AD Music Notes
This is where you’ll find notes from Laura Sam about the pieces we’re singing each semester.
October 24, 2023, Music Notes
Hello Everyone,
Many thanks to Kay and Deb for leading rehearsal on Monday night.
I hope everyone who is sick is feeling much better. And I hope that everyone who is traveling has a great time while they are away. And I hope that we are all back together again SOON!
October 17, 2023, Music Notes
Hello Everyone,
I thoroughly enjoyed our rehearsal and also brought home some beautiful hand painted cards from our table sales that Virginia created. Bonus!
Rehearsal Reflection
October 10, 2023, Music Notes
Hello Everyone,
Thanks for a lovely rehearsal last night. I was so uplifted by our music-making.
Marsha had a great suggestion of using the practice files at a slower tempo as needed as you are working through some of the trickier sections of your music. I know some of you already do that on a regular basis but maybe some folks didn’t realize that we have that capability so thanks for mentioning it, Marsha.
October 3, 2023, Music Notes
Hello Everyone,
I sure did enjoy rehearsal last night – hope you did, as well. There were many Zooming…hope everyone who has been ill is feeling better SOON and wish those who were out of town – safe travels home.
We did not get to everything on our rehearsal agenda but made great progress on the pieces we spent time with.
September 27, 2023, Music Notes
Hello Everyone,
Happy Fall! I really enjoyed our rehearsal last night – hope you did, too!
Rehearsal Reflection
We covered all of the measures concentrating primarily on pitches and rhythms – great job everyone! I know there are a few ‘question notes’ and we will make those corrections next time we rehearse the piece(s).
September 19, 2023, Music Notes
Hello Everyone,
Thanks for a lovely rehearsal. We covered a lot of ground, and I thoroughly enjoyed making music with you all.
Rehearsal Reflection
September 12, 2023, Music Notes
Hello Everyone,
It was lovely to see and hear you all at rehearsal last night. It is so nice to be back to our music-making after our summer break.
It was very fun to learn a bit about our newest members. I know I speak for everyone when I say that we are glad that you are with us and we look forward to getting to know you better in the weeks ahead.
If you are interested, auditions for Chamber Choir are scheduled for 9/18/23 from 9:30-10pm (after our regular rehearsal). The PDF of the music is attached. Please be prepared to sing from the pick up to m. 25 through m. 56. The practice files and pronunciation guide are on our website. The Chamber Choir will also sing The Bird’s Lullaby but this will not be part of the audition. Both of these a cappella pieces will require solid intonation and voices that blend well together. The desired timbre for both pieces is light and lively. Rhythmic accuracy is super important, too. The strong preference is that you are present in person for auditions but If you already know that you will be absent next week, you may email a recording (due by 9/18/23). Sing along to the practice track with ALL parts softly in the background. It will be important to balance the ensemble so you may be assigned to sing a different part than the one you regularly sing with WVC – please be open to that – your flexibility is appreciated.
September 5, 2023 Music Notes
Hello Everyone,
Wonderful to see you all at our first rehearsal! Hope you had as much fun as I did reading through our repertoire. We have a wonderful musical adventure and 30th anniversary celebration ahead!
April 25, 2023, Music Notes
Hello Everyone,
Thanks for a wonderful (looooooong) rehearsal! That was a lot of standing…if you wear an Apple watch I am positive you met your standing goal for the day! Mostly, thank you for your energy, enthusiasm, and passion for the music and your support and encouragement of one another. Love the WVC vibe of getting it done while having fun.
We are beyond fortunate to have such a wonderful accompanist/collaborative pianist with Deb – truly outstanding playing and tremendous support of our music-making.
April 18, 2023, Music Notes
Hello Everyone,
Thank you for a lovely rehearsal last night! It is always a joy to make music with you.
In preparation for our tech week, please review your music – you know what spots are the most challenging for you!
Everyone, please especially review Tabula Rasa – please sing it with the practice files to make sure you know your part and then with the YouTube recording which has phrasing similar to what we will also perform. Our biggest challenge was the dreaded pitch drift…so please listen carefully for accurate pitch when you practice.
April 4, 2023, Music Notes
Hello Everyone,
Thanks for all of your hard work at rehearsal last night – so much accomplished!
We spent most of the evening on Sing, Wearing the Sky and I think that we made great progress. If you have time to review your own part this week, that would be super helpful – especially if you can sing along with the YouTube recording so that you are getting used to the percussion and violin parts. Deb helped Amy and me with the rhythm question in the soprano part m. 11 (thanks, Deb!) and we will make that correction next week.
March 28, 2023, Music Notes
Hello Everyone,
GREAT job at rehearsal last night! So many moments to celebrate! Hooray!
Thanks for your wonderful accompaniment, Deb! It was really fun to hear everything coming together so nicely.
March 21, 2023, Music Notes
Hello Everyone,
I hope you all are enjoying this beautiful spring day.
Welcome back, Deb! It is so wonderful to have your musical support and beautiful accompaniment – we missed you!
Please let me know if you would like to be a part of the WVC 30th Anniversary Celebration planning committee. Board members Janet Huebner and Anne Menkens have already volunteered (thanks!) to work with me on celebration plans for next fall.
March 7, 2023, Music Notes
Hello Everyone,
I thoroughly enjoyed rehearsal tonight (but I missed Deb playing the piano!). Thanks, everyone for your focus and wonderful work.
I think Jamie would be thrilled at all the takeaways from our retreat that we reviewed at rehearsal. So much to think about! I heard increased vibrancy in our ensemble sound – especially on Luminous Awakening in spite of a zillion Fs to sing in Mixolydian and Lydian – NOT EASY! Hooray! And I could definitely hear it in our rehearsal that we are reminding ourselves to prep the breath (tubes open – backs of necks tall), breathe with energy and intnetion (below the collar bones), create space for resonance, energy through the passagio F4 and F5 (for sopranos), put those low notes on a platter to maintain resonance and vibrancy, etc.
February 28, 2023, Music Notes
Hello Everyone,
Thanks for a wonderful rehearsal! I really enjoyed our energy and music-making.
I am so looking forward to our upcoming retreat.
Retreat Schedule:
9-9:30 AM Social gathering with coffee and breakfast nibbles
9:30-9:45 AM Community building
9:45 AM-12 PM Workshop with Dr. Jami Rhodes from East Carolina University
12-1 PM Lunch
1-2:30 PM Rehearse repertoire
2:30-3:30 Ireland Tour Meeting with Nathan Bramhall (Music Contact International representative) and Jackie Walters (WVC Tour Committee Chair)
February 21, 2023, Music Notes
Hello Everyone,
I thoroughly enjoyed our rehearsal tonight – hope you did, too!
This is going to be super short because I have to be up at 4 AM to get to the airport to leave for the national American Choral Directors Association conference in Cincinnati, OH and this is my only opportunity to write rehearsal notes! I have never been there and I am really looking forward to exploring a new place. I am so excited to be going and hope to learn a lot. Kay is going, too, so I am sure we will get to have some fun times together experiencing wonderful performances and sessions.
February 14, 2023, Music Notes
Hello Everyone,
Happy Valentine’s Day! I love making music with you all!
Please check your copy of Luminous Awakening – if you have #38, please let me know at rehearsal next week.
Overtone singing for Sing, Wearing the Sky:
You will sing the note written in the score – that is the fundamental. The whistle tones you will produce above the fundamental are the overtones. Overtones are always present when we sing with a resonant, energized, and supported tone – that’s what we mean when we lock in a chord (overtones locking together like magnets!) or creating a gorgeous unison. Singing on the E vowel results in the most present overtones, which is why I often ask us to sing pieces on ‘Dee’ as we are learning them, rather than the text. Once we start singing on the text and vowels change every beat or so, it is exponentially more challenging to achieve the vibrant, pingy sound that we are aiming for.
February 7, 2023, Music Notes
Hello Everyone,
I had such a fun time with you all at our last rehearsal. Wonderful singing! Woohoo!
I recommend that you write in all of your measure numbers on all of our pieces – very helpful in quickly finding a starting point in rehearsal.
Please also write the text translation in your score for any piece written in a language in which you are not fluent. You should be able to quickly reference the meaning of the text as you are singing, rather than it just being printed on the front or back cover.
January 31, 2023, Music Notes
Hello Everyone,
What fun singing through all of our spring repertoire this evening! So much wonderful material and growth opportunities are in front of us – I’m excited! Thanks, Deb, for helping us with all of our parts tonight – much appreciated!
January 22, 2023, Music Notes
Hello Everyone,
Thank you, one and all, for a wonderful concert yesterday afternoon. I loved making music with you all and thoroughly enjoyed sharing our music with our very receptive audience.
I wish you could have all heard what I was hearing from where I was standing – it was divine. I will treasure the experience. I am looking forward to listening with you at our listening party Monday night!