choir director Christmas gifts
  • mmeladirectress
    Posts: 1,076
    Last year on my Christmas list was a documentary DVD about the Thomanerchor Leipzig

    I thought it was great. I learned about not only their history (800 yrs! and JSBach was one of their choristers!!), but also their policies (still a *boy* choir today), their interesting structure and methods for dealing with boys 9 to 19..
    and the footage of their director, just before a big concert making a heartfelt appeal for extra effort, may resonate with members of this forum :)
    Of course the music was glorious.

    what music related things might be on your Christmas list this year?
    Thanked by 1Incardination
  • Kathy
    Posts: 5,500
    Is chocolate technically music related?
    Thanked by 5mmeladirectress PaxMelodious CharlesW Salieri stepg
  • mmeladirectress
    Posts: 1,076

    a good red wine with "notes of raspberry"?
    Thanked by 3Kathy CHGiffen stepg
  • Incardination
    Posts: 832
    Good attendance at rehearsals and liturgies and healthy singers. But wine and chocolate are a close second!!! :)
    Thanked by 3mmeladirectress Carol CHGiffen
  • eft94530eft94530
    Posts: 1,577
    A church nave that does not look like a DollarTree aisle.
    Thanked by 3Carol mmeladirectress CharlesW
  • JonLaird
    Posts: 243
    Last year I received the only choir director gift I'll ever need. It's a coffee mug that says, "The Director is always right."
    Thanked by 5Incardination mmeladirectress CHGiffen Mary Ann Salieri
  • Carol
    Posts: 851
    I would love a good reliable tenor! A REAL tenor, not a high baritone.
    Thanked by 3Incardination mmeladirectress CHGiffen
  • Incardination
    Posts: 832
    LOL, Carol!

    Choir experience:
    ** 92 % of women claim to be soprano
    ** 94 % of men claim to be bass
    ** 68 % of the choir are women

    Choir reality
    ** 31 % of choir members assign themselves appropriately.

    Statistical analysis:
    ** 104 % of all statistics are manufactured to fit the need of the person quoting the statistic.

    When translating all of the above, we see that we are always short on tenors!!
    Thanked by 2Carol stepg
  • mmeladirectress
    Posts: 1,076

    at some Colloquium past, it was announced that attending choir directors could buy a martyr's crown - I about choked on my coffee -
    Thanked by 3Incardination CHGiffen Carol
  • FidemInFidebusFidemInFidebus
    Posts: 611
    So far I got a card with money in it, and a pretty scarf from my accompanist. The money went to my kids because they had a book fair at school and I didn’t feel like driving to the bank to get cash. It’s generally a bad idea to give me cash as a gift because my kids and husband will end up with it somehow.
    Alcohol is also good, I’ve gotten a few nice bottles of wine in the past.
    Thanked by 3mmeladirectress Carol CHGiffen
  • M. Jackson Osborn
    Posts: 8,369
    A bottle of Benedictine.
    or -
    A bottle of Drambuie.
    or -
    The new Wayne Leopold edition of Nicolas De Grigny's Livre d'orgue.
    or -
    A volume of Musica Britannica that I don't have
    or -
    A generous gift card to Half-price Books
    or -
    A generous gift card to Barnes & Noble.
    (It is a given that Barnes & Noble will not have any book that I want, but they will order it.)
    or -
    Antique Wedgwood Jasper Ware.
    and -
    Perfect attendance (well, maybe 'near' perfect) for the coming year.
    Thanked by 2mmeladirectress CHGiffen
  • Carol
    Posts: 851
    FinF, your comments are often "Christmas Past" moments for me. Thank you! Haven't had to spring for a book fair in years!
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • Incardination
    Posts: 832
    MJO, a very detailed list indeed! Let us hope that you get some if not all of the items on your list!
    Thanked by 1M. Jackson Osborn
  • mmeladirectress
    Posts: 1,076

    if MJO isn't too particular as to whether his bottle of Benedictine or Drambuie has anything in it, maybe something can be worked out. :)
    Thanked by 5Incardination Carol CHGiffen M. Jackson Osborn CharlesW
  • Incardination
    Posts: 832
    OK, Mme, make me laugh!!
    Thanked by 1Carol
  • francis
    Posts: 10,679
    MJO just likes the LOOK of the bottle. He doesn't mind if you send it empty.
    Thanked by 3Carol Incardination StimsonInRehab
  • M. Jackson Osborn
    Posts: 8,369
    Ha!
    You all are so merry funny!
    I did say a bottle of Benedictine, not a Benedictine bottle!
  • StimsonInRehabStimsonInRehab
    Posts: 1,917
    When translating all of the above, we see that we are always short on tenors!!


    Card, my results vary from yours - as matter of fact, virtually all of the Catholic choirs I've participated in since my reversion have been predominantly male. And not just the TLM choirs - I'm talking Novus Ordo choirs as well. The only time where this hasn't been the case was when the choir's repertoire consisted of Michael Buble and Marty Haugen. [I recall to mind the "18-year-old altar boy" rule and the juxtaposition between gentlemen and traditional fare.]

    Going off of that, all I want for Christmas is for a gaggle of alti and a murder of soprani, perfectly voiced, sans vibrato [and corresponding attitude] to descend upon my choir and shower me with a level of dedication hitherto unknown. (And, if at least one of the more nubile members were to demonstrate to me an even higher level of dedication - well, then, I shouldn't offer objection!)

    But I'll stop being quixotic. And ask Richard Mix to post his PDF of the Three Kings play for my perusal. That would be a good gift!
    Thanked by 2CHGiffen CharlesW
  • Carol
    Posts: 851
    Michael Buble?
  • mmeladirectress
    Posts: 1,076
    >> I did say a bottle of Benedictine, not a Benedictine bottle!

    Oh OK, like a ship in a bottle. (ummm... how does he get in there?)
    Thanked by 1M. Jackson Osborn
  • M. Jackson Osborn
    Posts: 8,369
    Ha!, Mme -
    I had an organ student once whose hobby was making ships in bottles.
    He was quite skilled at it and gave me one once upon a time for Christmas.
  • Richard MixRichard Mix
    Posts: 2,769
    The incomplete beta version of my edition is at the CPDL page Officium Stellae, along with Coussemacher ed. & facsimile links. Now that I've learned to past GABC into Pages I might be starting over with 4-line staves and Solemes markings, but possibly not until our choir has found out the rest of the stumbling places in two weeks.

    Since both my DVD player and the antenna to digital converter just broke and libraries are mostly closed in the dark dark days ahead, though, you can keep an eye on Lassus Mag's which will be acquiring more blue 6, 7 & 10vv links soon.
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • CharlesW
    Posts: 11,937
    The choir always gives me significant money for Christmas. What they don't know is that some of that money is returned to them in the form of new anthems, supplies and choir accessories. Shhh! Our secret.
    Thanked by 8CHGiffen mmeladirectress canadash PaxTecum Salieri Carol eft94530 StimsonInRehab
  • SalieriSalieri
    Posts: 3,177
    Apart from the usual things: cash, cookies, chocolates, etc.; I've received a bottle of Polish Vodka, a bottle of Baerenjaeger, a pocket watch, a pair of cuff links, and a gift set of eaux de toilette and eaux de cologne. I am lucky to be surrounded by very generous people -- in every regard.
    Thanked by 5M. Jackson Osborn CHGiffen Carol CharlesW canadash
  • eft94530eft94530
    Posts: 1,577
    significant money for Christmas

    Please adopt me.
    I did not get my wish.
    Thanked by 3M. Jackson Osborn CharlesW StimsonInRehab
  • M. Jackson Osborn
    Posts: 8,369
    ...significant money...

    And, of course, we all know that Charles has often said that he 'doesn't need the money'.

    Perhaps he could use it to underwrite a Forum Christmas Party.
    This is, after all, only the Third Day of Christmas.
    (By the way - my birthday is the Seventh Day of Christmas - in case anyone has an unopened bottle of Benedictine [with, Mme., Benedictine in it!] lying around.)
    Thanked by 3CHGiffen mmeladirectress CharlesW
  • CharlesW
    Posts: 11,937
    LOL. We are in an unusual situation. I do get a salary, but there is no music budget. I often provide my own funding for sheet music and such. You're out of luck on the booze since I know nothing about types of alcohol.
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • mmeladirectress
    Posts: 1,076
    purple font notwithstanding, my dear MJO, all I can offer you this year is my very good wishes. When I went to the liquor store I asked about Benedictine, but they had none left - not even an empty bottle.

    and happy birthday! You and my late Mother share that date.
    Thanked by 1M. Jackson Osborn
  • StimsonInRehabStimsonInRehab
    Posts: 1,917
    Many Happy Returns, Chick! Remember - Life begins at Forty. ;)
    Thanked by 1CharlesW
  • mmeladirectress
    Posts: 1,076

    is that forty above, or forty below?
    Thanked by 2StimsonInRehab Carol
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