NOTES for Week of February 18, 2024

Dear friends,

It Takes a Village: 

• Please solidify your pitches and rhythms. This piece needs to feel free and natural and if you're second guessing the rhythm, it will not sound that way. 
• Begin NOW to Memorize!
• There are solo opportunities (beginning and mm. 77-82). I'm hearing a clear, easy, natural voice with exceptional intonation.

Ubi Caritas:

• Mark the following breaths: In the chant at beginning, after amor, luftpauses (very little pause with or w/out breath) in mm. 3, 7, and 31, and full breaths in mm. 4, 8, 11, 14, 18, 21, 24, 27, 28, 31, 32, 37. Sopranos we will try a breath in m. 35 between the C and B. Move the -men in m. 37 to the last measure.
• Altos, Tenors, and Basses, add a -men in m. 37, then sing A- after the breath with final men in the last measure. 
•  Sing with very warm vowels and Latinized consonants (dental). In is pronounced "een"
• All notes in parentheses are omitted.

Grace Before Sleep:

• Women sing the the first page with elongated vowels and clear, brief consonants. Make generous room sound beautifully inviting.
• When singing harmonic lines (Altos, Tenors, and Basses) ex. mm. 9-12, 21-28, 35-38, make them legato and expressive, not just singing beats. Move into important words and away from lesser ones.
• Make Ah in mm. 29-34 very warm and rich. SI, AI, TI, make your words legato and warm.
• Lower parts watch and listen for soprano pick-ups in mm. 42 and 44. 

If Music Be the Food of Love

• Sing with tone that matches the lightness and purity of an oo vowel. Keep all vowels sounding like that. 
• Practice the diction on both verses. 

When You Wish Upon a Star

• Altos your last pitch in m. 8 is a D-natural. Tenors, yours is a B-flat.
• Basses, your C-flat and B-natural in mm. 23-24 are the same pitch, spelled differently.
• Begin memorizing this as you learn it. It will be sung with a degree of rubato.

For TUESDAY, February 21

Hold On! (I will have music for everyone)

Five Hebrew Love Songs

Song For Justice

Can We Sing the Darkness to Light