Dear GBCC members and friends,
This has been an incredibly difficult time for many of our member choruses. In the midst of an unprecedented pandemic and ensuing social distancing, many hard decisions have been–and are still being–made about concerts and events that we all looked forward to sharing. And we are adjusting to this strange new reality without being able to gather with our choir families in person.
But despite uncertainties, our membership continues to impress with its resiliency and creativity. On March 19, nearly 40 GBCC members convened via Zoom to discuss shared challenges, solutions, and opportunities. I imagine the energy in the “room” was similar to that felt during the first GBCC convening 31 years ago. We’re thinking about offering additional online convenings in the near future.
This creative “grand pause” (as Chorus pro Musica Music Director Jamie Kirsch aptly put it in a message to CpM audiences) is an opportunity, to think about how our choirs can serve our communities and our singers even more effectively. Know that your GBCC Board of Directors has been considering this very question since well before COVID-19, as we’ve focused the past several weeks on updating the consortium’s strategic plan. More is to come on that soon, but in the meantime we invite your feedback on how we can better serve your choir; you can start the conversation here.
Even though the spring event calendar is strangely empty, we know that you are hard at work in other ways. If there are sites, blogs and videos your choir has found useful, please don’t hesitate to share them with our team or via the GBCC’s new member Facebook group.
Thank you for your GBCC membership – together, we’re creating a stronger voice for choral music in the region.
With best wishes for good health and merry music-making,
Alison LaRosa, Chair
March 25, 2020
Event description: “We know this has been a stressful time for many of GBCC’s member choruses, and no doubt your leadership teams have been keeping abreast of the news and making hard decisions. In the spirit of collaboration that has long defined our Greater Boston choral community, GBCC is offering a virtual space where members can process the impact of COVID-19 on their chorus’s members, audiences, and operations. We’ll discuss what we as a choral community can do to help each other out, such as in facilitating concert rescheduling, ideas for keeping singers upbeat and prepared during truncated rehearsal periods, reengaging audiences post-pandemic, and anything else you’d like to discuss.”
As Greater Boston prepares for a coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, we encourage choirs to take precautions to keep their musicians, staff and audiences safe and healthy. Below are some helpful resources.
If you have suggestions of additional, reliable resources to add to this page, please contact us.
If your choir submitted an event to the GBCC calendar earlier and has since decided to cancel or postpone it, please contact us to remove it.
Share how your chorus is being affected by the pandemic in Chorus America and Chorus Connection’s survey.
“Coronavirus and community choruses: What Can you do to prepare?”
Tori Cook, Chorus Connection, 3/6/2020
“What to do when your choral concert gets canceled”
Tori Cook, Chorus Connection, 3/11/2020
“Coronavirus update for the arts community”
Chad Sirois, ArtsBoston, 3/5/2020
“Preparing for potential impact of COVID-19 (Coronavirus)”
Liza Beth, Chorus America, 3/6/2020
New England Foundation for the Arts
Covid-19 Resources (including resources on the intersection of social justice and COVID-19)
Massachusetts Cultural Council
Covid-19 Resources (Sign up for March 19 webinar)
Performing Arts Readiness
Emergency planning for arts organizations
Information on the Outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
Massachusetts Department of Public Health
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
Centers for Disease Control
Topics: Market/PR, Fundraising, Board Development
Event description: “Your choir has dedicated singers and innovative programming – but how do you generate excitement for your concerts, attract new audiences, raise funds, and cultivate champions? Learn from experts within our Boston choral community and share your challenges and successes with others at this daylong event.” This conference was generously sponsored by Chorus Connection and was open to GBCC members and to the general public.
“Social Media Strategy”: Presented by Tori Cook of Chorus Connection. Resources:
“The Board Chair / Executive Director Equation”: Presented by Nick Adams and Chris Swistro of Cantata Singers and Swistro Advisors.
“Preaching to the Choir: Finding Major Gift Section Leaders and Soloists in your Annual Fund Chorus”: Presented by Katie DeBonville of Boston Baroque.
“Inspiring Performance Audience Growth” (PR and collaborations): Presented by Michelle McGrath, Pilgrim Festival Chorus, and Cape Cod Chamber Orchestra.
Event sponsored by:
For 30 years, the Greater Boston Choral Consortium (GBCC) has existed to celebrate and empower the diverse voices of Greater Boston’s choral community. Our network of more than 80 choirs and 5,000 individual singers has been witness time and again to music’s extraordinary ability to bring together people of many backgrounds and viewpoints and to promote understanding and dialogue. So it is with great concern and disappointment that we have learned of hateful, discriminatory messaging directed at one of our member choirs, Coro Allegro, in the run-up to their recent Veterans Day concert. This powerful program reflected on freedom and equality, honored all who have served and who have suffered in America’s conflicts, including those whose desire to serve has been met with discrimination on the basis of their race, religion, sexuality, and gender identity or expression.
The Greater Boston Choral Consortium stands with Coro Allegro and the LGBTQ+ community today and every day. We will not tolerate hate speech, threats, or discrimination directed at any of our members. GBCC affirms the belief that together we can create a more loving and generous society through singing. We appreciate the opportunity to continue this essential work in partnership with the region’s choruses.
Alison LaRosa, Chair
and the Directors of the Greater Boston Choral Consortium
PS – To learn how you can be an effective ally to the LGBTQ+ community, GBCC and Coro Allegro recommend the sites How to Be an LGBTQ Ally and Tips for Allies of Transgender People.
PPS – If you missed Coro Allegro’s concert and wish to support LGBTQ+ service members, veterans, and those denied the right to serve:
