Rudsamblog

Before the main rehearsal, those of us who are doing the Merchants' Hall gig tomorrow night sang through most of the stuff rather quickly.
Remember to engage the audience, look as if we're enjoying ourselves etc and it will be fine.
This is the running order:

• Ae fond Kiss
• Gaelic Set
• Visur Vatnsenda Rosu
• Cauld Blaws The Wind
• Amazing Grace
• La la la Je ne l'ose dire
• Dindirin Dindirin
• Fhir a Bhata (only in an emergency)
• Auld lang syne

Sebastian - you left your music behind! We'll bring it with us.
I'll copy Anne's instructions at the end of the notes in case anyone's lost her email.

Now for the notes proper:
And we start with the quote of the night from Douglas - "So many notes!"
He did the warm-up including the 1, 121, 12321 one which I can ONLY do with my eyes shut.

There aren't many notes because we spent most of the time note-bashing what Ollie promises are the last two new pieces he will present us with before Christmas. I have witnesses.

O Nata Lux - very Morton Lauridsen. There are one or two dodgy bits which need a bit of homework. We need to observe dynamics and watch Ollie for rits etc.

Süßer die Glocken nie klingen - lots of bells involved. We sang it to la - German next week.
There are some tricky bits, particularly at the end, and check that you know what bars you're singing at the ends of the 3 verses.

Bogoroditse - Ollie recommends 5 minute chanting sessions.
Change to pronunciation - it's Ty v-zhe-nakh (not nahtch) in both 2nd bar of p2 and 3rd bar of 2nd system on p3.

Apple Tree Wassail - the sops know which bits they need to check!

O Nata Lux once more - without piano. Dodgy bits made themselves known again but pretty impressive for the first rehearsal I reckon.

Ollie is going to send round a complete list of Christmas music in the next couple of days. This will include several traditional carols which we're going to sing with a brass ensemble!

Chris is going to put O Nata Lux and the German piece on the web - he has, and also Bleak Midwinter.

Notices from Anne:
There are leaflets about Scottish Music Group workshops on the table.
Please forward the email Susan copied to you with all the Christmas concert details to all your friends. We must sell lots of tickets for Canongate.
Posters will be ready next week - be prepared to do some distribution.
CD is well on its way to being ready for pressing. John still wants suggestions for the strap-line which appears on the back of the CD - at the moment he has "27 songs, 10 languages, 500 years" but can you do better? It needs to be short and snappy - no more than one line.
There will be the usual deal for choir members - one free each then £5 for subsequent copies. Everyone else pays £9.
Kay is looking for someone to play carols for her playgroup's Christmas fair - no payment as it's a fundraising exercise. Fair is Sat 6th (same day as Canongate) from 12.30 to 3.30. If you know anyone who might like to do this please let Kay know. The person who did it last year played the violin but any instrument welcome. She's not sure if there's a piano available. (Anne has nobly volunteered if no-one else is forthcoming).

And finally, here's Anne's email with arrangements for Merchants' Hall:
"Ollie and I had a look at the venue today, a lovely building, 22 Hanover St, on the left if you come from Princes St, only a few buildings up. The event is part of a 3-day conference for the European Association of Tissue Bank specialists, ie doctors, mostly Europeans, some Americans and Australians too.
Details as follows:
6:30 warm-up and trying out location for where we will stand [so arrive before 6:30]. Room downstairs [archive room] to leave coats and bags, will be locked, and there will be fresh water there.
7:00 event begins, guests arrive in coaches [about 150 people] and go into main room for whisky tasting
7:10ish when all have a glass in hand, the President of the association introduces us and we walk in. Approx 20 - 30 minutes' singing, Scottish and other songs, Ollie to let us know songs and order. We will do brief introductions
[CHRIS: PLEASE NOTE].
7:30/7:40 we finish and are free to go.
The event goes on till 8:30pm or whenever people drift off to get dinner. If we're lucky we might be invited to have a wee dram, but don't bank on it!
Normal concert dress. No CD sales!"

Fingers crossed for the whisky!

Susan