November 19, 2019, Music Notes

by | Nov 19, 2019 | AD Music Notes

Hello Everyone,

Thanks for another wonderful rehearsal. It’s so fun to work on details. Thank you for offering your “to-do” lists for us to think about.

Here is a link to the folder with our recordings. I added Faith is the Bird, 1941, and Nada Te Turbe (Chamber Choir)

WVC Recordings

As you listen, I encourage you to assess how we are doing with the notes that we took tonight at rehearsal.

Faith is the Bird – Elizabeth Alexander

Our tuning was actually quite good until mm. 22-32. After Debbie’s solo, we righted ourselves again and were pretty solid through the end. Our biggest tuning challenge was mm. 26-28. Work on those measures with your tuner please.

Here is my list of polishing details in case you missed anything (I know we covered many a lot of ground).

Throughout:

  • Clearly articulate the consonants, modify the R. Final consonants should be articulated on the breath or the rest that follows the word.
  • Breathe in the shape of O on phrases that begin with O.
  • Vowels:
    o   Faith – EH then shadow IH
    o   Bird – Neutral vowel, minimize the R
    o   Feels – Rounded EE, minimize the L
    o   Light – AH the shadow IH
    o   Sings – IH
    o   When – H then EH
    o   Dawn – AW
    o   Still – IH, minimize the L
    o   Dark – AH, minimize the R

Pages 1-2, mm. 1-14

  • Emphasize the eighth note when slurred to the quarter note that follows (ex: m. 1 “bird.”
  • m. 9 add an eighth rest breath before O and breathe in the shape of O.
  • Add a crescendo m. 7-8.
  • Add a decrescendo m. 9.
  • Add a crescendo m. 10.
  • Add a decrescendo m. 13.
  • Punch the accents m. 13.

Page 2, mm. 14-22

  • Punch the accents mm. 15 and 17.
  • Rehearse dynamics as noted in the score.
  • Press the tenutos mm. 19-21.

Pages 2-3, mm. 22-32

  • Each phrase crescendos, building to forte at m. 27.
  • Each repetition of “and sings” decrescendos.

Pages 3-4, mm. 34-38

  • Each repetition of “Faith is the bird” increases in volume.

Pages 4-5, mm. 39-53

  • Crescendo m. 39.
  • Press the tenutos mm. 41-42.
  • Subito p m. 44-47.
  • Add mp mm. 48-53.
  • Punch accents mm. 50-51.

Page 5, mm. 54-63

  • Crescendo.
  • Add an accent m. 57, soprano “still.”
  • Balance the final chord.

The Peace of Wild Things – Sean Ivory

Page 3

  • Uniform OO.
  • Tune the soprano Augmented 2nd G-A#
  • Practice finding your pitch for “When” from your last “oo” pitch.
  • H before “when.”
  • DIH-spair.

Page 4-5 mm. 13-25

  • Laban – Wring (sustain the long notes with energy and spin).m
  • m. 19-20 press the tenutos.
  • Minimize the R in “despair, “world.”
  • Articulate all consonants, especially
    o   DG of world-grows
    o   K of wake
    o   N and T of night
    o   ST-S of least-sound
    o   F of fear
    o   F of life
    o   CH of children’s
    o   VZ of lives
  • Vowels:
    o   Me – Rounded EE
    o   Wake – EH then shadow IH
    o   Night – AH then shadow IH
    o   Least – Rounded EE
    o   Sound – AH then shadow OOo   Lives – AH then shadow IH
    o   Be – Rounded EE
  • Sing dynamic markings as noted in the score.

Paged 5-6, mm. 27-44

  • Laban – Glide
  • Begin “I go” on the breath without a glottal. Breathe in the shape of AH.
  • Emphasize the G of “go.”
  • Emphasize the D of “and” and “down.”
  • Open the vowel of “down.”
  • Begin “where” with an H and minimize the R
  • Wood drake – DD
  • Drake – K
  • Rests – STS
  • B – Beauty
  • Minimize the R of water.
  • Mm. 38-39 float S1 and S2
  • Sing the dynamics as noted.

Pages 7-9, mm. 46-59

  • Begin I with AH on the breath, no glottal. Breathe in the shape of AH.
  • Emphasize the K of “come.”
  • Emphasize the P of “peace” and connect the final S to “of.”
  • Shape “of” to AH and end with V connected to “wild.”
  • Punch accents in m. 54.
  • Breathe in the shape of OO m. 55.
  • AH – “minds.”
  • Emphasize the F of “forethought.”
  • Emphasize the G and F of “grief.”

1941 – Andrea Ramsey

Correct the tempos – we were not fast enough in multiple sections but I do not anticipate that this will be too big of a challenge.

Work for unified vowels throughout.

Pages 2-3, mm. 2-14

  • Press the tenutos mm. 2-3.
  • Laban – Glide.
  • Shadow vowel after N of “Son” and “run.”
  • Shape “Son,” “run,” “sky,” “by” to AH.
  • Emphasize the TH of “through.”
  • Round “you’ll.”
  • Observe rit. m. 13.
  • Connect S to B “close by” mm. 13-14

Pages 4-5, mm. 20-26

  • Fortissimo consonants.
  • Laban – Flick.
  • Sing dynamics as noted in the score.

Page 5, mm. 27-29

  • Laban – Glide (or should it be Wring? let’s decide together).
  • Observe the rit. in m. 28

Pages 6-8, mm. 30-47

  • Laban – Punch the accents, otherwise flick mm. 30-43.
  • Laban – mm. 44-47 float soprano ascending intervals, otherwise wring.

Pages 8-10, mm. 48-73

  • mm. 49 sing the A# high.
  • Laban – glide and float ascending intervals.
  • Rubato m. 54.
  • Rit. m. 58.
  • Laban – press tenutos m. 60-70

Chamber Choir

Listen to Nada Te Turbe – Joan Szymko and see what you hear. We will work on the meter shifts, making confident entrances, and fix a few pitches. After you listen, make your own “to-do” list to share with CC and see if someone else heard what you heard (strengths and weaknesses).

Looking Ahead to 11-25-19

Debbie will be visiting with family and is taking vacation. We will miss you, Debbie – please know that we are thankful for you as we celebrate Thanksgiving next week. Gwen Hall will join us for the evening to accompany rehearsak. Welcome back, Gwen!

Please plan to polish:

Faith is the Bird – Elizabeth Alexander mm. 22-32 (mixed formation)

The Peace of Wild Things – Sean Ivory (mixed formation)

I Sing That My Voice May Be Heard – Gwen McLeod Hall (mixed formation)

The Tree of Peace – Gwyneth Walker (S1-S2-A1-A2 formation)

The Imaginary Garden – Marie-Claire Saindon (S1-S2-A1-A2 formation)

Now Let Me Fly – Stacey V. Gibbs (S1-S2-A1-A2 formation)

The Valley – arr. Beth Hanson (S1-S2-A1-A2 formation)

Cheers!

Laura