Hello Everyone!
Great work at rehearsal everyone! It is thrilling that we are making such great progress on our repertoire so early in our season and that our intonation work is helping us to listen more effectively as we sing (avoiding the dreaded ‘pitch drift’!)
Moon Goddess mm. 53-79
– note the time signature shifts throughout – eighth notes are equal throughout
– pitches and rhythms for all parts
– tall vowels for lofty, world, strike, down, storm, roar
– round vowel for ‘oh’ – breathe in the shape of the vowel so that you sing into the shape
– accents – sing slightly detached (think marcato)
– ‘hack’ strong K
Izar Ederrak mm. 17-24
– pitches and rhythms for all parts
– added text (use the website practice files for review as needed)
– breathe at the end of mm. 18 and 22 (eighth rest breath)
– note the minor second dissonance in m. 24 for parts 3 and 4 (A4 and G# 4)
Bright Morning Stars mm. 21-30
– pitches and rhythms for all parts
– used drones and worked on intonation (good job!)
Song to the Moon mm. 49-65
– read in rhythm and noted the changing time signatures
– m. 53, sing the 2nd syllable of ‘summer’ softly – this is a challenge because it is higher!
– duples in mm. 62-63
– enharmonics S1 m. 57 C#5 to Db5, A2 C#4 to Db5 in m. 58
– review this section as you have time – this is tricky! (and gorgeous!)
Lakutshon ‘Illanga mm. 17-24
– pitches and rhythms for all parts
– added text (use the website practice files for review as needed)
– we will work on this piece again toward the beginning of rehearsal when we are fresh – the intonation is very challenging
Here are some links from Barrie regarding Lakutshon ‘Illanga (Thanks, Barrie!):
Thabilé posted a video to playlist Homemade.
“Lakutshon’ ilanga” which means “When the sun sets” in isiXhosa is an old song originally performed by the late Miriam Zenzile Makeba and The Manhattan Brothers.
It is known and beloved by South Africans because many relate to its lyrics very much. During the Apartheid era, freedom fighters would get arrested by the government and many would later be found in prisons, hospitals or mortuaries. Some would never be found by their loved ones again. “Lakutshon’ ilanga” narrates a story of someone searching for their loved one who has gone missing.
She promises that she will be thinking of him with every sunset, and she will search everywhere and everyday even when the sun sets, until she finds him.
Also, a short film was recently made, called Lakutshon Illanga, by Phumi Morare, about a young woman searching for her missing brother during apartheid – here is an interview with her if you are interested: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvVGb3EKi0M
And this email response this morning from Allan Friedman (arranger of Lakutshon ‘Illanga and former WVC AD):
I learned the tune in a jazz arrangement that I sang with a jazz choir the semester I was abroad in Durban, South Africa. The translation was from one of my friends in the choir who spoke some Zulu. I don’t know if he was trying to soften the edges of the words or just didn’t translate very well as his native language was Xhosa. In any case, what you see printed is the November 1997 translation.
Later on when WVC did this Karla (probably) found this better, more interesting translation from comments on a Miriam Makeba youtube video – i think
https://www.reverbnation.com/njabulomadlala/song/19319646-lakutshoni-langa/lyrics
Lakutshon’ ilanga – When the sun sets
Zakubuy’ izinkomo – When the cows return
Ndakucinga ngawe – I think of you
Lakutshon’ ilanga – When the sun sets
phesheya kolwandle – Over the sea
Lakutshon’ ilanga – When the sun sets
Ndohamba ndikufuna – I will go everywhere looking for you
ezindlini nasezitratweni – In peoples’ houses and the streets
Nguwe esibhedlela – In hospitals
entrongweni – And in prisons
ndide ndikufumane – Until I find you
Lakutshon’ ilanga – When the sun sets
You may have seen that this film just came out – haven’t watched it yet: https://www.lakutshonilangafilm.com
There’s a small bit of this where things were glossed over in apartheid and folks had to speak in code or obliquely about their difficulties, but the errors in translation are mostly it’s the difference between word of mouth and struggling with a Zulu dictionary and these days where everything you might need to know and much more is on google.
I Got the Sun in the Morning mm. 32-53
– pitches and rhythms for all parts
– rests! note the rests! (especially the rest in m. 40)
– the glissando markings will have us bend the pitches down and back up as indicated
– m. 51 note the mezzos and sopranos cross parts on ‘nin’ of ‘eve-nin’ – sopranos sing a D4 and mezzos sing an E4
Looking Ahead to 10/10/22
Two Eastern Pictures II. Summer mm. 29-40
The Moon of Wintertime mm. 32-58
Par’o Era Estrellero mm. 1-28 (Altos we will need your help singing a drone)
The Dawn is Not Distant mm. 35-47
Mēnestinis Naki Brauca mm. 15-18
My Lord, What a Morning mm. 25-32
When You Wish Upon a Star mm. 37-44
I will be at the NC American Choral Director’s Association Conference this weekend – hope to learn a lot, hear wonderful choral performances (we were featured last year with our Snow Angel project – great memories!), and look forward to sharing new insights with you.
See you at rehearsal next week!
Hugs,
Laura