Rehearsal Notes for March 29, 2022

 Hello friends,

I'm sending these notes in an old school email so you have a chance to see them before rehearsal on Tuesday.

I was really thrilled with what I heard last Tuesday. You are singing so much more musically, and that can only happen when you are confident of your notes, rhythms, and diction. Keep up the good work!

A FEW ANNOUNCEMENTS:

1. Please do all you can to be at rehearsals going forward. We're in the final weeks and it's now when fine tuning happens. Blend improves, but it's tricky determining balance when members are missing from various parts. Also, rehearsal starts at 6:30. Please come a few minutes early so we can begin right on time. 
2. If you have to miss (and haven't put your absence on the calendar), please text me at (707) 815-1733.
3. We need to think about our appearance for concerts and photos. Plan to be as polished as possible.
4. Tell everybody you know, this is going to be our best concert ever. They won't want to miss it. 

Os Justi

• If mm. 17 - 42 give you any pause (notes, rhythms, dynamics), please review until your part is flawless. I will be rehearsing sections on this until it is uniformly clean and musical.
• Really practice the quick crescendo and f/ff sections in mm. 9 - 12 and 51 - 54 and subsequent diminuendo.
• Always sing with warm, rich vowels

Grace Before Sleep

• Sing the meaning!
• Women sing each repeated phrase in mm. 21 - 29 with a different feel and emphasis.
• At the key change mm. 34, begin to move with smooth purpose - "hymn-like"

Beati Quorum Via

• This one still hasn't gelled. Really make sure your part is flawless.
• Sing with a sense of purpose to each line keeping in mind a) strong and weak syllables; b) open, rich vowels, c) movement; and d) integra is een-TEH-grah, not ihn-tay-gruh.

Modimo

• Sing with spirit and joy
• Let it reflect in the solo sections. Practice you calls (yah man, ri boka weina), hoots, cackles, whistles, non-verbals agreements, etc. Don't be shy or sound apologetic.

A Nightingale Sang...

• Try to get this as close to memorized as possible. 
• Let it flow in a casual way rather than too metrically. That will happen when you're watching.
• Easy, light, non-vibrato tone.

Music Down in My Soul

• Also, needs to be memorized. Will probably be our concert closer.
• Practice clapping starting at m. 81 through repeat and Coda stopping at after m. 89.
• Gregory - I'm taking this a bit faster than suggested. At m. 11 lets take it about 112. At. m. 37 (a little faster) lets speed up to about 132. 

See you Tuesday.

Ted

SPRING 2022 - Rehearsal Notes for Tuesday, March 22

Dear Friends,

We had a very good rehearsal last evening. You were singing beautifully and expressively. Keep it up! We missed a few of you who were under the weather or unable to make it.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: 

• PHOTO SHOOT:  The photo shoot has been postponed as we don't want to have any of our members are missing. Please, post you absence on the Google calendar. If you're not sure how, please shoot Joanna a message and she can help you. I will choose the first available date in April when you are all here.
• VOLUNTEERS: We will be needing additional volunteers to help with our concerts, especially as we will have a reception following the Friday evening concert, April 29, at the Napa Methodist Church. Let Wendy know of volunteer needs for ticket sales, ushering, set-up, and clean-up.
• MAILING LIST: If you know of people to add to our mailing list, please do so as Chuck will be sending out an email blast to alert people of our upcoming concerts.

FOR REHEARSAL: 

There Is a Pleasure

• Read through the poem aloud a couple of times. Read expressively, emphasizing important words and de-emphasizing less important. Listen to the sounds of the words and give them meaning by your inflection. Listen to the cadence of the phrases. 

There is a pleasure in the pathless woods,

There is a rapture on the lonely shore,
There is society where none intrudes,
By the deep Sea, and music in its roar:
I love not Man the less, but Nature more,
From these our interviews, in which I steal
From all I may be, or have been before,
To mingle with the Universe, and feel
What I can ne'er express, yet cannot all conceal.

• After reading, sing through your part alone and then with the performance track using an even greater sense of expressing the words and cadence than you did while reading.
• Do it mindful of the given expression marks.

The Sweetheart of the Sun

• Read the poem, and do so as if reading for someone who is hard of hearing, clearly and with lots of expression. Use the words to paint the scene.

She stood (so fair) amid the corn,

Clasped by the golden light of morn,

Like the sweetheart of the sun,

Who many a glowing kiss had won.

On her cheek an autumn flush,

Deeply ripened;—such a blush

In the midst of brown was born,

Like red poppies grown with corn.

Round her eyes her tresses fell,

Which were blackest none could tell,

But long lashes veiled a light,

That had else been all too bright.

And her hat, with shady brim,

Made her tressy forehead dim;—

Thus she stood amid the stooks,

Praising God with sweetest looks:—

Sure, I said, heaven did not mean,

Where I reap thou shouldst but glean,

Lay thy sheaf adown and come,

Share my harvest and my home.

• Sing through with an attentiveness to diction stretching initial vowels and enunciating strong consonants.
• Make every vowel as beautiful as possible. 
• Avoid over singing at p. 6, mm. 32-34. The A (ah) should be an expression of awe and restrained passion.
• Barnum's inserted Alleluia in mm. 48-51 should be an expression of almost reverent praise of another person.
• Focus on dynamics and tempi.
• Make it seductive in the purest sense.

I'm Gonna Sing 'Til the Spirit Moves

• I want to hear all the solo lines on the first page
• Please work on memorization
• Make sure the "windy" sections on p. 7, mm. 35-43 are accurate and expressive. More focused and rhythmic BASS in that section. 

Alleluia

• Practice going into the sudden dynamic and harmonic changes such as mm. 13, 26, 42, 50
• Each section be aware of singing expressively together noting all markings
• Practice the crescendo poco a poco starting pp at m. 46 to the eventual ff at 63. Make it feel organic. And avoid over singing. 
• As you get louder, broaden your vowels a bit.

The Cuckoo

• Sing through memorized

SPRING 2022 - Rehearsal Notes for Tuesday, March 15

Dear Friends,

A couple of announcements:

·        PHOTO SHOOT: We have tentatively set a date to do a photo shoot for Bel Canto. It will be Tuesday evening, March 29 (in lieu of our regular rehearsal) at Grace Episcopal Church, 1314 Sprint Street, St. Helena. I’d like to meet as close to 6:00 as possible due to wanting to capture evening light in the courtyard there. Once the light dims, we will move inside the church. We will be in full concert dress. Plan now to look your best as these will be photos for publicity and our website. Time allowing, we will give some of you the opportunity to have professional head shots done.

·        BIOS: If you have not provided a bio for the website, please write out one (at least a rough draft that we can edit) listing:

1.      Your previous vocal, choral, and/or musical education and experience

2.      What you do for your day job

3.      Some fun fact about yourself (optional)

4.      Try to make it 50-150 words

FOR TUESDAY REHEARSAL

Abendlied:

·        Listen to this recording a few times to get a sense of the line that I’m looking for. It needs to have a coordinated soloistic quality in each part. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIOagJryMik)

·        Use the highlighted dynamics to give energy and release to the lines. Forte and fortissimo (f and ff) mean full and fuller, not loud and louder.

·        Listen to this recording. Note the richness and warmth of their vowels and tone. Not bright and focused. http://belcantonv.org/resources/reference-recordings/

Modimo:

·        Listen to this recording to get a since of the energy. We may eventually sing it a bit slower, but learn it up to this tempo. http://belcantonv.org/resources/reference-recordings/

·        Listen to this recording of the pronunciation of the words. The -thle in the word tsothle,  is pronounced like ”shleh” but out of the side of the mouth as opposed to the front.

·        Practice the diction until you feel very comfortable singing the words in tempo. Write phonetics in your score to remind you.

·        Practice the rhythm of Wa-nya-ma-la-la, wa-nya-ma-la-la (especially triplets) and um-thwa-lo we-zo-no za-mi (especially dotted eighth-notes vs. eighth-notes.

·        Think of and practice creative calls and whistles to add in the solo sections on p. 7.

·        Begin memorization!

Os Justi:

·        Continue to practice singing smoothly while strictly observing the dynamic changes

·        Again, use rich, warm vowels, especially in the big sections in mm. 10-14 and 52-55. The tenors and sopranos are pushing and not using enough cover in their tones up high.

·        Practice the moving sections in mm. 17 – 42 until the notes, rhythms, with dynamic changes are flawless.

Sing Me to Heaven:

·        We will be practicing this memorized. If you have sung this in concert, I don’t want you using your score.

Music Down in My Soul:

·        I’m adjusting the divisi in this a bit.

·        TREBLES: Your 3-part divisi is SI = Hunter, Lisa, Melody and Suzanne, SII = Carissa, Dana, Cassi, and Joanna, A = Wendy, Suzi, Cyndi, and Michele.

·        Melody and Suzanne will split of on I’ve got joy! parts mm. 46 – 53.

·    MEN: Your 3-part divisi is T = Dan, Chuck, and Joe, TII/BI = Thom, Dana, and Andrew, BII = Matthew, John, and Robert.

·      On the MEN's 4-part divisi in the last two measures of the song it will be TI = Dan and Chuck, TII = Joe and Dana, BI = Thom and Andrew, and BII = Matthew, John, and Robert

·   Women lighten the quality and sing closer to 〔e〕 than 〔ɛ〕 on head in mm. 17-18. Listen to your neighbor to make sure the vowel is exactly the same. Also, make sure you lift, so it’s not under pitch.

·        Hold the last note on SOH of soul. Don’t anticipate the “l” at the end of the word.

GENERAL COMMENTS

1.    Sopranos: concentrate on matching all your vowel colors, especially on words that contain 〔ɛ〕. Move slightly toward 〔e〕. An example is est in Beati quorum via in mm. 22-23. It’s consistently flat.

2.     Tenor I: there’s a tendency to over sing. It’s challenging to sing high gently, but it’s required in quite a few places. Please be mindful of blending with the other tenors, and listen for the other parts. If you can’t hear them, you may be singing too loudly.

SPRING 2022 - Rehearsal Notes for Tuesday, March 8

Dear friends,

My apologies for not getting this to you before the weekend. I had a concert this weekend and my grand kids came with their dad to spend the day yesterday on short notice.

A few announcements:

1. WEDDING: Thank you for those of you who have agreed to sing for the wedding, but as I told a few of you something came up that conflicted with the Memorial Day weekend date and so we have had to postpone. We are looking at the end of August. Once we have confirmation, I will reach out again.
2. BIOS, HEAD SHOTS, and NEW GROUP PHOTOS: As we work to update our website, we will be needing some help from you. Firstly, I will be sending out a template to help update each of our bios so they are a bit more consistent. Also, we're working on finding a photographer to get some new group shots as well as some uniform head shots. We may decide to use part of a rehearsal to do that once we set it up.
3. ADVERTISING and PROMOTIONS: This week, I will be working on the concert concept for promotional materials, so would appreciate in writing all the connections that we have established or know of where we can promote our concert. I would like to see our waking from musical hibernation to be a celebration to large, enthusiastic audiences.

HERE ARE THE NOTES FOR THE REHEARSAL

Beati Quorum Via

·        Think more Renaissance in style – easy flow of quarter notes

·        Breathe phrases where parts of phrases are repeated, for example SI in m. 24, SII in m. 22, TI in m. 24, A in m. 22, etc.

·        Highlight EVERY dynamic marking and sing you line as a solo. It is.

·        Sing every in as een.

Grace Before Sleep

·        Delay but emphasize the consonants l, m, n in your enunciation of the lyrics.

·        Sing all chordal harmonies (ATB) as if it were a solo.

·        Sing as if a Benediction of peace. Emphasize important words, not every word.

Alleluia

·        Highlight EVERY dynamic and tempo marking

·        This whole piece is myriad little phrases on Al-le-LU-ia, with the last syllable of the word being the lightest.

·        Having enough breath is crucial for keeping the tone light and not too focused. Please mark the following breaths (predominately luftpauses) to follow Alleluia in measures where there are no rests. Otherwise stagger or breathe at the rest.

Soprano: 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 25, 26, 29, 30, 37, 38, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 48, 49, 51, 52, 54, 59, 61, 62

Alto: 1, 4, 5, 7, 12, 13, 14 (after 4^th beat), 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 23, 29, 33, 35, 38, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 52, 54, 55, 62 (after 1^st beat)

Tenor: 1, 2, 4&5 (after 3^rd beat), 6, 7, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, 25, 29, 30, 33, 36, 38, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 52, 54, 55, 56, 60, 61, 64, 65

Bass: 1, 4, 7, 3, 10, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 23, 25, 26, 31, 33, 35, 36, 38, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 52, 55, 57, 59, 62, 63

 A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square

·        Men sing the solo in mm. 23-28 in a light #3 quality.

·        Women work out the harmonies of mm. 22-30.

·        Move the lyrics as if singing (in a speech rhythm) a solo.

·        Make the syncopations (mm. 43-44) clean, but don’t emphasize.

·        The whole piece needs a light, almost breathy tone.

There is a Pleasure

·        Sing with relatively little vibrato.

·        Stagger breathing from m. 4 to fermata in m. 8.

·        Stagger breathing from m. 11 to 15 with a luftpause after may be in m. 14.

·        Read through the text a couple of times to get an understanding of the poem. And then sing with meaning:

There is pleasure in taking the individual and truly personal path—the path less traveled, as opposed to the one most others take, or the one most expected of us. The rapture described on the lonely shore reflects a joy that comes from solitude, purposeful time spent enjoying one’s own company—being present and mindful. The seaside is often a place where many seek to be alone. There is a private, “quiet” world that the sea creates. Often, you can only hear what’s in your heart and in your head amid the sound of the crashing waves. This is not an avoidance of social contact, but a necessary, personally shared communion with nature in which we take time to reflect on who we are past and present, and our existential place in the cosmos. What we discover is often unable to be expressed in words, but also is unable to be hidden. It shows in our lives.

·        Highlight EVERY tempo and dynamic marking.