Hello Everyone,
It was good to see (and hear) you last night. I am glad we tied up some loose ends, especially on Rise Up.
With Thanksgiving week around the corner, we are not scheduled to have rehearsal on 11/22 so it would be helpful if you are able to sing through the rep a few times so that we don’t get too rusty.
Rehearsal Focus
Rise Up mm. 82-end
– Hopefully, everyone now feels confident with pitches and rhythms on this section. These are definitely the most complex measures of this piece.
– Using mm. 69-70, we worked on articulating the accents and singing the crescendo. To make the accents effective, we need to sing the unaccented notes with less weight. This happens repeatedly throughout the piece.
Nothing Short of Grace all
– We rehearsed with the metronome to keep our tempo steady. The real challenge here is singing musically while maintaining that steady tempo. I think that our expressiveness will shine through with intentional syllabic stress and gentle dynamic shifts (they are marked in the score). It would be helpful if you would underline the stressed syllables in your score.
Storm Comin’ all
– I struggled to communicate effectively regarding melodic nuances – sorry about that – I will continue to think about this. It would be great to add the body percussion on this piece next time we rehearse so as you have time, please give it a try on your own. The YouTube video, while not exactly like our scores, is very helpful with this.
Sing My Child mm. 95-end
– Checked for pitch/rhythm accuracy (good job!).
– Be sure to watch at m.105 so that we release together before singing the final ‘oo.’
What the Heart Cannot Forget all
– We are adding this piece to our January concert. Our review went well! Many remember it from recording our virtual project last spring. I asked Meg how she felt about us singing it and she was very supportive – It is a beautiful piece and a wonderful way to honor and remember Elisabeth. If you weren’t at rehearsal, you can get your score from Nancy when you see her. Until then, the YouTube guide tracks that we used for our virtual project will be helpful.
Looking Ahead to 11/29/21
– We will sing through all of our rep. I would like for everyone to make notes in your music as we go, indicating where you have questions about your part.
– Practice those spots individually with the WVC website practice files.
– Communicate with your section leader if you still have questions.
– Section leaders please let me know where there are needs so that we can address those concerns during our remaining December rehearsals.
– January rehearsals will be dedicated to final polishing leading up to our concert (so exciting!).
Happy Thanksgiving everyone – I’m grateful for you and our music!
Laura