Thursday, November 30, 2017
Weds 29th
First things first!! There will be a party a John and Susan's after the concert at St Giles. For those who have not been to one of these before, we have a pot-luck supper, John and Susan provide baked potatoes but everyone needs to make some sort of culinary contribution. If you really are not a cook then we are always happy to have bread and cheese and crisps but, obviously, it would be a bit of a disappointment if there was a lot of that sort of thing. So, aprons on and rustle up your signature dish. Things can be delivered to J & S's earlier on the day, if necessary. Perhaps people could let me know what they intend to provide so I can keep an eye on the balance of supplies. It usually works out just fine but...
Now onto the really important stuff. LOTS OF PRACTICE AT HOME IS ESSENTIAL. 9 days and counting until Rosslyn and there was a fair amount of ghastly last night.
1. Villancico de la Falta de Fe
Sopranos, don't wait for each other. Don't be afraid of the B# in, for example, bar 18. There is no gap after the pause in bar 67 and the pause will not be a long one.
Basses, follow Derek's beat. Bar 25, LEAD. You get behind here so keep things flowing.
Everybody, bar 56 - please put in hairpins. Grow for 2 bars then away for 2 again grow for 2 and away for 2, through to end of bar 63. There is another crescendo starting in in bar 54.
Tempo, tempo, tempo.
2. Nu ist die roe van Jesse
Verse 2 will be sung SATB rather than TTBB. First sopranos only on top line.
Basses, verses 2 and 4 need a lot of work. The pitch is plummeting. Note that the A in bar 27 is a natural and watch the key in bar 67. Please look at your parts. If there is a split the bottom part is more important so sing that if you are finding the other difficult.
Altos, the last note of verse 2 is a Bb.
3. Ainsi que parmi
This is very dodgy indeed. Please have a really good look at it. Watch out for tempo changes. Watch out for everything, actually.
Basses, you need more punch.
4. Nagykaracsony
Everyone, tripletise (!) bar 55 onwards.
Basses, bar 48 page 95, open out more and give this section plenty of tone.
Altos, bar 48-50, interrupt more too.
Everyone, watch the dynamics. We don't need to be so loud at the beginning.
5. Jajang,jajang
Everyone, don't rush on the 'jajang's, when there is a crotchet, minim combi give the minim it's full value.
Pay attention to the hairpins in the final section but, altos, you don't need to exaggerate quite so much.
Bar 38, be prepared to move here. It is faster than you think.
Basses, bar 42 - watch your entry. You enter on the same note you last sang. It is also the same note as the sopranos have. Sing it with confidence. Generally, you need more weight.
Tenors, you come in on an E not a D natural.
6. Lullay
Tenors, DO NOT MISCOUNT, or an unpleasant end awaits you at the hands of Derrick. Bar 52, don't miss your entry.
Second sops, bar 15 'A child is born...' you have a jump of a 7th. Needs to be accurate.
Everyone, the tenors have a crescendo in bar 9, basses and altos should help out with this (but it's only going up to a p so...)
Bar 18/19, crescendo. Please make sure the 'lay' s both have 3 beats not two and a half.
Page 51, bar 52 there should be a crescendo through this section up to mf taking us to 'for us he died'.
Generally we need to build up to the fortes not just sing loudly when we get there. And there should be sudden changes to p when we get to 'for Jesus is his name' (eg 'upon the rod' ff to p immediately). These words are a focal point and should always be sung plaintively and without ornamentation.
If you have a hum please do it as a sort of ng but with your tongue at the front of your mouth not up at the back, makes a rounder sound.
7. Amuworu
Everyone, keep singing 4 bar phrases not 2.
Keep notes going at the end of bars eg bar 28. Smooth it all out.
May I suggest a check of pronunciation for anyone singing in small groups so that it all sounds the same...
8. Det hev
Basses, follow Derrick. And enjoy being the tonic pedal eg from bar 41. Give it laldy, sing up the octave if necessary. It needs gravitas.
The soprano solo at the end should be quieter than everyone else, angelic.
9. Dancing Day
Chaps, learn the words. They are getting muffled at the beginning and need to be clear. Don't concern yourself too much with the tricky rhythm.
10. Nino Lindo
The tenors and altos do not have the same tune in the verse. Tenors, accent the first 2 notes. Your part should be heart-wrenching!
11. Wintertide
Bass 2 don't come in before the first beat! Basses generally, be lazy! Don't get ahead.
Everyone, bar 23 watch the key change.
Don't get bored. Some of the vowels are getting flat and the lower parts need a sense of line.
Bar 16, hold on here, wait for the S2 T1 parts.
Pay attention to the dynamics.
There are note issues, people are approximating in places so please check.
'Comes the Springtime's inspiration' - stretch and meld everything.
Generally, the bottom parts need to be clearer.
12. Dixit Maria
Everyone, watch vowel sounds. Everything should sound like a 'ah', well rounded with lots of space.
Bar 42 back to Ecce, bar 22, make sure you know where you're going.
Bar 29, the 'fiat's should ping in.
This piece is all about the text. Get out of the way if you have a melisma.
Each time we sing 'secundum verbum tuum' it should grow a bit.
Tenors, at the end of bar 16 you have the tune in canon with the sopranos. You need to be heard.
Altos, bar 21, thé second note should be a D not an E as written so please change it.
Confidence with notes and rhythms, particularly the tenors.
13. Bogoroditse
Altos, Derrick will give 2 bars in.
Tenors, slightly more Ab going into page 3.
Everyone, go straight on to page 2. Don't go mad on the crescendo, not ff until last system of page.
Page 3, don't slow down until 'jako Sspassa..'
Basses, can all sing the bass 2 line at the bottom of page 2 as the A natural is not over-important.
(I have something about 1,2,3,4 basses but I don't know what it means - any ideas??)
Sopranos, you are too loud at the last bar on page 2.
White Winter Hymnal (Ladies only)
Please try to learn clapping for Monday (if you want to do it) and (everyone) work on having the music itself off by heart as soon as possible. Anyone who is unhappy about the percussion-y element may choose not to join in.
We will be singing Sleep Weel Ma Bairnie and My Guardian Angel on Wednesday next week so please bring your music. We didn't get round to Riu Riu Chiu or Apple Tree Wassail this week but the feeling is that they are both reasonably solid anyway.
Carols with the audience (at Rosslyn), O Little Town of Bethlehem and Veni, Veni.
Rehearsal at Priestfield next week.
GET PRACTISING!
Thursday, November 23, 2017
Rehearsal notes 22/11/17
Hello,
Here are notes form our rehearsal last night.
Great job done by all, especially those who took the lead in conducting, playing piano, clapping etc. Thank you.
Women Only:
Christmas Song – so very challenging! We will leave this for another year unless we feel particularly confident next week.
Winter Hymnal – Sounding promising, especially with the clapping added. Please try and learn BY HEART for next week, so we can work on dynmanics and body percussion. Think about crescendos in the line, creating a swell of sound.
Ainsi que parmi la pree
Remember John has helpfully prepared a version (https://drive.google.com/open?
Bars 24-34, and 56-67 – women esp, check accidentals and ensure you are secure with the intervals because they are not intuitive.
Bar 24 –wait for upbeat from basses
We covered a lot of the French, thanks to Kirsty assisted by Claire's specs.
Apple Tree Wasail
Re-familiarised ourselves.
Bar 18 – women, check rhythm.
Riu Riu
We sang through this, was fine, just need to practice words and check you know which part is singing which verse (sorry, I don't have this info to hand).
Wintertide
Don't rush
Be aware of who has tune and ensure they can be heard
Harmony parts, don't be too early on your chords.
Villanciro de la Falta de Fe
Basses may change 'tum' to 'tee' so they can be better heard.
Saturday, November 18, 2017
Rehearsal Notes 15th Nov
Notes for Rehearsal 15th Nov 2017
Dixit Maria
- try to make the lines more flowing, with continuous line and airflow.
- listen to the other parts - at any one time, one voice part tends to have the main motif so let that sing out. eg at the beginning, be more strong when coming in on 'dixit maria' but quieter on 'ad angeulum'
- For those using the new copies, there is a repeat from the end back to bar 22 starting on 'ecce ancila' so do make a note of this.
Bogoroditsev Devo (Arvo Part version)
- careful at the end not to slow down too soon- the rit is only 2 bars before the end. Watch Derrick to keep right!
- The transition between bottom of page two and start of page three is quick - just one beat then straight in. To make this slicker, cut a quaver off the end of the last note of page 2.
Apple Tree Wassail
- lots of fun! Need to tidy up the end, but not too much work to do!
- For those who weren't at rehearsal - bottom part is men and alto 2s, then top parts all other upper voices. Subsequently splits into three - upper voices to split the top two lines.
Riu Riu Chiu
- Again well known to just a quick tidy up needed really!
- Again for those who weren't at rehearsal, different people sing different verses: Starts with solo by John, then tutti for the chorus, verse 1 basses, verse 2 women, verse 3 tenors, verse 4 not sung, verse 5 tutti.
Nagykaraczony Ejsakajan
- Note the different tempos within the piece - starts slow then gradually faster. Don't go too fast at bar 39 (only crochet = 80)
- Sounding good - perhaps Klara can help us brush up on our hungarian?
Ja Jang
- Rhythms should be strong within this piece.
- Basses lead the piece - everyone should be listening to them, and their part should be strong.
- Bar 14 - Basses to sing right up to SAT entry. When they enter Sop/Alt/Tenor should be quieter - again this is the basses moment!
- Grace notes should come before the beat, not on the beat.
- The trickiest beat is the time signature change in 37 0 still will be conducted in 2 and keeps tempo. To be practiced again next week!
- Keep watching and focused to keep tempo, especially towards the end so we don't run out of steam.
Lullaby Carol
- Lovely singing mixed up - really helped us to hear all the parts and understand how we fit together.
- Careful with the key changes - this is where pitch is sinking.
- ATB go through bar 9 to 10. (Sopranos allowed to breath here - Kay!!)
Amuworo ayi otu nwa
- Starting with 2 voices, then 4, then 8 voices over the first page - hopefully everyone should know if they are singing or not here.
- Not too loud too soon - bar 25 mf rather than f
- Sounding good. Make sure basses strong at the end on exposed notes.
