Dear Friends,

I am pleased to report that last night's rehearsal proves that we have the potential of being a $20 choir on Sunday...and then some! Thank you all for the effort, energy, and enthusiasm that you shared on a Friday night after a long and emotional week. Today offers you the gift of vocal rest, and please take advantage of that-- please save your voice and be good to your instrument. Today also offers you the gift of space from ensemble rehearsal that you can occupy with some quiet, focused mental and spiritual practice time on your own. Revisit not just notes and rhythms, but please explore all the markings you have put in your scores and all the meaning we have worked to bring out of our pieces.

1. Recommit to sharing beginning, ending and middle consonants. Help to share and celebrate together to communicate text clarity and visceral excitement with the listener. Some of these have pitch (D'- dih, M'- mih, B'= bih, L-lih)-- others do not (T, K, CHR). All are important! I think of many examples in the MAGNIFICAT as we tell that story, in AND GOD SAID, in the Mendelssohn (sometimes we get lazy on pgs.3-4, for instance), on the releases of paceMih (in the Bach), and in ALL of our pieces. We must be consistent throughout all the repertoire-- even in the gospel style when we say, "Jesus, the light of the worl..Dih".

2. Beautify and unite in places where we have humming consonants in the midst of words, and hum with lots of breath energy and colour (m) (n) (ng). These are different than places where we've decided to add shadow vowels M' (mih) N' (nih) NG' (ngih), but no less important. There are several beautiful examples of the humming consonants in THE HILLS ARE BARE and COME NOW O PRINCE OF PEACE.

3. Remind yourself of a constant need (even in low ranges of our voices) to have that soaring, lifted singing space that changes a 'mugly'* uh to a gorgeous AH. We always have prepare space for our highest note, even when we sing our lowest note-- think of how we work on our 'oo' sighs in warmups to keep the resonant space all the way through-- that's the pedagogical idea. Some places to consider this in our program are for women in COME NOW O PRINCE OF PEACE-- be sure not to press down on this one, especially sopranos on your repeated C naturals-- think of the gentle tones lifting up, take the weight out of your voice. Never crescendo or make a phrase by adding weight-- just spin more breath! Men- take care with OF THE FATHER'S LOVE-- to be sure you are feeling the lift in your voice, freeing the tone, and not just pushing down on the notes and pushing the tone-- that was another mugly moment last night. (*'mugly', by the way, is a contraction for mucho ugly...)

4. When you intentionally and correctly take in a healthy, full, low breath, it is tempting to come in (unintentionally) louder than before. We always want healthy, full low breath spinning-- even in the quietest sections, but be careful of not just opening your mouth and letting sound come out! Always think of the CONTEXT and COLOUR and DYNAMIC of the moment, and prepare it by inhaling the space and colour of your vision of the sound to come-- for example, women, when you first enter in AND GOD SAID and then again after Zuri's solo on the ALLELUIAS, that can be so beautiful when you don't push it, but you spin it gently, drawing us in to hear the beauty and energy of your tone and the tender care that you offer to the consonants at the ends of phrases (that diction well done last night!). Another spot is p. 3 of the Mendelssohn GRANT PEACE WE PRAY when you come in women-- joining the moment with a more prayerful and hopeful spirit. rather than a demanding or agressive tone, will help your singing have life in a more radiant, beautiful way.

5. Be intentional about rhythm. An eighth note is not just somewhere between beats. It is EXACTLY halfway between one beat and the next. Our overall rhythmic sense is improving-- particularly on KEEP YOUR LAMPS last night. Always consider the inner eighth notes as you sing longer note values. If we engage more in the rhythm of the Rachmaninoff, it will be a stronger piece. If we are more definite about rhythm (that includes when notes are released, by the way!) in the Bach, it will be a stronger piece. That doesn't mean for a moment that we need to sing the pieces harder or heavier. It doesn't even mean we have to sing them choppier. It means we have to be fully aware that each note we elegantly sing occurs exactly at its place. This means we have to give up some of our own tension and relax in the groove and swing of the pieces, so that every move we make rhythmically is organically connected to the whole. This is something that is improved when our bodies are free and not stiff-- and that we can flow along with the music and be rhythmically in sync with the whole. Remember: if people wanted to see statues, they would go to the museum. You are a live, expressive, amazing work of art, and movement is part of music-- be free to flow!

6. Live in the moment! Be fully present in every moment we share together-- do not dwell on anything that might be lurking in the rear view mirror. You've passed it-- keep your eye on the ball! Don't fear a possible obstacle in a town a few pieces ahead-- don't worry about another piece when you're in the midst of singing one. It's time will come, and our preparations assure that it all have the potentional to be successful and communicative! Stay in the moment-- make the most of every part of each syllable along the way, savor your place in the sound.

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Now comes the time for details about tomorrow:

1. Those who wish to sing in the morning, we will assemble in the choir room at 9:30 and prepare Bach (DONA NOBIS PACEM) and Rachmaninoff (REJOICE, O VIRGIN) for worship.

2. We will meet in the sanctuary in your spots PROMPTLY at 3:00 p.m. so that we can warm-up and practice our procession again. Remember we will wear longsleeve bright color tops (not all red, please!) and long black skirts or pants and black shoes. Small jewelry is acceptable. We don't want you to smell too good or too bad, so have a shower but no perfume or cologne, please. At 3:15, we will move to the choir room to finish our preparations, and you will have a 15 minute break before you need to line up for hte concert. If you do not have a black folder or all the music yet, please come BEFORE 3:00, and Jeremy and I will be happy to help you.

3. After the concert, dinner will served for choir members and audience members-- anyone that wants to stay. Please feel free to join us in fellowship if you can.

Thank you all again for making my Christmastime so joyful! I can't wait to see you tomorrow. Hey, we could be at $50 choir by then.
TT