Calling All Choir - Chromatic Community Music Center

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About the Choir

The Calling All Choir is a spirited and inclusive San Francisco community choir based in San Francisco. We welcome singers of all levels, whether you’re a seasoned professional or a shower diva. Our choir members have ranged in age from 8 to 80 years old. No audition or previous experience is necessary-- just bring your enthusiasm and desire to participate.

We sing songs spanning centuries and the globe. Our artistic directors consciously build “mountain top moments” into rehearsals. (You know: chills, goosebumps, maybe sometimes even a few tears). We often finish rehearsals with a celebratory dance party.

The venues for our free concerts are retirement homes, mental health facilities, and the city streets. We perform regularly at the Mission Dolores Basilica - famous for its outstanding acoustics!

We have a flexible fee structure and we’re happy to announce that people 19 and younger can participate for free!

The Calling All Choir was named best choir in the 2015 Oakland Magazine “Best of the Bay” issue. The choir performs service sings throughout each season for retirement homes, residential treatment centers, hospitals, and developmental disability programs. We also have a few special shows throughout the season with other choirs, cabarets, and other events.

Each season we sing a mix of classical, and folkloric music based on a theme. Our upcoming season’s theme is “Knowing She Has Wings – Music by Female Composers and Arrangers”. Themes from previous seasons include:

• “Fire, Tears, and Love Alive – A Celebration of Russian Music”

• “The Land of Song – Music of the Baltics”

• “The Blue of our Lakes, The White of our Winters – A Celebration of Finnish Music”

We end each Season with Shows at the stunning Mission Dolores Basilica. Our performances, like our mission, are community focused since we often invite our audiences to sing with us on a song or two.

Members

Sing with us! Our choir format is now year-round. You can subscribe for individual rehearsals, monthly, quarterly, or yearly. This will make participating in the choir flexible and affordable. No one is turned away for lack of funds.

Choir membership is free for people 19 years and younger.

$20 per drop-in rehearsal

This basic membership entitles you to pay for each session you attend via a "drop-in rate" of $20/rehearsal and your

first rehearsal is free! This level is great for those who are only able to attend a couple of times a month or less frequently. Rehearsals are paid through the Events Calendar corresponding to the date of your attendance. Sheet music costs are included.

Payments must be made via credit card.

$60 monthly membership

This entitles members to attend all monthly rehearsals (usually 4/month but occasionally 5/month). If you plan on regularly attending, this is a savings of $20/month compared to the drop-in rate. Sheet music costs are included. We ask that members use their credit card to pay for monthly subscriptions. This membership renews automatically.

$162 quarterly (10% discount)

This entitles members to all monthly rehearsals for three months. This is a savings of 10% compared to paying for the monthly subscription. Sheet music costs are included. We ask that members use their credit card to pay their quarterly subscriptions. This membership renews automatically.

$306 semi-annually ($15% discount)

This entitles members to all monthly rehearsals for six months. This is a savings of 15% compared to paying for the monthly subscription. Sheet music costs are included. Semi-annual memberships can be paid by check or credit card. It renews automatically when paid by credit card.

$543 annually (20% discount) pay by check only

This entitles members to all monthly rehearsals for the entire year. This is a savings of 20% compared to paying the monthly subscription. Sheet music costs are included. Annual memberships can be paid by check only.

Any of the recurring subscriptions can be paused or cancelled at any time by contacting the admin@thechromatic.org.

No one is turned away for lack of funds. If you are unable to pay for a rehearsal please speak to Jim, Kathy, or Ruth.

All are welcome. No auditions

Become a Member

Join us on Wednesdays from 7:00 - 9:00 at St. Gregory of Nyssa’s Church, located at 500 De Haro St., San Francisco, CA 94107. We begin singing promptly at 7:00, so please arrive early.

New Members

You're welcome to "drop-in" for a rehearsal to see if we're a good fit for you. Feel free to bring a friend and find out what it’s like to sing in our choir.

Our choir meets year-round, and we accept new members continually. Become a Member

Join us on Wednesdays from 7:00 - 9:00 at St. Gregory of Nyssa’s Church, located at 500 De Haro St., San Francisco, CA 94107. We begin singing promptly at 7:00, so please arrive early.

We request a donation of $30 for "dropping-in" to help offset rehearsal costs. You can pre-register for the drop-in rehearsal or pay when you arrive.

ALL ARE WELCOME. NO AUDITIONS.

The Calling All Choir performs at the beautiful Mission Dolores Basilica.

Rehearsal Details

Each rehearsal begins with vocal warm-ups that incorporate movement and play. Traditional folk dance often is included, which is why we meet in a large, open hall with room to move. Then we move into our repertoire, often breaking into smaller groups with our section leaders to learn our parts. The evening closes with a mini-dance party, to send us off smiling. (Chairs are always on hand to accommodate physical comfort.)

We also offer sectionals and “big sings” on a donation/pay what you can basis to cover the costs of our musical staff.

Sectionals – 1.5 hour intensive rehearsals with your voice section – soprano, alto, tenor, bass.
Big Sings – two-hour gatherings on weekends with the full choir for singing, fun, and fellowship.

We also hold public performances, as well as Service Sings, when we take our music to senior homes, hospitals, and other underserved communities.

Our Agreements

To make our singing environment most enjoyable and inclusive, we ask all Calling All Choir members to commit to the following:

Regular attendance – Your ongoing presence and participation is essential. When people miss rehearsals, it takes us time as a group to catch up. We understand that sometimes absences are unavoidable. If you have to miss your regular weekly rehearsal, we ask that you please attend one of the other weekly rehearsals. If you are unable to attend a rehearsal for an entire week, we ask that you attend two rehearsals the prior or following week. If the director or one of the rehearsal assistants feel that you have fallen behind, you must schedule a private lesson at the standard rate of $60 to catch up.

All members are required to attend the dress rehearsals.

Punctuality – Our rental time begins at 7pm. We encourage you to come early to visit. Rehearsals begin promptly at 7:00pm. Please be ready to sing at that time.

Concentration and attention during rehearsal – Though we are at times very playful, please avoid side conversations during rehearsals. Come early or socialize during the breaks.

Practice on your own. Please use the resources on the Members page to practice your parts at home. The password for the members area will be given after registering.

Memorize the songs – Please learn the songs. You’ll have a lot more fun if you do. (So will everyone around you.) If you do not know your parts by a reasonable stage in the season, you will be required to take private lessons at the standard $60 rate. If you do not follow through with the lessons, you will be subject to dismissal from the current season of the choir.

No negative comments about other singers’ vocal abilities. If you feel there is an issue, please do not discuss it. Send an email to Mark about it and he will address the issue.

Pitch Matching – We accept all new members, but for the choir to function, all members need to be able to match pitch. If after the first two to three weeks you are still having trouble matching pitch, you will be required to take private lessons at the standard $60 rate. This can really make a difference. If after taking private lessons you are still unable to match pitch, we will have the right to dismiss you from the current choir season. If this is the case we encourage you to continue with private lessons and join us for the next choir season. This policy is in place for the benefit of the larger group.

No perfume or strongly scented lotions, hair or body products. Some of us are allergic.

As a courtesy, please notify us if you decide to stop coming to rehearsals or discontinue your membership in the choir.