Rehearsal Blog Update 11/14/2014

Dear Ensemble and Vocalise singers and families,

This is it, friends - only ONE more rehearsal at FCC for Ensemble and TWO for Vocalise before we move into concert week. At the bottom of this week’s post are very important rehearsal notes for all of your pieces, so please read carefully!

Holidays With Cantabile

Here is a brief schedule reminder – full details coming soon:

Nov 17: Vocalise rehearsal

Nov 19: Ensemble rehearsal – LAST ONE IN FCC!

Nov 24: Vocalise rehearsal – LAST ONE IN FCC!

Nov 26 – Ensemble rehearsal CANCELLED for thanksgiving

Dec 1: Dress Rehearsal #1, St. Joseph’s Cathedral, San Jose

Dec 3: Dress Rehearsal #2, St. Joseph’s Cathedral

Dec 6: Holidays with Cantabile Concert, St. Joseph’s Cathedral, 11am call, 1pm performance

Dec 8: Vocalise and Aria Recording Session (details tba)

Please note that all of these rehearsals and events are mandatory!

O Sifuni Choreography

Click HERE to see a choreography video I made for O Sifuni. Please note that to make it easier, I’ve recorded the moves as a mirror image of you, so when I move left, you move right. :) 

Ensemble Musicianship

NO musicianship homework this week – focus on memorizing ALL concert repertoire!

Ensemble and Vocalise Memorization Schedules

All pieces must be memorized for the concert!

ENSEMBLE – ALL PIECES MEMORIZED FOR NEXT WEEK. (Please note: there is no rehearsal on November 26^th due to Thanksgiving.)

VOCALISE

Due Nov 17^th: Wie Lieblich, Carols #3 (Spanish) and #9 (Spanish)

Due Nov 24^th: Fum Fum Fum

Done: It’s the Most Wonderful Time, Gloria, Silent Night, O Sifuni, Star Carol, Carols #1 (Spanish), #2 (English), #4 (Spanish), and #6 (English)

Please email Elena if you are interested in solos in O Sifuni Mungu, or Carols and Lullabies #2 (3 duets – one for each verse).

Concert Repertoire List/Order

In approximate order:

O Sifuni Mungu (All Choirs)

Prep 3 and Intermediate pieces

Cool Yule (Intermediate and Ensemble)

Inflammatus (Ensemble)

Vois Sur Ton Chemin (Ensemble)

Jesus Child (Ensemble)

Magic Prayer (Ensemble)

Bravi pieces

INTERMISSION

Aria pieces (tba)

Gloria (Vocalise)

Wie Lieblich (Vocalise)

Carols and Lullabies 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 9 + Fum, Fum, Fum

It’s the Most Wonderful Time (Ensemble, Vocalise, Bravi)

Star Carol (All Choirs)

Silent Night (All Choirs)

Ensemble Rehearsal Notes - MARK in your scores

O Sifuni Mungu

-        Learn ALL English “interjections” in case we add you to P3 and Intermediate

-        There are three choruses. The middle chorus has the empty measures that go with the “ogre” movement. Don’t sing in the rests!

-        For the key change section: altos review your notes at the key change (bottom of pg. 11), and come in on “Let all things their creator bless” along with P3 and Int to help “beef it up”. Sopranos stay on your held “D” in measure 110. All voices sing the English interjections again (including sopranos) starting on “And worship Him in humbleness”. Both parts please review your pitches on page 12 – they are different than all other “O Sifuni Mungu” lines!

-        All parts review notes (chords) on page 14 (“All men, all creatures, etc”) – these chords are different than the first time you sing this chorus on page 8-9!

-        Review notes on last page, measure 152-end

-        Watch choreography video and practice with it!

Cool Yule

-        Solos announced next Wednesday. Congratulations to all who bravely auditioned!

Inflammatus

-        Altos: in measures 41 and 43 make sure you’re singing “C-Db-Bb-C” (instead of C-C-Bb-C – that was a score error)

Vois Sur Ton Chemin

-        Listen to practice recording of spoken text (sent via email)

-        Watch conductor for tempo so this doesn’t drag

Jesus Child

-        Light, excited, like telling a story to little kids

-        Crescendo into the choruses strongly

-        Watch conductor and be ready for tempo changes in measures 33-35, 39-41, and at the end

-        Altos review all pitches

-        Memorize the dynamics of EACH verse and chorus. In general, the verses get louder as we go from beginning to end (if we sing them all at the same volume this piece will get boring!)

Magic Prayer

-        Legato, gentle, soaring like a bird in flight

-        Make sure you’re solid on your pitches – practice finding them after those long instrumental interludes

-        Memorize DYNAMICS – especially on the last page. Be ready for all crescendos/diminuendos and the final crescendo on the last phrase. Cresc. all the way through the final note to the last beat!

The Most Wonderful Time

-        Altos: please review your pitches!!!

-        All: careful of the text on the verse “with those holiday greetings…”

Star Carol

-        “See his star shining bright in the sky this Christmas night” all in ONE breath

-        “Hurry to Bethlehem…” is soft, light, energetic, and with a big “H” on “Hurry”!

-        All verses memorized except “See he lies…” (measures 28-36), which is sung by Prep 3 and Intermediate. Come in again at measure 38.

-        The chorus in measures 38-46 is legato and gentle (different from the other more spirited ones)

-        Final verse (“Let us all…”) and chorus are BIG – sing out!

Silent Night

-        Verse 1 in two parts, verses 2 and 3 in unison

-        Bravi boys sing your Bravi part

Vocalise Rehearsal Notes - MARK in your scores

O Sifuni Mungu

-        Learn ALL English “interjections” in case we add you to P3 and Intermediate

-        There are three choruses. The middle chorus has the empty measures that go with the “ogre” movement. Don’t sing in the rests!

-        Review your pitches on page 12 – they are different than all other “O Sifuni Mungu” lines

-        Review notes (chords) on page 14 (“All men, all creatures, etc”) – these chords are different than the first time you sing this chorus on page 8-9

-        Review notes on last page, measure 152-end

-        Watch choreography video and practice with it!

-        If you’re interested in any of the solos, please prepare them for next week

Gloria

-        Review as needed since you haven’t sung this in a few weeks

Wie Lieblich - Click HERE for a recording

-        Memorize all dynamics

-        Measure 12: lean into LIEB-lich

-        Measure 18: like a march

-        Measure 37: more insistent as each part enters in imitation, cresc. all the way to 49

-        Measures 70-72: A good “fp”

Carols and Lullabies - Click HERE and HERE for recordings

-        Carol #1: this one needs the most work on memorization – it’s not as easy as it seems!

-        Carol #2: Know how many measures of piano are between each verse. Light second syllables!

-        Carol #3: Those interested in solos be prepared to sing them next week

-        Carol #4: Watch Elena carefully for breaths and phrasing

-        Carol #6: Straight to the “ng” in “ding” or “dong”. Those on the first, fourth, and fifth staves on        page 49 measure 59: practice your accuracy on those quick “ding dongs”

-        Carol #9: Light, a rocking motion (rocking the Baby King to sleep). Review dynamics/accents     

The Most Wonderful Time

-        Careful of the text on the verse “with those holiday greetings…”

Star Carol

-        All verse memorized! Know your notes on the “Ahs” at rehearsal letter C

Silent Night

-        Please learn your parts for next week so that you are ready to sing through and pick this up quickly!

Happy Practicing – work hard this week!