NOTES for Week August 27, 2023

Hello friends,

In case you haven't heard, Carissa was involved in a pretty serious car accident on her way to rehearsal Tuesday evening. She'll be ok, but sustained a broken jaw (2 places) and a broken clavicle. She is having surgery Wednesday to repair her jaw. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers.

1.    Thank you Hunter for the breakdown of our branding, marketing, sales, and advertising which you oversee. Also thank you Joanna for coordinating the sizing of the tops for the women's uniforms.

2.    Bel Canto Responsibilities: I will plan to have a sign-up sheet next Tuesday for some of the responsibilities for which we need help. Please give some thought to how your gifts (in addition to singing) can help Bel Canto run more smoothly.

3.    BIOs: We're still in need of your bios. If you haven't yet set it, please send it directly to Hunter at hunter.artworks@gmail.com.

4.     Absences: Thank you for those who texted or emailed me about a last minute absence. If you know you'll be absent before the evening of the rehearsal (at least a few hours), please enter it into the calendar. It helps when we have record all in one place. 

Great rehearsal last night! I appreciated your attentiveness and patience hammering out parts. Please remember, that if you missed the rehearsal, you need to pay particular attention to what we covered (check with your section leader) and/or I will give what we covered in the NOTES. I also expect all singers to be fairly solid on the music we went over when we next revisit those passages.

Alleluia! A New Work is Come on Hand

• Review the entire piece. We worked out all notes and rhythms on doo.
• Begin to incorporate the words.
• Highlight all expressions marks. Pay particular attention to dynamic changes.
• Observe cut-offs!

O Come, Emmanuel

• Review NOTES for August 20, for directions on unison/divisi.
• WOMEN insert luftpause between O come in mm. 6, 8, 12, 7274, 76, 104, 106

Cantata 191-Gloria in excelsis Deo

• Review all notes and rhythms mm. 25-101 on doo.
• When you can sing it confidently, insert the text, keeping it relatively light.
• These are incredibly long phrases, so for now stagger your breathing. (When we get it up to tempo, you may be able to sing the entire phrase in a single breath.)
• Reminder about Cyberbass. The Gloria and Et in terra pax are to be found in the recordings of the B-minor Mass. There are no parts yet on the website for Cantata 191.

FOR TUESDAY, August 29

Cantata 191-Et in terra pax

• Please look through and sing on doo. Mm. 101-end
• This is about twice as long as the Gloria in excelsis Deo and has some quick imitative counterpoint. We'll work slowly.

The Waiting Sky

• Look through notes and rhythms on neutral syllable.
• When you're confident add words.

Soon We Will Be Done

Still, Still, Still

• When solid on pitches and rhythms sing words with rich, open vowels.

Until Tuesday,

Ted