Dear Singers and
Parents,
It has been a
great second week! As we settle into our routines for the season, here are a
few important reminders/announcements:
- Vocalise Change in Rehearsal Time: 5:30-8:15pm. Please arrive next week by 5:25pm and be ready for the downbeat at 5:30pm!
- Ensemble A and B Split: you should all know whether you will arrive next week at 4:25pm for Musicianship A, or need to stay until 7:30pm for Musicianship B. If you do not know your placement, please email cassie@cantabile.org immediately.
- All singers: bring your own pencils and water bottles every week from now on.
- Vocalise singers: check with your parents to see if they have received the Vocalise Fall Snack assignment list, organized by student’s last name. If not, please immediately email Laura Steuer at laurafs@juno.com
What to
Practice
ENSEMBLE
The Angels Will Guide You
Home: We started the
three-part sections this week. You will soon receive an email from me
containing recordings of your parts, to make practicing easier. In the
meantime, here was the youtube video I posted last week to help you:
Those of you who
have access to a piano, spend some time plunking out your part on pages 4 and 5
– don’t forget to think about the key signature when you do this!
Jingle Bell Swing: Be careful when practicing to note the difference between
eighth rests and quarter rests. Sometimes you want to be too jazzy and turn the quarter rests into eighths, but those
quarter rests are longer than you think! One spot in particular to watch is the
quarter rest between “jingle” and “bell swing-a-long”. Go through the music and
circle the quarter rests. Then speak the text in rhythm while tapping the beat
with your hand or foot.
Here’s the youtube video from last week:
VOCALISE
The Angel: Try practicing this piece several
different ways – sing-count, sing on a “neutral syllable” (like lalala or dododo), speak the text in rhythm, or try solfege during the E major
sections. We talked about how in romantic music, key changes and chromaticism
bring changes in color and therefore in mood or character. Isn’t it interesting how many times Rachmaninoff changes
keys in this piece? CHALLENGE: Go through the music and see if you can mark all
of the key changes.
Here is a video
of a women’s chorus performing this piece just under the tempo that we took it
in rehearsal. The choir is even called “Vocalisa” - how fitting!
Salve Regina: In performance, this will move and feel
flexible. As you become more comfortable with the pitches, practice singing
your part at a very fast speed – you will need to become so comfortable with
the text and rhythm that you can constantly watch the conductor and make all of
the subtle tempo and dynamic fluctuations that you may see.
Here is a
different recording of the Busto than the one I gave you last week. You will
notice that this choir pronounces the words a little differently than we do –
that’s alright. Just listen to how flexible this performance is!
Vivos Voco: Circle ALL of the time signature
changes in the music. If there is a change at the top of a page, go back a page
and write in a reminder for yourself at the bottom of the previous page. You
never want to be surprised by a meter change. Never stop counting!
Here is the
recording from last week:
Happy
practicing, and see you next week!
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