Hello Everyone,
This email will be longer than usual – thanks in advance for reading to the end! Subsequent AD emails following rehearsals will not be this lengthy – but there is a fair amount to cover at the beginning. So I recommend that you pour a beverage and read on!
Thanks for a wonderful rehearsal last night! It was so much fun to dig into our music and wow – what a gorgeous sound we have to work with as our starting off point!!! I am so looking forward to the musical journey we will experience together this season and am beyond grateful to be a part of our music-making!
It was very nice to meet our newest members, and to also recognize our #1 founding member, Jackie, who sang in the very first WVC rehearsal in 1993. I look forward to reconnecting with returning members and getting to know our newest members better as the season progresses.
Thanks to everyone who helped to make our rehearsal special last night – our buddies for doing such a great job with our introductions, Rah who so thoughtfully presented roses, and our membership chair, Wendy (with Allison standing in), and all who helped provide refreshments after rehearsal.
Thanks also again to Nancy for organizing our music, to Karla for all she does as operations manager in getting us off to a great start and keeping us organized, and Marsha for handling our logistics.
Logistics Information – Set Up and Take Down
We will start rehearsal with 4 rows of chairs in an arc spread out as much as our space allows, with the piano to my right.
At the end of rehearsal we need to move the round tables back into place with 8 chairs around each, the piano moved to the back corner, and then a small gathering area of two rows of chairs (I think there were 10 chairs on each row but Marsha can confirm) facing the back wall. Extra chairs go on the chair rack which then goes in the closet.
Zoom (counts for 1/2 an absence)
We will use the same link as last year except when I am absent:
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85832934624?pwd=c1N2TU02OUE0a1RlVVFGUU11NWRsdz09
Meeting ID: 858 3293 4624
Passcode: 121074
9/19/22 I will be absent so there will be a different Zoom link from the above. Please check the Sunday announcement email for an update.
Scores
Friendly advice – number all of the measures in your scores – makes finding places in rehearsal much more efficient. I will always try to give, in this order, the page number, system, and measure number.
Rehearsal Reflection
Because we had our beginning of the season information and new member activities we did not quite get through our rehearsal plan but no worries, I will push those measures to the next time we work on these pieces. In the beginning weeks of our season we will work through our music in chunks, 1/2 of our rep one week, 1/2 of our rep the next. After we have the basics accomplished (pitch, rhythm, phrasing, dynamics, etc.), we will shift to rehearsing what most needs our attention. No later than December, we should be polishing everything as we prepare for our January performance.
Seating/Standing
In general, we will use 4 rows of chairs in an arc with A2s (front) and S1s (back) to my left and A1s (front) and S2s (back) to my right. But, we will also change up and experiment with other groupings, as well! Many singers especially enjoy singing in mixed formation as we can best hear all of the harmony parts and delight in how everything fits together. We will definitely sing in mixed formation, sooner rather than later. In previous seasons we have used a card system to designate seating and we will return to a similar system this fall. Please feel free to sit/stand as you are comfortable during rehearsal and if you need a restroom break before or after our mid-rehearsal break time, please take care of yourself!
Attached is a seating chart for 9/18/22. Marsha will help you find your seat for 9/19/22 (Thanks, Marsha!) The seating chart is for 4/8-part divisi. When the music is in 6-part divisi, you should be close to someone singing your part, but if not, move around as needed.
Intonation We are so lucky to have Deb Hollis as our collaborative accompanist – she not only plays beautifully, she offers rich insight and guidance throughout the season. Please don’t be alarmed by Deb not playing parts on our a cappella pieces. We will use Just Intonation Tuning (Three-Limit/Pythagorean or Five-Limit) and sing drones at the octave and/or 5th to stabilize our intonation, as needed. Because the piano uses Equal Temperament Tuning, matching the pitch of the piano will result in us singing pitches either slightly sharp or flat of our goal and will hinder us from reaching our best a cappella singing potential. If this tuning concept is new for you, I hope that you are excited about experiencing a different way of listening/singing. When we are singing our accompanied pieces we will then match to the piano and Deb can help us out more on part reinforcement.
Two Eastern Pictures II. Summer – Gustav Holst mm. 1-28, 41-65
– This piece was composed with a harp accompaniment which Deb will play on the piano. We will add a tambourine that will play on each chord. Notice how the piano/harp part often provides a drone-like effect with open fifths, typical of Indian classical music.
– For a period of time, composer Gustav Holst immersed himself in the study of Sanskrit and would translate texts (mostly from the Vedanti literature) and then paraphrase and set them to music. Kalidasa, a classical Sanskrit author (4-5th century CE), considered ancient India’s greatest poet and playwright, is the source for this text.
– The opening melodic line introduces the Lydian mode (think a major scale but with a raised 4th degree – Do Re Mi Fi (instead of Fa). In Hindustani music this raga (musical mode in the Indian classical tradition), is known as Yaman or Kalyani.
– We begin in 3/8 time with a hemiola (musical figure which, typically, two groups of three beats are replaced by three groups of two beats, giving the effect of a shift between triple and duple meter) on an open hum.
– Sing the hum with barely touching, relaxed lips, and with a comfortably open space inside your mouth.
– Note the dynamic markings, especially that we begin at pp, build to f, and return to pp with crescendos and decrescendos on each phrase. These dynamics will apply to both mm. 1-28 and 41-65 (thanks for that observation, Cheryl!)
– Slightly lift between the eighth note groupings mm. 4-6 (and every time after this material appears).
– Silence is golden! Be sure to not carry your voice through the rests.
– Breathe on the 3rd beat of the following measures: 8, 13, 45, and 50.
The Moon of Wintertime – George Mabry mm. 77-95
– This piece is based on the 16th century French melody, Une Jeune Pucelle (A Young Maid) and is originally taken from the Huron tradition of telling the story of the Nativity using symbols and figures readily understood by the Huron Indians – God as the Great Spirit and the Wise Men as Chiefs.
– Renumber the measures beginning at mm. 83 (the score has mm. 82 twice)
– This section uses the Dorian mode (think a major scale but with a lowered 3rd and 7th – Do Re Me Fa So La Te Do). To my ears, the E-natural always needs to sit high.
– This section is in 5/8 with groupings of 3+2 or 2+3. Everyone, including the piano is 3+2, except for the Soprano part. Sopranos did a great job with this last night!
– Begin pp and crescendo to ff.
– Altos, slight separation between notes in m. 91 to bring out your unique rhythmic part.
– Note the fermata in m. 92
– Voices release in m. 94 as the piano continues to m. 95
– We will work together to unify our vowel shapes for ‘gloria’ – glaw-ree-ah (flipped R with rounded ee)
Par’o Era Estrellero – Eleanor Epstein mm. 29-41
– I was recently in touch with the composer, Eleanor Epstein, and she sends her greetings to WVC, remembering with fondness past collaborations/commissions.
– This piece uses the Phrygian Dominant Scale (also known as the Jewish scale, Spanish Phrygian scale). When compared to a major scale, it has a lowered 2nd, lowered 6th, and lowered 7th. The F# will always need to sit high.
– The text is in Ladino (Judeo-Spanish), a mixture of 16th century Spanish, Hebrew, Turkish, Greek, and other languages, developed by the Sephardic Jews. Considered an endangered language, the largest present day Ladino-speaking communities are in Israel and Turkey.
– As different sections provided drones, each section worked through their notes and rhythms. Great reading!
– We will work on the pronunciation together, but please know I recorded speaking each part in rhythm – you can find it on our website with the practice files. Hope this will be of help to you!
– When singing ‘Dio,’ the first vowel will last the value of an eighth note. ‘Dio’ is also an exception to the pronunciation rule of Ds being pronounced as THs. Pronounce the D of Dio as you would when singing in English.
The Dawn is Not Distant – Christine Donkin mm. 1-25
– The text is a combination of Genesis 15:5 and Tales of s Wayside Inn by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
– The opening section outlines a C minor scale. Think a major scale with a lowered 3rd, 6th, and 7th shifting away from C minor with the added D-flat and G-flat beginning in m. 20.
– The text is pronounced in Latin using pure vowels (no Southern Latin permitted!).
– The expressiveness of this section depends on the dynamics as written in the score- great job with this!
– The final syllable of ‘suspice’ has to be the softest, yet it ascends melodically, so you have to be extra nuanced to create the desired effect. Let the last syllable feel that it floats away rather than demands to be heard.
– The solo is really gorgeous – please plan to audition if you think your voice is well suited to it. We will have solo auditions later in the season.
Mēnestinis Naki Brauca – Laura Jēkobsone mm. 1-6, 11-14, 19-22, 27-31
– The text is Latvian although these measures use vocables (syllables with no textual meaning such as la la la).
– The key is Bb major with not a single accidental in the whole piece! Solid Bb major throughout.
– The texture is light and airy, slightly detached but never punched or as short as staccato. The vocal artists of Latvian Voices sing this piece with perfection (it was composed for them) and I encourage you to listen on our practice files.
– We have not yet begun to work on the verses (next time!) but the translation we will use in our program is on the back page of your score. When I was in touch with the composer, Laura Jēkobsone in August, I asked her about the translation and she offered this insight in her reply:
Dear Laura,
Thank you for the message. I’m pleased to hear that you’ve chosen to sing “Mēnestiņis nakti brauca”.
It isn’t easy to have an obvious translation of any Latvian folksong because mostly, they talk in symbols.
Here is a translation I have:
Moon drove through the night (mēnestiņis nakti brauca)
Starry mantle on his shoulders (zvaigžņu sega mugurā)
Morning star is setting (rīta zvaigzne vakarēja)
Here come the Moons horses (tie mēneša kumeliņi)
Both Sun and Moon (i saulīte, mēnestiņis)
Ride on the same horse (jāj uz viena kumeliņ)
In mythology, they symbolize young love, so “mēnestiņis nakti brauca” could be considered a wedding song.
I hope I helped, and if anything else, please let me know!
Greetings from Riga!
Laura
My Lord, What a Morning – trad. spiritual arr. J. David Moore mm. 1-16, 45-55
– We only briefly read through the first page before running our of time…so we will save this for a future rehearsal.
When You Wish Upon a Star – arr. Pete King mm. 1-20
– We will add this to our to-do list for a future rehearsal.
Looking Ahead to 9/19/22
– Kay Johnson will conduct the rehearsal – I will miss you all but know you will be in great shape under Kay’s direction. Thank you, Kay!
– Janet will provided additional ‘start of the season’ information.
– Rehearsal will focus on these measures:
Moon Goddess mm. 1-52, 110-130
Izar Ederrak mm. 1-16, 25-32
Bright Morning Stars mm. 1-20
Song to the Moon mm. 1-50
Lakutshon ‘Illanga 1-16
I Got the Sun in the Morning 1-31
Looking Ahead to 9/26/22
– I will be back! Hooray!
– Rehearsal will focus on these measures:
Two Eastern Pictures II. Summer mm. 78-96
The Moon of Wintertime mm. 1-31
Par’o Era Estrellero mm. 41-60
The Dawn is Not Distant mm. 26-34
Mēnestinis Naki Braca mm. 7-10
My Lord, What a Morning mm. 1-16, 17-24, 45-55
When You Wish Upon a Star mm. mm. 1-20, 37-43
Wishing you all a great rest of your week!
Laura