Audio Links for SOUL stuff

We’ve already posted a link to River of Love at www.symphonychorus.org go to Singers and Practice, etc. scroll down til you find it.

Here is a link to the Caldwell & Ivory concert opener:
http://www.caldwellandivory.com/music/index.php?page=works

Here is a partial performance of Ah! Si mon Moine voulait dansait:
http://www.earthsongschoralmusic.com/catitem.php?seqnum=100300

Here is Bonse Aba:
http://www.jwpepper.com/10089711.item

Here is Juego:
http://www.jwpepper.com/10048861.item

There are probably performances on YouTube, too. Feel free to post additional links as you find them!

GOOGLE CALENDAR UPDATED!

Please note that the Google Calendar embedded in this blog now includes our rehearsals and performances for the second half of the season (January through June). Be sure to click on the events for location and descriptive information.
Items where all details are not certain are described in the notes, too.
I'll try to add board meetings, etc. as soon as possible.
This calendar is, of course, subject to change. Watch this blog, check your email, and be responsible for information announced at rehearsal.

Singers of United Lands (SOUL) Repertoire - so far...

Here is what we will be singing on February 25 (there may be some additions along the way...)

Multicultural (Israeli, Native American, Negro Spiritual): Many Faces, One Song SATB/SSA/piano/narration (Caldwell & Ivory)
Many Faces, One Song fuses elements from different cultures to point singers and audiences toward a path of peaceful co-existence.
Shalom Chaverim is a well-known Hebrew song of peace.
E-hung-a is a peace chant from the Ojibwa nation. Often referred to as Chippewas in the United States, the Ojibwa represent one of the largest native cultures in North America. Originally, they occupied the northern Midwest in the United States (Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan) and Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan in southern Canada. We have not found a literal translation of the text, only vague information claiming that the song was used during peace ceremonies.
Children, Don’t Get Weary is often sung in various choral arrangements under the title Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burning. We have chosen to retain the form and title traditionally used on the sea islands located off the coast of South Carolina and Georgia.

French Canadian: Ah si mon moine voulait danser SSA/piano/spoons? (Donald Patriquin)
Lively and fun folk song.

Zambian: Bonse Aba SAB/perc (Victor C. Johnson)
Sizzling with celebratory rhythmic energy, this African folksong loosely translates: "Those who sing have the right to be called the children of God." The only accompanying instruments are hand drum (treble drum), djembe (bass drum), and shaker, which add authentic flavor and opportunities for improvisation. The vocal parts are easily learned due their repetition and call-and-response style. Highly recommended!

Colombian: Juego a Que me Quemo SATB/guitar? perc? (Julian Gomez Giraldo)
Based on a Colombian folksong, this irresistible setting is full of rhythm and playful humor! A spark, a flame, let's see if I get burned. A spark, a flame, I am burned already." In Spanish, with notes and English translation.
Australian: River of Love SATB/piano (Kate Sadler)
Original piece by a teacher of SOUL singer Patrick

American: Down by the Riverside SATB/audience/piano (John Rutter)

Do What Was Rehearsed (DWWR)

Here are some musings on each of the Messiah choruses. This is some (but not all) of what we have worked on.

This is based on my experiences with Robert Page and some of his disciples who have guest conducted us. It works well with a large chorus. I might do things differently with a chamber chorus capable of more nuance.
I don't know what Prieto will want - except for engaged singing and eyes out of the music!

AND THE GLORY
m. 13 and passim: I ask the altos to sing three quarter notes as written to match the orchestra (not two eighths and two quarters). Handel set these words as if they were in Italian, and that sounds fine in English, too
m. 17 and passim: "shall" we want the vowel on the beat, so the "sh" needs to start earlier than expected. sing the double "l" at the end of the word as late as possible.
And all flesh_shall see it_together: just one "sh" and one "t" (really, two - one stopped and the other plosive)
m. 124 Bass sing a dotted half (cutoff on next downbeat) like alto and tenor

AND HE SHALL PURIFY
passim: breathe through the nose one and a half beats (not just an eighth note) before entrance. (Conductor will not help with this...)
passim: be sure "and" ends with voiced "d' not unvoiced "t"
passim: "PU-RI-FY" first syllable ends with a pure [u] (no "r') second syllable begins with a one-tap "R"
m. 22: no breath; m 24 breath after downbeat (first beat is eighth note and eighth rest) (also m. 52 and 55)

O THOU
passim: O Thou: minimize diphthong O and no triphthong in thou
passim: JERUSALM first syllable ends in vowel eh (maybe even closer to closed [e]) second syllable begins with one-tap "R"
m. 124 breath on fifth eighth note
m. 128 breath on fifth eighth note (conductor might change this - I don't know his preference)
m. 132 Lord off on the 4th eighth note.
m. 133 STB hold dotted half full value (don't cresc.) altos breathe on fifth eighth
m. 138 breathe on the and of the fifth eighth (hand off melody to first violins) - or conductor may ask for cutoff on following downbeat?

FOR UNTO US
passim: "FOR" no "R" "Unto" starts with light glottal' glottal separation between unto and us
passim: Guh-vuh-ment (no "r" or "n" before m)
m. 32 no breath or dimin. after "name" sing through it! (et passim)
m. 37 be ready to bring staccato dashes into choral parts from orchestra: Prince of Peace
m. 41, 42 S/B more legato???
m. 62 and 64 change text underlay: be u-pon his shoul------(starts on third beat) -der on beat two of next measure. Note two sixteenth - eighth rhythm on beat three
m 74 men no breath
m. 81 altos hold last quarter full value, cut off on next downbeat; m. 82 sopranos change first quarter to eighth and eighth rest

GLORY TO GOD
passim: and peace on earth non vibr.
good-will: separate the syllables. The "D" at the end of good is a voiced consonant with the pitch of the preceding note
m. 20 tenors phrase with altos on the "and" of 4

HIS YOLK IS OVER EASY
m. 3 et passim Don't insert a rest. Sing the rhythms Handel wrote.
m. 35 altos change text underlay to "is light" to match sopranos
m. 38 A/T change first quarter to eigth and eighth rest (off on second beat with basses)
m. 44 off on "TWO" (S change dotted quarter to quarter and 8th rest, ATB change first quarter to 8th and 8th rest)

HALLELUJAH
passim: let's hear that "H"
m.5: tenors second note is D
passim: reigneth starts with trilled "R"
m. 23-24 Tenor and 26-27 Alto: m. 23 last quarter text is "HA: m. 24 first quarter text is "LE" (erase the tie)
m. 31 tenors change the dot to an 8th rest (with the basses)
m. 39 no breath; m. 40 change dot to 8th rest; m. 41 all off on TWO (SAT change half to quarter and quarter rest; B change dot to 8th rest)
m. 51 everybody phrase together with the altos on the second half ot TWO
m. 54 S/A off together on downbeat
m. 57 split the difference: off on TWO (S add quarter, A take one away)
m. 60 sopranos no breath (stagger if necessary) float!
m. 63 sopranos off on TWO
m. 66 sopranos no breath (stagger is necessary) float!
m. 67 no breath
m. 68 off on TWO (SAT change hald to quarter and quarter rest, B change dot to 8th rest)
m. 74 everybody phrase together with basses: off on second half of TWO

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!