Hello Everyone,
I have missed us (again) this week! I hope that you all are as well as can be in these challenging times.
Hooray for our slate of newly elected board members – Kay, Marsha, Brenda, and Jasmine I know that we will all benefit greatly from their leadership and dedication and that we are all looking forward to everything that they will offer WVC. Yay us!
I recorded this 3-part canon for us: Good Night to You All. The challenge is to sing it 3 times, trying a different entrance each time. It’s in E-Major, and in 3/4 (with a quarter note pickup) – you will find it on page 3. Here is a recording to learn the melody:
The text is:
Good night to you all and sweet be your sleep.
May angels around you, their silent watch keep.
Good night, good night, good night, good night.
I thought you might like the Alleluia canon that I recorded for my church choir (it’s after Easter now so we can sing Alleluias again!). It is in C-Major and 2/2 – you will find it on page 14 (sorry I got a bit faster as I repeated!). Here is a recording to learn the melody.
The text is:
Alleluia
Here is a preview of our January angel repertoire. I am counting on Jasmine to help with the pronunciation for those of us who aren’t fluent in Russian . Thanks in advance, Jasmine!
The Angel – Sergei Rachmaninoff/Mikhail Lermontov,
trans. Mark Herman and Ronnie Apter
No. 6 from Six Choruses for Treble Voices, Op. 15
(We will sing in Russian – below is the English translation)
The heavenly song of an angel in flight
was quietly filling the night.
The clouds and the moon and the stars in a throng
were listening as he sang the song.
He sang of the sinless spirits in bliss
in gardens of paradise.
He sang of the greatness of God,
and his guileless praises pervaded the sky.
The angel embraced a young soul in his arms
to set in this harsh vale of tears.
The sound of the song lingered on in the soul,
remaining alive through the years.
Confined to the face of the wearisome world,
The soul ached with wondrous desire;
The sounds of the earth could never replace
a song of the heavenly choir.
I made a very quick and very rough recording of this one…
Alarcòn Madrigals, Book 3 – Roger Bourland/Francisco X. Alarcón
No. 5 Guardian Angel (From the collection “Angels Ride Bikes”)
When I felt so sad and all alone
Wanting to cry in the classroom
The girl sitting next to me
Suddenly held my hand
And with the darkest and most tender
eyes
I’ve ever seen
Told me without a word
“Don’t worry, you are not alone.”
I will continue to send weekly emails but please know that I think of us everyday.
Wishing peace and good health to all of my sisters in song,
Laura