Date: September 10, 2001 Welcome, Guests.

Welcome to our friends, acquaintances, choir members etc. who have come to see what we are all about. This will be a great opportunity to show what we do, as we get ready to record our first music on CD.

Jerry Silverberg has arranged for rooms at the Motel 6 at a great price. Please let him know tomorrow, by telephone or email. Office telephone: (514) 735-4696 Home phone (514) 489-3956 Email: bdh@qc.aibn.com. He needs to know who you are sharing with and how you will be paying.

Six volunteers are needed for set-up, bar duty, MCing, co-ordinate the food, etc. There are jobs available for many people, in addition to the six key players. Offer your services to Jerry Silverberg.

Starting last month, July, members are responsible for paying their own International and District Dues directly to SPEBSQSA International. Chapter dues are paid monthly to Ray Watkins. Your September dues are due.

Canadian members have the option of writing a check and paying in Canadian dollars at a designated exchange rate or charging their credit card for the U.S. amount, and are able to pay their Society and district dues directly to headquarters in Canadian funds. The exchange rate for the third quarter is 1.5381.

We will be getting to spend the weekend together on September 21 - 23, 2001. We will be using the time to get ready for District Competition, and for our recording session.

Everyone needs to be there to keep up to speed on the improvements in singing and presentation we will be learning over the weekend.

We will be recording our Christmas CD, September 24, 2001: a Monday night.. This is a change from last week, since Rosh Hashanah falls on September 17. We would be missing an important part of the chorus if we were to try to record on the 17^th.

We will be putting the following three songs on the CD.

• Go Tell It On The Mountain
• Eight Candles
• Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

In all the CD will include about 15 numbers. Since this is a joint project, each of the 5 choruses will do three songs. Sweet Adeline's Greater Montreal and West Island Chapters, Montreal Chapter of Harmony Inc, South Shore Saints and The Island City Chorus will perform.

The price of the CD will be $20.00 CDN $15.00 US. $5.00 CDN from the sale of each CD will be donated to a charity to be selected and agreed upon by all of the chapters.

We will be allocated approximately 275 CD's to sell and this will generate a profit for the chorus of approximately $3,000.00.

Our 5% commission policy to each member who sells CD's will apply and can be used to offset costs related to your chorus expenses. This works out to $1.00 per CD. Sell 75 CD's and you have $75.00 to apply towards competition, uniform costs, annual chorus dues, etc. for next year.

Please check the list of jobs to ensure that your name is on the list in a place where you will be comfortable working for the week of the International convention.

I will remember the first time I heard myself on a tape recorder. It didn't sound anything like me! My friend sounded exactly like herself, but that strange voice singing with her just wasn't mine. I was shocked to realize that it was indeed me. I suddenly know that the "wonderful voice" I have lived with all of my life isn't the same voice that everyone else hears. For months, I taped myself singing in the chorus. I listened in amazement to this awful voice...it sang wrong notes, wrong words, bad vowels, made funny sounds, scooped, and even went flat! I became very aware of pitch and went right to work to produce a better voice.

Little by little, I improved myself as a singer under the cold truth of this heartless coach, my tape recorder. Yes, your tape recorder is the best coach you'll ever find! It gives you the opportunity to hear the voice that everyone else hears.

Remember that the only person who hears the voice in your head is you! Any time you are serious about good singing, the truth is there for you to hear. Just press the button. [Editor's Note: This is not aimed at anyone in particular.]

Due to the urgency of getting our Christmas CD repertoire in shape for the recording, we will be concentrating on that this week.

Rob Mance has said he will provide next weeks program as soon as the recording date and time are confirmed. In the meantime, learn your music!

Please arrive on time. We will have a full evening, and we want to make our guests have a good time.

Practice is something we do at home, every day, between rehearsals!

Rehearsal is where we reinforce what we have been practising every day!