Communication During The Week

In case of emergency you will be able to call the Residency Manager, or either of the Assistant Managers. The University of Evansville Public Safety department is on call 24 hours at 812-488-2051.

Child/Youth Communication During The Week

As all children and youth will be device free during the week, you can send messages to the staff who can share them with your child. Our Proctors are familiar with homesickness. Don’t worry, we will be in touch with you if there is an emergency.

Monday, July 21

Registration for all participants is in Moore Hall on the campus of University of Evansville. Registration will run promptly between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.

Moore Hall (Children/Youth) New Hall (Adults)

400 S Rotherwood Ave 1761 E Walnut St

Evansville IN 47714 Evansville IN 47714

Orientation begins at 4:00 p.m. in Moore Hall lounge (Children/Youth) and New Hall lounge (all Adults) followed by instructed Evensong in Neu Chapel at 5:00 p.m. Notify Robert Nicholls if travel delays cause you to arrive later than 4:00 p.m.

All parking for the week is in the large lot on the South West corner of Walnut and Rotherwood. For those adults with mobility limitations, parking is available in the lot behind New Hall (entrance off of Walnut Street East bound).

Arrival by Plane or Bus

The staff of RSCM Midwest will ensure those traveling by plane are met at the Evansville airport if needed. The airport is small, and we can easily find those people who register their flights with us. If you are an adult considering flying into Nashville or Indianapolis please contact us in advance. The earliest possible flight departure from Evansville on Sunday July 27th is 2:00 p.m.

The Residency can meet you at the downtown Evansville bus station, about a mile from campus, if you are arriving by bus.

RSCM Midwest is privileged to have a medical professional on staff. All medications for student-aged choristers, both prescription and non-prescription, will be dispensed by the medical staff and should not be kept in dorm rooms. Be prepared to give all medications to the medical staff at the registration table. Medications with instructions should be put in a plastic zip-lock bag with the child’s name clearly visible. Any concerns or questions about medications may be addressed at registration with the medical staff, or by contacting the manager.

RSCM Midwest will not collect Young Adult (ages 18-21) or Adult medications; however, if you need any medical assistance during the week, resident staff can direct you to local urgent care locations. If you are experiencing a medical emergency, adult participants should dial 911. 

Dietary Restrictions

Included in the online registration process is information about any special dietary needs and/or allergies. Those requirements are reviewed and passed on to the UE kitchen staff. The UE catering staff is well-versed in dealing with food allergies. Please feel free to review your special requirements with the course staff during registration. They will have a copy of whatever you submitted during your online registration process.

COVID-19 Safety Information

**COVID safety information is subject to change due to the changing climate of the coronavirus endemic.

Disposable masks can be provided for any participant who would prefer to use them during our time together. 

Any participant who begins to demonstrate COVID symptoms during the week will be encouraged to take a rapid COVID test. Participants who test negative will be allowed to resume participation in the week as their health allows. If any participant tests positive for COVID during the week, we will help make arrangements to leave the Festival and the participant will remain quarantined until that time.

Liturgies for the Week

RSCM Midwest s blessed to be within easy walking distance of a number of churches in addition to our main rehearsal and performance space, Neu (pronounced “new”) Chapel. Neu Chapel is between Moore Hall and the UE Music Conservatory building. All services will be open to the public.

Choral Evensong (sung Evening Prayer) will be sung at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday in Neu Chapel, and at 5:00 p.m. on Friday and 7:00 p.m. on Saturday evening at St. Benedict Cathedral, 1328 Lincoln Avenue, Evansville IN 47714. Attendance by all participants is required.

Holy Eucharist will be offered to all participants on the Thursday afternoon of the Residency.

Morning Worship will be sung by the entire residency at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, July 27th  at First Presbyterian Church, 609 SE Second Street, Evansville IN 47713. Children/Youth will return to Moore Hall to check out and be reclaimed by their parents/guardians. The week ends for Adults when you check out with RSCM Midwest staff at First Presbyterian Church after the service.

Compline is the traditional office sung or said at the close of the day. Compline will be sung on Friday evening by Staff, Adults, and Young Adult participants who would like to be involved, and will be attended by all participants. Materials needed for Compline will be provided by RSCM Midwest. Every evening choristers can attend Compline in the Moore Hall lounge.

Voice for Life Awards

We will have RSCM America’s Chief Examiner, Linda Buzard, available to administer Bronze, Silver, and Gold Award exams during the week.  If you are considering taking an RSCM Award exam, contact Linda directly as soon as possible at lbuzard@gmail.com.

Transport

Any transportation of Children/Youth during the week is on air conditioned school busses. The cost of transportation is included in the registration fee.

The residency will be relying on carpooling for transporting adults during the week. We greatly appreciate volunteers. St. Benedict Cathedral is 7 blocks from UE. First Presbyterian Church is 1.5 miles. 

Other Events and Activities

For Children/Youth, our proctors and residential staff organize many activities and enrichment opportunities including sports, inside games, improvisation games and more. See “The Child/Youth Experience” page.

A variety of activities for adults are organized by our Adult Proctor and Adult Education Director. These activities and enrichment opportunities include vocal and choral health, voice lessons, repertoire selection, and RSCM Award exam preparation.

What to Bring

Be sure to bring your CHOIR ROBES and MUSIC. Neither will be available in Evansville, and no robes will be available for borrowing from either St. Benedict Cathedral or First Presbyterian Church.

Bring bed linens (LONG TWIN), pillow, and towel (and a mattress pad if you have space!) (light blanket)

Music Preparation and Music Purchase

All participants are responsible for arriving having previously rehearsed the repertoire for the week. Please visit https://rscmmidwest.org/repertoire-list  to see the repertoire list. Download, print out, and bring the pieces available for download. You may order music directly from Lois Fyfe Music at 800-851-9023, sales@loisfyfemusic.com. Copies of music will not be provided by RSCM Midwest and will not be available in Evansville. Please consult with your home church choirmaster about purchasing and rehearsing the music in advance.

Dress Code

Dress for the week is casual. However, remember that many rehearsals and worship services occur in sacred spaces. Clothing should be appropriate for a sacred space. Parents, please be involved in the packing process.

Double-check the seven-day weather forecast before you pack. It's usually hot and humid, and we are likely to have rain. Do bring at least one pair of long pants or jeans and a light jacket in case you feel cold in air conditioned spaces. If there’s room in your suitcase and if it is to be very hot/rainy, try to include an extra outfit or two for backup in case of rain!

Casual clothing for daily activities

• shorts (and long pants)

• a jacket and rain gear are highly recommended

• extra face masks

• comfortable, supportive shoes for walking and standing.

Clothing for Saturday evening/Sunday Services:

•appropriate, dark slacks, skirt, or dress

•dark, dress shoes (flip-flop type shoes/sandals are not appropriate with vestments)

•dress shirt and tie, blouse, button down shirt etc.

•Academic Hood to wear with robes

Recommended:

•alarm clock

•hangers for clothing

•toiletries

•deck of cards or other quiet activities for “down times”

•hand sanitizer

•slippers/bathroom shoes

•a reading light if you want to read in bed

Hangers for clothing are not available in the rooms so bring enough for Sunday clothes and choir robes at a minimum.

Additional money: While the registration fee is all-inclusive from arrival to departure, there may be an opportunity to shop in the college store. Sending additional money is optional and RSCM Midwest takes no responsibility for lost money. There is no access to vending machines during the residency.

Kids: showers/bathrooms are centrally located on each wing of the choristers’ dorm. Accommodations can be made for non-binary or genderqueer youth.

Evansville has a hot and humid climate during the summer months. We urge you to bring a reusable water bottle and keep it with you at all times to stay hydrated. We have bottle filling stations available.

Adults and Young Adults reside in New Hall, separate from Children and Youth. Rooming is in single rooms in pods of up to 4. Two bedrooms share one bathroom. There is a fridge in each pod. There is a shaded area outside of New Hall to hang a hammock and relax outside. If you have one, feel free to bring it and use it during some down time. For adults, there is free laundry access in New Hall on the first floor next to the lounge. Bring your own detergent.

*Cell Phones, Computers, Tablets Policy*

Choristers will be asked to give up their cell phones brought to the Residency to the Manager during registration. Even better, leave cell phones, tablets, smart watches, and any device which can connect to the internet at home or with the person who is providing your transportation. 

Adults and Young Adult participants are allowed to have cell phones at RSCM Midwest; however, all should refrain from using phones or devices during rehearsals and services. Cell phones have proven to be a serious distraction in the past to the community environment of RSCM events. Since we are all attending Midwest to sing, participate, and interact with friends old and new, we prefer to keep our focus on this positive community. 

Family members back home, please restrict your calls to the manager for emergencies only. The staff is very busy during the residency providing a wonderful time for the participants. If there is a real problem that we can’t handle during the week, we’ll contact you, we promise! You may also email the manager during the week if you have difficulties reaching the staff by phone.

RSCM Midwest staff will contact your listed contacts in case of emergency.

Do not bring:

•cell phones

•iPads, tablets, computers, or any electronic device that can or could connect to the internet (Note: some families have sent devices in the past with the intention of their children to use them for alarm clocks or music only. Please do not send any device that can connect with the internet for these purposes.)

•valuable items such as jewelry, cameras, laptops 

•excessive money

•pyrotechnic devices

•alcoholic beverages

• vapes or vape pens

•non-prescription drugs

•laser lights/pointers

RSCM Midwest, The University of Evansville, St. Benedict Cathedral, and First Presbyterian Church will not be responsible for any loss of personal property.

Bottom line: if you can't afford to lose it, don't bring it.

Anyone found to have alcoholic beverages, non-prescription drugs, or weapons of any form will be sent home immediately at their own expense, or at the expense of their parents or legal guardian.

All participants will review the Behavior Contract during the residential meeting on the first day of the week.

Pastor/Priest & Choirmaster reference forms, and Personal Adult/YA/Staff reference forms are available on the website. Please direct your references to that site, where they will click on the "Registration" tab. Once there, it takes only a couple of minutes to complete the online form.

To make a payment, mail your check to RSCM Midwest c/o First Presbyterian Church, 609 SE Second Street, Evansville IN 47713, memo: RSCM Midwest.

All payments will be due no later than June 21st, 2025.

If you have questions about your registration or payments, contact info@rscmmidwest.org 

The detailed, hour-by-hour, schedule will be available on the website (subject to change), and is printed for all participants at registration.

For questions about the content of the week, contact info@rscmmidwest.org

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