MINIMUM ORDERS
- Very few choirs are smaller than 12 members; singers plus director and pianist.
- We do not send out single copies – since our music can be studied online for free.
- Did you hear about the choir that photocopied music without permission from the publisher? – hard to believe, eh!
So – without passing judgement – we respectfully request a short explanation for your small order.
People place small orders for various reasons:
1) Sometimes the choir is topping up a previous order after more singers join the group. (congrats! we can do that)
2) Sometimes the order is indeed for a small group (e.g. sextet, octet) – no problem. Just let us know: cypresschoralmusic@gmail.com
3) Sometimes a director might say, “I need 2 copies – one for the piano player and one for me – because my singers can’t read music and they learn everything by rote.” (e.g. elementary school) However, regardless of the learning method, each singer is still benefiting from the craft of a composer – who deserves to be compensated. In such cases Cypress is happy to negotiate a reasonable “blanket” price – considering the group’s enrolment and budget. Typically, a fifty-dollar flat fee applies to “rote singers”.
4) Some people mistakenly assume that they have permission to run off photo-copies after making a small purchase. Cypress Choral Music does not acknowledge any school policy that permits teachers to make photocopies (eg. OneMusic Licensing in New Zealand and Australia).
This is why Cypress Choral Music asks for a quick explanation when receiving small orders.: cypresschoralmusic@gmail.com
Again, please don’t be offended. We are simply making an effort to protect our composers – who are trying to make a living.