Rudsamblog

Hi folks. I'll try to recall the key info from last night though we did split into parts for some of the time so sopranos will need to find out what happened then!

1. The CD recording last week was very successful, nearly everything is usable, little/no traffic noise, and really good. Some editing is needed and a few may need re-recording [including Lux]. We will use St Peters for the next 2 sessions [16 April 6:30 and Sat 14 June about 9:30/10 until 5ish] so you can delete the possible Canongate session on 9 April.

2. Ollie handed out a list of the songs for the Portrait Gallery, Thursday 3 April, 6pm kick-off = 5:15pm warm-up. He will email round the order but here are the songs for those who weren't there last night so we can ALL get the songs in our folders!

• Envoi,
• Lux,
• En une seule fleur,
• Psalm 38 and 100 by Dowland [NB try to get a copy before next week if you missed these new pieces],
• Dark-eyed sailor,
• Geographical Fugue - small group,
• When I fall in love - ditto,
• O magnum mysterium by Victoria,
• the 4 Tormis pieces in this order for the concert - 7, 8, 3, 10,
• Dindirin,
• Hide and Seek.

3. Dowland Psalm 38

Watch the tuning, tenors watch F# in second line [but make sure you sing F natural in bar 1], and altos/basses Eb in bar 5. Pronunciation for wrath = ROTH not RATH. Quartets for verse 3 [probably Susan, Anne, Chris, John] and verse 8 [AnnaLauren, Natalie, Ollie and Sebastian]. Sing forward blended vowels.

4. En une seule fleur - from bar 19 to end.

This is where we split rehearsal and the sopranos went off to learn their parts/words for Tormis no 3 [don't know what they did but it sounded very good when they returned!] Then we sang this one together later when they returned.
Keep it legato for the main phrase, tu étais assez riche etc, but bouncy and lighter when it goes to the original theme- mais tu n'a pas pensé ailleurs in bar 31 etc. Be prepared for the repeat, think and look ahead and mark it . Watch Ollie for the timing [it is fast] and watch the following French words:

ailleurs = eye-er not ay-er
tu etais assez = no s pronounced
riche = pronounce the che clearly, if necessary a fraction before a breath or you'll be late with the next phrase
aime = one syllable [not em-e ]

By the end it was much better, well done. Listen to the MP3 to get your tongue round the words and fast speed.

5. O magnum mysterium [sopranos were still doing the Tormis]

Basses keep the tuning up especially from bar 40. Tenors -your G naturals need careful tuning on the last page especially from bar53, you want to sing G# but don't! Everyone -remember legato, expressive phrasing and runs.

6. Tormis

no 3
Alto/tenor/bass - sing oo not a French u [or German ü]. Remember [for the oldies like me who couldn't count] that there are 4 verses before we continue to verse 5 !

no 10
Don't sing too loud. I don't have anything else written for this one, [see above for the sopranos] but it sounded much better and more confident, we seem to be gradually getting our tongues round this one!

7. Envoi
Baritones - count for entry in bar 7 = 12345shana/shanasho.....
Sopranos watch going into bar 27 when the semiquavers are half the timing of the quaver fly, fly of the previous bar and their accents are off the beat. The important thing for everyone is to keep the 2 in a bar beat for 6/8 timing [ and mark it so you know where your beats come compared to the other parts] so if you get lost you can come back in more easily.

But he was IMPRESSED! Ollie will send round an MP3 for this, or you can hear it on Abbe Betinis's website.

8. Hide and Seek

This wasn't too bad seeing we hadn't done it for a while and didn't have all the soloists. Try to look at it if possible.

NOTICES

So a busy but very productive rehearsal. Ollie reiterated that it is ESSENTIAL that everyone really tries to come to every rehearsal in the next month or two. Some have work/holiday commitments but please try not to make any more commitments with the Portrait gallery and CD recording.

We discussed Susice, last chance to tell me if you have allergies, diet preferences or preferences for who you share with. I'll email round a list for you to check before I send it to Anezka.

We also discussed train or bus from the airport . Nearly everyone seemed to prefer the train, so perhaps we should all take the train? It has the advantage that we don't need to book, [snip] horror stories about people having to stand on buses and them being slow and uncomfortable [and possibly smoking?]. If jet2.com change the flight times again then the train would have the advantage of being more flexible. But I'll ask Anezka first about the buses ...

NB ... what you said last night about the flight changes in the email, ... the email ... says the change is on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays. I've just looked at the website and the Sunday flight is still up at 20:40 departure from Prague. The Monday flight is 17:30.

Have a good Easter, see some of you at Chris's party, and practise hard!!