NOTES for Week of September 15, 2024

Friends,

As of this last week, we have completed a cursory rehearsal of each piece. Now we need to dig in deeply getting into the notes and rhythms into our heads, into our bodies, and into our voices, while rehearsing with increasing musicality and expressiveness.  

• Practice with attention to pitch/rhtymic accuracy, intonation, and tone - ALWAYS.
• Be bold in your approach to dynamic shading and expressiveness. Remember slurs. 
• Begin working on memorization. Here's a list:

1. My King is Comin' Soon
2. Ain't That-a Rockin'
3. Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
4. I'll Be Home for Christmas
5. Fum, Fum, Fum
6. Il est ne

This endris night

• Women mark in crescendos in mm. 5, 7, 9, and 11, and diminuendos in 6, 8, 10, end of 11/12. Also, stagger breathing until m. 8.
• Altos, take a luftpause in m. 14. NB in m. 18.
• All, breathe only in the rests on pp. 4-5.
• Use oh in mm. 53-64.
• Please note and mark your variations in rhythms in the various verses. 

My King Is Comin' Soon

• All, please practice all dynamic shifts on the oo-ing, especially the fp's in m. 3-5. Basically swell to a forte on downbeat, then instantly sing sub.p and begin to cresendo again.
• Keep energy in the sustained oo's.
• Remember to mark where words close to n's, m's, and ng's. When they don't, extend the vowel.
• Remember to not swell on the glissando in the penultimate measure so you can swell on the final chord.

Es ist ein' Ros' entsprungen

• Keep the n's, ah's, and m's seamless.
• Those singing the German, make the tone on the vowels gentle, but warm and rich.
• Sing this song dolce throughout.

Festival Gloria

• Crisply enunciate the Gl- of Gloria and then crescendo on the sustained -ah. 
• Tenors, cresendo from Gloria to in excelsis in mm. 13-14, 17-18, and 27-28. Sopranos do the same thing in mm. 25-26 and 29-30.
• Altos and Basses really observe the dynamics on et in terra pax.
• Men, sing with rich, warm sound at Lento mm. 75+. Women also mm. 79+
• All write in "Big Breath" at m. 95.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2024

Let Your Heart Speak Music

Magnificat

Let My Love Be Heard

Ain't That-a Rockin'

Fum, Fum, Fum

Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

KNOW YOUR NOTES and RHYTHMS!