Rudsamblog

It's me again, because we didn't notice until after the rehearsal that
nobody had been taking notes ... so here is what little I can remember
about it.

Claire gave us a vigorous physical warm-up, and Denise led a vocal
warm-up featuring some work on raising the soft palate. This worked so
well that Derrick now warns us to have ideas ready for a warm-up,
because he may invite any of us to lead a warm-up at zero notice!
Homework: be prepared.

We worked on three new pieces:

Primera pagina, a setting by Sheena of a poem by Federico Lorca. This
gave us a few difficulties at first sight, but we quickly found that the
timing issues evaporated once we got the basic pulse into our heads: a
steady and unhurried 3/4, with a triplet of quavers in the first beat,
two quavers in the second beat, with the second one tied to a crochet to
run to the end of the bar, and then back to the triplet and so on.
Nearly all problems arose from hurrying. The other issue, of course, is
notes. There are a few intervals that look tricky and unexpected, but
they are easier to sing than to look at. More homework.

Fatal la parte, a jolly little 15/16th-century ditty in mixed Spanish
and Italian by Juan del Encina. Simple block harmonies, brisk pace,
refrain in 3/4, verses in 6/8. If there are any difficulties, they are
mostly with the words, which we need to sort out by a little research.
Oh yes, and getting the (anachronism alert) key into our head before we
start. Only a little homework needed.

Se equivocó la paloma, by Carlos Guastavino (1912-2000) from Argentina.
This promises to be a beautiful song, not very complicated, but good for
showing off a bit of style. Like primera pagina, it's based on a steady
unhurried rhythmic pattern and fairly simple melodic patterns that recur
frequently. It's in F minor throughout, but I think every part gets one
or two more chromatic moments which are worth a look. Deserves a bit of
homework.