There is something to be said for getting your first performance out of the way as soon as humanly possible.
Of course you won’t be polished. You won’t sound like you’re going to sound in six months.
Energy, focus, ensemble, stamina: these are all skills that need to be learned and practiced. But the best way to know where you stand with them is on stage.
Get an audience as early as you can, sing for them. Use it as a springboard to your next rehearsal and next performance.
The longer you put off that first performance, the slower your choir’s growth will be.
I got the chance to conduct my choir in the National Anthem yesterday at the opening meeting for our school district; after only a weekend retreat and no regular rehearsals, they sang well and catapulted themselves into a year of growth. It was the earliest we’ve ever performed and I believe it’s going to do wonders for their trajectory.
