Time and Concord

We'd like more of both of those, please and thank you! Not much rehearsal time left for our concert. It's our first of the season, so let's put forth our very best effort to make it all come together over the next couple of weeks. Use rehearsal tracks and recordings ad libitum! Section leaders, if you think it at all possible to gather most of your section together for a rehearsal between now and the concert, please do so. Soloists, let's plan on a time to go over your solo prior to the dress rehearsal on Friday night. Wooyoung would like the opportunity on that Friday to rehearse with the soloists immediately before the dress rehearsal between 6:30 and 7:30. Let me know when you could make it. ENJOY this music, singing with each other, and being a part of this unique and festive celebration!

Good rehearsal! Really!!

I know. We sang a lot of music last night, some of which we had not sung in a little while, and some of which is among the most difficult on our program. You may be feeling a little lost in the shuffle of all that busyness, harmony and eclectic text. What we are beginning to do is move away from our comfort zone of the rehearsal setting into the reality of how the music will sound and how we will experience the music in performance. With that in mind, I think we accomplished a LOT during our rehearsal last night. One additional thing was also accomplished...that being a sense of what we still need to work on. Along that line, there are some simple things you can do between now and next Monday.
1. Read over the words at least a few times. At the very least, be familiar with the texts so that the English itself (our native language!) is not a stumbling block.
2. Speak those words in the rhythm of the music. Remind yourself of the timing of the words, feel the beat of the music and sense the rhythms in which you will need to sing the words in real time.
3. Sing the notes - with and/or without the words, with and/or without listening to the rehearsal tracks. Know how your part sounds and how it feels and sounds to sing your part on your own.
I can't emphasize enough the importance of spending at least SOME time with the music between now and next Monday. You and everyone else will enjoy the rehearsal so much more!
Thanks for your work and dedication in making these concerts a success. See you Monday!

Nothing in my pockets?? Coulda sworn I at least brought my car keys!

Briefly,
We have a lot of the difficult music rehearsed, but need to work on polishing all what we are singing for the concert from here on out. Let's get to as much of the music as is possible next week with minimal note learning. Reinforcing what we already know and singing musically. This is always the most challenging part, but never ceases to be the most rewarding!
Thanks for your time and talents in making it all possible. See you next Monday!

What rhymes with Satyr?

We rhymed till we were blue in the face last night! Thanks to Jerry for sharing his Satyr encounter as well. Not much to say this week that I didn't say last time (see below). Please send me a message or call if you cannot access the rehearsal files. Everyone practice! Next Monday, we will review the music we rehearsed last night as well as:
finish Lift Boy
sing the beginning section of Rejoice
rehearse the new sections of Jubilate
I hope we have time to review a couple others that we haven't sung in a couple of weeks as well.
Happy October, especially you government workers! See you next week.

Important stuff (as always)

Great to have us at - pretty much - full force in rehearsal last night. It will be a good group of singers this year. I will keep to the business at hand this week since there are so many important things to let you know about.
BLOG
You have found it! Before you leave this page, please scroll to the bottom and either click the blue button that says "join this site" if you have a Google account or type in your email address in the box under "follow by email" so you can get these messages directly and as soon as they are posted.
DROPBOX
Look in your email for a message from Jean Nash through the CGA Yahoo group either today or tomorrow. You should receive one if your email address appeared on the roster circulated last night. There, you will find included the link to my Dropbox files. (I won't post that link here on our public blog.) Once there, click: Choral Guild; Rehearsal Files; Britten. Feel free to COPY and PASTE the correct files for your voice part onto your computer. Please do not DRAG the files over as this action removes them from the Dropbox completely. Use pervasively!
AUDITIONS
Returning members can go to the following new sign up for auditions over the next few weeks held prior to Monday rehearsals.
http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0A4EAEA72E5-auditions2
REHEARSAL
Good progress last night. Next week, we will rehearse the following:
Rejoice in the Lamb - all choral sections
Part Songs - yet unrehearsed passages in both
Choral Dances - especially numbers 1 and 2
Jubilate - unrehearsed soft passages
See you next week!

Gaining momentum

I was excited by the new singers in our midst last night - Wendy Cook, Duhi Schneider, Danielle Maurer and Charlie Harner. Welcome!
Two new things are also on their way - CD copies of the recordings from last season and rehearsal tracks. Jean mentioned that she would send the Dropbox link once again in her message to you, so look for it there and please "bookmark" that link in your computer's browser so you can keep finding it all year.
For next week's rehearsal, let's plan on the following:
Jubilate - begin rehearsal on this piece through page 6
BOTH part songs - Lift Boy and I Lov'd a Lass
Choral Dances - numbers 1, 2, 3 and 6
Rejoice - beginning through page 13
I will alert you as new rehearsal tracks become available for consumption. See you Monday!
Clair

Back in the Saddle (or Possessed of a Cat)

GREAT to hear you all singing again last night. We were certainly not in full force, but we had a good rehearsal. Thanks to Sheila and John for getting things off the ground in my absence. Next week:
Old Joe - begin to put the round theme together as a round. Know that tune!
Fisherman - good rehearsal on this. Maybe we will rehearse some of the harmonies if there is time.
Dances - refresh #1; rehearse #2 and #3.
Lift Boy - more rehearsal on this one with and without piano.
Jubilate - begin this one through page 4 (first section).
Rejoice - iron out the first 10 pages; rehearse "Hallelujah" section (through page 13).
That's all for now. I'm gone fishing now that Joe has found that shoal!