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ANNOUNCEMENTS

Summer Sings: July 22 & August 19

Summer Sings will take place on Monday July 22 and Monday August 19 at 7 p.m. at Niskayuna Reformed Church, 3041 Troy Schenectady Road, Niskayuna. We will be in the Sanctuary. The fee to cover expenses is $5. You can register and buy music the night/s you attend.

3/12/22
Spring 2022 Rehearsals to begin on 3/14/2022!

Visit our Join page for more information, and to access our registration information!

12/24/21
Help out and Sparkle!

From now to June 15, we are participating in Hoffman Car Wash's Helping Hands Campaign. If you buy a Full Service or Exterior car wash from our designated website, Octavos get 50% profit from the purchase price. So, keep your car shining and help the cause. Click here.

Message from the President
11/8/2021

Hello All,

In my last note to you, I listed the need for our area to be at a moderate level of COVID transmission according to current CDC guidelines as a requirement for us to resume. This is because, at the moderate level, the CDC drops the guidance that all vaccinated folks wear masks in public. As was said, Curtis is clear that he will only resume if we can rehearse without masks and perform that way; side by side with no distancing, as we always have, and distancing enough is impossible to perform unmasked. I also told you that we would be making a decision on about November 5. A copy of my note is here.

https://mcusercontent.com/f0d5fb31220879af8fe841ddb/files/42ae79dd-6639-1fd7-8bb4-10f1ca434a95/Diane_s_Note_Re_Messiah_10.22.21.pdf

Today, we remain at a high level of transmission, making it impossible to perform side by side unmasked. So I am so sad to tell you that your Board has decided against proceeding with Messiah this year. Your Board recognizes that this is a tough decision on a few levels. Please know it was taken after much deliberation, and with heavy hearts, but we feel it is necessary for safety and the integrity of our performance. But, if you have been following vaccination and medication developments, there is good news so let us look beyond this to the future. We are part of a great tradition and we will get there.

Diane

Message from the President

Hello All,

I am sure you all have been wondering what is up with Messiah. I can tell you, your Board has been deliberating at length. This is to tell you where we are on this right now. I apologize for this long, dry note, but this has a few moving parts due to the circumstances we are in with logistics and COVID.

If we can go ahead, rehearsals would begin on November 15 for a performance on December 5, at St. John the Evangelist with an orchestra rehearsal there on December 4. All participating in rehearsals and performances will be required to show proof of vaccination and complete a COVID-19 waiver. While I am sure we all share a deep desire to get back to singing, we have to be in a position to do so safely.

Current CDC guidance recommends that both vaccinated and unvaccinated persons wear masks indoors in public where the risk of community transmission is rated as substantial or high. Where risk is rated as moderate, masks are not recommended for those who are vaccinated but it is suggested that those at increased risk for severe disease may want to consider masking regardless of the risk level. This significant change in guidance occurred because it was found that those vaccinated can transmit the virus. So, this is a significant change from July when we decided to go ahead. Please read for yourself here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/fully-vaccinated.html. The CDC updates the risk level daily. The guidance does not address singing which generally spreads particles farther than speaking.

Since early September our region (the Capital District counties) has been at least at a substantial risk level and has been high for some time. Therefore, we come under the guidelines for general mask-wearing even for the vaccinated. The Board has determined to honor the CDC guidance. Therefore, steps in addition to being vaccinated, such as masking with some space to address singing, arrangement of singers with distancing, or other measures to reduce risk would be needed, knowing that nothing is foolproof.

Curtis is clear that he will only resume if we can rehearse without masks and perform that way; side by side with no distancing as we always have. His valid reason for this is that masking would dull our pronunciation and strength. Distancing enough is impossible unmasked. Members I have encountered, some who are wearing masks for choirs, etc., are negative on masks too. The Board is aware that other choruses have made different choices.

So, this is where we are. Assuming CDC guidelines are the same, to start up rehearsals we need:

1) a place to rehearse and perform. As I mentioned, Zion will not let us rehearse there right now but there may be possibilities. St. John the Evangelist made its commitment for the concert in July, and to date, has not reneged on their commitment to our performance there thus far.
2) CDC guidelines at or below the moderate level for our region (Schenectady, Saratoga, Albany, Rensselaer Counties);
3) a sense of comfort that the risk level will be acceptable through performance; and
4) enough singers in the correct vocal parts.

So we clearly have challenges right now. We will make a decision in the first week of November because that is when we would have to schedule advertising.

I wish I had better news for all of you but that is the reality of it and safety is paramount. Furthermore, we want to be able to present ourselves at our best and give our audience the performance they deserve when we are back. We WILL get through this.

Diane

Message from the President

Members, we will not be beginning rehearsals on September 13th. Please check for emails and on the members' page for updates.

Resolution Regarding Appointments Due to Delayed Elections

Click here to read the resolution.

Member Handout

Click here to download our January 2020 member handout.

Conflict Of Interest Policy

Click here to download and review our conflict of interest policy.

Download Past Concert Programs

Click here to download past concert programs!

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For Sale - Octavos Merchandise
The Octavo Singers have several Octavos-branded canvas tote bags and scrapbooks available for purchase. Please see Deb Pavlus at a rehearsal for more information!