Hello,
Thank you for your dedicated work at rehearsal last night – so fun! So challenging (I Am)! And always so joyful and fulfilling.
This is the link for Sing 4 Joy, the service project undertaken by the youth chorus, Voices in the Laurel (our outreach focus). The area school principals have identified up to 90 students who would be appropriate recipients for this helping hand as they have lost their homes and belongings to Helene.
WVC is assisting in providing $100 to the general fund of Voices in the Laurel (specifically helping Legacy – their adult women’s chorus, as well as the youth) through our outreach. If you would like to make additional contributions, you can do that through the WVC website and earmark your donation to Voices in the Laurel. Thank you to our diversity committee for your leadership and to Karla for organizing the donations. And on behalf of Martha Brown, Artistic Director of Voices in the Laurel, thanks to everyone for your receptiveness regarding this project.
Wonderful work on our repertoire – everything is really coming along nicely. And in spite of the challenges of I Am, we are also making great progress on it, although it feels much slower (because it is!) we are gaining knowledge and confidence with each rehearsal.
We have S1/S2 sectionals coming up this week – send the pieces/measures that you would like to cover to your section leader, please. We will answer those questions and then focus on pitches and rhythms of our challenge spots in I Am.
Rehearsal Reflection:
Here in My Heart
– we are taking a bit of a slower tempo (but let’s also not drag!)
– the accuracy of the syncopations is not consistent – so be mindful that if we drag, that will also negate the syncopations. We will work on keeping a steady tempo! Our practice files will keep us honest, so as you have a chance, please work with those.
– from my vantage point, I heard all pitches and rhythms performed accurately and there were many moments of beautiful dynamics and phrasing.
– this is a piece we can really work on diction since overall it is relatively easy – so practice singing those consonants!
– I changed my mind about some of the phrasing (thank you for your flexibility). We will connect these measures with no breath: 16-17, 33-34, 64-65
I Love You/What a Wonderful World
– please send your solo audition recordings this week if you are interested. I am looking forward to hearing them!
– front 2 rows are singing the Ensemble part, bottom 2 staves. Rows 3 and 4 are singing the Chorus part, top 4 staves.
– this piece has a very thick texture which is also gorgeous. We will make sure we are singing all of the close harmonies accurately.
Measure Me, Sky!
– woohoo! This piece is sounding as epic as I think Elaine Hagenberg intended.
– we will seek places to sing at a lower dynamic level so that this piece has a greater dynamic range instead of loud, louder, and loudest (although those parts are very fun to sing and hear!). My watch alerted me to ‘dangerous decibel levels’ – haha!
Some Glad Morning
– nice work on this piece!
– check for accurate rhythms at the top of page 12. I think we need to turn the page faster and be ready for what’s ahead.
Sky Dances
– ah, the wild bear of the bears rhythm of m. 11. This is another place that listening to our practice files individually could be of great help. I think that each of us may have a unique way of puzzling through this measure to help best achieve accuracy. As noted, it is a wild bear pop/folk rhythm attempting to be tamed by written notation – the struggle is real! But we do need to come to consensus. The practice file will be the most accurate aid, as opposed to the performances by Vox Femina and Muse (although outstanding and lovely in every way!)
– fabulous work on this at our retreat – a joy to conduct – our musicianship is going full force on this one!
I Am
– we focused primarily on mm. 31-42 (much improved), mm. 108-130 (still needs work), mm.138-149 (still needs work)
– this is the piece on which individual practice with the practice files and reference recording will collectively do us the most good. As you have time, please give this one your attention!
Looking Ahead to 10/28/24
We will sing through our open rehearsal pieces so that we are confident about our sharing opportunity on 11/4/24.
Here in My Heart
Nigra Sum
Some Glad Morning
Sky Dances
I Love You/What a Wonderful World
Measure Me, Sky!
As we have time, we will review any of our other pieces – but these 6 will be our priority. I am confident that we have ample time to ‘catch up’ on the ones we are neglecting for now.
Hope you all have a wonderful week. I’m headed back up to Boone to help my sister with storm clean up…but also babysitting a grand old dame of a golden retriever named Abby…love her so much! Then bonus – Bosco the Border Collie will be joining us on Saturday. He has not been invited to a family wedding happening at his house. I cannot imagine why not. Seems like he would be the perfect usher herding everyone to their seats!
Looking forward to seeing/hearing everyone on Monday,
Laura
PS: Karla (thank you!) provided donation details for our outreach project – Voices in the Laurel:
People can pay with:
- Venmo @WomensVoicesChorus note for VOICES
- Donation via Square – click $0, enter amount, click Donate, add note VOICES at checkout
- Check payable Women’s Voices Chorus (memo: VOICES) at rehearsal
- Cash at rehearsal
For cash or check, a box will be available at rehearsal to put donations.
(We can use the inreach box.)
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