How to ...

How do I arrange for a concert in my venue?

It's simpler than you might think. Concerts are run on the basis of what might be seen as a form of patronage: the organiser of a concert sets a realistic ticket price, and the bulk of the proceeds goes to the choir, with expenses (heating etc) taken by the venue. The organiser is also responsible for local publicity - posters, local press, local radio - and for setting up hospitality arrangements. It has become apparent in recent years that some venues have been somewhat cavalier in the accommodation department - hospitality here means that the organiser arranges for local people to offer (free) accommodation for the night. It is not enough merely to tell the choir the address of a hostelry in the neighbourhood and expect them to pay for it.

The following is the set-up that has worked well in one small town (c10,000) in Scotland for the past nine years:
Venue - smallish church, good acoustic, small but proactive congregation.
Hospitality - as choir numbers vary between eight and ten, you need to arrange for a possible ten beds, assuming that though choir members will share a room if necessary, you will need single beds. Draw up a list of hosts and accommodation offered, and leave to Jurij to allocate when the choir arrives. Hosts should be prepared to offer an evening meal after the concert and breakfast in the morning. It is worth noting that the giving of this kind of hospitality brings the opportunity for a widening of horizons and that real friendships have developed over the years between hosts and musicians.
On the day - the choir arrives some time in the afternoon of an evening concert; when depends on how far they have had to travel from the previous venue. If you have a church hall or other centrally-based accommodation, you can ask for donations of sandwiches, cake, scones, jam etc for a light tea before the concert. You need lots of tea! The venue used as example here supplied a room, a TV, internet access and tea and the choir relaxed there for a few hours, with a brief rehearsal to familiarise themselves with the acoustic of the concert building.
The concert - you need a table for the sale of CDs etc at the interval, and someone to deal with the takings during the concert so that payment can be made that evening.
The day after - Hosts bring their musicians to an agreed meeting-place after breakfast. It is important that everyone knows when to meet, and that the choir are able to get off when they have indicated.

Do not ... embark on the arrangements, promise a venue and accommodation, and then change your mind. Late cancellation of a concert and accommodation disrupts the choir itinerary and can result in a desperate hunt for alternative arrangements by the choir and other host communities.

Much of this is common sense, and allows small communities to experience something new and exotic at a personal level - to say nothing of the thrill of the performance itself.

If you would like to do this, you can contact the Musical Director, Jurij Maruk, here:

Jurij Maruk
E-mail jurij1961@gmail.com
E- mail jurij1961maruk@yandex.ru
Skype jurij1961992