REHEARSAL NOTES for April 12, 2022

 

Dear friends,

We’re counting down the days (20) until our concert. There are several things we all need to do.

1.      Sing through every piece weekly, especially if we haven’t rehearsed it that week. It’s important to keep everything fresh.

2.      Practice singing in front of a mirror. Look at your posture and make your face expressive. Audiences are as taken with your appearance as they are with your sound.

3.      Forward the email you got to your email list with a personal invitation to your friends and acquaintances. We want to fill those concerts, not because of revenue (which doesn’t hurt), but because people need to hear your beautiful music.

4.      Continue to memorize the pieces I mentioned last week, and especially the ones noted below.

5.      Be prepared to sing through most of the pieces in rehearsal as you need to develop vocal endurance.

FOR TUESDAY

Grace Before Sleep

·        Listen to the resources recording. I will be taking it more like that. Slower tempo overall.

·        Women sing through the intro with great expressiveness of the words and a sense of freedom, but slower.

·        Make the crescendo in mm. 17 – 20 significant.

·        Every time sopranos or women begin a phrase with an anacrusis (pick-up), for example, each in mm. 20, 22, 24, 26, it should be proceeded by a relaxed breath and very slight pause. Also but in m. 28, and the and in mm. 38, 40, 42.

·        Make mm. 29 – 34 slower and more peaceful sounding.

The Sweetheart of the Sun

·        Follow Barnum’s tempo and dynamic recommendations! Exaggerate a bit if you need to.

·        Soprano and Bass really release the “n” of won (nə) in m. 14 as you breathe to go on so we understand what the word is as the others are holding it.

·        Read again the words of the poem. Determine how best for you convey the meaning of the text. It’s love at first sight.

Modimo

·        Have this memorized as we will begin to add actions to the song.

Alleluia

·        Practice starting the first A of Alleluia with a smooth, free, onset…right on cue and ppp.

·        Be prepared to start moving at the Movendo mm. 55 and gradually pick up speed at Stringendo mm. 60, slowing dramatically at the Rallentando and accents > in mm. 62.

There is a Pleasure

·        Review

Os Justi

·        Particularly practice mm. 71 through 42 for accuracy, dynamics, and richness of vocal color

A Nightingale Sang

·        We’re going to take this faster and freer. Be prepared!

Music Down in My Soul

·        Have this memorized so we can practice clapping.

FOR NEXT WEEK:

Be on time. We will have a reporter from the Napa Register coming to rehearsal so that we can have a pre-concert review. I will have you in a standing arrangement in rows so we can begin getting used to that, and so that you look a bit more concert ready. I will be rehearsing, but there will be fewer stops and starts. Think of it as a preview concert for one!

Looking forward to seeing you Tuesday.

Ted