Notes – Dress Rehearsal 12/6/2017

Thank you for all your hard work in spite of several obstacles this semester. I appreciate all you’ve brought in terms of talent and spirit. I think you are going to sing some beautiful music, beautifully. A few things to keep in mind and please mark into your scores:

Hodie Christus Natus Est

·         Be aggressive in your timing and rhythm in a light, dance-like manner. Don’t let it get too relaxed. Use light tonal production.

·         Always lean on the ”lu” of all Alleluias. Always diminish the last syllable in every word.

·         Make no-e light and detached always.

·         Make it exciting – your text is the words of the angels announcing the birth.

Magnum Mysterium

·         Slight modification (TENORS/BASS) – crescendo the half notes, descrescendo the quarter notes in O magnum section – pages 3-5. PLEASE MARK THIS!!

·         Start and maintain piano at Allegro section page 10. Keep it brisk and crisp on alleluias, but soft.

Allon, Gay Bergeres

·         Please get your eyes out of your scores and try to look like you’re emotionally engaged in the excitement of this piece.

·         Push the rhythm and excitement of the story-telling

Alleluia

·         Make this ethereal in mood. Remember the first 5 pages never really get above a piano, and there are a lot of pp markings

Masters in this Hall

·         Again, get out of your scores and tell the story

·         Listen for the melody being careful front row (Peter/Chuck/Eileen) not to project too much when it’s your turn

I Wonder as I Wander/Still, Still, Still/In the Bleak Midwinter/Before the Marvel of This Night

·         Enunciate like crazy. All these texts are very significant

·         In the Bleak Midwinter – open mouthed hm (ng) for all parts except soprano melody starting pickup to measure 33 all the way to tenors at 48.

Ya viene la Viejo

·         This is short, light, fluff—make it playful and look up.

Angels We Have Heard on High

·         Move the tempo/rhythm with light-hearted excitement

·         Soften at measures 88-90 then swell to 91 on Deo

Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day

·         Sounds great! Be sure and sing “lahv” at end

Benedictus

·         Keep this prayer-like

·         Please watch!!! I want you to really communicate this with the audience!

·         Decrescendo through the breath at the end has / no end, meaning come in soft on no.

Glory – Encore

·         Don’t over sing. Be enthusiastic and full-voiced, but keep it beautiful.

·         Sopranos really study your entrances and variations on the Go Tell It sections

·         Any tenors who can double the basses at measure 27 would be appreciated.

·         All the big glorys and kings should be rich, not just loud

Rehearsal Notes for Nov. 29, 2017

Hodie Christus Natus Est

• ·         The whole thing should be much lighter – no louder than mf.
• ·         Light and detached on all no-e’s
• ·         On page 4, the Alleluia’s with 16^th-notes should be the focus. 8ths notes should back off
• ·         Always emphasize the syllable lu of Alleluia.
• ·         Page 5, last measure, please circle and observe the diminuendo
• ·         Page 7, light and dance-like on Laetantur archangeli
• ·         Page 9, glorias should be more legato
• ·         No retard at end until beat 3 of penultimate measure

Gaudete

• ·         Sounds good.
• ·         Tenors be clear and distinct on your solo sections

O Magnum Mysterium

• ·         Make it mysterious and chant-like (think Buddhist monks) all the way through
• ·         Tenor/Bass crescendo into Ma- and decrescendo into –gnum
• ·         Trebles note the andante tempo (means moderate, not slow)
• ·         Baritones and basses be well blended and ready to move at measure 25-26
• ·         Altos and baritones double check pitches and intonation at measures 33-40
• ·         Keep a straight tone and more mystical sounding at measures 49 to 55 on O beata virgo
• ·         The Allegro section starting at measure 66 – keep it light and flowing – not much more than p to mp
• ·         Plan your breath Basses at measures 94-95 to hold through the break

Allon, Gay Bergeres

·         Observe most dynamics as marked (circle or highlight, please)

·         All verses are lighter

·         Sopranos detach quarter-notes at top of page 8

·         Dynamics should be mp at top of page 9 Un gateau luy

·         Second Allon, gay at bottom of page 10 should be mp

·         Ho, ho’s at top of 11 should be almost staccato and soft

·         At tope of 12, bring each dynamic down one degree (i.e., mf and f rather than f and ff)

·         Again, minimal ritardando until beat three of penultimate measure

Masters in This Hall

• ·         Avoid much of any ll in Nowells
• ·         Tenor/Bass keep it piano on pages 127/128 during Matthew’s solo. Matt sing out with good diction
• ·         On page 129 and 130, Tenor/Bass keep it still relatively light
• ·         Please note that solo is marked by an asterisk* with the exception of baritones on Holpen are all folk on earth Born the Song of God so dear. Back off if your section doesn’t have the solo.
• ·         Tenor keep Nowells light on page 131-132 – listen for treble voices
• ·         Sopranos sing out on pages 133-134
• ·         Listen for exchange of melody through each part on pages 135-137, especially Altos on last And cast a-down the proud

Ya viene la vieja

• ·         Work to pick up tempo without losing accuracy and crispness of diction
• ·         Make Tn without a vowel, it’s sounding like your singing “tin”        
• Almost detached Pampanitos verdes to keep it clear and up to tempo
• ·         Sing along with recording to reach tempo

In the Bleak Midwinter

• ·         Tone and line, always tone and line!!!
• ·         Always keep the vowels the focus rather than consonants especially on in, win-ter
• ·         All 3/2 measures will be a subdivided 3
• ·         If you have the melody, really enunciate the words. If not, it’s about open rich tone on the vowels.
• ·         Note decrescendo on page 121, measure 40
• ·         Watch cut offs, breaths and entrances (Altos) in measure 62
• ·         Make the last line piano
• ·         The penultimate measure will be conducted in 4 with Sopranos counting their dotted quarter and eighth notes
• ·         Altos/Basses, I will conduct each note in last measure

Glory, Glory, Glory to the Newborn King

• ·         MEMORIZE
• ·         Sopranos (Jo) work out who’s singing I/II
• ·         Patterns in intro are same with different words. Sometimes there’s a break before the oo’s and sometimes they continue from the last word. WATCH!
• ·         All forte or fortissimo sections must be sung beautifully (opera chorus)
• ·         Basses, at Allegro top of page 5, I will give subtle two beats before you come in on Children
• ·        Basses/Tenors, really be 100% sure of your notes on your Glory’s. Sing them with full, vigorous tone, especially Tenor II and Baritone.
• ·         Watch measure 93 on page 10. Women cut off immediately while men hold. Then women alone come in after men cut off. Women hold fermata on sing-in’ and men joy on Glory.
• ·         Last measure new-born is loud, King is sfz (hit “k” hard and then soft on King with a huge swell until cut off

FOR TUESDAY:

Alleluia

• ·         Please review, especially dyanmics.
• ·         Basses please review the pitch accuracy on page 9 at Movendo.
• ·         Sing as beautifully of tone in the louder sections as you do in the soft ones

I Wonder as I Wander

• ·         Suzi – make the solo kind of slow and pensive. Take all the time you need and breath as much as you need to. Make it a little haunting
• ·         Tenors enter softly on her last pitch (D4)
• ·         When Sopranos enter on melody it will still be relatively slow but metered
• ·         Circle the decrescendo in meausure 34 down to pp. There will be a ritardando Tenor/Bass in measure 35.
• ·         Very legato on verse 3 and move a bit more and with a bit of rubato – WATCH!
• ·         Altos and Sopranos activate (meaning lean into) the second of the tied notes through the humming sections
• ·         Note that it ends pp

Still, Still, Still

• ·         Stay on vowels as long as possible on still, sleep, dream. Get initial consonants (sl and dr) out of the way quickly
• ·         Sopranos make the slurred 4^th up, 6^th down, 3^rd up, 5^th down progression as clean, but as legato as possible. Use the breath and the vowel to execute the rising/following intervals, not the consonants

Before the Marvel of This Night

• ·         I LOVE this poetry!!! Really enunciate the words – underline and stress:
• ·         Verse 1: marvel, night, fold, bow, tear, light, news, endow, Proclaim, birth, peace, fear, death, sorrow, cease.
• ·         Verse 2: awake, sleeping, assemble here (soprano), come arrayed, Give, glimpse, teasing taste, miss
• ·         Verse 3: love, always known, joy, endless light, loveless world, shown, break upon, compress the love. Make love rich and warm with ”ah” vowel

Angels We Have Heard on High

• ·         Trebles sing beginning with warm, pure, tone
• ·         Glorias: Sopranos drive half note into eights, Altos increase each two-note pattern as you go from first to next (ex. G to A, F# to G, etc.)
• ·         Tenor/Bass sing your verse with slight detached tone and with sense of surprise and wonder in voice. More legato at measure 40
• ·         At measure 57, sing with fuller tone and more legato
• ·         Circle crescendo in measures 61/62
• ·         Note decrescendo in measure 64
• ·         At measures 75 and 82, think of it has more marcato (accented and detached) than staccato.
• ·         Never get too loud, just full and jubilant. At measures 88-90, back off a little so we hear the bell accents. Accent then fall off
• ·         Full at 91 to end

Benedictus

• ·         Benedictus is where we get the word benediction which means blessing. Sing it as a blessing with warmth and gentleness