Rudsamblog

Hello luvvies....either I got off very lightly last night or I wasn't paying attention but whichever it was, I don't seem to have much to impart.

"Small group" - we're improving - yeh! Keep an eye (ear) on the dynamics and give Ollie 2 a chance to be heard when he's got the tune.
Altos, when you've got an interesting twiddly bit in the accompaniment eg bar 11 or 14 bring the volume up a little then take it back down immediately.
No splurging. (Can't quite remember what that means but don't do it , anyway).
Make sure the 'da' s are short and sharp.
Page 10/11 Sops and Altos accents on the first notes of bars 80, 81, 85 and 86.
More dynamics next week.

Portrait Gallery concert Thurs April 2nd. Arrive 5pm for rehearsal in room upstairs. Concert 6-6.30 (or a little later if Ollie's list is anything to go by).

Ollie's list (probably in the right order!):

• Kanarbik
• On Hillisuvi
• Star of the County Down (big small group)
• Miserere Nostri (small group as before ie one or two per part)
• Lulling
• Green Fir Forest
• Bog Off
• Oh Morgenstern
• Envoi
• Gaelic set
• Hide and Seek
• Ae fond Kiss
• Dieu! qu'il la fait....
• Crucifixus

Phew! More than 30 mins worth there, I think.

So.

Men and altos went with Anne to practise Crucifixus.
Tenors - all your first notes are there in the bars before you come in.
Bar 21 Tenor 1 note (D) is the same as the alto 2s have just sung. Bar 26 Tenor 1 comes in on last beat of bar.
Tenors watch last few bars - you have to go very low (and Douglas doesn't like it).
Work towards a richer sound.

Sopranos, meanwhile, had a go at Green Fir Forest. Then we joined in.
Altos and Basses come in all at the same time and with the same dynamic. All lower parts should be p rather than mp at the beginning. (And we are singing 'oo').
Bar 10 there will be a pause between the Sops 1 and 2 with the lower parts establishing the 'oo' before the 1s come in.
Page 3 COUNT.
Second system down lower parts change to 'oo' from 'mm'.
NB 'a' = 'ah' and 'e'=eu
Middle system (2nd) crescendo from the end of the 2nd bar to the end of the line.
3rd system decrescendo from second bar to the end.
Tenors - watch (somewhere) you have a Bb not a B natural.
Altogether much better.

Crucifixus
Make sure the 's's on the ends of words come together.
Page 4 2nd bar the chords all move at the same time - listen.
Also page 4 we need to try and get through the long phrases without taking breaths so take in huge lungfuls of air and do your best (my eyes will be popping out and my face bright red so keep an eye on me in case of emergency, please xx).
We mixed up to sing it and, as Susan so neatly put it, took responsibility for our own parts and it was good (except for me having a choking fit - and that was before we got to the long phrases, God help me!)
The key is to listen to each other.
Ollie has suggested we try to get a rehearsal in a space with a good acoustic so we can hear ourselves singing this properly before the concert.

Envoi
Watch the beginning, Sops 2s and Altos - it should be pp.
Sops did a lot of work on bars 27-30. It has to be said it was needed (wasn't it, Claire?) but now it's sounding very good indeed.
Sop 1 bar 28 give us a big crescendo through to bar 30.

Other things worth mentioning: John has no objection to whips being wielded (is there something you need to talk about, Susan? There are many ears ready and willing, I'm sure).
Ollie 2 has a choir sock. Just the one but a very fine one adorned with treble clefs.

Doned and didded. See you next week xx