Director's Notes
- Lee Irwin Culbreth
- Aug 30, 2022
- 6 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
*This will be updated each week following the most recent Monday night rehearsal. NOTE: the most recent post can now be found just below here at the top of this blog.
What about the Christmas 2026 concert Season?
First rehearsal as is the custom will be the last Monday in August specifically the 31st of August at 7:30 PM. Registration begins at 7:00 PM
For the 60th Anniversary concert season entitled “WCC 60th Anniversary Traditional Christmas Music” we will have a selection of 8 sacred and 8 secular choral arrangements from the top 100 most popular of all time traditional Christmas songs. The Criteria: Chosen for ongoing popularity, impact, importance, and strong association with the holiday. "Traditional" is defined as encompassing all pre-rock styles of popular music; Christmas songs include both religious and secular songs as well as songs about winter which are associated with the festive season.
Voice Tracks
There will be Voice Tracks available for all selections except "The Little Drummer Boy" and "Home for the Holiday". Access to the VT will be limited to those included in the Current Season group. Becoming a member of the Current Season group is a three-step process. First you will have to complete the registration process including filling out the registration form and paying the registration fee. On the registration form you must provide a valid email address that will serve as your login ID to be added to the Current Season group. Second you will have to become a member, it not already, of the WCC website using the same email address. (Note: many people have multiple email addresses, but you may only use one to access the Voice Tracks and that should be the address you include in your registration form.) Third you will receive an invitation to join the Current Season group. Once you accept the invitation your ID (email address) will be added to the Current Season group, which can then be used to access the Voice Tracks page on the WCC website. If you have satisfied all the preconditions, then you then you can access the Voice Tracks by selecting it from the Main Menu bar. Current WCC Executive board members and instrumentalist will automatically have immediate access to the Christmas VT page. All selections that have Voice Tracks available on our Christmas 2026 season have already been added to the Voice Track page of the WCC website.
Sample recordings media
Unlike in the past the sample recordings are not provided to you on CD. However, if you bring in a blank USB drive or other media the sample recordings can be copied onto it for you. For those of you with older automobiles that have built in CD players you can request a CD be made but there is no guarantee that it will be successful as the technology is rapidly transitioning away from that media.
Feature Tryouts.
Those wishing to try out for a feature presentation are encouraged to select from the list of top 100 most popular traditional Christmas songs unique from those selected for the choir. (Note: for your first visit to this shared location you must request permission to access the shared folder. Once permision is granted you may visit at will.) As a reward for selecting a song from the list the applicant will receive a one-point bonus on their peer judge rating score. Otherwise, the applicant may select any song of their own choosing in line with the season. Due to the special nature of this concert season there will be at most one Feature accepted to perform on the program and it most be exceptional.
Final music selections: (click the top 100 link above to listen to samples)
Choir sacred selections
Do You Hear What I Hear? [VT added]
Silent Night [VT added]
Adeste Fidelis (O Come All Ye Faithful) [VT added]
Hark, The Herald Angels Sing [VT added]
Joy to the World [VT added]
God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen [VT added]
Go Tell It on the Mountain [VT added]
O Holy Night [VT added]
Choir secular selections
White Christmas [VT added]
The Christmas Song [VT added]
Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer [VT added]
Sleigh Ride [VT added]
A Holly Jolly Christmas [VT added]
The Little Drummer Boy [VT not available]
Frosty the Snowman [VT added]
There's No Place Like Home for the Holidays [VT not available]
I hope to see you all back for the WCC Christmas "WCC 60th Anniversary Traditional Christmas Music" concert season. Check back later for sample recordings to be added later. Enjoy your summer season break.
5/19 Auxiliary Concert:
Westminster Senior Center in Lake Ridge -
With the compleation of this performance that wraps up the WCC Spring 2026 "What About Baby?" season . . . almost! We will or have submitted a request to perform at the annual Arts Alive! festival. If approved we will be performing some selections TBD from this season at the festival on September 12, 2026. So keep your music handy for that. More details to follow. Hope to see you all back again on August 31 to begin preparation for the WCC Christmas 2026 season. Have a safe and pleasant summer break.
8/31/2026 First rehearsal at LCOC (Open Registration):
9/7/2026 Second rehearsal at LCOC (Open Registration):
9/14/2026 Third rehearsal at LCOC (Open Registration):
9/21/2026 Fourth rehearsal at LCOC (Verbal interview required to Register):
9/28/2026 Fifth rehearsal at LCOC (Verbal interview required to Register):
10/5/2026 Sixth rehearsal at LCOC (Verbal interview required to Register):
10/12/2026 Seventh rehearsal at LCOC:
10/19/2026 Eighth rehearsal at LCOC:
10/26/2026 Nineth rehearsal at LCOC:
Next week will be the last of the Feature tryouts. The focus will be on selections 8, 9, 13, 4, and 1.
11/2/2026 Tenth rehearsal at LCOC:
Next Monday, 3/23 we will be Touching Up selections #7, #10, #3, & #6. Immediately after the break there will be two Feature Tryouts: Andrea and Winnie.
11/9/2026 Eleventh rehearsal at LCOC:
Next Monday, the results of the Line Solo tryouts that were based on the votes of the peer judges will be announced.
We will begin to revisit each of the songs starting with 2, 12, 5, and 11.
Oh, one other thing: if you tend to ignore emails coming from Andrea or myself, you are very likely missing valuable and timely information.
11/16/2026 Twelveth rehearsal at LCOC:
Next Monday the plan is to go through the full program and conduct Line Solo tryouts during the process. Please do not ask to tryout for a Line Solo if you did not sign up in advance before the announced deadline. This will also be the deadline for signing up for a Feature, the tryouts for which will be distributed evenly over the following three weeks.
11/23/2026 Thirteenth rehearsal at LCOC:
Next week the Review will be selections 2 and 5. The Focus will be selections 12 and 7. The deadline for signing up for a Line Solo is the at the close of this rehearsal. The actual Line Solo tryouts will be during the rehearsal on March 9. If you are having problems accessing the Voice Tracks let us know so that we may help you resolve them.
11/30/2026 Fourteenth rehearsal at LCOC:
Next week we will review selections #1, #3, & #10 and focus on #2 and #5. If you are interested in trying out for a line solo be sure to add your name to the Line Solo Signup sheet. Also Feature tryouts will follow in the three weeks after the Line Solo Tryouts which will be 3/9/2026 for Line Solo tryouts.
12/4/2026 Fifteenth rehearsal at Ferlazzo:
Below is a listing of the Line Solos:
Song | Measures | Voice |
Sweet Baby James | Page 2 | Male |
. . . Baby One More Time | Page 2, 8, & 10 | Female and small mixed group |
Start a Fire | Page 2 | Any |
Meant to Be | Page 2, 5, 8, & 9 | Male, Female, and Descant |
One For My Baby | Male & Female | |
Photograph | Page 10-13 | 2 part Descant |
Next Monday we will Review selections #4, #6, & #11 and the Focus will be on selections #10, #3, & #1. The Voice Tracks are available to everyone that have met the condition for accessing them on the WCC website. If you need additional help let me know.
12/14 or 12/21 Auxiliary Concert:
Marine Corps Museum
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