Week of September 23, 2019

Practice instructions

Pro Arte/Cavalieri

These instructions include the slightly different part assignments. Be sure to mark your score accordingly.

Samba Mass – Review Kyrie with solfege, then text. Sanctus – review entire movement on solfege and text. Benedictus – all parts should review solfege for mm. 5-12 (C is ‘do’). Also, work out pitches on solfege for the entire movement. When practicing the Mass movements, pay careful attention to rhythms. Write in counting, where helpful. Sing pitches while counting, as we did in rehearsal.

Part division is: S1 – Molly, Marquita, Grace, Renna and Othniel; S2 – Matilde, Lilly, Mehr and Mikhail; S3 – Kamirra, Sadie, Siara, Lauren and Chadwick.

Will There Really Be a “Morning”? – Review solfege and rhythm for the entire piece. G-flat is ‘do’. Part division is: S1 – Molly, Matilde, Grace, Marquita, Othniel, Renna, Mikhail; S2 – Lauren, Kamirra, Sadie, Siara, Chadwick, Mehr, Lilly. Chadwick and Mikhail sing one octave down.

Caritas Abundat – Work out solfege through p. 5. C is ‘do’. Part division on this piece is: 1 – Lauren, Siara, Sadie and Kamirra; 2– Chadwick, Grace, Marquita, Renna, and Molly; 3 – Othniel, Matilde, Mikhail, Lillian, and Meh

Week of September 16, 2019

Treble and Concert:

Mayan Song of Praise – review and memorize in all languages

Come, Worship the Lord – review and memorize entire piece. Pay close attention to rhythm at end of phrases.

Tutu Maramba – review Portuguese lanquage through the bottom of page 4. The last measure of page 4 through the end of page 6 is in English. Page 7 is sung in Portuguese. Practice speaking the text in rhythm, then on pitches. Part 2 singers need to review their notes on solfege. Part 1: Emily, Star, Lydia, Caleb, Zari, Trinity, Erionna; Part 2: Maria, Keziah, Chris and Evan.

Concert only:

For the Beauty of the Earth – Review stanzas 1, 2 and 5 on solfege syllables. Notice how the pitches for stanza 5 are different at the end. Memorize text for these stanzas, being careful to also memorize where to breathe and not breathe.

Sing Joyfully to God – mm.4-14 and mm. 30-end – review notes and rhythm on solfege syllables. Memorize both stanzas in this section.

Pro Arte/Cavalieri

These instructions include the slightly different part assignments. Be sure to mark your score accordingly.

Samba Mass – Review Kyrie with solfege, then text. Sanctus – review entire movement on solfege and text. Work out solfege (A is ‘do’) for your part through mm. 22. Benedictus – all parts should learn solfege for mm. 5-12 (C is ‘do’). Part division is: S1 – Molly, Marquita, Grace, Renna and Othniel; S2 – Matilde, Lilly, Mehr and Mikhail; S3 – Kamirra, Sadie, Siara, Lauren and Chadwick.

Will There Really Be a “Morning”? – Review solfege and rhythm for the entire piece. G-flat is ‘do’. Part division is: S1 – Molly, Matilde, Grace, Marquita, Othniel, Renna, Mikhail; S2 – Lauren, Kamirra, Sadie, Siara, Chadwick, Mehr, Lilly. Chadwick and Mikhail sing one octave down.

Caritas Abundat – Work out solfege through p. 5. C is ‘do’. Part division on this piece is: 1 – Lauren, Siara, Sadie and Kamirra; 2– Chadwick, Grace, Marquita, Renna, and Molly; 3 – Othniel, Matilde, Mikhail, Lillian, and Mehr

Week of September 9, 2019

Concert Choir

Mayan Song of Praise – review and memorize in all languages

Come, Worship the Lord – mm. 4-14, review melody on solfege, memorize text. Pay close attention to rhythm.

For the Beauty of the Earth – Review stanzas 1, 2 and 5 on solfege syllables. Notice how the pitches for stanza 5 are different at the end. Memorize text for these stanzas, being careful to also memorize where to breathe and not breathe.

Sing Joyfully to God – mm.4-14 – review notes and rhythm on solfege syllables. Memorize both stanzas in this section.

Pro Arte/Cavalieri

Samba Mass – Review Kyrie with solfege, then text. Sanctus – review through m. 11 on solfege and text. Work out solfege (A is ‘do’) for your part through mm. 22. Part division is: S1 – Molly, Marquita, Grace, Renna and Othniel S2 – Matilde, Lilly, Sadie and Mikhail S3 – Kamirra, Siara, Lauren and Chadwick.

Will There Really Be a “Morning”? – Review solfege and rhythm for the entire piece. G-flat is ‘do’. Part division is: S1 – Molly, Matilde, Sadie, Grace, Marquita and Renna S2 – Kamirra, Siara, Chadwick, Mikhail, Othniel and Lilly. Chadwick and Mikhail sing one octave down.

Caritas Abundat – Work out solfege through p. 5. C is ‘do’. Part division on this piece is: 1 – Grace, Renna, Matilde and Sadie, 2 – Molly, Lillian, Marquita and Mikhael (8va down), 3 – Othniel, Lauren, Siara, Chadwick (8va down) and Kamirra

All Choirs

If you have GRCC music from last year, please bring it to your next rehearsal. Thanks!

Week of May 20, 2019

Each group should carefully practice each piece they are singing between now and Tuesday’s rehearsals.  We will use our scores for the Folk Songs, except for Green Meadow .

GRCC Spring Concert

Episcopal Church of the Holy Comforter

June 2, 2019

4:00 PM

O Music                                                                                                                                   Lowell Mason

All Choirs

Jubilate!                                                                                                                                               Michael Bedford

Hine Ma Tov                                                                                                                                          Allen E. Naplan

Concert Choir

Two Singing Songs (from Singing by numbers)                                                                                    Bob Chilcott      

1.       Sing you now (from Two Singing Songs)

2.       The singing of birds

Treble and Concert Choirs

Do-Re-Mi (From “The Sound of Music”)                                                                                 Arr. Mark A. Brymer

Good Night                                                                                                                                      Dimitri Kabelevsky

Arr.  Doreen Rao

Treble Choir

Simple Gifts                                                                                                                  Aaron Copland

(1900-1990)

Transcribed for Chorus by Irving Fine

Da Pacem                                                                                                            Jeff Enns

Da pacem, Domine, in diebus nostris.  

Grant peace, Lord, in our time.

I Believe in the Sun (Lauren Relaford, soloist)                                                                                Thomas Juneau

Ich glaube an die Sonne auch wenn sie nicht scheint.

I believe in the sun even when it is not shining.

Ich glaube an die Liebe auch wenn ich sie nicht fühle.

I believe in love even when I cannot feel it

Ich glaube an Gott auch wenn er schweigt.

I believe in God even when he is silent.

At the River                                                                                                                 Aaron Copland

Choral arrangement by R. Wilding White

Concert Choir and Pro Arte

Shenandoah (Molly Gorman, soloist)                               Arranged by Mary Goetze

Wade in the Jordan River (Katherine Pierre-Louise)                                                        arr. Clifton J. Noble, Jr.

Pro Arte

Folk Songs of the Four Seasons (Excerpts)                                                                       Ralph Vaughan Williams

Spring

              The Lark in the Morning

                             May Song

              Summer

                             The Sprig of Thyme

                             The Sheep Shearing (Sung by Pro Arte)

                             The Green Meadow

Pro Arte and Concert Choirs with Treble Choir joining in singing The Green Meadow

Carmen (Children’s Chorus excerpts)                                                                                                 Georges Bizet

              No. 3, Choeur Des Gamins

              No. 26, Marche et Choeur

All Choirs

Practice notes for Friday night May 17th

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!

Week of May 6, 2019

Please refer to prior weeks’ notes.

Carmen

A direct translation for singers by Lea Frey

A Square in Seville

STREET URCHINS (CHILDREN'S CHORUS)

Avec la garde montante, nous arrivons, nous voilà! With the mounting guard, we arrive; here we are!

Sonne trompette éclatante! Ta ra ta ta ta ra ta ta. Sound, dazzling trumpet! Ta ra ta ta ta ra ta ta.

Nous marchons la tête haute comme des petits soldats, We march, heads high, like little soldiers,

Marquant, sans faire de faute, Marking, without making a mistake,

une, deux, marquant le pas. One, two, marking the step.

Les épaules en arrière et la poitrine en dehors, The shoulders back and the chest out,

Les bras de cette manière The arms in this manner

Tombant tout le long du corps. Falling right along the body.

Avec la garde montante, etc. With the mounting guard, etc.

ACT IV

CHILDREN

Les voici! les voici! Here they are! Here they are!

Voici la quadrille! Here is the cuadrilla!

THE CROWD AND CHILDREN

Les voici! Oui, les voici! Here they are! Yes, here they are!

Voici la quadrille! Here is the cuadrilla!

La quadrille des Toréros! The cuadrilla of toreros!

Sur les lances le soleil brille! On the lances the sun gleams!

En l'air, en l'air, toques et sombreros! In the air, in the air, caps and sombreros!

Les voici, voici la quadrille, etc. Here they are, here is the cuadrilla, etc.

Une autre quadrille s'avance! Another cuadrilla advances!

Voyez les picadors! Look at the picadors!

Ah! comme ils sont beaux! Ah! How handsome they are!

Ah! voyez, comme ils sont beaux! Ah! Look, how handsome they are!

Escamillo, Escamillo!

(Escamillo enters with Carmen)

C'est L'Espada, la fine lame, It is L'Espada, the fine blade,

celui qui vient terminer tout, He who comes to end it all,

qui paraît a la fin du drame, who appears at the end of the drama,

et qui frappe le dernier coup! And who raps the last blow!

Vive Escamillo! Ah, bravo! Vive Escamillo! Ah, bravo!

Les voici! Voici la quadrille, etc. Here they are! Here is the cuadrilla, etc.

translation by

Lea Frey

Copyright 1999, Lea Frey

Week of April 8, 2019

All choirs:

4/22 addition: Pronunciation guide https://www.ipasource.com/media/ipasource/cms/extra/diction/French%20Charts.pdf

Carmen is the priority! We have limited time to bring it to performance level. Please be sure to practice it every day.

I am including recordings. Please do not try to work up to tempo right away, Rather, try to increase your tempo bit by bit each day. Enjoy the process!

Carmen, No. 3 – please review pitches and French pronunciation. As always, it is helpful to drill each phrase several times in a row. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbp1jZF-D6g

Carmen, No. 26 – We sing the parts marked E (Enfants)/Children. Please be certain to have worked out all of the solfege syllables (A Major). Please note; rehearsal 31 and 32 are identical to rehearsal 51 through the beginning of 52. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYjs6waSGdY

Remember, a portion of the middle of this movement is going to be cut. Your part picks up again at 2:13 into the recording.

Carmen overview here: https://www.metopera.org/discover/synopses/carmen/

Concert and Treble:

Music for the May 7th concert:

O Music                                                          Treble and Concert Choirs                                            Lowell Mason

Jubilate!                                                      Concert Choir                                                             Michael Bedford

Good Night                                                 Treble Choir                                                            Dimitri Kabelevsky

Arr.  Doreen Rao

Hine Ma Tov                                                   Concert Choir                                                              Allen E. Naplan

No Laugh Race                                           Treble and Concert Choirs

Sing-along:

“O beautiful for spacious skies”       

“All things bright and beautiful”  - still need to distribute     

Two Singing Songs (from Singing by numbers)                                                                                    Bob Chilcott      

1.       Sing you now  (from Two Singing Songs)

2.       The singing of birds – studying this piece should be a priority

Treble and Concert Choirs

The Green Meadow (from Folk Songs of the Four Seasons)                                         Ralph Vaughan Williams

Pro Arte:

This is what we are planning to sing for our May 5th concert (Please continue reviewing):

Da Pacem                                                                                                                                                          Jeff Enns

I Believe in the Sun                                                                                                                              Thomas Juneau

Simple Gifts                                                                                                                                            Aaron Copland

(1900-1990)

Transcribed for Chorus by Irving Fine

At the River                                                                                                                                            Aaron Copland

Choral arrangement by R. Wilding White

Shenandoah                                                                                                                       Arranged by Mary Goetze

Wade in the Jordan River                                                                                                      arr. Clifton J. Noble, Jr.

Folk Songs of the Four Seasons (Excerpts)                                                                       Ralph Vaughan Williams

Spring

                           The Lark in the Morning

                           May Song

              Summer

                           The Sprig of Thyme

                           The Sheep Shearing

                           The Green Meadow

We might also sing O. Music.In addition to these, there will be two sing-along hymns.

Week of March 18, 2019

Practice Instructions and schedule for Lynchburg concert. Please follow this each day up to Saturday – This suggested practice schedule represents 70 minutes of work per day for the Pro Arte and about 35 minutes per day for the Concert Choir, depending upon how well you already know the music.

Is your dress still long enough? It will be very noticeable from the audience when you are singing up on the stage. Please let the hem down if needed or make arrangements with Mrs. Williford to look for a different dress on Saturday.

Pro Arte:

Spend 10 minutes per day reviewing the following three pieces. On Da Pacem, please work on chord tuning/getting your correct pitches. Also, please review the staggered breathing assignments.

Simple Gifts Aaron Copland

Da Pacem Jeff Enns

I Believe in the Sun (Lauren Relaford, soloist) Thomas Juneau

Spend 10 minutes per day memorizing the following 2 pieces:

Shenandoah Arranged by Mary Goetze

Pro Arte and Concert Choir:

At the River Aaron Copland Choral arrangement by R. Wilding White

Spend 50 minutes per day studying the following Folk Songs. Perfect solfege tuning as necessary. Study note and text rhythms:

p. 7 – 10 minutes – work especially hard on page 11.

p. 13 – 5 minutes

p. 17 – 5 minutes – Pro Arte sopranos should focus on descants beginning at rehearsal letter S.

p. 25 – 30 – 10 minutes (Concert Choir 5 minutes) – study endings of your part of the round. Pro Arte Soprano 1 and Alto 2 study semi-chorus parts beginning on page 29. Everyone else, please accurately learn the full chorus melody.

p. 35 – Pro Arte only – 10 minutes (Concert Choir 5 minutes) – please be able to accurately sing your part unaccompanied. Work especially hard on page 37.

p. 70 – 10 minutes (Concert Choir 5 minutes)– Pro Arte especially needs to secure parts. Please be able to accurately sing your part unaccompanied.

Pro Arte – please review descants on pp. 67-69 and pp. 60 -64 at least one time before Saturday.