Without contravening WO's wishes, I frankly don't see a point in this era of attending such reading sessions. What era? The creative commons one that is gaining momentum. WO, I have attended a couple of local GIA's up in SF, over a decade ago, finding both a "less than..." experience. To me, the experience is akin to getting a night's stay free in Las Vegas with a lesser show, and then you have to attend a three hour hard sell geared to entice you into buying a time share lot in the desert. Consider-
*You will be auditioning pretty much what the editorial board regards as their upcoming new cash cows. Which doesn't necessarily mean the most worthy of their catalogue's new items.
*$40 of "free" choral music, hmmm, at $2.95 per octavo (outrageous inflation), in an era of CPDL, CanticaNova, St. James Press (check that out sometime) and CMAA. If I were to attend a GIA in San Francisco today on an one day north then south round trip, I will have paid for that packet three or four times on gasoline alone.
*OK, this is touchy, but must be said. In the liturgical industrial complex, the big houses' primary source of income is both in pew aide volumes, hymnals and missals, whether pulp to hardbound, whether subscription or long term (at higher costs.) The big houses are non-profits, but they obviously must turn some sustainable and growing profit. So, those are then allocated for ancillary product out of necessity. I'm not saying that this is "Bad!" I'm saying that the system is engineered to ensure a steady flow of new product into the market (and we must face it, we like "new product," eg. how many cell phones, laptops, flatscreens have we all bought over the last five years?) that compliments the big income items with the cream of those new "best sellers" eventually included in the next yearly pulp hymnal, or the next edition of a hardbound hymnal like W4. To whit
*To illustrate, I just did a thorough workup of what it will cost to renew next years subscription from one of the houses. Without going into detail, that figure is $24,000, not counting the fact that we likely need to also purchase a Spanish hymnal in substantial quantity (with accompanimental books in sufficient quantity) because of deterioration and loss over just 8 years of its predecessor's use. But the $20+K is the focus, as at the end of the liturgical year, those go to a dumpster. To be replaced by essentially the same content year after year.
Is that not akin to the famous definition of "insanity?"

On the other hand, if it's close, in a nice church with colleagues who can sight sing well, and the quality of the packet is above average, and there's a good restaurant near by, have a ball.

I'm not at liberty to discuss any situation at our parishes as everything is fluid. But, the system, as it is, conventional....consumerist....convenient, etc. is also undeniably poor stewarship of resources on many counts, and needless to boot, particularly when reflecting in the light of last Sunday's gospel indicating what we "need" to carry into our apostolates.

Plus, the benefit of getting to meet other colleagues from your area, is a great way to network. Well worth the expense of gas, if it is local.