Project Grant

PERFORMANCE: Minnesota Center Chorale performs in the GREAT Theatre’s Shakespeare Festival, primarily singing traditional choral works with Shakespearean texts with unique accompaniments. The choir sings with a small chamber group of instrumentalists playing viola da gamba (15th century string instrument), bassoon, 2 recorders, harp, and bass clarinet. ATTENDANCE/TICKET SALES: There is a twenty-five percent increase in attendance from the Chorale’s last traditional concert in May 2011 where we anticipated 150 attendees. Twenty-five percent of attendees purchase ShakesPASSes, $20 tickets sold on the Festival website that allow patrons to purchase half priced tickets for Festival events, including Minnesota Center Chorale’s concert. RESPONSES: Choir members discover how words written by the same person are expressed in a variety of musical styles and how composers work within each style. For patrons, a short questionnaire about what they have learned stimulates conversations at the reception. In conversations with staff and performers, they express enthusiasm for the concert by stating they enjoyed the quality of the Chorale’s performance. Patrons share their satisfaction with the works selected and the many musical periods they represent. They also express their appreciation of the program’s educational aspects by referencing well known Shakespearean texts and how they have been represented in the performed musical works. Those who fill out the multiple choice questionnaire (and are entered into a drawing for a prize) answer the questions correctly. Videotaped recording: A video recording of the concert will reveal how performers and audience members react during the performance. We will examine how singers respond through their musical expressiveness and body language. Do they appear emotionally connected to the music? What do their facial expressions communicate? Do they expressively deliver the text? Audience applause is given after every piece, but its length and intensity can vary greatly. Applause, as well as body language (restless or attentive) and facial expressions (bored or positively engaged), will tell us how well the music resonates with the audience's emotions and intellect. -Verbal feedback after the concert: Conversations at the reception often draw out true feelings about a performance. During this casual time, Minnesota Center Chorale members and Ms. Martinson will talk with patrons to further assess their responses. Minnesota Center Chorale will be conscious of behaviors/attitudes. Are patron comments merely polite and reserved? Are patrons enthusiastic and specific about what they enjoyed? Did they share what they did not enjoy? The Director will collect information/comments and include them in a report for the Board. - Concert Attendance: By tracking attendance, we can determine that a concert of traditional choral repertoire with Shakespearean texts is an attractive combination to area patrons. - Counting the number of Festival ShakesPASSes sold to Chorale attendees: A $20 ShakesPASS, a ticket allowing all residents to purchase Festival concert tickets at half price, is new to Minnesota Center Chorale. The pass was created by GREAT Theater to bring several arts organizations together for a multi-faceted event. Typically, Minnesota Center Chorale’s half price tickets are offered to only a small, specific group of individuals, making them less significant in attracting patrons. The number of purchased ShakesPASSes will help determine how half-priced tickets given to all patrons affects attendance/sales, particularly for concerts with traditional repertoire. We will then use these figures to evaluate our current discount price policies and to see if festival-type collaborations boost ticket sales. By counting how many attendees purchased ShakesPASSes from the Festival website, we will know that our Chorale patrons were exposed to the overall Festival offerings. Not an absolute indicator, it nonetheless demonstrates the tickets were bought through the Festival website and that these patrons plan to attend at least one other event to justify the cost of a ShakesPASS. - Questionnaire after the concert: We recognize that an audiences’ increased knowledge from a concert can only be partially measured. However, the concert experience is guided and enhanced by Minnesota Center Chorale’s program notes and brief comments from the Director.