Next Rehearsal (11/22/2010

Thanks to all for a productive rehearsal last night. And welcome to our two, new board members!

Next week we will sing everything on the program. We will be in our modified quartet bunches for the entire rehearsal.

In the Bach, we will concentrate on improving rhythmic accuracy and ensemble in Ehre sei Gott. We will sing using the text unaccompanied in quartets and experiment with various tempos. In the three chorales we will refine pronunciation and work on being rhythmically responsive to phrase shaping by the conductor.

Handel:
Glory to God (quick review)
His Yoke ("duet" chorus - melismas)
O Thou (quick review)
For Unto Us ("duet" chorus - melismas)
And He Shall Purify ("duet" chorus - melismas)
And the Glory (quick review)
Hallelujah (quick review)

If you have missed a rehearsal, or are new to the chorus, please make sure you have my markings in your score.

When a majority of the singers has worked on the music between rehearsals it really shows (and makes the rehearsal more productive and more fun. I work on my music every day (not just to prepare to conduct rehearsals, but to practice SINGING for the performances in December). DO YOU?

More German Pronunciation help

Here is a link to a pdf document with a guide to the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) for German, and IPA transcriptions for the Bach Weihnachtsoratorium. (I disagree with the "vanishing vowel" chosen for the diphthongs - as explained in rehearsal...)

And here is a link to downloadable audio file (zipped) of the spoken German text. This is all six cantatas, so you'll have to go to Cantata No. 2 and select our four choruses.

If you just want to stream the files from the web, this link should soon (it's under construction) make the possible for you.

If you practice, you will improve - guaranteed!

Tonight's Rehearsal

We will continue to woodshed Ehre sei Gott and will add text for the remaining Bach chorales.

In Messiah we will focus on the more difficult "duet" choruses: And He shall Purify, For unto us, and His Yoke. But we need to start making time to sing through the other choruses each week, too.

We will sit in sections for the first half, and then stand in quartetish groups after break.

If you practice, you will improve --- guaranteed!

German Pronunciation Guides

Pronunciation mp3s are up on the website.

Click above (or go to www.symphonychorus.org: click on Singers, then on Practice Files) The pronunciation guides are NOT listed in the navigation frame on the left - you need to click on Practice Files to get to them.

As I said in rehearsal, I think my trilled "RRRs" are a bit overdone. Just avoid the American "R" (sometimes in sung German we can substitute "uh" for "R" - just like in elegantly sung English)

Good advice!

From Presentation Zen (a blog I follow):

You can learn a lot from a child...

RACHEL'S CHRISTMAS CONCERT

A couple of weeks ago I asked how many in the chorus might be interested in participating in LPO harpist Rachel Van Voorhees' annual Christmas Concert at St. Louis Cathedral. (Several SCNO members who had participated in the past offered hearty endorsements. The response was large and enthusiastic, so here is what you need to know:

You should attend one (or both) of the following music-learning rehearsals:
7:00 - 8:00 PM on Monday, November 29
and/or
8:00 - 9:00 PM on Wednesday, December 1

The mandatory "Dress" Rehearsal is
10:00 AM to 12:00 PM (noon) on Saturday, December 4

All the above rehearsals will take place at St. Paul Episcopal Church.

The concert is at 6:00 PM on Sunday, December 5 at St. Louis Cathedral.

MUSIC WILL BE PROVIDED (I will be asking for a commitment from singers at Tuesday night rehearsal, so Rachel can prepare the appropriate number of folders). I'll bring a copy to tomorrow's rehearsal if you want to see the repertoire before deciding - it's nice stuff, though...

This should be a fun opportunity to sing some appealing Christmas music with harp. I hope you can participate!

Vocal Solos in Jenkins The Armed Man (March 27)

I will be auditioning to fill the following solos from the chorus:

VOCAL SOLOS Karl Jenkins The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace

1. The Armed Man: SATB tutti

2. Call to Prayer: [muezzin]

3. Kyrie: [S solo (optional - boy?)]

4. Save Me from Bloody Men: TB tutti

5. Sanctus: SATB tutti

6. Hymn before Action: SATB tutti

7. Charge!: SATB tutti

8. Angry Flames: SATB tutti; SATB solos

9. Torches: SATB tutti

10. Agnus Dei: SATB tutti

11. Now the Guns have Stopped: S or A solo (b-c2)

12. Benedictus: SATB tutti (cello solo)

13. Better is Peace: SATB tutti; "Lancelot" T or B solo, "Guinevere" S or A solo, L'homme armé SATB solos

Handel, upon being complimented on his Messiah:

I should be sorry if I only entertained them, I wish to make them better.

A cappella Lady Gaga!

These kids are good!

Tomorrow is election day...

1) Please vote

2) Please come to rehearsal (and stay for the entire rehearsal)

3) Watch the election returns once you get home (watching starting at 8 PM will not change the results)