Hello Everyone,
Than you for a wonderful rehearsal and fun social time! Welcome, again, to our new members, and welcome back to everyone else.
I did not realize that my rehearsal notes in purple (last week) did not translate well to our website so I am changing my rehearsal feedback to paragraph/bulleted form. Since you have the rehearsal plans now for the coming week (you didn’t have them last week because it was our first rehearsal) I won’t include them again, but you can refer to them as needed.
I am already looking forward to next week.
Cheers!
Laura
Rehearsal Notes for WVC Rehearsal 9-9-19
Quote:
“The only thing better than singing is more singing.” – Ella Fitzgerald
General Feedback
I am a firm believer in developing/strengthening our audiation skills – hearing your part in your head without humming or singing it aloud. I will include some audiation drills in our rehearsals so that if you don’t already know how to practice this on your own you will soon be able to do so. We do need to minimize part humming while rehearsing so that each section can clearly hear their pitch goal as we are working through the fundamentals of the music.
Rs and Ls – (pronunciation review)
- The American R at the end of a word or syllable positions our tongues such that the vowel will be negatively affected. Initial Rs or Rs between two vowels are either sung as an American R, flipped, or rolled, depending on the piece. When singing in English, the general rule is that Rs at the end of a syllable or word, or as part of an ending consonant blend such as RTH in “earth.” should be altered toward a relaxed “uh” and minimized.
- Ls at the end of a word or syllable can also be problematic as the sides of our tongues move to shape the L and negatively alter the vowel. Relax your tongue when you sing Ls.
- In my score, I mark a light diagonal line through all Rs and Ls that need to be altered/minimized and note which initial Rs should be flipped. I will help you with those during rehearsal.
Check the Practice Files on our website for your part assignment/divisi. We will also update the website so that we have the current part splits listed.
“Music from silence” – James Jordan.
I Sing That My Voice May Be Heard – Gwen McLeod Hall
We are off to a nice start on this piece. I quote Gwen, “All eighth notes are NOT created equal.” The use of rubato will give life and meaning to the text and music.
- I have attached the recording we made of mm. 1-17.
- I will either conduct the 6/8 in 2 (faster phrases) or subdivide in 6 (slower phrases). We will get used to one another as we continue to rehearse together and our communication will improve. I will do my best to be consistent with my conducting gestures once I am confident that we are fully expressing what we want to communicate.
- We will work on vowel unification overall and also need to address some consonant details – the D at the end of “heard” should like a D and not sound like a T. We will need more P at the beginning of “passion” and more K at the beginning of “courage.”
- Altos – great job with the crescendos in the first phrase on “sing” and “heard” but you can hear on the recording that the sound is a bit harsh. We will need to energize without pushing. If you increase the airflow slightly, you should end up with a gentle crescendo which will then give the phrase forward momentum and energy.
- Specifically, mm. 5-6, we need to gain confidence in the S1 and S2 entrances.
- We need to crescendo in mm. 10-11 so that as you repeat text we increase volume.
- M. 13 should crescendo to a forte.
My People Are Rising – Carol Barnett
Nice start on this challenging piece! Please take time to read the poem and the program notes (inside cover).
- With the recording, continue to familiarize yourself with the feel of 7/8 and how the text flows in this asymmetrical meter. Chant the text with the recording. Look for the eighth notes that are followed by a rest and put the ending consonants directly on the rest.
- Add the pitches only when you are comfortable/confident with chanting the rhythms.
- Especially chant through page 8 – we did not work on this page as intended.
- Altos, your first note in m. 51 is the same as the soprano note. It will be helpful to audiate with the sopranos in m. 50 so that you are with them in 51.
- Augmented 2nds (a whole step increased by one half step – 3 half steps) are one of the important aspects of this piece that give it its unique character. If you already can identify the augmented 2nds in your score, go ahead and circle them. If you aren’t sure, we will work through it during rehearsal so that you know that those intervals feel that they have more distance to travel.
The Peace of Wild Things – Sean Ivory
We were running short of time so did not read the poem together – please take a moment to read it for yourself (inside cover).
- m. 61 (with the pickup) to m. 63 does not have a choral breath until the rest in m. 63.
- mm. 64-66 does not have a choral breath until the rest in m. 67.
- mm. 68-71 put the final T of “light” on the quarter rest.
- mm. 72-73 note that the S1U are singing a D and the S2U are singing a C#. We need to be mindful of this minor 2nd (one half step).
- mm. 75-83 note in your score when your note is in unison with another part so that we can tune those unisons.
- mm. 77-88, emphasize the initial F of “for” and “free” – the F comes just ahead of the beat so that the vowel is on the beat. You should feel the F as friction between your top teeth and lower lip.
- As a general rule, anytime you are singing an ee vowel [ i ] as in the words “free” and “peace,” gently round your lips and make sure that you do not have any tension in the corners of your mouth. Sing with an inside smile, under your cheekbones, not a Broadway smile!
- mm. 88-91 notice that the S2 dynamics are different from the other voices to bring out the suspended G.
1941 – Andrea Ramsey
Deb’s accompaniment adds such dramatic intensity to this piece – yay, Deb!
- Listen to the recording to familiarize yourself with the tempo shifts.
- Andrea Ramsey (or her editor) are very specific about dynamic and articulation markings in the score so please note the crescendos and decrescendos, accents and tenutos.
A Path to Each Other – Jocelyn Hagen and Timothy Takach
I have attached a recording – you can hear that we have improved from last week!
- You almost have it memorized! Hooray! In m. 11 “we can build a path” (not a wall! 🙂
- In m. 3, every time we sang the descending 4th (D to A, “a” to “wall”) we overshot our mark and went flat. You can definitely hear the intonation challenges in our recording on many of the descending intervals. We will continue to work on tuning.
- We will work to unify our vowels on “each other.”
Looking Ahead:
Rehearsal Plans for WVC 9-16-19
The Tree of Peace – Gwyneth Walker
Pages 11-15, mm. 56-75
- Sing an F major scale (octave unison) and a d minor scale.
- Beginning with pages 12-15, mm. 64-7…
- S1U, S2U, A1U, A2U chant text in rhythm. Hold half notes full value in mm. 65, 68, dotted half m. 71. Text is written above the pitches. Stems go up.
- S1L, S2L, A2L, A2L chant text in rhythm. Hold half notes full value un mm. 67, 70, 73. Text is written below the pitches. Stems go down. Missing half rest for S2L in m. 70.
- S1U, S2U, A1U, A2U read pitches.
- S1L, S2L, A2L, A2L read pitches.
- Add dynamics, tenutos, and accents. Use the consonants to enhance the accents.
- Pages 11-12, mm. 56 with the pick up-m. 63 mark in phrasing. Chant text in rhythm together then sight read pitches together.
- Round the vowel in “cease” and “peace.”
Faith is the Bird – Elizabeth Alexander
Page 5, mm. 54-63. We will sing this up one half step in F# major.
- Chant in rhythm, breathe on the rests.
- Emphasize the F in “faith” and “feels”, the T in “light”, the K in “dark.”
- Breathe in the shape of O on the rests before “O Faith.”
- Press on “feels the light” with a dab on the T of “light.”
- Sing an F# major scale.
- Sing all 6-part divisi:A, M, S, All.
- Work on pitches as needed.
Swing Low: A Spiritual Medley – arr. Rosephanye Powell
Page 12, mm. 60-end.
- Sing a Gb major scale.
- Notice the phrase markings and only breathe where indicated.
- Sight read each part separately and then together.
My People Are Rising – Carol Barnett
Pages 6-13
- Page 10, mm. 50-54 review.
- Page 8, mm. 31 (with the pick up)-39, chant the text in rhythm.
- The S of branches goes on the eighth rest.
- Find and tune the augmented 2nds.
- Add an H for the ornamentations in m. 36.
- Tune the intervals in m. 38.
- Pages 11-13 mm. 61-79 chant the text in rhythm, noting final consonants.
The Valley – Jane Sidberry, arr. Beth Hanson
Pages 2-4, mm. 1-36 and review pages 7-8, measures 68-end.
- Pages 2-3, mm. 5-19 chant the text in rhythm, paying special attention to the syncopations. Final consonants S and T on the rests. Minimize the RL in “world.”
- Sing an E Major scale (in octaves)
- Pages 2-3, mm. 5-19 sing all parts individually, building up from A2.
- Pages 3-4, mm. 21-36 chant the text in rhythm.
- Pages 3-4, mm. 21-36 sing all parts individually, building up from A2.
Now Let Me Fly – arr. Stacey Gibbs
Page 16, mm. 89-94 and review page 15, mm. 85-88. We will sing this piece up a half step (yay S1s!).
- Sing an F# Major scale (in octaves).
- Page 16 mm. 89-94 all parts chant rhythm then add pitch.
- Breath end of m. 90.
- A2U, A2L, watch the octave skip in m. 89.
- Ritard in mm. 90-94.
- Accent m. 91 on “yes.”
- Crescendo mm. 92-94.
- Page 15, mm. 85-88 review all parts.
The Imaginary Garden – Marie-Claire Saindon
Pages 7-10, mm. 73-90, review pages 4-6 mm. 49-72.
- Sing an E Major scale (in octaves) in 6/8, pulsing the eighth note. Do-Do-Do Re-Re-Re Mi-Mi-Mi etc. Hold the top Do for a dotted quarter, on the descent, repeat Do-Do-Do, pulsing the eighth note once again.
- Pages 7-10, mm. 73 (with the pickup)-90, rehearse each part individually working from S1 down.
- Page 10, mm. 87-90 rehearse the crescendo and ritard in all parts.
- Review pages 4-5 mm. 49-72.
A Path to Each Other – Jocelyn Hagen and Timothy Takach
All.
- 3-part cannon divisi: Part 1–SU and ML, Part 2–SL and AU, Part 3–MU and AL
- Sing an A Major scale and an f#minor scale.
- Tune the descending intervals.
- Unify the vowels “each other.”