Rudsamblog

Geographical Fugue

This is not just random words. It is a FUGUE. 

The dynamics are very important so please follow them.

Keep time, there is a tendency to speed up.

 'Tibet' is faster than you think.

When you have the 'yokohaaama, honoluuulu' rhythm eg altos, tenors after F, make the ends of the phrases exciting.

Note that at F the words go round each part, 'Yoko-', 'Yoko-', 'Yoko-', 'Yoko-', 'Hono-', 'Hono-' etc etc.

Sopranos, top of page 5, there is a semi-quaver rest before 'Yo-' which is off the beat.

Altos, at E, bottom of page 4 'Yo-ko—hama', there is a big delay so make space for it.

Tenors, bottom of page 1, 'Canada, Malaga, Rimini' etc breathe with some organisation or you will get behind and always get the ends of your words out on time or ditto.

El Grillo

Is in Italian, not Spanish so the ll does not sound like a y and a c sounds like a ch.

Get moving after the first three bars.

Cresc. bar 6 through to 'so' bar 10.

At the pause in bar 21 keep singing until Derrick indicates otherwise.

Tenors and altos, bar 6-8, please put little accents on each note; give it some life.

Altos and tenors watch, in bar 35 there is a B natural not a Bb. Also in bars 7-9 make sure the Es are well away from the preceding D naturals.

Bar 15 'Dalle, dalle, beve, beve' don't get ahead.

Do not slow down at 'Quando' bar 28.

At the end repeat from 'Quando..' bar 28 then go back to the beginning and sing through to 'cantore' bar 21, with no repeats.

 

Contrapuntal bestiale 

Derrick will begin breathing in 1. Then in 2 bar 13 where a semi-breve is equal to one bar of the previous bit. You need to have the four beat going in your head.

Tenors, keep the stress more even on the 'ba bau', don't rush the 'ba'.

Bass, don't be late bar 12.

Bar 28 (before the 3/2) Derrick will beat in 1, same tempo as the following 'Fa la las'.

At the end A, T, B for the repeat, no bar 40 back to bar 12.

Sops, Sop 1 sing the C of bar 40 and Sop 2 the G and then repeat from bar 13.

The Guerrero mass Weds and Sat.

Kyrie

No breaths within melismas.

Consonants.

Gloria

Watch your entries.

Spit out the consonants, don't let them bleed into the music.

Shape every note. Generally when going up, get louder. Going down, get softer.

Look up at end of bar 58, especially basses.

At bar 92 the tempo changes, if is slower so watch Derrick.

Basses bars 96/97 F# bar 96 changes to F natural bar 97.

Tempo change again at bar 111, picks up.

Credo

Be sure of entries. Confidence is the key, everything is off if one entry is delayed.

Ornaments need to pop out.

Make sure the stresses are in the right places.

Bar 171 'lumen de lumine' a very important part of the movement, give it gravitas.

Bar 195, tempo slows and music is homophonic, set like this so that people could hear the words.

Altos bar 224 strong stress on the 'ter-' of tertia.

Sanctus

No breaths in melismas.

Altos, bar 321 there is a beat missing so dot the first D.

'Sabaot' not th.

Hosanna

No notes

Benedictus 

Don't sing 'beh' but 'bair-nedictus', a nice open rich sound, not all nasal and ugly. Same with the 've-' of venit.

NB At the end the Hosanna is repeated.

Watch tempo and rhythm.

Basses bar 370 move it on.

Agnus Dei

Tenors and basses, bar 422-425, swap parts. Basses take over from tenors at 'nobis' bar 422 then have a break until coming back in at second note of bar 425 '(p)-aaah(cem)'. Tenors sing 'dona nobis pa-' (last note of bar 423 to first note of 425) then go back to tenor line (for 'dona' bar 425). Hope you can make sense of that!

Primera Pagina (ladies)

Ignore the little breath marks at bars 21-27. Put them back in end of bar 28. These are just little lifts, little breaths; don't sing through the notes but as if slightly delaying the next bar.

Watch tempo. It is getting slower. There is a rall. at the end but you don't start a rall. already singing more slowly!

Think that's all, Folks.

Hope some of it makes sense.