Rudsamblog

OK so I've never done this before. Any problems or complaints, please KEEP THEM TO YOURSELF.

Small Group:
- Geograph - remember we'll have to do it in a one-er for recording. Ha-di-ha. Can't remember much more due to blind panic but watch yo-ko--ha....mas and don't forget the ma is staccato. Dynamics. A word I feel will make many an appearance in this missive.

- When I Fall in Love - Ahhh - it was lovely, Claire. And well done Sebastian, our new soloist. Dynamics. Get the doo-loos accurate. Listen and count (note to self. There may be lots of these, too).

Susan sang from behind the kitchen door as she had 'the lurgy'. There were some intermittent yowls from that direction. Was this a cat or....

Ollie had a rotten week last week. (That's what comes of missing choir practise so be warned...)
To make up for it he pinched Alison's warm-up spot. We shook a leg, played at mirror-ing and then did nursery-rhyme rounds. After that we sang ar-ay-ar-ee air. And then sang Ave Maris Stella (only connect) obeying Ollie's signals to stand on one leg. Very silly but illustrated how much attention should be paid to him while we're singing. This is especially required for the Hebrew Love Songs and En Une Seule Fleur but important at all times.

Visur
Keep breath supported throughout to avoid squeaks and dips at the beginning of phrases.
Prepare vowels: At the beginning and after rests at the end of phrases.
Altos: Bar 5/6 sustain sound through the long notes of Mitt, þitt.... ie no rests and all sound ts at the same time.
Tenors: Bar 8 keep your F# high. A brighter vowel on a (not ar) will help.
Underneath parts - soft fs on fogr etc. We don't want to hear them.
At the beginning, altos and tenors should be very quiet /- pp /rather than /p/.
Bar 17- /f/ at Þig eg.. (breakfast, anyone?) decrescendo slightly through mann-a mest and then crescendo through maedd af tara to /f/ again at bar 20 - flodi.
sest bar 22 - come off clearly and together.
KEEP BREATH SUPPORTED.

Stray Cat Strut
'A' given.
Men went off to work on bars 31-40. I hope you know what you did cos I don't.
This is fun to perform but remember, on the CD contrasts will be important. Check the dynamics.
Bar 27 - women keep /mp/. The oo should be much quieter than the men's words. Sha-la-la can be louder. Look up more. Ollie will hush us when necessary.
Men - be a little quieter on I don't bother chasing mice.... you are laid back, couldn't give a monkey's kind of cool cats.
(There's something here about ba-boom ta chah and 2nd wah but I don't know what....please help if you can).
Bar 46 - Strict rhythm. Wah comes on the beat - don't be early.

Ist Hebrew Love Song (Girlies - this is for us...)
Sopranos are - apparently - "allowed to duck out of an A".....Oliver Singleton June 4th 2008. May I suggest - unimportant and ignorant as I am - that you don't all do it at once? Perhaps you could arrange a lottery.
Be prepared to speed up after the first 2 quavers - WATCH OLLIE.
Altos - last bar, don't go to Bb, it's a B.
Watch dynamics. Note /mp/s.

Kala Kalla
Bar 50 - I shall tell you what I have written down. You tell me if you can make head or tail of it. I can't. I do apologise:
'Come in' (well, it does help) o hee lee la Ist la la after men. Speed difficult - 2 beats before LOOK UP during fermata will give speed for following bars 2/4 don't be put off.'
Hmmm. That's your lot.

La, la, la, je ne l'ose dire
Ollie was being experimental. Which resulted in quartets. So,
Verse 1: Kay, Jenny, Robin, John. Alison to sing Kay's part in Czech Republic.
Verse 2: Susan, Rachael, Chris, Sebastian.
No speed change for verses. Go like the blazes all the way through.
Don't slow down at all, ever. Learn words.
Keep very /p/ at the beginning. /ppp/ in fact. We are gossipping.
Let's go for it. (For an example of excellence at this - watch Arno. Brilliant. But I don't think you should tell him any of your secrets.)
So. Choruses, very quiet. Quartets, sing out. Contrast. "Much more interesting" says Mr Oliver Singleton.

Tormis
7, 8, 3, 10
'G' given.
no. 8 - There is always some hesitancy and confusion before the humming. Sort it.
Bar 6 - turn it into a dotted minim. Have a crotchet rest.
Anne says she got her bit wrong on the recording last time. Oooooh.
She promises not to do it again.
no. 3 - Sopranos started a bit slow. Watch Ollie. He will give you 2 beats for an-dab, an-dab.
The main thing about this one is that some sopranos don't know their words. This was evident on the last recording. Please look at them and learn them properly before the next.

Stray Cat Strut /reprise/
Jenny, you may meeow as loud as you like.
Within reason.

Czech song
A good effort at pronounciation. That's what my notes say. They also say 'aaaaagh'. I know which I think is more accurate. We worked hard on it, anyway. And it's getting easier.
Jenny tells me the men were very enthusiastic. I don't know about that. I wasn't watching.

En Une Seule Fleur
Cb given.
Beware of rits, a tempos and ralls. And rests ie bar 10. This is very important.
Start /p/ and breathy. (You don't get that chance often so make the most of it).
Silent breaths please. ( And in the Tormis).
Nobody was ready for the first rit. 'rit' means LOOK AT OLLIE.
Sopranos - bar 19; you can be much faster. Where it says 'exuberantly' you can race ahead.
Keep supported through mid-section (?!)
Keep runs sharp. (Clear-cut sharp not #-sharp, I would imagine).
Tenors - bar 18; stay on the same note.
Excellentverygood transition from middle section to end. Much applause. A very happy Ollie. HOWEVER - if you practise nothing else this week, practise this. It is hard.

Miscellaneous notage: Recording schedule handed out, plus list of songs for Czech Republic, plus list of all possible songs for recording.
Please have file in alphabetical order for recording and have all possible songs in there.
Recording day will be busy so no chat until breaks. Except for lunch the breaks are short so don't run off too far. Please wear/bring concert dress for photos at 10 o'clock. (The first break will be at 11 o'clock not 10 as written on schedule). Ollie wants the day to be as relaxed as possible but Helen wants us to get on and get things done really well and quickly. Both should be possible if there's no time-wasting and stress-building so let's all be good and quiet and focussed and get brilliant results for the CD.
Czech visit: Formations for concert to come. We will be performing the Hebrew Love Songs (yey!!) No introductions for us to do as they'll be done by them.
Committee meeting Monday 8 o'clock at Wexler's.
National Library of Scotland concert October 8th (Wednesday).

What a marathon. Sorry to go on so. Hope all is OK. Please send corrections or clarifications but no complaints.
Byeee