Sunday, October 20, 2019

 

Notes for October 16th

Incantations:
   - Keep the pulse going, especially tenors and basses on page 3.
   - Enunciate the 'L' so it does not sound mumbled. 
   - Sopranos be alert of F# tuning at bar 37
   - 2nd Sopranos, be secure with the C near the end of the piece.

Bogoroditsev Devo: 
   - Watch rhythm, be aware of where accents fall. 
   - Think of timpani drums. 
   - Look/turn ahead at page turns.
   - Maintain pitch at page 3
   - Basses: at the last bar, emphasis is on first note. 

The Lamb:
   - Altos: be aware of intervals at the top of page 2
   - Watch for tempo; be aware of the rhythm changes, the phrases are not identical
   - Dyanmics: piece goes from pp to mp, if the latter is too loud we may have begun too loud. 
   - Place consonants as late as possible. 

Immanuel Oss I Natt (World Carols Book):
   - Not too loud! My is loudest dynamic. 
   - Keep counting!

If Ye Love Me (Tudor Book):
   - Conducted in 2/2.
   - Watch pitches: Sopranos at bar 5; Tenors at bar 6; Basses at bar 8.
   - 'Tah' not 'Ter' in 'comforter.' Keep vowels open in general; Tenors at bar 13 with 'that'.
   - Basses: At bar 16, 'for' and ev-'er' should be similar vowels. 
   - Don't over-emphasize 'that.' 

O Nata Lux (Tudor Book):
   - Get the 'dance' rhythms in the piece, esp. the ornamentation.
   - Must listen to the other parts.
   - Be aware of text; don't emphasize the last syllables, esp. at the end of song.
   - For this piece, don't need to over-emphasize consonants. 
   



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Friday, October 11, 2019

 

Wednesday 9th


O Magnum Mysterium - Lauridson

All - think about what you are singing. Think about the words and where the stresses should go.
Take care with the first chord. Prepare properly and listen to everyone else.
Don't cut words off short and put the last consonant in the wrong place esp. when we're all singing the same thing eg 'et admirabile', the t should be attached to the a.
At bar 18 everyone needs to be careful with the tuning of '-mentum'; all a bit flat at the moment. Also get the '-cra-' in the right place.
Don't EVER breathe between the '-lu-' and '-ia' of alleluia. Stagger if necessary. The '-ia' can be a bit shorter if you need to take a breath but don't separate the syllables.

Basses
Your first note should be light. Don't push it or snatch at it. Breathe early enough.
Bar 5 sing an open 'O', more like the 'awe-' in awful, awesome etc.
Don't scoop - ever.
Control the final note.

Tenors
Tenor 2, as much A nat as possible at the beginning of bar 14, please.
Watch the tuning of the C# in bar 46 but then don't fiddle about with the tuning of 'mysterium' if it's OK - listen!
Bar 63, you have the tune. Sing it out.
There is a presumption you can switch off at bar 65. You can't. Keep going until the end of the alleluia.
Bar 69 D-G nat is a fourth - tuning.
Do not put an accent on the final '-ia'.

Altos
Bar 65, your line doesn't end until the 'alleluia' is finished. Stagger breathing if necessary.

Sopranos
Bars 13-14 connect the words.
Don't do anything on the tied G bars 14-15.
Bar 46 2nds give it more, you have the tune, ignore the mf and sing f.
Bar 50 1sts don't worry about singing '-lu-' on the G. Go for an easier open vowel sound instead.
Bar 66, your line doesn't end until the 'alleluia' is sung through. Stagger breathing if necessary.


O Magnum Mysterium - Poulenc 
We spent time on the section from 3 bars after 4 (page 3) to the end. The first few bars here are the most difficult in the piece.

All

Don't sing 'oh-w' on eg 'virgo' and 'praesepio' - should be more like the 'o-' in, say, 'octave'.
The final chord is MAJOR! 

Basses
Don't rush, the tenors have a lot to fit in. We need to hear the pulse behind 'Beata'. Subdivide the notes eg beh-eh-eh-eh ah-ah-ah-ah ta-ta-ta-ta in your head which will hold you back.

Tenors
You need to subdivide your notes too, as above. The more subdivisions the less likely you are to lose the tempo.
Keep a D nat in your head for the 'Beata' after your humming section - Eb C D nat.
Much more tenor needed at the end esp. the A nat.

Altos
There is really no time at all between the end of the humming and 'portare'. Be ready.
Stresses on 'porTAre DOMinum CHRISTum'.
3/4 bar B nat not Bb.

Sopranos
S2s jump to the alto line for 3/4 bar 'Beata virgo...' B nat C B nat.
If you don't have the high F# for the beginning of your 'bouche fermée' line don't worry, you can help with the tricky jump down to the G#.
4th bar from where we started the top G needs to be higher. Don't think about the fact that it is a Gb.
Last page, the C of '-mentum' needs to be higher. Sing 'mairntourm' (?!) not 'mentoom'. 

SATURDAY - for those singing, 4.20pm at Priestfield, please.
Programme (with introductions which have been sorted, I believe):
Daniel
Dream Angus
My Guardian Angel
Non Nobis Domine
Oro
Nor necessarily in that order.

Note for Daniel - 'servant of the Lord' should always be quieter, it is a focus point.

That's all, Folks.





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Thursday, October 03, 2019

 

notes from yesterday's rehearsal

Notes from rehearsal held on Wednesday 2 October 2019
If ye love me (Tallis) (in The Oxford Book of Tudor Anthems, p. 122)
Dormi Jesu (Abbie Betinis)
WE WERE ADVISED THAT DORMI JESU NEEDS PRACTISING AT HOME!

O Magnum Mysterium (Poulenc)
We spent the last 30 minutes looking at older material we will sing at the October concert. New members are very welcome to listen.
We will do the following:
Daniel
Sops - don't take a breath after 'Oh'
Basses - don't rush into 'that Hebrew Daniel, and don't take a breath on Servant of the Lord - don't rush tempo
Basses and Altos - Servant of the Lord - don't come off 'of' too quickly and basses, do not go flat at the end of Servant of the Lord on Lord.
All - Watch Derrick at 'Oh the King cried '  - speed up! (according to his tempo)
Tenors - E# and not E nat (Bar 60) and pitch up 'that' on 'that servant of the Lord'
Dream Angus
Throughout this piece we should all remember to always support and not to switch off, particularly when doing the accompaniment. Think of it as supporting everyone, not as playing 2nd fiddle - will help.
Abendfeier
WE WILL SING THE OTHER SONGS ON THE LIST NEXT WEEK.
Kirsty Butts
3 October 2019.





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