Friday, November 29, 2019

 

Audio links

Trying to gather the information in one place ..

Alleluia: Incantations
pronunciation: spoken
listen: performance

Bogoroditse Devo
pronunciation: spoken
listen: performance

Dormi Jesu
listen: performance

Gloucestershire Wassail
synthesized rehearsal track: audio

If ye love me
[nothing available yet]

Immanuel oss i natt
pronunciation 1: spoken
pronunciation 2: spoken
listen: performance

Ju, jul, strålande jul
listen: performance

Kling no, klokka
[nothing available yet]

Noël nouvelet
[nothing available yet]

O magnum mysterium
[nothing available yet]

O nata lux
listen: performance

Christmas motets: O magnum mysterium
listen: performance

Christmas motets: Quem vidistis
[nothing available yet]

Christmas motets: Hodie
[nothing available yet]

Quando nascette Ninno
listen: performance

The Lamb
listen: performance

There is no rose of such virtue
[nothing available yet]

Wintertide
listen: performance

Carol y swper
watch: video
listen: performance
Also - this video is from Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog, which is deep in my "ancestral territory".
and this video and this video are also interesting and possibly useful


# posted by rudsambass @ 3:28 pm 0 comments
 

Incantations - words and pronunciation

For anyone who isn't familiar with the words and pronunciation for Incantations, here are a pdf and an mp3.

Susan



# posted by rudsambass @ 3:23 pm 0 comments
 

For plygain singers -

Without Douglas and Tobin, let's allocate parts like this:

Tenor (melody) line, top staff: John K, John W
Descant line, second staff: Jeremy, David
Bass line, bottom staff: Charlie, Gordon


We'll divide into two trios,
  • Group A: John W, Jeremy, Charlie
  • Group B: John K, David, Gordon

and split the words  (see below).   I've prepared a new "score" (downloadable via the link) with slightly revised phonetics, and with the words

  • in "regular" text for group A
  • in italic text for group B
  • in bold text when both groups sing together.
And here's the performance for reference - worth listening to while reading the phonetics.

Read on for - more performances; the phonetic text (with the allocation to groups); the Welsh text with a translation.
_________________________________________________________________
More performances:
  • This is the one that I linked from my original e-mail.
  • This is from Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog, which is deep in my "ancestral territory".
  • This and this are also interesting and possibly useful.

"Phonetic" version

1.
Group A: Kid-gan-ed dǝ-nol-yaiθ am ðið gwa-re-dɪ-gaiθ,
               Daiθ trevn ǝ Rhag-lin-yaiθ ɪ'r golai-ni,

Group B: A chaan Ha-le-lɪ'oo-ya o vawl ɪ'r Go-rɪ-cha,
                Me-ssai-a Jɪ'oo-de-a, heb de-wi;

A: Mol-yan-oon o la-wen-ɪð!
B: Gwir ǝd-yoo vod Gwa-re-dɪð!

A: ve an-oo'ɪd Kaid-wad ɪn-ni,
B: sev Krist, ǝ Bre-nɪn Yes-si,

A: Kɪn dið,
B: kɪn dið,
A+B: ǝm Meθ-lem ǝn ði-gið
         ǝ kaid Gwa-re-dɪð ar vo-rai-ðið! O we-le ðed-wɪð ðið!

2.
B: Ain Maich-yai a'n Me-ðɪg dan flang-eɬ ɪ-ðe-wɪg
     Ar ag-weð in dið-ig ǝn di-oð-ev,

A:  A'i var-ni gan Pai-lat, a'i wɪss-go me'oon sgar-lad
    Gan ðǝn-yon di-daim-laad, rhaid að-ev;

B: A  fle-θi drai-nen bɪ-gog ǝn go-ron an-rhi-ga-rog

A: A'i gos-sod me'oon moð krei-lon, ar ben Yach-aw-door dǝn-yon:

B: vel hɪn,
A: vel hɪn,
    ǝ gwɪss-gwɪd Yes-si gwɪn,
B: O dan artaiθ-yai 'n mawr-yon vai-ai, ɪ boy-nai pen ǝ brɪn.

3.
A: Dev-nǝð-yoon ain braint-yai, mai pe-rɪgl o'n ho-lai,
    Kɪn de-lo dið ang-ai,
A+B: di-hang-oon;

B: Mai heð-yoon ðið kǝ-mod a'r soo-per ǝn ba-rod
     A'r boorð wed-yai oss-od,
A+B: O brǝsh-yoon!

A: Mai'r doo'ɪ-lau vi dan hoyl-yon
B: ǝn der-bɪn plant av-rad-lon

A: i'oo-laad ǝ Gaa-nan nev-ol
B: i'oo-le-ða ǝn dra-goo-'ɪð-ol.

A: A-men.
B: A-men.
A+B: Boyd mol-yant biθ! A-men.Ha-le-lɪ'oo-ya i'r Me-ssai-a si'n ma-ðai biθ! A-men.

Welsh text and translation:

Cydganed dynoliaeth am ddydd gwaredigaeth,
Let mankind sing together for the day of salvation,

Daeth trefn y Rhagluniaeth i'r goleuni,
The light of divine providence shines out,

A chân 'Haleliwia' o fawl i'r Gorucha,
And the song "alleluya" of praise to the Highest,

Meseia Jwdea, heb dewi;
The Messiah of Judea, without restraint ["tewi" means "being silent"]

Moliannwn o lawenydd! Gwir ydyw fod Gwaredydd!
Let us praise with rejoicing! True, He is the Redeemer!

Fe anwyd Ceidwad inni, sef Crist, y Brenin Iesu,
A Saviour is born for us, that is Christ, Jesus the King,

Cyn dydd, cyn dydd ym Methlem yn ddi-gudd
Before day[break], before day, in Bethlehem in poverty [lit., "sadly"]

Y caed Gwaredydd ar foreuddydd! O wele ddedwydd ddydd!
The Redeemer is found at break of day! O see the blessed day!


Ein Meichiau a'n Meddyg dan fflangell Iddewig
Our Surety and our Healer beneath a Jewish scourge

Ar agwedd un diddig yn dioddef,
Suffering meekly,

A'i farnu gan Peilat, a'i wisgo mewn sgarlad
And his judgement by Pilate, and his clothing in scarlet

Gan ddynion dideimlad, rhaid addef;
By unfeeling men - we must confess;

A phlethu draenen bigog yn goron anrhugarog
And plaiting sharp thorns into a despicable crown

A'i gosod mewn modd creulon ar ben Iachawdwr dynion:
And putting it cruelly on the head of the Saviour of men:

Fel hyn, fel hyn y gwisgwyd Iesu gwyn,
Even so, even so was blessed Jesus clothed

O dan arteithiau ein mawrion feiau, i boenau pen y bryn.
Under the tortures of our great faults, to agonies on the hill top.


Defnyddiwn ein breintiau, mae perygl o'n holau,
Danger is close, let us use the privilege [that he offers]

Cyn delo dydd angau, dihangwn;
Before the day of death comes, let us escape;

Mae heddiw'n ddydd cymod a'r swper yn barod
Today is the day of reconciliation and the feast is ready

A'r bwrdd wedi ei osod, O brysiwn!
And the table is set, O let us make haste!

Mae'r dwylo fu dan hoelion yn derbyn plant afradlon
The hands that were nailed receive the prodigal children

I wlad y Ganaan nefol i wledda y dragwyddol.
Into the land of Canaan to feast eternally.

Amen. Amen. Boed moliant byth! Amen.
Amen. Amen. Let there be everlasting praise! Amen.

Haleliwia i'r Meseia sy'n maddau byth! Amen.
Halleluja to the ever-forgiving Messiah! Amen.


# posted by rudsambass @ 3:04 pm 0 comments
 

Notes from Rehearsal 27.11.19

present - Derrick, Klara, April, Susan, Rachael, John K, Jeremy, Gordon, Charlie, John W, Denise, Claire, Marie Claire, Kirsty
warmup - Denise
notes - Gordon

Quando
breathe in as if you're about to yawn
we've not done this for some time - learn the words!
remember its a dance 
Derrick illustrated the transformational effect of closing our books, thus watching the conductor - watch the conductor!
B - strong foundation for the melody. you only have 2 notes, so don't forget the phrasing!

Hodie
look up to Derrick for dynamics
'Gloria' - less staccato
if repeating a phrase eg 'alleluia', vary the volume, eg louder second time round
'Hodie' - come away from the 'eh'
T - worked on p50 bar 5. learn it as you're alone
B - worked on p51, 2nd bar, watch the F nat, 3rd bar quietly. p54, 3rd bar, check intervals. p55, bar 6, sing out the F sharp. work on these at home
in box 7, 'Gloria' swell to fff in 4th last bar
'Alleluia' - less emphasis on the 'yah' EXCEPT last bar

Quem
make it nice and delicate
all - make a difference at box 3
T - p40 bar 2. check at home. same with p41 bar 6 eclatant
S - p42 bar 2 nativitatem - worked on notes
A - bar 1. your entry should be like a waft of incense
B - entry at box 1 is forte but make it more smooth. at box 5, make it less cataclysmic!

Bogoro
for those of us who haven't been singing it for years, learn the words! especially because Derrick is going to go at a pace! good news is the breathing will therefore be easier
NO RIT UNTIL LAST 2 BARS

O nata lux
sing with conviction - overlapping rhythms - if sung timorously, may seem disjointed
phrases are swelling, flowing
T - tenor line is important! learn it off by heart. bar 5 note B nat
S/T - bar 12 - sounds atonal, meant to be, don't adjust your tuning. sing it like you know its right
may be another 500 years of history before you'll see these chord sequences written again

Jul
rolling. longer phrasing. watch Derrick's dynamics 

Immanuel
B/T - think of yourselves on a long boat, rowing, for hours...
Alto entry - also rowing the boat but not too fast
M-C to do the solo at the end

# posted by rudsambass @ 12:56 pm 0 comments

Thursday, November 21, 2019

 

notes from 20.11.19

hello all
We had a very productive rehearsal last night.
Noël Nouvelet:
Think long and sustained, without gaps, and with presence in the long notes. When you have the tune, phrase in an arc shape, and when you are accompanying think of lending colour to the tune. Use the dynamics. 'Bm' should be like a laser beam and the rhythm steady throughout the piece (think drumbeat).
The Lamb
Derrick will beat in quavers at the start. Sopranos, bright f-sharp, and basses don't be sharp on the a. Everyone, try to think of it as a natural tune and sing the notes as they are, without sliding between them. Basses, only sing the low e if you have it. Everyone watch the L - don't make it too long (try 'lit-tool lamb'?).
O Magnum (Poulenc)
We worked hard on this, especially on the notes at the bottom of page 4. N.b. bouche fermée should be mouth half-open. Tenors, keep the d-natural high in the 2nd bar of p 3. and write in the flat in the first bar of p 4, last note. Sopranos, first entry not so quiet, The fermata on p. 5 will be very short. Think of the piece being gorgeous, and the dynamics as colours rather than volume level. Sing it with intention and a minimum of doubt. Think of the words and keep a sense of line. The acoustic in the venues will help.
Gloucestershire Wassail
Watch Derrick, because the tempo will change with each verse. Be sillier.
Dormi Jesu
Connect bars 16 and 17 - no breath. Basses, try not to get behind. Page 6, hold the musical tension throughout, especially on 'plorat' - make it feel like an effort to get to the upper note (!). Sopranos, on the long d-sharp, start to decrescendo on the 3rd beat, and float.
Cheers
April

# posted by rudsambass @ 5:01 pm 0 comments

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

 

Monday, Nov. 19

We had a productive run-through of a number of pieces. In general we should take some time to review the text of the pieces, especially the pronunciations of our non-English works.

Please also take the time to review "O Magnum..." by Poulenc. It's been some time since we've gone over it in rehearsal, and going over the music (and recordings, as previously shared) would make a big difference. Some notes below:

Immanuel Oss I Natt
    - Everyone: words and pronunciations!
    - Basses: important to keep musical flow even if focused on keeping the beat. Cold seas!

The Lamb
    - Note rhythmic differences, mark if necessary.
    - Be alert for notes and tuning at Bass & Tenor entrance on page 2.

Noel:
    - Dynamics! There's a lot of room to play if we start quiet and are alert for crescendos.

Wassail:
    - B, T, A: keep watching for the beat at the beginning, do not rush.

Jul, Jul:
    - Words!
    - Lots of hairpin dynamics and swelling written into music. Don't get lazy about them and watch.

# posted by rudsambass @ 2:32 pm 0 comments

Saturday, November 09, 2019

 

Notes Nov 6th 2019

Notes Nov 6th, Priestfield

Hodie
We worked backwards, from the end of the piece to the beginning.
Section 6, middle system p.54 Sops check rhythm 2 bars before 7, and accuracy of notes one bar before 7.
Tenors check A sharp bar before 7.
Worked on end chords
Basses watch F sharp 2 bars before end
Section 4: write in the beats to help with rhythm.
Altos 2 bars before 6, check notes and write in beats.
Section 3: worked on this part by part.

Wintertide
Accompanying parts, sing through each the notes, giving them full length.
Melody: don't speed up

Jul, Jul
Sang through for familiarity.
Short pause in-between each 'jul'.

Quem Vidistis
We sang through this in individual parts, getting to grips with the notes in sections 3 and 4.
Section 5: worked on soprano split.
We really need to work on this ourselves at home!

Immanuel
We sang through,  write beats in.

Please note Susan's email re Monday rehearsals.
Women please bring Kling(?) to next rehearsal if you have it.

# posted by rudsambass @ 8:09 am 0 comments

Sunday, November 03, 2019

 

Wednesday 30th October

Sorry these are a bit tardy. I forgot. Oops.

There is no Rose
All
We're in Ab man. Know where the Ab is, it helps with pitching.
Yesu, not Jesu.
Take note of the dynamics, shape the lines.
Re-smiranda, connect the s and the m.
Bar 34, breathe at the end of this bar but don't take out a quarter note. And let the basses finish their line.
Bar 48 onwards, give it more life. Note the crescendo/diminuendo (basses, we need more from you). Aim for the third last bar.

Basses
Ab major, you come in on an Ab - don't overthink it. The women have an Ab as the last note of their opening section.
Lots of support needed especially in bars 16/17 where you have several Fs - they are sinking.
Resmiranda - aim for the Db in the crescendo, don't thud the C nat.
The 2nd note of the 2nd verse is an F not a Gb!
DO NOT take a breath between res- and -for bars 37/38.
Your last entry is awkward. Try to hear where the music is going and where you fit in. The pitching here is a bit muddy, think Three Blind Mice and don't sing with your chins down because you're singing low!
Also don't try to 'help' the descending notes, keep supported or you will go flat.

Tenors
Bar 20 - li-i-tle not li-te-ul, sing 2 notes on the 'li' not 3 on the 'tle'.
You are in 7ths and 2nds against the bass line in places. Do not be put off.
Awkward last entry. A major 3rd from the altos, if that helps.

Altos and Sops 1st section
Watch the intervals in the first section.
Don't plod. Don't land on the first beat of every bar eg 'is' 'such'. 
Quick consonants, don't get lazy and slur.
Don't sacrifice colour and tone for the pp.

Altos
Take care with the last two bars of the first page on 'Resmiranda', notes aren't necessarily what you'd expect.

Sopranos
2nd verse, last bar first system page 2 and first bar of second system - think about the octave Fs and less about the Eb between them.


Gloucestershire Wassail
All
In this piece every note has to sound but not every word is equally important.
Bar 20, the basses are the important ones here. Pipe down if you're not one.

Basses
Sing with a smile, it will help the tuning.
Bar 20. You have the tune, take it up and sing it out.
Get your last notes right or at least sing the same wrong notes. Very discordant at the moment. Drunkenness not an excuse!

Tenors
Seems you were perfect

Altos
Watch the rhythm of the da-das, especially where there is a tie. They are always slightly late. It will help to listen to the basses.
Don't sound bored.

Sopranos
You're doing fine, I imagine. Nothing for you either!


Noel Nouvelet
All
Know the difference between the various rythmes, they are blurring slightly.
Don't enjoy the bm bms so much because it turns into different music, don't sing 'bum', more 'bom' and think distant camels rather than Jaws.
Don't make 'doo doo's too pop-y.
Every note is important, the lengths are important. There are too many gaps at the moment, sing through.

Basses
Entry page 7, Ab Enat - tricky. Try singing the tenor line down an octave (in your head!); the Eb will be easy if you listen to tenor 2. Think about where you are going.

Basses and tenors - think about the balance between the parts on the 'bm bms' page 8.

Tenors
When you come in at 9 give it a bit more bounce. Sing as if you have the tune and don't blend into the texture.
Brighter D nat page 7, tenor 1.
Pay attention to A nats. They are not high enough.
Page 10 tenor 2s, watch the 'doo doo's. Sound like a Western at the moment!
Tenor 2 page 13, MORE!

Altos
Ping out your Noel Noel Noels.
Bar 37, this is a counter melody. Don't just 'oo' and 'ah', follow the shape of the soprano line.
At 64 you have the tune from the 1st beat not the 2nd. Sing it out.

Sopranos
Go gently with the 'No-No-No's.
From 29 give it more colour. Don't think so hard about the French, the music is more important, put the words on top of the music.

Quand Nascette Ninno 

All
Give it swing. Think waves lapping.
Dynamics, let the sun come out.


Winter tide
All
If this is to work it needs some tension. Sing as if you are walking through snow, give each note more resistance.
Connect rather than release after each melisma.
Find the line through the words when they are broken up. Remember there is a tune and take care of it.
Keep the flow.
Alto 1 and 2, basses and tenors - smooth out the broken lines, the crotchet rest is just a release.
Generally it needs to be more wistful.

Priestfield on Wednesday. See you there.
I think Susan said the lady with the fair trade goods will be there again so come prepared if there's anything you think you might 
need/want.

Apologies again for the disgraceful delay.
x












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# posted by rudsambass @ 11:30 am 0 comments

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