NOTES for Week of September 28, 2025

Dear Friends,

We're moving along in rehearsals. Keep up on your weekly practice on materials we've covered. Also keep moving toward memorization. 

Vivaldi Gloria - We've spent some time on the Gloria, Et in Terra Pax, and Gratias Agimus Tibi. Review your parts on those three movements. Also, some general considerations are:

• Your Latin pronunciation needs to be italianate ALWAYS - rolled (or flipped) r's: dentalized d's, n's, t's, and l's; and in is pronounced "een"
• Work on proper syllabic stress, for example Glo' - ri - a, in - ex - cel' - sis and De' - o. In both examples, the last syllable should be decidedly softer, particularly when given equal note values.

Et in Terra Pax

• Group the descending Et in terra pax motifs in syllabic couplets (two 16th-notes per syllable).
• Really work on energizing descending chromatic phrases to avoid flatting.
• Because of the Largo tempo, make sure to energize the 1/4 and 1/2 notes.
• There are no written dynamic marks but listen to the harmonic progressions to guide you.

Angels We Have Heard

• When practicing, become aware of the subdivided beat whether in 12/8 (triplets) or 4/4 (duple).
• Textually emphasize the verbs in most cases, regardless of dynamics: m.14 heard, m.17 singing, m.22 in reply, m.25 echoing (not echo back), m.35 why this, m.37 why, m.38 why, m.42 tidings be, m.43 inspire, mm.65-66 Come & see, m.67-68 Him, birth, sing, m.71 Come, adore (articulate the two words-don't run them together), m.111-112 See Him, laid, m.118 lend.

Frostbound

• Despite the slow tempo, sing through the phrases with a sense of flow and energy. 
• Tenors make sure to sing the opening descending pitches definitively but without accent. With Altos arrive on the first pitch without scooping.
• Words to be emphasized: m.1 seems dead, m.3 no throb, give, m.5 When your cold heart, m.8 live, m.11-12 strong and red, m.13 look, m.15 see & make, m.16-17 take life & rise, m.26 sleeping, m. 32-33 turn away, m.38 meets, m.42 ends, m.45-46 breaking from, m. 48-49 run free, m.52 stretch, m. 55-57 cling.

30-Second Merry Christmas

• Sing the 1/8th-notes of the Merry's with a light detachment and make the 1/4-notes more legato.
• Memorize dynamics.

For Tuesday, SEPTEMBER 30, 2025

CHOIR III will meet at 6:30 to work on Jubilate Deo

All others meet at 7:00 pm.

Nutcracker Medley

The Angel's Message - review your words

Gloria (movements #6 and #8)

O Come, O Come Emmanuel

Iesou ahatonnia' - review your words

NOTES for Week of September 21, 2025

Dear friends,

Here are the highlights for your focus this week.

Jubilate Deo

• CHOIR II had a good rehearsal and we got notes and rhythms with the words all the way to the end. Please review that this week to keep it fresh in your mind.
• CHOIR I will meet this week at 6:30. Please review your notes and rhythms to the end of the piece in preparation.

The Angel's Message

• This is coming, but many of you are struggling with the words. Verse by verse:

1. Practice reciting the words in rhythm. Start slowly and work up your speed. 
2. Do the same with the notes on a neutral syllable.
3. Put both together and practice at a slower speed until you can speed up to the tempo.

Season of Light

• Continue your practice incorporating the dynamics. It makes such a difference when you sing expressively.
• Make sure your diction is clear - you're storytelling.

Gloria - 1st Movement (Gloria)

• We are making cuts in this. Cut mm. 38-56, 64-74, 98-104, 113-121 (Altos will not sing in m. 112).
• Review your pitches, rhythms, and words 
• Sing with clean, Italianate Latin (accurate vowels, dentalized consonents, and rolled r's)

Gloria - 4th Movement (Gratias Agimus Tibi)

• Review your pitches, rhythms, and words

Gloria - 11th Movement (Cum Sancto Spiritu)

• We did a cursory run through of this. Much of this is similar to the "familiar" Gloria.

Nutcracker Medley (Trepak p. 9)

• Anna and Dan will sing the melody as noted before (top line in mm. 37-52, 77-87)
• Basses will omit low E-flats and D's in mm. 69-76
• Larry will sing the upper G in mm. 97-103.

For TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2025

CHOIR I will meet at 6:30 to go through Jubilate Deo. Review your parts to the end.
All others will meet at 7:00

• Gloria (movements 1 and 2)
• Frostbound
• Angels We Have Heard on High
• O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
• 30-Second Merry Christmas

NOTES for Week of September 14, 2025

Dear Friends,

My apologies for the delay in getting these notes to you. This has been an intense week.  A couple of things. 

1. The Vivaldi scores have arrived so I will be passing them out on Tuesday evening. Give the performance recording a listen so that you have a concept of the work. There are several solos and duets, but listen particularly to the choruses. 
2. Tickets are on sale, so let your family and friends know.
3. We're having an unusally high level of absenteeism this semester, both planned and last minute. Please make sure you are staying up to date with the music we're working on if you miss rehearsals. 
4. There's been some expressed apprehension about Jubilate Deo and whether or not it's too complicated for us right now. It is complex, but not undoable. It will take some measured attention. You MUST learn your part independently - drill with the recordings that I spent hours making. I will be working with each choir individually at the beginning of each rehearsal for the next three weeks. If you're not in the scheduled choir, please arrive at 7:00 pm. The schedule is as follows:

• September 16 - Choir II - 6:30
• September 23 - Choir I - 6:30
• September 30 - Choir III - 6:30

Witness and Sing Gently

• If these pieces are new to you, please spend time learning them independently. We will review them periodically until Nov. 16th, but won't be able to spend much time learning notes.

Iesous ahatonnia'

• Review your parts on this and drill the pronunciation of the Wendat words. It might help to write the phonetic pronunciation in your scores so you become familiar when you see the word. Because the music is not complicated, I don't want to be tripping over the foreign pronunciations.

Nutcracker Medley

• Review your parts on this up to page. 8.
• Bass please make sure all your 16th-notes and moving lines are accurate and in tune.
• Highlight and obverse all expression marks (tempo, dynamic, and articulation)

African Noel

• Keep working on parts and try to memorize as you go. Memorization should accompany learning.
• Sing the Sing we all Noel lines - ex. mm. 15-26 more detached.

FOR TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16th, 2025 - CHOIR II Arrive at 6:30 pm. All others at 7:00 pm

Jubilate Deo

• Choir II arrive by 6:30, and be warmed up. Don't be late! Work on your parts for the whole piece this week.
• All others work your parts independently at home.

Season of Light

Nutcracker Medley

• I would like Anna and Dan to sing the solo line in mm. 37-52, and 77-88. 
• Melody, if you can carry the D6 in mm. 84-88, and top pitch mm. 97-to end, please do. Omit the G6.
• Work on last section.

Vivaldi

The Angel's Message

NOTES for Week of September 7, 2025

Friends,

Make sure to pull out your copies of (or print) Witness and Sing Gently. I would like to run through them for those of you who haven't sung them and review for those who have.

The Angel's Message

• Work slowly and accurately on the notes, rhythms, and Latin text until confident, then increase the tempo. Precision is paramount.

Nutcracker Medley

• Review the first section (up to measure 20) and note all articulation marks (staccato, tenuto, etc.)
• Make sure that 1/8 notes in T/B go to the rest, not detached.

Frostbound

• Sing phrases observing a certain rubato to express the poetry.
• A/T/B be gently precise on pitch changes in beginning oo-ing section so Sopranos can play off your beats.

Jubilate Deo

• Please work independently on your notes and rhythms. We can't rehearse each voice part in rehearsals. It takes to much rehearsal time. 
• Work slowly with Latin until confident and then gradually speed up.

FOR TUESDAY, September 9, 2025

Iesous ahatonia'

Nutcracker Medly (up to page 8)

Jubilate Deo (up to page 13, measure 52)

African Noel

Witness

Sing Gently