Hello Everyone,
Thank you for a lovely rehearsal last night! I heard such gorgeous singing – it filled my heart to overflowing (as evidenced by all the hearts on my sweater!)
Again, welcome to all of our new members – it was very fun to meet you and we’re glad you have joined in our musical adventures.
It is also wonderful to see so many returning singers – your dedication and continued contributions are deeply appreciated!
I hope that you will consider auditioning for Chamber Choir next week (2/19) at the end of the rehearsal from 9:30-10pm (our usual Chamber Choir rehearsal time). Our two pieces are Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy and Down By the Salley Gardens – both really wonderful arrangements of two very different classics. You can find the music and recordings in the practice files section of the WVC website. https://womensvoiceschorus.org/members/practice-files-spring-2024/.
For the audition, we will sing through the excerpts several times together, divide into smaller groups of quartets/octets and trios/sextets. I will circulate while you are singing so that I hear everyone (you will not have to sing by yourself!). If you are interested, I encourage you to give it a try. I will listen for accurate pitches and rhythms and most importantly, voices that blend well together to create a cohesive ensemble sound. I will aim for an ensemble of around 20-24ish singers.
Please prepare these excerpts (Chamber Choir Audition Excerpts BBB & DBtSG link if you want to print out the music…you may also use WVC copies at the auditions if you choose not to print):
Boogie Boogie Bugle Boy mm. 85-end
Down By the Salley Gardens mm. 44-61
Rehearsal Reflection:
Tis the Gift to Be Simple mm. 28-39
– All pitches and rhythms were accomplished – great job!
– Round, resonant vowels – especially the AH syllables/words (delight, come, right) and singing with enough vertical space (bow, our, round)
– ‘When’ sing Hwen with the H first
– minimize the R in ‘turn’
– first syllable of ‘delight’ sung as a schwa, not dee
– nice work on the dynamics!
– note the 3/4 measures (some had a tendency to move ahead a beat too quickly)
Mo Ghile Mear mm. 1-42
– Wonderful work on these tricky rhythms and time signature changes – great job!
– As you have time, listen to Annie’s pronunciation guide so that we can soon add the Irish text.
My Favorite Things mm. 1-74
– Apologies to all – I was not accurate in the part divisis on this one. So a review for all (mostly me!) -that means the affected singers will need to please make this adjustment.
- 1-54 unison
- 55-67 3-part (soprano – top staff/top note, mezzo – top staff/bottom note, alto – bottom staff
- 68-74 4-part divisi (top staff/S1, S2 and bottom staff/A1, A2)
– Nice work on this piece – such a fun twist on a traditional favorite
A Stór, A Stór, A Ghrá mm. 1-20
– All pitches and rhythms were accomplished – great job!
– Such fun, already! Love the playfulness of this piece and the syncopated rhythms in the piano and voices.
You Do Not Walk Alone mm. 1-73
– Lovely start on this lovely piece.
– Phrasing – please don’t breathe in mm. 28 and 62 after ‘turn’
– final consonants at the ends of phrases are placed on the rest – mm. 16 & 50 K of ‘dark,’ mm. 24 & 58 K of ‘lark,’
– We will need to think about all of the half notes in this piece – they grow in intensity and propel the phrase forward.
– We will need to think about syllabic stress to bring out the poetry while also creating a legato line
– nice work on both the unison and harmonies!
Stand By Me mm. 1-32
– nice start on this classic and very fun piece
– I ‘accused’ the A2s of rushing the tempo…but they were not entirely responsible – everyone needs to settle into the tempo!
– A1s will be especially responsible for keeping us singing in D Major as they (and also at times the S2s) sing the F# repeatedly.
Looking Ahead to 2/19/24
We will work on the following:
– Will the Circle Be Unbroken mm. 1-33
– Swing Low: A Spiritual Medley mm. 1-41
– Now Let Me Fly mm. 1-28
– The Times They Are A-Changin’ mm. 1-36
– The White Rose mm. 1-34
– I’m Beginning to See the Light mm. 1-27
As time allows, we may review any of the pieces we worked on at our last rehearsal.
Hope you have a wonderful rest of your week – see you Monday!
Laura