Rudsamblog

Bear with me these notes are important especially if you missed the rehearsal, Thanks

Sebastian warmed up with funny noises and some good technical hints how to breathe quietly

*Need someone for warm up and notes for next week, and the 11th please.
*
NAG 1. THERE ARE ONLY TWO MORE WEEKS BEFORE THE RECORDING. We need EVERYTHING to be polished cos there's a few retakes to be done due to noise and birds singing along. We don't want any faffing around on the Saturday. I'm afraid it means a concentrated effort. There will be breaks for tea, lunch, etc, but inbetween Ollie doesn't want to have to keep shushing folks up and waiting for faffers and whatnot. Someone suggested we take it in turns to be the shusher-up... anyway we all want the recording to be HOT. It might help if we think of it like a concert.

I think it's extra hard because there is no audience to sing to and it's not a rehearsal either, but we can't be faffing about at it.

NAG 2 Can folks let Anne know if they're free for that Carver concert in October, if you've not already done so. There shouldn't be much music to learn for this - assuming it's Scottishy stuff we've done before. It's good prestige for us
a) because it's another type of audience and
b) because it'll be a way of pushing Christmas concerts.

NAG 3 Accomodation in Sušice. Our hosts are finding it difficult to find single beds for people. Alot of their choir do not have spare rooms and are moving out of their own double beds to provide us with somewhere to sleep. Whilst some of you may regard this as an opportunity to shack up with someone in the choir you fancy!!! Others may have to be prepared to sleep on the floor.

NAG 4 On the Friday itinerary, we've a reception with the Mayor. We thought we'd take our Rudsambee t-shirts for this. If it's hot, we might not want to wear sweaty shirts for the concert, especially the men. We'll consult the wardrobe oracle on this matter when it returns from Spain...

NAG 5 Subs still being collected. Give them to you know who.

NAG 6 On the 14th of June, after the recording. CLAIRE II is doing the moon walk. Actually she's doing a half moon (walk). So please support her and give her some pennies before she decides to use the choir subs!!;)

HIDE AND SEEK - did a lot of work on this...
1) IMPORTANT - to LOOK UP and ENGAGE. The point being that the need to reflect the DRAMA, WORDS and MOOD in the piece is essential, not whether we're thinking about vaccing the carpet and washing up.
2) MP is under average loudness.
3) Page 2 - bar 17 - Tenors have the melody. If you can't hear them you are singing too loud. MARK in your music where the melody moves from part to part and if you've not got the melody, shush!
4) SPIN - close quickly onto 'n' and make it buzz (I think that meant give it some life, like it's spinning)
5) Bar 28 - 'With people to stop to hold' - WITH comes on upbeat. And this should be everyone together singing the same rhythm.
6) Page 5 - Bar 38 - Trains and Sewing machines - WORDS. The 'and' isn't important. Sewing is. (which reminds me to sew Josh's cub badges on later...)
7) Page 6 - Bar 56 - Count in quavers - & 1 2 3, 1 2, 1 2 3 - FEEL it.
8) Page 11 - F - Can't muck about with staccato. Don't hang round on 'Ransom'. Different mood. Rhythm more important than words. Consonants important. Want staccato to have a break but don't stab at it. Should still be chrisp even if it's PP
9) Page 11 - F - Sopranos don't squeak. Float on Ransom. It's PP but hard to do. Would rather you P and make a nice noise doing it!
10) Bar 11 - (I think) PP except ALTOS who can do PP +
11) Page 15 - bottom of - P and DIM. ANNA-LAUREN floats away on note when everyone else has stopped singing.
12) Bar 25 - Busy streets - Sopranos are B NOT C
13) Generally - watch dynamics. I suppose that means do them as well!
14) Quiet Breathing - There's plenty of time to breathe so use it to let the air in (as in warm up) rather than gasping in on the upbeat.
(Unfortunately when we tried that, we lost some of the rhythm because some parts were relying on other parts gaspings to know when to come in!! Just have to concentrate harder when breathing quietly!). Elaine suggested practising with a hot potato in one's mouth.

STRAY CAT
1) MEN - ain't - is on the beat
2) Last bar and last line - RHYTHM - Don't bring in Bahs before Wahs. Not syncopated.
3) WOMEN - La la la la - is TUTTI
4) Generally - know where you're going. Have a look at it because you might be getting lapsadaisical about thinking you know it.

LA LA LA J'NE LO
1) Well done says Ollie down the phone. However....
2) French could be better. Especially Verse 2 - Me's il est cocu du - like an 'e' with mouth closed. - TOUT is almost like boot.
Elaine says don't coc it up.

TORMIS No3
1) Altos are NOT coming in with a note in the chord. Nor should they be, but it has to be the right note not in chord!! Be aware!
2) Stagger breathing
3) Count on last page.
TORMIS No10
Good
NB - We'll be doing all the Tormis for the recording so put 'em all in folder

LAURIDSEN O MAGNUM
1) Well remembered.
2) Dropped a lot in pitch. SOPRANOS - go sharp rather than flat. At the breaks - top of 2nd page and page 4 - think higher. You have a breath no one else does. Use it to re-gear and think about getting back to the D. The notes inbetween aren't as important because the Altos have them. Think of phrase

ALL DID VERY WELL. (Thankyou Anne for taking rehearsal)