Recital Hall.
While nothing is certain, here is where we are right now. It seems increasingly clear that an October concert, with rehearsals beginning in early September, is not going to be possible.
The Board, Executive Director, and I have created plans for other scenarios: a 3-concert season, a 2-concert season, a 1-concert season, and the terrible possibility of no concerts at all. Like you, we are checking the news daily and hoping we can begin rehearsals in November, present the holiday concert and then the rest of the season. We just don’t know right now.
The good news is that, as an organization, we are in a very strong position to recover and continue to flourish. Our audience and donors are incredible in their generosity and loyalty; our singers are amazing, there is nothing they can’t do; the Board is committed and extremely strong; Richard Seidman, our Executive Director, has done extraordinary work promoting the group and helping raise funds; Phyllis Fernlund has done outstanding work as President and will be passing the baton to Nicholas Bate, who will likewise be amazing.
We have a strong financial base with adequate reserves. We are truly so fortunate. We will get through this.
