SPONSORED STORY FROM A CHORUS AMERICA PARTNER

The Hartford Chorale has a lot to celebrate this spring. Part of the fabric of the Hartford community for 50 years, the chorale has established a reputation for excellence throughout southern New England and beyond. The organization takes great pride in its rich history and tradition of performing symphonic-scale, choral-orchestral repertoire at a high standard of artistry. A bedrock of dedicated volunteer singers and savvy board members, together with dynamic artistic leaders and a small fellowship of resourceful paid administrators, have keyed the organization’s longevity, achievements, and evolution.

BY JANET NEWCOMB, MOLLIE QUINLAN-HAYES, AND THOMAS F. R. CLARESON

Now, more than eight months into the COVID-19 pandemic, the end is still not in sight. Choral music organizations need to take the time to reassess their priorities and prepare themselves to weather the rest of this long-term crisis in order to position themselves to re-emerge stronger on the other side. In the view of three experienced proponents of readiness planning, maintaining your organizational momentum should be the top priority. That includes preparing for crises beyond COVID.

Do your board members serve for prescribed terms? Two years? Three years? Do you limit the number of terms they can serve? After checking with choruses across the U.S.—emerging and mature, staffed and all-volunteer, and in varying stages of evolution—consultant Susan Howlett discovered that some chorus boards have term limits, some do not, and others have them but enforce them inconsistently. She explores what might be best for your chorus.