NOTES for Week of October 27, 2024

Dear Friends,

The good news is, Mont La Salle is sold out (has been for a couple of weeks) and we can probably anticipate a good audience at the Methodist Church. The bad news is, this coming Tuesday, the 29th will be the last rehearsal when all of you are scheduled to be there until our Dress Rehearsal. That is problematic for a number of reasons. It means that we will have difficulty really achieving the necessary blend and balance that makes an ensemble extraordinary.

To that end, work on the following:

1. Vowel uniformity. Some of you are not carefully listening as you should to the way you're singing/pronouncing your vowels and matching your resultant pitches. This is particularly true of the men. Tone and Pitch vary as the vowels vary, so when I tell you how to pronounce the vowels or adjust the tone, it's not a suggestion.
2. Blend. This includes what I said above, but it also includes a sense of matching the general quality and intensity of the singers around you (particularly in your section). If I tell you to ease up, it means you're sticking out and singing too loudly. In a few cases, there are voices who I'm aware are holding back. If I ask you to sing out, it's because I feel you can give more to fill out the sound in your section. 
3. Balance. This applies to the section as well as the group as a whole. Some of you are charging through the music consistently at mf seemingly unaware that you and/or your section are singing "back-up." Move from accuracy of pitches and rhythms to accuracy of expression. Every note you sing must be expressive, even if very light and supportive of another section's melody.
4. Memorization. The reason this is necessary is that you sing more expressively when you have memorized the music. NOTE: Many groups memorize all their repertoire. I want it to feel second nature, not something you're doing in panic mode. That means that you have to put in individual practice time. Practice with the recordings, so you can hear your part in context. Here are the pieces that we will be singing memorized. 

• Ain't That-a Rockin' (concert closer)
• My King is Comin' Soon
• Shalom! (I substitued this for Fum, Fum, Fum)
• Il est ne
• Let it Snow
• I'll Be Home for Christmas

BOOT CAMP: Saturday, November 2, 2024 from 9:30 am to 2:00 pm. 

Rancho de Calistoga Club House, 2412 Foothill Boulevard, Calistoga

NOTE: Sorry about the bait and switch, but please bring a sack lunch. 

Ain't That-a Rockin'

• Men: work on your blend and balance (and intonation) in the solo parts on pages 13-14. It needs to be flawless
• Anticipate your entrances in mm. 48-51. 
• Again, weary should never be accented (despite syncopation) or very loud.

This Endris Night

• Much better intonation.
• The faster tempo means that you have to work harder on the diction. Tell the story.
• Also make the dotted rhythms clean BUT smooth. 

My King is Comin' Soon

• Men please work out pitch/rhythm/dynamic accuracy of mm. 91-94
• Memorize and sing the crescendos into diminuendos that are pervasive 

Let My Love Be Heard

• The oo-ing must be steady and flowing with observable dynamic shifts. 
• Tenors work on your exposed melody in mm. 9-14. Make it gentle, warm, and blended.
• The name of the poem on which this is based in entitled Prayer. Sing as a fervent prayer.

Shalom!

• This needs to be tidied up. Crisper, articulated rhythms (staccato, flipped l's on la).
• Also, clean up the chords on the transitions, especially m. 59. They're not in tune and they sound really tentative. Know what note you arrive on and then where your next pitch is. NOTE: in m. 59, there is no fermata. It goes right on.
• Starting mm. 58+, don't over sing. Keep it neat and clear. Don't add to the cacophony by making it sloppy 

For TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2024

Brian Shaw, the piano accompanist will be at rehearsal. We will be singing through all the accompanied works. Make sure you really know them. This will be an opportunity to work on polishing them.

• Magnificat
• Festival Gloria
• O Little Town of Bethlehem
• While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks
• Let It Snow! (x3)
• I'll Be Home for Christmas

NOTES for Week of October 20, 2024

Dear Friends,

We've been having some good, productive rehearsals. Keep up the work learning your parts so that our times together can be focused on blend, balance, and musical expressiveness. 

SINGING TECHNIQUE: Continuing my discussion on tone production. I want you to try a technique this week in your warm-ups and practice. Using a straw, practicing humming scales as well as your parts while holding it with your lips. This is particularly helpful as you transition between registers or sing in higher voice. If done properly, it helps equalize the pressure in your /throat and larynx and relaxs the phonation process in your throat. This can even be done while humming in the car. As our voices become more mature, the vocal folds start thinning and don't function at their peak level. Using a straw focuses on better adduction of the vocal folds and better equalization of pressure on them. 

MARKETING: Please help distribute the posters for the concert. You might take a silver Sharpie and neatly write Sold Out over the Sunday date. Also, jotting a personal note and mailing the cards the cards to friends will help fill up and hopefully sell out the Friday evening performance.

Magnificat

• Focus your attention on the correct pitches and intervals so the clusters are clean and accurate.
• Also, remember to sing with a full, resonant, but not forced tone. It should be exciting, but not strident in sound. 
• Work on dynamic contrasts and expressiveness.

Let Your Heart Speak Music

• The harmonies are coming and you are beginning to sing phrases with expression. 
• Note in mm. 15-28 and 34-41, there are dramatic dynamic changes both louder and softer. Please observe with care.
• SING THE WORDS.

Shalom!

• Men continue to work through the sections in mm. 30-41. They need to be strong, independent, and unified.
• Basses tune up the Shalom's.
• Finish memorizing pp. 3-8.
• Sopranos we have agreed that the F-flat in m. 41 will be altered to F-natural.

Es ist ein' Ros' entsprungen

• Keep in mind that this has a slow, sustained waltz feel in 3/4 time. It will make it easier to feel the rhythm.  
• Whenever singing the lyrics, make sure you blend the harmonies with the other sections. They sound a bit disjointed.

Fum, Fum, Fum

• Make sure to recognize and sing the various articulations based on the notation in the fum, fum, fum responses: a) if 1/4 notes (ex. mm. 11-12), make them full value stretching the vowel; b) if 1/8th notes follow by an 1/8 rest (ex. mm. 46-47 woman) make very detached; c) if articulating the parts in mm. 47-48 and following men, make them slightly detached.
• Overall, the piece should have a light, stylized, dancelike, detachment feel throughout.

Caritas

• Make sure to sing each phrase with a gentle pressure (see above about using a straw) observing the dynamic shifts.
• Sing Cah' - ree - tah-s. NO American r's - ever.

Ain't That-a Rockin'

• Keep the syncopated words accurate (no rushing or delaying) WATCH ME!
• Weary should always be light with a slight stretch - tenuto, not accented.
• Back-up sections STB, cut off precisely on beat 4 in mm. 11, 21. Count, you may not be cued.
• Carry the vowel and sing the n of lan' in m. 30 to the downbeat of m. 31 and then quickly breathe to begin the next phrase in syncopation.

For TUESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2024

• Brian Shaw, the piano accompanist will be at rehearsal. We will be singing through all the accompanied works. Make sure you really know them. This will be an opportunity to work on polishing them.

Magnificat

Festival Gloira

O Little Town of Bethlehem

While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks

also

Let It Snow! (x3)

I'll Be Home for Christmas

NOTES for Week of October 13, 2024

Dear Friends,

Finally, the fall weather has arrived and we are almost to the half-way point in our rehearsal for our holiday concerts. We have sold out Mont La Salle already (it's getting earlier and earlier) and Friday night ticket sales are picking up. It's all exciting news.

A few reminders:

1. There seem to be quite a few absences that are not being recorded on the calendar. Please, even if it's a last minute (that day) illness or conflict, enter it on the calendar (along with letting Joanna know) so that I know how to plan rehearsal. There's no point in working diligently on a blend and balance within a section if one or two members of that section are missing.
2. Continue to work on the memorization. This is best started early.
3. Continue to get the word out for our Friday night concert. We'd love to have a full house like last year.
4. These notes are going to be more specific. Please mark and rehearse accordingly.

Festival Gloria

• Really work on rich full tone and intonation on the opening and closing sections so those crunchy chords don't sound harsh, but rich and powerful. Pronounce all Latin with very italianate style.
• Start the first chord on f and swell slightly over the two measures. Start the second chord again on f and swell. Always go somewhere on sustained pitches.
• The same goes true on sections like mm. 13-14, 25-26, etc.
• Tenors clean up rhythm with words in mm. 22-25.
• Put in a slight diminuendo in m. 67.
• Rich, warm tone in Lento section starting at m. 75 for all voices.
• Follow dynamics in mm. 81-83 so that the key change in m. 84 is powerful.
• Take a deep, low breath in m. 95 so that you have enough to systain the rit. and fermata without losing power.

Let My Love Be Heard

• I'm not hearing much dynamic shifting in the opening measures. Respond to the crescendos and diminuendos.
• Tenors, work on the melody starting in m. 9 to make it accurate, gentle, and sustained. Support the tone so the voice doesn't falter or crack.
• There are a lot of triplets scattered through various voices. Please don't be hesitant. Don't rush them, but keep them moving.
• Women, keep the triplets starting in mm. 31 fluid and gentle. Listen to the other sections and pass the movement back and forth.
• Men, again, I didn't hear much dynamic shifting on your part in mm. 32-45 until we got to the end.
• This piece is quite slow in tempo, but it should have a sense of steady movement and flow. Not plodding.

This Endris Night

• We're really struggling to keep this in tune. When practicing, always check a reference pitch of D at major cadences. Also, watch that whenever you have D, B, and either C or C#, that they're in tune.
• We will take it at a slight brisker tempo. Practice faster, but really make sure to enunciate the words. 
• The song, though lyrical, should have an energy about it. It should never feel languid.
• 16th-note and dotted rhythms should be crisp and accurate. 

My King Is Comin' Soon

• Again, make sure that the dynamics in the opening section are realized without need for a lot of conducting. Observe dynamics in the repeated sections like mm. 17-18, 25-26, 39-42, 59-60, 73-76, etc. Don't hestate to exaggerate. I'll let you know if it's too much.
• Altos sing your lines in mm. 43-46 legato. Tenors, make your melody light, but clear. Sopranos and Basses make your rhythms crisp and detached.
• HIGHLIGHT the subito piano at m. 68. 
• Everyone, work through you notes and rhythms in 83-100. This is still halting.

While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks

• Again, observe the dynamics as indicated. The oo-ing section at the beginning sounds dull and doesn't move. 
• Get to the point where this can be sung with freedom and movement. It sounds stilted. I want it to have a sense of rubato.
• Remember, your ultimate knowledge of a song will allow you to watch the conductor 95% of the time.

O Little Town of Bethlehem

• On this and other songs, please be mindful of cut-offs. They must be precise. Make sure to count rather than simply rely on the conductor's gesture.
• Highlight and observe dynamics.
• There will be a significant slow down and pause in mm. 61-63

FOR TUESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2024

Let Your Heart Speak Music

Fum, Fum, Fum

Est Ist Ein' Ros' Entsprungen

Ain't That-A Rockin'

Caritas

Shalom!

Magnificat

NOTES for Week of October 6, 2024

Dear friends,

In the next few weeks, I want to really begin pulling things together musically. Please look closely at your specific challenges with pitches and rhythms, and work those sections. If there is a need for extra attention on my part let me know.

Shalom!

• Make sure to keep the rhythmic back up sections crisp and exact. If you have the melody, sing it out. Keep the syncopated la's very detached.
• Bring out your snippets of melody in the last section, and if you don't have melody, tone down.

 Caritas

• We will continue to sing this in tight C-position in sections so you get used to working as a section on tone and dynamics.
• Men (especially Tenors), be extra careful with intonation, especially in mm. 14-16, and 33-35.

Magnificat

• Review any pitches (and rhythms) that you don't know and begin practicing it with the recording of the performance so that you hear your part in context.
• Work on singing expressively - toward words or syllables that should be weighted.

Let Your Heart Speak Music

• Work through transitions in mm. 15-16, 20-21, 25-26.
• Watch cut-offs in mm. 38 to end.

Ain't That-Rockin'

• Be very precise with syncopations (make your beats into the score).
• Also, make sure you observe the variety of articulations: accents >, strong accents ^, and 
• tenutos -.
• Basses, work for accuracy and articulation in you solo in mm. 74-82. It doesn't have to be loud.  When tenors come in, you can beef it up a bit.
• Sffz at the end is done by hitting the consonant (l), then the vowel is pp followed by crescendo.

I'll Be Home for Christmas

• Ease into cadences. Listen for comfortable dissonance.
• Memorize.

Es ist ein' Ros' entsprungen

• Sing using words or humming sections.
• Make the background singing seamless and effortless sounding.

FOR TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2024

This Endris Night (we will do this in section of men and women)

Festival Gloria

While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks

My King is Comin' Soon

Let My Love Be Heard

O Little Town of Bethlehem