Hello Everyone,
Apologies again for the lack of a Zoom option at rehearsal last night. I took my laptop out of my bookbag yesterday morning and realized it while driving to rehearsal. Sorry about that! If you were absent and intended to Zoom, your absence will count as if you had attended on Zoom – please let your section liaison know.
We covered a lot of ground on both our spring music and reviewing for our winter concert – great work!
Rehearsal Reflection:
Swifter Than Flame mm. 25-46 (reviewed from the beginning)
– we learned pitches and rhythms
– we worked on clear articulation of consonants (especially T of tower, F of from, HW of while, V of of, P of upward
– we elongated the vowel of tower and out
– T of night on the rest
– m. 29 fp crescendo similar to m. 6
Flying mm. 17-50 (reviewed from the beginning)
– S of stars on the rests
– stagger breathe except in these places where we will breathe together: m. 35, m. 39, m. 43 m. 45, m. 47
– S1 and A2 note the D-natural in m. 45
Flying Away mm. 1-26
– reviewed this section
Flight Song mm. 20-29 (reviewed from the beginning)
– lots of rubato in this piece which means everyone has to look up so that we stay together
Now Let Me Fly mm. 1-24
– all of the notes in the chords of mm. 21-24 should sound equally – greta job on this!
– A2s tune the low F and middle C because they are Do and So and are the foundation for our tuning in mm. 1-24
Winter Concert Music Reflection
Overall, it was a joy and beyond exciting to sing through our concert music and know that we are ready to give a wonderful performance on Saturday. We adjusted well to missing singers and new performance positions – thank you for your great show of flexibility (and good humor). Below are tidbits of things I heard…but truly, it was a fabulous run through. I hope everyone is proud, happy, and excited for Saturday!
What Happens When a Woman?
– no stomps m. 18 (it’s when SV is singing “what happens when she wears the crown”)
Wild Embers
– watch Leandra for tempo and dynamics
Girl With the Numbers
– watch Leandra for the tempo. We slowed down considerably.
– keep the numbers light! And when you are singing the story, don’t slow down!
– mezzos, the release of classmate in m. 28 is on the & of 1. I hear singers treating the quarter note as a half note.
– m. 71-73 is soft, then there is a crescendo m. 75-77
No Fairy Tale Here
– keep emphasizing the consonants – especially F and SH (especially mm. 26-28). We are doing great in most places!
– m. 44 the low A on beat 1 is not accurate (perhaps sopranos are not getting low enough here…if you have time practice transitioning from your note in m. 43 to your note in m. 44 – it’s a big skip down for everyone, especially sopranos).
The Radium Girl
– watch for the phrase releases. Most are together but there are a few stray consonants
– S1 and S2 be sure to watch at your entrance at m. 58 – we were not together here. I think mostly because of how far away the back row is in rehearsal. We won’t have that distance issue for the concert but please be aware.
– most of the stomps were together (I know that’s a challenge!)
Hands Upon the Plow
– TOO SLOW (sorry I started it a bit too slow) but then we rode the brakes the whole way through. We were at about 110 bpm and we should have been at 120 bpm. Prepare to go faster on Saturday!
Rise Up
– m. 92 I don’t hear the S2 and A2 entrance on beat 4 – S1 and A1 sing your parts as bell tones so that we can hear the other parts please.
Malala
– circle the rest at m. 62 beat 1
– we will breathe together at m. 73 beat 3
Be Like Jane
– TOO SLOW (sorry I started this under tempo but then we rode the brakes again!) We should be at 146 bpm and we were in the 120s. If you have time this week, please sing through this with the practice files (remember the file is too slow m. 135-156). We are going to sing it faster on Saturday. Metal to the pedal!
– at m. 128 there were some “added parts” here, not in the score. Please review!
– S1 not so loud at m. 149 please!
– Please review the ending – S2, A1, and A2 all rest at m. 172!
Richer for Her
– please review as needed
Like a Mountain
– TOO SLOW (we were at about 80 bpm and I would like us to be closer to 90 bpm – the score is 84 bpm but I want to go faster!)
– sopranos, I think “spirit” is tricky – sometimes you go down a step for ‘rit’ (as in m. 15, 19) but sometimes you go up a third (as in m. 31, 35) so please review
Still I Rise
– don’t stop clapping at m. 107 – rock on all the way to the last measure. Then stand still on the first beat of m. 119 with hands by your side and sing the last measure with as much strength of spirit as you have in you!
Looking ahead to 3/2 and 3/9
| Repertoire | 3/2/26 | 3/9/26 |
| Swifter Than Flame | (review as time allows) | mm. 47-72 (review 1-46) |
| Flying | (review as time allows) | mm. 51-68 (review 1-50) |
| Flying Away | (review as time allows) | mm. 27-47 (review 1-26) |
| Flight Song | (review as time allows) | mm. 30-64 (review 1-29 |
| Now Let Me Fly | (review as time allows) | mm. 25-84 (review 1-24) |
| Be Like the Bird | all | (review as time allows) |
| Koowu | mm. 33-43 (review 1-32) | (review as time allows) |
| Jump! | mm. 52-72 (review 1-51) | (review as time allows) |
| Flight | mm. 65-99 (review 1-64) | (review as time allows) |
| Your World | mm. 46-62 (review 1-45) | (review as time allows) |
| Some things that fly there be (Chamber Choir) | mm. 1-31 | mm. 32-49 |
| Bumble Bee (Chamber Choir) | mm. 53-96 | mm. 97-136 |
Hope you have a great rest of your week!
Laura