Practice notes for Friday:
First of all, great job last night!
No. 3 went very well! Keep working on text memory. And, remember to practice clearly articulating your consonants. The “Ta ra ta ta” sections need the most energy. Be sure your faces are up and looking at the conductor at all times. Imagine you have a trumpet bell extending from your mouth and that your sound is being sent into every corner of the theater. You may want to practice marching in time to the introduction. There isn’t a huge hurry to get down the aisle.
No. 26 needs some practice in sections. You did a great job on the entry. As I have said over and over, you can’t count on Maestro Smith to cue your entries. You must count your rests. Practice doing this several times per day, beginning with the final “Les voici” on page 45 through the top of page 50. Know how long to hold each “mil” of the word “Escamillo.” The first one is 3 beats, the second four beats, the long one on page 52 is 5 beats. I thing you were fine with the bottom of page 52 to the end. However, please review that section as well. Work with the recording, in order to get used to everything going on around you. I know all of that sound was overwhelming last night. In this movement especially, you must keep your eyes on the conductor’s beat. The Symphony Chorus will sound behind the beat because of their location in the theater. Do not try to keep with what you hear coming from them. Again, your own confidence in counting your rhythm exactly right is what will make this movement successful!
