Rudsamblog

The notices were a reminder about the AGM next week, and to say that
Peter 1 would like a break from being Minutes Secretary as he'll be away
quite a bit [see Chris's notes re that] so any volunteers? I presume
everyone else on committee [apart from Peter 2 ] is happy to continue in
their officer posts. Alison has agreed to chair, if you have anything
for the Any Other Business it would help if you could let Alison and/or
me know in advance, then we can time the meeting accordingly. Of course
we will be discussing dress! Peter 1 sent round a draft agenda and
minutes of the last AGM this week, please read/print or whatever, I
won't be making lots of copies. I will email round the accounts/balance
sheet when Dick has finished auditing it.

The other notice I gave last Wednesday was to ask everyone to confirm
that evening, if they hadn't already, whether they could accommodate any
of the Czech visitors and if so how many, whether they have a spare
bed[s], single or double, or floor space and should they bring a
sleeping-bag. I still need confirmation from Natalie, Ollie and
Christina, could you 3 email or ring me this weekend please.

I am presuming that if you said you have floor space you may be able to
get/borrow a blow-up mattress or similar, but that they should bring a
sleeping bag. If you said you have beds or sofa bed or futon, I am
presuming you will provide sheets, duvet, blankets, pillowcases? Let me
know if my assumption isn't correct! I will also assume that we will all
provide towels for them.

Jenny, Susan, Rachael and I [the witches' coven!] are meeting next week
to look at all the practical arrangements for their visit, ie meals,
lifts, daily activities, rooming arrangements. We will then let you know
what we have agreed. If you will be free in the daytime [ie Thursday 5
July, Friday 6 July] and willing to show them round, let me know. We
will presume that all our drivers will use their cars on the 3 evenings
to ferry people to and from accommodation, including possibly to hosts
who don't have cars [e.g. Elaine and Douglas].

Right, thanks for your patience, I can hear the mutters "all right for
her, free all day to do this........." Yes, good, isn't it!

Anne

You all looked blank when I said that Hide and Seek is like a Laurie Anderson piece. Her big single hit was "oh Superman" in 1981, very similar in feel to Hide and seek. Anyone interested see her website...
http://www.laurieanderson.com/library/

Quite short notes tonight, as not much of note was said. We just got down and sang.

Jenny made us do train noises and then a little bit of yodeling, both of which got people in a good mood.

Peter1 keeps going down to wherever it is he keeps going down and he'll be going down there a lot for a while. Says Ollie. As a result, P1 and Mirren will not be with us for a while - though they're not Leaving. In the meantime, Ollie is finding cover, which started this evening when we all got to WELCOME PENNY, out new (temp) Alto2. Huzzah!

We will not be doing anything more with Wade in the Water. Ollie didn't like how it sounded, so there. Nobody complained.

VISUR VATNSENDA wotsit
Remember the phrasing. It's mostly up to the Sopranos to make this song feel like more than some notes stuck together, so feel free to feel it.

AVE MARIS STELLA
will be sung by heart. Which, judging from this evening's quick couple of times through, will cause little trouble.

IF YE LOVE ME
Try to be aware of the difference between the homophonics in the first line and the contrapuntal nature of the other bits (Ollie's big words, not mine). Feel free to make this clear to the audience.
Sopranos - don't go flat, especially in Bar 5 where you want to.

SLEEP
We sang it. Then Ollie tricked everyone into singing just the beginning bit without the music, which of course meant the whole thing. Apart from when he forgot to point at the women to make them come off, it went pretty much perfectly so, no pressure to pick it up or anything, Penny?

AKANAMANDLA
Look, it's very simple. Honest. We only sing the third line once, at the very end. Sing Akanamandla; Akanamandla;
Akanamandla; Akanamandla;
Simdumazile; Simdumazile;
Simdumazile; Simdumazile;
Simsabisile; Simsabisile;
Simsabisile; Simsabisile.
Only on the last Simsabisile do we do the coda thing that used to be sung every verse. Otherwise you just sing the first two lines 6 times, twice with each word, and keep it repeating.

And remember the emphasis, which is not what it used to be (see bold).

CLOUDBURST
Whooooo. This'll be interesting. Another by Eric Whitacre (Sleep), this is a long-term project, relying on us being able to perform /without the music/ and with a piano, handbells, suspended cymbal, bass drum, tubular bells and thundersheet. Most of those Ollie has sourced, and Penny says (gosh isn't she eager!?) that she'll look into the thundersheet, possibly with a view to making one. Those of you who have a copy, look at it. It's available from iTunes for
79p if anyone has the need/ability to do such things.

There's also talk of (prompted by Natalie's request for Jewish music) Whitacre's Five Hebrew Love Songs, which would have us singing with a solo violin/string quartet, but nothing is happening with that at the moment.

HIDE AND SEEK
Well, isn't it fun? The Ransom Notes bit towards the end shouldn't be too staccato, more accented, although Ollie wants to hear rests where there should be rests. Robin gave us a delightful impassioned lecture on what the song is about - having an argument with a loved one, not being sure where it's going, realizing it's over and you don't care etc. We listened to the original in the kitchen. I expect that's on iTunes too? We're not going to notebash this particularly because it needs a lot of detailed direction, so it's important to have a good look at it in your own time.

Well, that's all I've got noted, because I missed the notices. Perhaps Anne could send round anything important that came up? AGM next week. Be there or have no say in the next 12 months of Rudsambee.

Tom did warm up with lots of suspension and amazing grapes

Walking on - it was decided to walk round Christina because there'll be space and she's only a wee thing to have to walk round.
I would have said this last night but didn't think about it till now but it's something we started doing with Frances and should perhaps keep doing. AFTER finishing a song and BEFORE starting the next one, it's a good idea to wait for a couple of seconds. It looks a bit unprofessional and messy and panicky shuffling about trying to get on to the next song asap. It's also good idea to stand a couple of seconds, acknowledge the brief applause,think about the next item and then move...

aurora - normal formation
LOOK UP it's our first song and it gives a REALLY BAD impression if we're all looking down at our copies to start a concert.
Ollie can't do anything about it if we've got our noses in folders.
We're all older than he is so have to do it ourselves...
Mind to come off the 't's' on rutilat together

bonny at morn - Shut folders
Peter move. Folks shuffle up to close gap
Peter gives a D to start
Ollie gives 1 bar
Use the EE sounds to smile. Most important, look intelligent when singing. Use your eyebrows to express interest in what you're singing.
The first verse is about agricultural disasters.
Ollie tried to demonstrate how much easier it was to smile at people you know especially when they're pulling funny faces. I think the point was you have to smile at the audience even if they don't respond.

Sovay - Keep folders shut
Move into V formation. Tip from Claire, stand so you can see over the left (or right if a man) shoulder of the person in front.
Remember turns, on the word rather than just after you've sung it and just realised.
Watch Ollie with eye corners for the end of dea.....d.
After song, Women step forward to let men in and then move.

Mihi - Open folders
Altos have had a bit of a swap round - on the front, end to middle,

• Rachael
• Mirren
• Jenny
• Susan

on the back, end to middle

• Natalie
• Anne
• Claire

Really nice, starting to sound polished
Something about bringing out parts but several people kept nicking my pencil so I missed where and when.

Vaarvindar - Stay put with folders open
Wonder if Ollie really will wear some dots - oooh how about spotty uniforms...?
Did well to remember rhythm but it got a bit sloppy in bar 17
Let's hear more alto - woooo - in bar 30

Miks e mulle - Folders open
Altos shuffle - on the front, from end to middle

• Anne
• Claire
• Jenny
• Susan

on the back, from end to
middle -

• Natalie
• Rachael
• Mirren

Remember to step forward when solo-ing
Everyone LOOOK UP. Especially when you're only humming or not doing a verse.

Sleep - Folders open
Ollie to front with music stand and baton - ooooOOOOooo!
Altos swap back to MIHI FORMATION
Use whatever copy you want but please bring the new copy with you! (whether you've punched hole in it or written in it or whatever. Ollie thinks it's pointless buying them if we don't put holes in them and use them but Susan would like to keep them nice and clean...... and let's face it once the uniform has been sorted out we'll need another ongoing debate to take it's place!!!)
this is sounding lovely it's really really good and Ollie is really excited to be singing it.
Look for something different he'll do for the last sleep
b. 46 Altos there's a break wings and of (but I think i was the only one didn't)
(footwear crisis to be solved later)

Optimist - Folders open
Stay put
Imagine a little Ollie standing in front of us being optimistic,
Shut folders and follow Ollie's bowing techniques

dle dle - Only if the audience are crazy for another song.
Watch the tempo
Ollie did lots of fast and slow conducting to prove a point (but I personally liked it speeding up and slowing down)

Douglas is bringing cds and float? Chris is bringing programmes. Please be at Portrait Gallery on QUEEN STREET as near to 5.15 as possible. We have a warm up room on top floor.

Thursday 21zt June - Possible concert - details to be confirmed.

Ollie thanked everyone for their hard work and well done.

See you later, Jenny

Good evening, here are the votes from the Polwarth jury. Sweden, un point. Oh sorry, wrong event. Here are the Notes from last Wednesday's rehearsal.

As we were a small and select band, we basically had a run-through of next week's concert (with substitute soloists where necessary) rather than attempting anything fancy. However we did start off with a cheesy chord warm-up from Ollie, followed by If Ye Love Me as further warm-up. The main things to remember with this one, as in Mihi Autem, are to think of being one voice with your part and to use nice rounded vowels throughout, not just the vowel sounds you would use in speech, even though it's in English. Very nice.

Choreography: the only two occasions when everybody moves are before and after Sovay. Otherwise just soloists and our resident flautist need to move when doing their bit. There will also be some minor shuffling among the altos (caused chiefly by me being awkward, sorry) which we'll finalise on Wednesday at Priestfield.

Aurora Rutilat
Bar 22 shouldn't be p, so if you have this written in, please remove it. This doesn't mean it should be loud though!
Bar 38 - sops & altos watch out, it's pre-nu-un-cia.

Bonny at Morn
This will be without folders so remember where the sheep is. Ollie gives only one bar intro so it's 1,2, in - sopranos be ready!
Don't let the da's go flat.
SMILE!! Ollie will try to smile throughout. We practised smiling while singing it at Claire 1's poor Mum until she felt uncomfortable. Claire 2 suggests that if you get embarrassed looking audience members in the eye while grinning inanely, the trick is to look at the centre of their foreheads.

Sovay
Don't get too carried away with the 'fun' aspect of this one, lest it all falls apart.
Turns should be ON (not before) the first word of the dialogue in each case.
Women - don't forget that the men's verse is still dialogue, so don't turn to the front at bar 26, and keep facing the men throughout their verse.
Remember the dynamics - the 'Next morning' verse should be p.
At end, turn back to the front on the second 'I'd have pulled'. Watch Ollie for the final 'd' of 'dead'.

Mihi Autem Nimis
'Very nice except for the end'.
Try if possible to memorise at least your first three bars so that you can come in without looking at the music.
Make nice round vowel sounds - don't go 'ow', especially if you come from the Manchester area! :-) The vowel in 'autem' should be closer to an 'ah'.

Vårvindar friska
Aargh! No, not a refinement to the Swedish pronunciation, merely an expression of the frustration poor Ollie must be feeling as we continue to slip into triplets. If you know the song from when we did it before, try to banish it from your memory because we always did it wrong. If it's new to you, you've got no excuse! However, we WILL correct it. We have the technology. Try exaggerating the rhythm - hang on to the crotchet and make the semi-quaver like a grace note. If it sounds silly to you, it's probably right.

By the way it's 'friska' as in 'frisky', not 'freeeeska'. Didn't like to say at the time, as everyone was getting stressed about concentrating on the rhythm, but this is starting to slip again as well.

Miks ei mulle tulnud featuring a falsetto Ollie as Susan. And then featuring Jenny as Susan.
Ollie to Jenny: See your nose?
Jenny: Yes.
Ollie: It's beautiful.
Jenny: Thank you.
Ollie: Sing down it less.
This goes for us all - the nasality in this one is good, but in moderation.

Sleep. Please pick up an official copy of this if you haven't already done so. You'll need to sign for it, and transfer all your markings etc to new copy.
This should be fluid, not 'boom boom boom' so don't breathe! (loudly). Phrasing through dynamics is the important thing here, but when singing quietly, don't do so at the expense of tone by putting too much breath in your voice, which as Ollie put it, 'isn't singing quietly, it's just not singing very well'.
Bar 17 - watch the tuning.
Bar 27 onwards should be pp/mp.
Observe all dynamics.
If sopranos need to breathe during their very long note at the end, take a breath while the others are singing 'slee-eep', rather than afterwards, then there will be less of an audible break.
'Not bad at all' considering we were missing lots of people.

Optimist's Song
This will be with folders for this concert.
Very good!

Shirt alert
There wasn't an inspection as we were so few, so if you can manage to bring your shirt to Priestfield please do so, especially if it's not been previously approved. We will take a head-count at Priestfield of who is planning to wear what colour, with a view to getting a reasonable spread across our formation (probably based on the 'parts' formation as that's the one we'll be in for most of the concert). This is just to try to avoid the scenario where we have 17 people in blue and only 3 in green, who all happen to be at one end. Therefore please be prepared to be told to swap shirts with someone else if necessary! It would also be helpful to know who has more than one alternative that they could wear or lend to someone else. If you don't have one at all (long-sleeved, darkish blue, green or turquoise), please could you let Susan know before next Wednesday. Thanks.

Don't forget next week's rehearsal is at Priestfield at 7.45.

That's all folks!

Mirren

Clare 2 did an energetic, very thorough and slighty thespian warm up.

Then the floor was handed to Ollie The Kid - the leanest, meanest (water) pistol-totin' hombre this side of Knotty Ash. There was to be no messing around tonight.

AURORA RUTILAT
Don't let the plainchant drag; keep it flowing.
Dynamics dynamics dynamics - Sheena has even written them in to give us a clue!
Watch the tuning on the open 5ths.
Sops watch your tuning on volentes bar 7. Don't linger here.
Sops bar 38 it's pre-nu-un -cia
Excellent!

MIHI AUTEM
Although the beginning is quiet, don't make it uncertain. Come in strongly (not loudly) and then pull back if necessary.

Mirren got the first shot fired at her for talking. She insists she was discussing legitimate altoid matters with Rachael so a metaphorical towel was offered and the shot withdrawn.
M and R had established that A1s and A2s need to stand together in sisterhood so this was adopted as official policy.

The aim in this piece is for each part to sound as one voice - no room for individuality here, I'm afraid.
Before you begin to sing imagine how you want your voice to sound. Aim for a pure tone with absolutely no vibrato - particularly in the sops.
Listen to all the others and try to have the same sound - vowel sounds are a particular danger area so try to blend and sound intimate.
Sway to feel the pulse if you want (in rehearsal anyway).
Bar 17 tenors watch the E natural and keep it sharp.
Ollie said 'the sopranos actually sound very nice'. There's a first time for everything :-)
'Basses mingling well'.
Bar 17 sounded a bit thin.
Sops came in wrong place in bar 24 - be careful here.
'The sound is loverly'.

VÅRVINDAR
Don't let the dotted rhythms become triplets.
We spent some time on the final page B29-B36 and took time to hear the chords properly. We're all guilty of charging through this canon bit and not listening to the other parts.
Sops keep the D# nice and sharp in B32
S&As aim for 'lun' of 'lunderna'
Störtvågen is 'sturt -vogen' - ask if you're not sure
Don't let the dotted rhythms become triplets.
Still on the last page - T&Bs more length to your notes but keep it quiet and let the upper parts come through.
Back to the beginning - write in a slight cresc in B9 then back again in B10.
Don't let the dotted rhythms become triplets. Think bouncy and imagine the semiquaver is attached to the following note, like a grace note.
Make the second vårvindar friska different to the first - the first should be a breathy stage whisper.
Sops check your notes in bar 21
'Very good well done'.
Don't let the dotted rhythms become triplets.

Meanwhile, back at MIHI, Ollie got one person to sing each part to demonstrate how different that makes it. We're looking for 'plain resonance'.
Think before you produce your first note about what your throat and ears will do.

Some yattering broke out in the back row, who were completely oblivious to the steely look that appeared in The Kid's eye as he lifted his gun and slowly took aim. Time appeared to stand still as his finger closed on the trigger....
.....unfortunately, at that very second, The Kid's mobile began ringing in his pocket and his moment shattered around him like glass falling from a window. So, the potential squirtee lived to yatter another day.

VISUR
Again, think in advance of your first note what sound you want to come out. It should be a completely different sound to that in MIHI.
Good - but think more in phrases.
Sops push a little on auguns

AVE MARIS
THINK of your sound in advance...vowel sound and note.
At the top of the second page Altos allowed a very small breath between apparuit and Maria but only if asphyxiation is imminent.
Don't come in too soon with final t's - sing appararui tappararui tquem
At the end sing genui tMaria

DLE
FROM MEMORY
'Very good'
Scrunchy chords at the start of each verse are MP

OPTIMISTS
The dynamics were rubbish
B17 P
B21 MF
B25 F
B33 tenors F, all others MF

SLEEP
Really really really nice.
Really nice.
Ollie made us sing the first bit again simply because it was so beautiful.
Small cresc up to 'beneath' in B2
Small cresc through 'resting' B9 over page
In B17 please note it switches to 4/4 so the 'd' of 'bed' comes on the 5th beat.

HIDE AND SEEK
Don't be afraid - stand up straight and sing it out!
B62 is FF then FFF. This means LOUD.
Page 8 sop solo - Christina; alto solo Rachael who gets to sing only the word h'oh

Well done - worked hard, finished late.

PS Don't let the dotted rhythms become triplets in vårvindar friska