NOTES for the Week of February 2, 2025

Friends,

Again, I want to compliment you and thank you for your improved musicality. Please keep it up! It makes a tremendous difference. Look for every opportunity to sing musically and expressively, even when you're learning pitches and rhythms.

Now is the Month of Maying

• Sing the fa-la-la's lightly and detached so they don't sound muddy, particularly mm. 28-32.
• Work through second verse lyrics.

Set Me As a Seal

• Insert luftpauses in mm. 3, 12, 29.
• Use punctuation to mark additional luftpauses for sections, such as Tenors in m. 31 and 34.
• Women, sing legato in m. 18 but don't slide up the progression.

Time

• Sing the tenutos (-) as stretched notes, not as accented ones.
• It is helpful to write in the beats in measures with added rests.
• Don't overly concern yourselves with the bended pitches in the tick-tock sections

Sing Gently

• Practice singing with elongated vowels
• Though slow, keep sustained tones energized and in tune

Witness

• Basses make sure moving lines are clean and acurate. Ex. mm. 17-24, 27-29, 65-68.
• Make sure of pitches (intonation) on all for my Lord cadences

For TUESDAY, Feb. 4, 2025

• Sacred Heart (Sections A-C)
• Inkosi Namandla (through m. 66) - don't wory about language
• All of Me (we'll work through this together)
• Time
• Witness
• Bring Me Little Water, Silvy

Here's the body percussion pattern. It is a two-measure pattern that repeats in the designated measures. At tempo, it goes quite fast! Practice it for a couple of minutes daily so it becomes automatic. It needs to be fully in your motor memory before we put it together with singing. NOTE: I have actually left off an additional foot stomp that occurs in the repeat (beat 2 of the repeating 1st measure) because I find it awkward and it might be too much stomping on risers.

 

NOTES for Week of January 19, 2025

Friends,

It was great to see most of you at our first rehearsal. We welcomed new tenor, James Ball, and look forward to welcoming new baritone, Ronnie Zanella soon. 

If you have not yet done so, those of you paying for your music via Venmo, please forward your payments to our Treasurer, Lisa Skinner @LisaSkinner16 (7901).

I talked about expectations for this next semester. I will be focusing on our singing with great knowledge and understanding of the music we perform. That means each member needs to be at the top of their game in terms of accuracy, intonation, and expressiveness. In the most sensitive way possible, I will be giving directions to specific people when necessary rather than making generalized comments towards sections. I feel this will be more productive in solving issues of blend, balance, intonation and group accuracy. Our success will be based on creating synergy as each person contributes to the greater success of the ensemble. 

This week I will be working on creating the remaining part recordings so Chuck can add them to the ones already available.

NOTES:

Sicut cervus

• If you don't have a copy, please download the pdf on the resources site. We will be singing up to the end of the 3rd system, second page (m. 58).
• Practice using doo until you can sing the line musically. Remember that sustained notes, strong syllables in text, upward movement, and moving pitches are energized (think crescendo).
• When moving to words - elongate the vowel and delay consonant to the next syllable.
• Use plenty of breath so tone is light and pure with minimal to no vibrato.
• Please write the English translation into your text. Sicut cervus desiderat ad fontes aquarum (Like as the hart desireth the water-brooks), ita desiderat anima mea ad te, Deus (so longeth my soul after thee, O God.) 

Witness

• Review the parts we did (up to p. 5 m. 36). 
• Practice the parts to the end.
• The t in witness should be neither emphasized nor diminished. Sing it like you'd say it.
• Highlight all expression markings (dynamics, changes from straight rhythm to swing, etc)
• Note the syncopation the phrase for my Lord. Lord comes ahead of the beat.
• Basses be diligent in accurately learning and singing the ascending and descending chromatic lines.

Set Me As a Seal

• Practice singing this gently with sustained pure vowels. Move consonants to next syllable, expecially l's, n's, m's, ng's and r's.
• Highlight all expression markings (dynamics, tempi, and breaths.)
• Number your measures.
• Work on the rest of the piece.
• Brittany, please move from Alto to SII in mm. 18-19, and back to Alto in mm. 21-22.

Now is the Month of Maying

• Practice slowly until confidently singing the syncopated rhythms on the fa-la-las. Sing them lightly and somewhat detached. Sing the verses in a slightly more legato fasion. 
• This needs to be memorized for performance.

For Tuesday, February 28:

Witness (parts to the end)

Set Me As a Seal (parts to the end)

Sicut Cervus

Now Is the Month of Maying

Time (at least to bottom of p. 7)

Sing Gently (look over)