Bravo and tonight's chorus rehearsal

·        

Big bravos to everyone for some really magnificent singing on Sunday afternoon – lots of good feedback afterwards, and a number of people who were obviously really moved.  There were a few shivers-down-the-back moments – and thank you for making an effort to come out of your copies more!

No rest for the wicked – or even for the virtuous…  We have 6 weeks to get the Christmas concert together, and we need to do some carolling reminders with the red folders.

Before tonight’s rehearsal, please get out your copy of Hope For Resolution and mark

·         From bar 10 will be done by Richmond Singers

·         From bar 30 (A) will be upper voices 3-way split

·         From bar 70 (B) will be lower voices 3-way split

·         From bar 91 (C) will be all

·         From bar 126 (E) will be ROCA on the SATB and Singers on the melody

·         From bar 145 (F) 2nd sops and 1st altos on the melody, rest of ROCA on SATB; some of Singers will do the optional semichorus

The plainsong melody goes low for upper voices and high for lower ones. Sing what you can, and fake the extremes!

High voices split

1.       Laura, Adele, Kathy H, Pat, Ruth, Mary, Elizabeth, Bernadette, Nancy, Cathy B, Genny

2.       Anna, Alison, Julia, Amy, Doris, KarenT, Kate, Heather, Christy, Lavonne, Helen, Nina

3.       Capary, Esther, Roxanne, Soyoung, Kyra, Jennifer, Glenda, KarenL, Barb, Pat, Letty

Low voices split

1.       Elizabeth, Bernadette, Nancy, Cathy B, Genny, Roger, Chris, Bob, Bill, Rick

2.       Kate, Heather, Christy, Lavonne, Helen, Nina, Don, Doug, Charles, Gordon, Peter

3.       Jennifer, Glenda, KarenL, Barb, Pat, Letty, Jorge, Barry, Graeme, Bernie, Eden, Brian, Victor

Night of Silence will be

                v.1 – Natasha Neufeld solo

                v.2 – Richmond Singers

                v.3 – ROCA does Silent Night (improve harmony) under RS melody

I’d like to get our carolling gigs set up a.s.a.p, so let me know if you hear of anywhere that wants us.

See you tonight!

Chorus Christmas Singout Opportunities

Here we come a-caroling!

First caroling request – this is with Concert Realty who does a breakfast buffet for the tenants in their two main buildings

·         Tuesday 15 December, 8-10am – 1190 Hornby St, Vancouver – just a quartet (no room for more) all of whom can hold their own parts

·         Thursday 17 December, 8-10am – 5811 Cooney Road, Richmond – could be a bigger group – this is the building with the nice atrium!

If you’re available for either, please contact me at brigid@uniserve.com  

There will be more caroling gigs, I hope, and I’ll start a signup sheet sometime soon.

Reminder: there’s the “O Canada” gig on Wednesday 25 November; I have 2 sopranos (Laura & Karen), 2 altos (Pat & Genny), 2 tenors (Don & Barry) and no basses.  Gentlemen, please? And any more voices would be welcome…

Brigid

Orchestra and Chorus Pre-Concert Reminders

REMINDERS PRE-CONCERT

Saturday:

·         on risers to start perfroming at 9:30am 

·         need to be done by 11am to allow the Orchestra to do their own rehearsal

·         TICKETS:  Please get money and unsold tickets to Karen Tardif in the Chorus this morning.

Sunday:

·         2pm sound-check to get the “organ” balanced through the house speakers

·         Ladies: new outfits;  Gentlemen: tuxes with aqua poufs

·         Everyone: please use black concert folders

·         Please leave the close-to-church parking for our audience members

Another opportunity to perform Faure for the Chorus

I am planning to feature movements of the Faure Requiem for the All Saints / All Souls 11:15am service on Sunday 1 November at St Mary's Kerrisdale.  If you're interested in being part of it, please let me know a.s.a.p, and don't hand your music in on Tuesday 26 October. 

Everyone else, I need music IN!

I will be rehearsing Thursday 28th evening, 8:15-9pm, but it'll be almost exclusively the Faure, so it's an optional rehearsal for ROCA folks. Sunday call is 10:30am for the 11:15 service.

Let me know - it's nice to be able to do something like this more than once!

Brigid

Chorus Performance Notes

Rehearsal notes – please Read, Mark, Learn and Inwardly Digest…

1.      Introit & Kyrie

·         Page 7 – much more eye-contact, please – notes are not difficult!

·         Page 8/9 – tenor and soprano melodies should be memorised and off copy

·         Page 9-10 transition: NO DIMINUENDO till bar 58

·         F onwards – you shouldn’t need to look at your music at all!

2.      Offertory

·         Tenors are flatting, mostly on the repeated B’s, 7-10, and then on the C#s, 15-18

·         As orchestra and soloist finish the Hostias at G, you need to be concentrating for the new entry and the tempo change

·         Big crescendo at 82-83 and then DON’T let it go until after the page turn

·         Bar 90 is very dangerous for early breaths – LISTEN to the altos.

·         91/92 needs careful listening; big steps going up, don’t let it sag coming down; SPIN the sound and listen to the organ for tuning. If you can’t hear it, you’re too loud!

3.      Sanctus

·         Breathe early with each phrase so you can float the sound.  Sopranos (tenors and basses too, but I hear it worst in sopranos) – the tone from B flat to C is much wider than you think, and the hooded “oo” vowel of Sanctus flats very easily.  You need to make sure that it’s always the same B flat you return to

·         After C – make sure that the 8th note pickup is only an 8th, and not a 16th – a couple of people are rushing it.

4.      Pie J – lovely, Amy!

5.      Agnus Dei

·         Another melody that needs to be memorised and right out of copy

·         C onwards; sopranos, the danger is that the first note and the last note of bar 48/50/56 etc do not always match – use your good singing technique to support all the way. You tend to pull this whole passage down…

·         E onwards – as the beginning – out of copy!

6.      Libera me

·         Be ready to explode on the “Dies Illa” after C; at D don’t let it be slower even though it’s piano, and then be ready to build to 77 and prep the diminuendo there.

·         At E, altos and basses, EYES!

·         At F, this is another “to be memorised” melody- very focused but also very quiet; it’s magical when you can get that suppressed tension into it

7.      In Paradisum

·         Sopranos, I shouldn’t need to have to do this with you four times – you know how to prep the sound, and where you need to think about going over onto a note and not climbing up to it.  You finally got what I was asking for, but you have to find a way of marking that into you copy

·         Please be very careful about the difference between dotted 8ths and even 8ths – there’s nearly always someone (not always the same person) who makes a mistake

·         Last page everyone – notes are not hard, words are not hard, OUT OF COPY, please!

I think this can be a wonderful concert – but I need 110% focus from you all, please!

Brigid

Tuesday Rehearsal at Richmond Pentecostal Church

Both the chorus and orchestra will be rehearing at the Richmond Pentecostal Church at 9300 Westminster Hwy on Tuesday, October 20th at 7:30PM.

 

Chorus Concert Dress Reminder

Women, just a reminder  that you will need black dress pants and a black camisole or t-shirt plus your snazzy new top for the concert on Oct. 25th.  If you prefer a T-shirt please make sure it is short sleeved and has a low neckline that can not be seen above the neckline of the new top.  Black hose please with black shoes.

Men, you will be wearing your tux for this concert.  Colour of poof to come at Tuesday's rehearsal, but it will be one you already have.  Please do continue to look into purchasing a black dress shirt and black dress pants as you will be needing them for the next concert. 

Awards Dinner Follow-up More singers would be great!

We have four singers (thank you guys!) – one soprano, one alto, and two tenors.  I’d really like at least a double quartet.  Any more out there?

This is for the Business Excellence Awards on Wednesday, Nov. 25.

Brigid

Wednesday, Nov. 25 Volunteers needed to sing O Canada

Paul has asked if we could get a group together for Wednesday November 25th to sing the national anthem for the Business Excellence Awards. This will be the only request from the Chamber as they are putting the 911 Awards on hold for 2016.

I will have a sign-up sheet available at the next few rehearsals.

Brigid 

Pumpkins & Paws Gala to support Richmond Animal Protection Society

Many of you know of Brigid's involvement with Richmond Animal Protection Society.  They have their big fundraising “Pumpkins & Paws Gala” on Saturday 31 October – for more info see www.rapsociety.com/  Tickets are available through RAPS, but she has a few left at the early table rate of $80. Plan your Halloween costume and come join us for an evening of fun!

Contact Brigid at brigid@uniserve.com

Brigid