REHEARSAL NOTES for April 5, 2022

Hello friends,

Thanks for another great rehearsal. We're counting down the weeks now until our concert, and I really want to keep our focus on: A) Beautiful tone by singing beautiful vowels; B) Clear diction that conveys meaning; and C) Musicality by expressing each phrase as if a solo.

As I said in this weeks rehearsal, we can work on all those things, as well as blend, but we're going to need everyone to be present and focused the last couple of rehearsals so that we can really concentrate on balance.

A FEW ANNOUNCEMENTS:

1. Napa Valley Register Preview: I'm waiting to hear from Sasha Paulsen at the Napa Register to see if they'll be able to send a reporter/reviewer to one of our rehearsals so that we can get a pre-concert review. It will probably be either April 19 or April 26. As soon as I hear back I will let you know. Once we have that info, we will talk about a photo shoot date.
2. Volunteers: Please talk to your family or friends about possibly helping with various tasks associated with the concerts (ticket sales, greeters/ushers, reception set-up, clean-up, etc.,).
3. Ticket Sales: We need to do everything to get the word out about our concert. Make announcements in you churches, at any meetings you attend, at work. Get posters up--we can make more. I don't want this concert to come as a surprise and be missed. Put it on Facebook, on Instagram. Whatever social media you have. Personally invite friends. You'll be doing them a favor.

FOR TUESDAY:

The Cuckoo

• Sing through by memory. 
• Sopranos continue to practice the life into the pp at mm. 10 and 26. It still sounds squeezed. We will practice this as a section.
• Make sure diction is impeccable.

I'm Gonna Sing 'Till the Spirit

• Tenor Soloists practice you solos and listen again to the recording to give you a sense of how to do with with ease. Don't over sing it. And be careful of intonation, particularly at the end of your phrases.
• We will be singing this for memory, so start getting off-score. Memorize dynamics.
• Basses watch the diphthong on It was grace in mm. 19 - 25.
• Tenors practice making the transitions smooth. Determine where and how you need to breathe.
• SAT make the wind/spirit howl in mm. 36 - 43. Increase on ascending notes and decrease on descending notes.
• Basses remember to check the rhythm on Can't you feel it. The entrance is on the & of beat 2 as I'm conducting in 4.

Alleluia

• This song is about breath control. Sing with rich vowels (only 3) throughout. 
• Really sing the pp's softly. And be aware of the dynamic shifts. And the volume of the word Al-le-lu-ia is 2, 3, 4, 1. 
• Look at your part in relationship with the other parts. When are you complementing or singing a duet with another part. For example altos and tenors in mm. 8 - 10, sopranos and tenors in mm. 20 - 25, etc.
• Remember the story of this piece. It was written in 1940 as WWII was beginning in Europe. It was Thompson's hopeful response to the concern about conditions in the world. Sound familiar? It's a prayer of hope for peace.

Modimo

• This is a song of praise. Make it joyful. Make it playful. Make it resounding. This is about enthusiasm.
• The solo sections in the middle are to be playfully competitive. Each section should have a personality. Confer and determine what your section's personality is. 
• Raoul said your menagerie of sounds was great on Tuesday. Keep it up. Be careful not to overpower the altos.
• Work on memorizing. It shouldn't be hard as it's quite repetitive. 

Abendlied

• This should sound like a musical sunset--rich, colorful tone. Peaceful with occasional power. 
• Rich, dark, German vowels. Err on the covered side.
• It was brought to my attention that we may not be pronouncing der quite right. After some investigation, it seems that the vowel is a bright "e" as in werden and not an open "e" as in dare. The "r" is actually treated like an unaccented "e" with no "r" flip.
• Really meld you sections into one voice and the group into six balanced voices. 
• Listen, listen, listen. 

Sing Me to Heaven

• Practice singing off-score.
• Really listen to your words and sing each with meaning: love, lullaby, comfort, mourn, grief, heaven.

SONGS to BE SUN MEMORIZED

The Cuckoo

Sing Me to Heaven

I'm Gonna Sing 'Till the Spirit

Music Down in My Soul

Modimo

I want A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square close to memorized.

See you Tuesday,

Ted