Gica continues thanks to the tremendous efforts of its members. Most members choose to play an active role in one of the nine committees that currently exist. There is something for everyone: whether you want to get involved with organising fun activities, putting the archive in order, ensuring concerts run smoothly, deciding what we will sing or writing content for our website. You help Gica and it’s fun too!
The Activities Committee (AcCie)
From Sinterklaas to Easter, Christmas to World Animal Day, the Activities Committee guarantees an annual series of heart-warming get-togethers, glittering parties and various other activities. The AcCie is not only concerned with superficial entertainment – through joint activities, it also helps strengthen unity within GICA ranks, meaning the AcCie can justifiably be called “the mortar on the bricks of the GICA house”. In addition to rehearsals and concerts, our committee has taken it upon itself to make this year a nice and pleasant one. We hope to see you at many of the planned activities next year!
The Almanac Committee (Almanakcie)
What does an Almanac Committee do? It creates the almanac. You didn’t expect that, did you? Every year, this committee makes sure you know exactly who it is you will be spending all of your Thursday evenings with. Particularly: what they sing in the shower, what their first stuffed toy was called, what they wouldn’t mind you waking them up for at night and when you can wish them a happy birthday. The theme of the almanac changes each year, meaning you get to learn something new about the people you thought you knew through and through. And how does the Almanakcie accomplish this? Lots of tea, nice lunches (Dutch hagelslag and jokes), a mountain of inspiration and some handy computer programs. If you feel that this is precisely what has been missing from your life, do come and join us!
The Communications Committee (CommunicaCie)
As members of Gica student choir, we do, of course, know that our choir is awesome. To make sure that the rest of the world knows how super-duper our choir is, we have the CommunicaCie. This committee has taken it upon themselves to run Gica’s promotional policy. This includes maintaining and managing the website, directing PR material and acquiring financial support for posters and the programme booklet.
The Concert Committee
We, the Concert Committee, arrange everything that our Gica concerts entail. This means ensuring that our winter and summer concerts run as smoothly as possible. We choose a venue, communicate with soloists and instrumentalists, make sure there are video and audio recordings of the concert, arrange cake sales, and pick a colour theme! On the day of the concert, we ensure everyone is ready on time and hand out presents to the conductor and soloists or instrumentalists. A not insignificant detail is that we love brownies!
The Accounts Committee (KasCie)
The KasCie checks the treasurer’s accounts on behalf of Gica members. Just before the AGM, the committee spends a few evenings combing through the Gica accounts, so the year can be closed properly.
The Programme Committee (ProgCie)
At the ProgCie, we keep ourselves busy behind the scenes with the programme, the programme booklet and the score. The society as a whole votes on which music we will be singing next during the Luister (Listening) AGM, but the Programme Committee will have been working on this for months in preparation. We work in collaboration with David to put together two (or sometimes three) concepts. We try to draw on as many different musical influences as possible, to ensure that each year, there is something for everyone. Before the Luister AGM, we inform everyone about the concepts and provide some samples to listen to, so everyone can get an idea of the possibilities.
And after the Luister AGM, we work on refining the concept into a fully-fledged programme. Then we start printing or buying the sheet music (the score). Finally, we make the programme booklet for the those in the audience at our concert, designing it and writing the content. We focus on the texts and translations, and backgrounds to the pieces. Selecting beautiful and appropriate music is always a very fun and educational process, in which we get to work closely with the conductor.
The Travel Committee (ReisCie)
The Travel Committee was formed this year to organise a concert trip for Gica. We are on the lookout for the most beautiful festivals in Europe, in which we can show our beautiful singing skills to a foreign audience. In addition to arranging everything around the big concert trip itself, we also organise a fun summer outing. This is a chance for everyone to put music to one side for a while, to take a breath of fresh air with fellow choir members.
The Advisory Board
The wise men of the Advisory Board advise the Board and the society as necessary. With their years of experience and attentive nature, they keep Gica on track.