Rehearsal Summary 11 Nov 2010

Dear Choir,

Long post tonight. I have the rehearsal schedule and program for tomorrow at the end of the post.

In the sectionals today we worked on Sing We Now of Christmas, Carol of the Magi, Go Where I Send Thee, The First Noel, and African Noel. The women probably also worked on There is No Rose. The men worked through all measures of all those with the following exceptions: we didn't get to African Noel, and we stopped at measure 50 on Carol of the Magi. The most significant things I noted were to work on the consonants and flipping r's in Sing We Now of Christmas. I don't have anything new to say about the others.

In the combined rehearsal we spent most of our time on the numbers for the thanksgiving concert: How Can I Keep From Singing, Witness, and Come Thou Fount.

• How Can I Keep From Singing - Erin told the men to sing "with fervor" at measure 47. From 52 through 65 where the words in the different parts fall on different beats (the contrapuntal polyphonic section) we have to emphasize the consonants more than we already were in the rest of the piece or it sounds like mush. The men need to be careful not to go flat in measure 68.
• Witness (or Widnuss) - We reviewed all the things I've noted before (Widnuss Witness, Mah My, Lawd Lord, men start very softly in unison, rhythm at 21, ending t in 33 and 35, campfire feel, breath after hand in 66, Lord ends in D not d, et cetera). New points were an extra long rest in 44 before we start the swing, and for the men to put extra sh on shave in 65.
• Come Thou Fount - We mostly worked on the bells and chimes. We play an A-minor chord on the down beats of measures 77 and 81. A C-major chord is played on the down beats of measures 73, 80, 85, 88. In a change from last week, the bells from 92 to the end will only be the C-major chord. In measures 92 and 93 the high bells play eighth notes and the low bells play quarter notes. In measures 94 and 95 the high bells play 16th notes (or free fast ringing) and the low bells play eighth notes. At 96 (last measure) all bells in the C-major chord ring once on the down beat and let it resonate for a beat and then mute it before the choir cuts off.We also worked on the choreography of African Noel.

The question about performing at the Mall of America has been resolved. We will not do it this year.

Call time for the concert is 6pm. Don't forget to bring your black music folders.

Erin mentioned that the rehearsal time before the concert is strictly allotted. I hope she doesn't mind me posting the schedule:

• 6:00-6:10 pm - Introductions, take places, warm-ups
• 6:10-6:20 pm - "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing"
• 6:20-6:30 pm - Global Harmony Community Chorus
• 6:30-6:40 pm - SMC Vagabonds
• 6:40-6:50 pm - MN Blue
• 6:50-7:00 pm - Caritas Vocal Ensemble
• 7:00-7:10 pm - MN Mormon Chorale and then everyone take places for "Come Thou Fount" and then exit to rooms
• 7:15 pm - Doors open
• 7:20-7:25 pm - GHCC line up outside of stake offices, all others be seated with group in back
• 7:30 pm - BEGIN!!!

The program looks like this:

Global Harmony Community Chorus

The Size of Your Heart

We Are One

South Metro Chorale Vagabonds

Lamb of God, What Wondrous Love

This Little Light of Mine

I’ll Make the Difference

Minnesota Blue

Canaan’s Land

Long Journey Home

A Beautiful Life

Congregational Hymn: All Creatures of Our God and King

Caritas Vocal Ensemble

Not One Sparrow is Forgotten

Hark, I Hear the Harps Eternal

Minnesota Mormon Chorale

How Can I Keep From Singing?

Witness

Speaker - Sara Ibis from Second Harvest

Combined Choirs

Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing (with bells)

Albin Dittli

Halloween Fun

  Getting our groove on for Noel.

 

 

 

Rehearsal Summary 4 Nov 2010

Dear Choir,

Here are my notes from choir tonight. As always please add your version in the comments.

We started with sectionals for the women together and the men together. In the men's rehearsal we did the men's verse of "How Can I Keep From Singing". I gather that the women did the women's verse. We also sight read through "Sing We Now of Christmas" and auditioned for the solos on "African Noel". On "Carols of the Night" we rehearsed measures 130 to 145. We also worked on "Carol of the Magi" where I learned that legato and dolce mean smoothly and sweetly respectively. We were scheduled to work on "Go Where I Send Thee" but we ran out of time. Perhaps the women got to it in their sectional.

In the combined rehearsal we worked on adding the Bells (and chimes) to the last part of "Come Thou Fount". On 'Witness" the women worked on sliding into measure 69 and singing "tall and dark" [and hansom?] at 77. We were reminded that my (as in my soul is a witness, pick-up to measure 85) should be pronounced mah. And witness is pronounced witnuss. We worked on "How Can I Keep From Singing". My only notes were that every time we sang past measures 42 and 43, Erin asked for better consonants and we should sing very "shaped" phrases. In fact phrasing and shaping was the main thing we worked on in "How Can I Keep From Singing". We spent the last few minutes on "Jingle Bells", which Chuck asked us to memorize.

The rehearsal list also had us rehearsing "African Noel", "The First Noel", "The 12 Days of Christmas", and "Sing We Now of Christmas". We didn't get to any of these today.

Ron Young pointed out a web site that can convert YouTube videos into MP3s and other formats so you can listen to them away from your computer. The site is dirpy.com.

The MOA has offered us the opportunity to sing on Saturday December 18th at 11am. We will be deciding next week if we will accept, so please review your plans and be prepared next week to give your input.

Albin Dittli

Rehearsal Summary 28 Oct 2010

Dear Choir,

Here are my notes from rehearsal today.

Sectionals:

Witness - See below

African Noel - See below

Carols of the Night - We have performed this number in past years. We reviewed (sight read for some) the O Holy Night verse which makes up the first half of the song.

Go Where I Send Thee - This is also a returning number. We sight read the whole song.

Combined rehearsal:

Witness - We worked on the entire piece, but focused on pages 2, 3, 5, and measure 58 to the end. We worked on pronunciation. The t in Witness should not be harsh. In fact Erin asked us to almost make it into a d. Also the vowel sound in the second syllable should be a short u as in the word "up" instead of a short e as in the word "end". We should emphasize the f in "wife" in measure 61.

How Can I Keep From Singing - We rehearsed the entire song but we spend most of our time on measures 51 to the end. The most note worthy thing from tonight's work was the word "can". Every time we sing "How can I keep ...", the emphasis should be on "can". We have to suppress the tendency to emphasis "how".

African Noel - We worked on the choreography. In some parts we move our feet in a right-left-left-right pattern. In some parts we do things with our hands and arms. These are both done facing forward or to the side at various parts of the song. If you missed it then you will just have to come to rehearsal next week and get the full version, because it is beyond my ability to describe in blog post. (I suppose my description of the choreography could fit almost anything. Oh well. The blog can't replace rehearsal.) Again, this song has to be memorized.

As before, I only have information about the men's sectional. If you have something to add (about any part of the rehearsal) please comment below.

Albin Dittli

Rehearsal Summary

Hello Choir,
I'm trying to post some notes on the rehearsals for the benefit of people who were absent and people with short memory.

The Morning Trumpet (Men's number): The men worked from the beginning to measure 68.  We focused on the staccato and accents.  We also worked on the marching beat in the bass parts from 30 to 50 and again at 65.

There is Faint Music:  In the men's sectional we practiced from measure 33 to 58.

The Twelve Days of Christmas???????: In the men's sectional we practiced from measure 34 to 69.  Note the pause before the down beat of measure 36.  Also notice that in measure 61 we changed the quarter note for "doves" to two eighth notes and added the word "and" to help with the transition to Rudolph.  This piece will have to be memorized.

Jingle bells: In the men's sectional we practiced from the beginning through about measure 35.

Gesu Bambino: In the men's sectional we practiced pages 5 and 6.

Witness: We worked on the entire song in the combined rehearsal.  In measure 33 when we sing "Marvel not", the t should come immediately.  But on the next line when we sing "repent" the t should come on the rest.  Erin asked for more consonants in measures 17 through 24 (and possibly other places as well).

How Can I Keep from Singing: In the combined rehearsal we worked on measures 51 to the end.  We worked especially on the diction (Wh in when in 51, flip r in ring in 55 and in prison in 61, etc.)

(African) Noel: In the combined rehearsal, we talked about the coda and 1st and 2nd endings (in both places) and sang through it all.  The flow (by measure numbers) is: 1-30, 23-29, 31-63, 56-62, 64, 32-46, 65-66.

Erin reminded us at the end of rehearsal that at this point we should have to notes down so that we can work on style.

Obviously, I don't have any notes from the women's sectional.  If you have anything to add please comment below.

Albin Dittli

Oct. 7th Rehearsal & Call Time for Sunday Fireside

Dear Choir,

We will be rehearsing at the Oakdale Stake Building this Thursday to help us prepare for the Fireside on Sunday.  The address is 2140 Hadley Ave N in Oakdale.  It is the church building right by the Temple.  Rehearsal will begin at 7:00pm.

The Fireside on Sunday begins at 6:30pm so our call time will be 5:30pm. Please be on time and ready to warm up at 5:30pm.  Invite your friends!  The title of the fireside is The Purpose of Temples.  According to the flyer: "Presenters will include G. Kent Archibald, President of the St. Paul Minnesota Temple, and other senior temple ministers. An opportunity for question & answers, light refreshments, and videos on temples both modern and ancient will follow."

See you in Oakdale on Thursday at 7:00pm and on Sunday at 5:30pm!

Also, Erin has been feeling very sick these past few days.  Please keep her in your prayers for a speedy recovery.

-Kendra

Fall 2010 Choir Photo

Special thanks to Jen Klingensmith for this beautiful photo of the choir! She's amazing!