Projects: Easily Manage Time-Limited Choir Projects

The Challenge: Special Projects in Choir Life

Every choir director knows the situation: alongside regular choir work, special projects constantly arise that require their own organization. The Christmas oratorio with additional guest singers, an anniversary concert with former members, a collaboration with another ensemble, or a musical project with actors and dancers. These projects have one thing in common: they are time-limited, often have different participants than the main choir, and need separate communication and scheduling.

Until now, choir directors faced a dilemma. Either these projects were organized within the main choir, which quickly led to confusion. Project-specific events mixed with regular rehearsals, notifications reached all members instead of just project participants, and sheet music management became cluttered. Or a completely new ensemble was created, which caused additional costs and remained as an orphaned structure after the project ended. Both solutions were unsatisfactory and led to more work instead of relief.

The Solution: Projects as Independent Units

With the new project feature in Chorilo, there is now an elegant solution to this problem. Projects are independent organizational units that are linked to a main choir but have their own structure. They have their own members, their own events, their own notifications, and can even use sheet music from the main choir without having to duplicate it. At the same time, projects are time-limited and are automatically archived after one year, so no orphaned structures remain.

The decisive advantage lies in the clear separation with simultaneous connection. A project has its own identity and its own protected area. Project members see only the information relevant to them: project events, project sheet music, and project notifications. At the same time, the connection to the main choir is maintained. Sheet music can be shared, members can be imported from the main choir, and administration is done through the familiar Chorilo interface.

How Projects Work

Setting up a project is remarkably simple. In the "Projects" section of the main choir, a new project can be created. Basic information such as name and color is defined, and the project automatically receives the voice parts of the main choir as a starting point. These can be adjusted as needed, for example if the project requires different voice divisions than the main choir.

After creation, members can be imported into the project. The master data is taken from the main choir, so no duplicate data maintenance is necessary. The voice can be set individually for each project, which is particularly practical when singers sing different voices in different projects. A tenor in the main choir can, for example, be used as a baritone in a chamber choir project without affecting his assignment in the main choir.

Particularly valuable is the ability to share sheet music from the main choir with the project. Instead of uploading sheet music twice, a link is simply created. The shared sheet music appears in the project with a corresponding indication of its origin. Drawings and markings that members make on the sheet music remain individual and are not mixed between main choir and project. This feature is especially important for licensed sheet music, which can thus also be used in projects without having to purchase additional licenses.

Independent Communication and Scheduling

Each project has its own communication structure. Notifications created in the project only reach project members. This prevents main choir members from being flooded with information that doesn't concern them. Conversely, project members who don't belong to the main choir can only see information relevant to them. This clear separation creates clarity and reduces the information overload that is an increasing problem in many choirs.

Scheduling is also project-specific. Rehearsals, performances, and other events are created in the project calendar and appear only for project members. In the Chorilo app, members who are active in both the main choir and one or more projects see all their events clearly summarized but can filter by ensemble. Attendance management also works project-specifically, so participation in project rehearsals is recorded separately from regular choir work.

Permissions and Administration

Permission management in projects follows the proven Chorilo concept but is independent of the main choir. A member can have a different role in the main choir than in the project. This enables flexible structures where, for example, an experienced choir member takes over the leadership of a project without having a leadership function in the main choir. Permissions for the project are set by the project administrator and can be adapted to the specific requirements of the project.

Importantly: if a member has permission to view sheet music in the project, they can also see the shared sheet music from the main choir, even if they wouldn't have corresponding permission in the main choir. This is deliberately designed so that guest members who are only there for a project have full access to the required materials. Project permissions take precedence in this sense and enable flexible handling without complicated permission configurations.

Automatic Archiving After One Year

Projects are inherently time-limited. To prevent orphaned structures from remaining after the project ends, projects are automatically archived after one year. The archiving date is automatically set to exactly one year after project creation. Projects can also be archived early at any time if the project is completed sooner than planned. After archiving, the project is put into read-only mode. The data is preserved and can be viewed, but no new events, notifications, or sheet music can be added.

This time limitation is deliberately chosen. It ensures that the project feature is used for its intended purpose: organizing time-limited special projects. For long-term or permanent structures such as chamber choirs, youth choirs, or other subgroups, the sub-ensemble feature is the right choice. If a project exceptionally needs to run longer than one year, an extension can be requested via [email protected]. The Chorilo team reviews these requests individually.

Practical Application Examples

The project feature is suitable for a variety of scenarios. The classic example is the Christmas oratorio or passion performance where additional singers are invited. These guest singers are created as project members and receive access to the relevant sheet music and events without becoming members of the main choir. After the performance, the project is archived, and the guest singers automatically lose their access.

Another common scenario is collaboration projects with other ensembles. When two choirs prepare a concert together, a project can be created in which members of both choirs work together. Communication takes place through the project, so both sides receive the same information. Sheet music can be shared from both main choirs, and scheduling is done centrally in the project.

The feature is also valuable for internal projects. A chamber choir project within the main choir, a voice section preparing its own program, or an ensemble for special occasions such as weddings and church services can be organized as projects. The members remain part of the main choir but have their own, clear area for the project.

A particularly fitting example are project choirs such as regional or national youth choirs. These ensembles are project-based by nature: different singers come together for each work phase or concert tour. Some participate in one project but not in others. The composition constantly changes while the overarching organization remains. With the project feature, a separate project can be created for each work phase, where only the actual participants have access to the relevant sheet music and events. After the work phase is completed, the project is archived, and a new project begins for the next phase with potentially completely different members.

Free and Without Additional Subscription

Projects are free and do not require their own subscription. They are part of the main choir subscription and can be used at no additional cost. Up to three active projects can be managed simultaneously per main choir. This limitation ensures that the feature is used for its intended purpose: organizing time-limited special projects. For permanent structures such as chamber choirs or youth choirs, the sub-ensemble feature continues to be recommended.

The project feature can be activated directly in the ensemble settings. Navigate to your ensemble, open the settings, and enable the "Enable Projects" option. The feature is immediately available and can be disabled at any time. For new ensembles, the feature can already be activated during the setup wizard.

Conclusion: More Overview, Less Effort

The project feature solves a real problem for many choirs: organizing special projects without mixing them with regular choir work. Through clear separation with simultaneous connection to the main choir, a clear structure is created that reduces administrative effort instead of increasing it. Members see only the information relevant to them, sheet music can be shared, and archiving happens automatically after the project ends.

For choirs that regularly carry out special projects, this feature is a significant relief. It enables professional organization without additional costs and without the complexity associated with separate ensembles. The project feature is another step toward choir management that is oriented to the reality of choir work and frees choir directors to focus on what really matters: the music.