Dear friends,
I look so forward to our gatherings on Saturday to celebrate Christmas Eve! What a richly joyful and reflective worship service we have to share with our congregation and community. Please remember that your friends and families can hear the service on KFOR 1240 radio (or its online stream) at 11:00 p.m. on Christmas Eve. The television broadcast will appear on FOX 42 Lincoln and Omaha and Fox Nebraska (KFXL) at midnight on Christmas Eve.
As a gentle reminder, we have agreed to be in seats in the choir robes-- dawning our robes and with all music organized in service order by 6:30 p.m. so that we can spend some gentle focused time preparing for the 7:00 service. We will then have a light meal together between services, repeating the lessons and carols at 9:00 p.m.
Thank you all for your continued service to the music ministry of our church. It is such a blessing to be with you each and every day-- but ESPECIALLY in this season!
Grace and peace,
TT
Monday, February 6, 2012
Christmas week! 12.19.2011
Dear friends,
It is impossible to thank you adequately for so fully offering your bodies, minds, spirits, and voices to our Abendmusik celebration yesterday. There was such depth to your singing, and such connection to your wonder-filled message. It is a blessing, indeed, to share in such experiences with you. If you had fun and enjoyed the music, the good news is we have an opportunity to get together to sing much of it again on Christmas Eve!
Christmas eve:
Everyone from Plymouth Choir and Abendmusik Chorus is invited to sing the 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. services on Christmas Eve. A light meal is served between services. We will recycle and reuse mostly music from our concert repertoire, but we have a few different carols to add to our mix. Here is the official schedule of what's ahead:
Christmas morning:
This year Christmas morning falls on a Sunday. Many of you have expressed concern that the choir is scheduled to sing. Please know this is not intended as a punishment. There is no expectation that many from the choir or congregation will be in worship following the overflowing experience of Christmas Eve. Please know that if you have another place you are joyful and comforted to be on Christmas Sunday morning, you should without any question be there. For those, like me, who would otherwise be alone, whose family is far away, and whose spouse will be at work, you are most welcome to come to sing in worship as we usually do on Sundays. We will have a quiet, non-extravagant, simple gathering around the story and songs of Jesus' birth. Allow our gathering at First-Plymouth to be sanctuary if you seek it. Do not feel a responsibility to leave other sanctuaries to make it to sing in choir. : ) We will meet casually at 10 a.m.
Into the new year!
We do not have rehearsal on December 28. We will sing as Plymouth Choir in worship on Sunday, January 1, meeting at 9:45 to prepare and sing WALK IN THE LIGHT-- again, come if you can; don't stress about it. Our next rehearsal as Plymouth Choir will then be Wednesday, January 4.
Abendmusik Chorus resumes on February 1 with rehearsal, and we will be in touch soon with more details when your music packets are available.
Grace and peace, and blessings on this holy week ahead...
It is impossible to thank you adequately for so fully offering your bodies, minds, spirits, and voices to our Abendmusik celebration yesterday. There was such depth to your singing, and such connection to your wonder-filled message. It is a blessing, indeed, to share in such experiences with you. If you had fun and enjoyed the music, the good news is we have an opportunity to get together to sing much of it again on Christmas Eve!
Christmas eve:
Everyone from Plymouth Choir and Abendmusik Chorus is invited to sing the 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. services on Christmas Eve. A light meal is served between services. We will recycle and reuse mostly music from our concert repertoire, but we have a few different carols to add to our mix. Here is the official schedule of what's ahead:
- Wednesday rehearsal, 7:00-9:30 p.m. We begin in the choir room, then have a break and a complete run-through with all the readings from 8:30-9:30.
- Christmas Eve (Saturday) services at 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. (warm-up at 6:00 p.m.)
Christmas morning:
This year Christmas morning falls on a Sunday. Many of you have expressed concern that the choir is scheduled to sing. Please know this is not intended as a punishment. There is no expectation that many from the choir or congregation will be in worship following the overflowing experience of Christmas Eve. Please know that if you have another place you are joyful and comforted to be on Christmas Sunday morning, you should without any question be there. For those, like me, who would otherwise be alone, whose family is far away, and whose spouse will be at work, you are most welcome to come to sing in worship as we usually do on Sundays. We will have a quiet, non-extravagant, simple gathering around the story and songs of Jesus' birth. Allow our gathering at First-Plymouth to be sanctuary if you seek it. Do not feel a responsibility to leave other sanctuaries to make it to sing in choir. : ) We will meet casually at 10 a.m.
Into the new year!
We do not have rehearsal on December 28. We will sing as Plymouth Choir in worship on Sunday, January 1, meeting at 9:45 to prepare and sing WALK IN THE LIGHT-- again, come if you can; don't stress about it. Our next rehearsal as Plymouth Choir will then be Wednesday, January 4.
Abendmusik Chorus resumes on February 1 with rehearsal, and we will be in touch soon with more details when your music packets are available.
Grace and peace, and blessings on this holy week ahead...
Welcome All Wonders! 12.17.2011
Dear friends,
Thank you for so generously, graciously sharing so much time with the choir this week as we have moved forward with our intensive preparations of this beautiful, magical Christmas concert. We have the gift of a Saturday to rest our bodies, minds, spirits, and voices before we find our way back together to share all of our individual and collective efforts with our Abendmusik community. Even on a third consecutive evening of singing, you came with abundant energy and focus tonight-- thank you all so much. We did struggle with pitch-- almost on contact we would sing a half-step low. However, we always held tune with one another across the ensemble-- we didn't pull apart. This is a sure symptom of our fatigue which caused production problems as we tried to make things happen, rather than just allowing the sound to sigh and spin. As frustrating as falling flat together is, it is also something to celebrate-- that we TOGETHER maintained our tuning even as we fell down in pitch. If some rest and restored energy can fix our production problems and keep us on pitch, we know our aural sense as a group will keep us beautifully entwined across the choir loft! : ) And, more importantly by far, we are beginning to know our music well enough to allow it to have meaning and commitment to expression. What a terrific, joyful experience we are beginning to have even with a very challenging arrangement of WAKE, AWAKE. The last few times those last 3 pages were bubbly and effervescent, and boy could they get labored and heavy if we let them... When we start to trust ourselves and one another to be easy, free, and refreshed with generous cleansing breaths, we allow the music to flow, the spirit is set free, and our voices become an instrument of the message! What a blessing to be a part of some of that transformational work this evening! : ) Every piece on the concert has a deep, rich message, and our hard work these last few days will enable us to bring meaning and heart to those messages.
Here are a few gentle practical reminders:
1. We will assemble at 2:45 on Sunday in the choir room. Jeremy and I have made an attempt to move our low basses to the center of the choir, so please do not be surprised if your chair is an a new place. We hope this will help us all anchor ourselves upon a rich foundation! : )
2. Concert dress is solid bright color, longsleeve shirt (no tie or coat) and black pants or long skirt. Please avoid fragrances or fancy jewelry or accessories.
3. Be certain that you have a black folder and that your music is gathered and organized before our Sunday warm-up.
4. Sunday morning we will sing WAKE AWAKE and WELCOME ALL WONDERS for 10:30 worship. We can meet in the choir room at 9:30. If any Abendmusik Chorus folks would like to come sing with us, you are most welcome. Please just RSVP via e-mail if you'd like to come. This will give us a few more opportunities to sing some of our more intrepid pieces together.
5. Keep on practicing! : )
Thank you all for the gift of your time, talent, energy, and enthusiasm towards our Christmas celebration, and know that I am grateful for all that we will share together and with our family and friends on Sunday.
Grace and peace and many thanks for all you are and all you do!
Thank you for so generously, graciously sharing so much time with the choir this week as we have moved forward with our intensive preparations of this beautiful, magical Christmas concert. We have the gift of a Saturday to rest our bodies, minds, spirits, and voices before we find our way back together to share all of our individual and collective efforts with our Abendmusik community. Even on a third consecutive evening of singing, you came with abundant energy and focus tonight-- thank you all so much. We did struggle with pitch-- almost on contact we would sing a half-step low. However, we always held tune with one another across the ensemble-- we didn't pull apart. This is a sure symptom of our fatigue which caused production problems as we tried to make things happen, rather than just allowing the sound to sigh and spin. As frustrating as falling flat together is, it is also something to celebrate-- that we TOGETHER maintained our tuning even as we fell down in pitch. If some rest and restored energy can fix our production problems and keep us on pitch, we know our aural sense as a group will keep us beautifully entwined across the choir loft! : ) And, more importantly by far, we are beginning to know our music well enough to allow it to have meaning and commitment to expression. What a terrific, joyful experience we are beginning to have even with a very challenging arrangement of WAKE, AWAKE. The last few times those last 3 pages were bubbly and effervescent, and boy could they get labored and heavy if we let them... When we start to trust ourselves and one another to be easy, free, and refreshed with generous cleansing breaths, we allow the music to flow, the spirit is set free, and our voices become an instrument of the message! What a blessing to be a part of some of that transformational work this evening! : ) Every piece on the concert has a deep, rich message, and our hard work these last few days will enable us to bring meaning and heart to those messages.
Here are a few gentle practical reminders:
1. We will assemble at 2:45 on Sunday in the choir room. Jeremy and I have made an attempt to move our low basses to the center of the choir, so please do not be surprised if your chair is an a new place. We hope this will help us all anchor ourselves upon a rich foundation! : )
2. Concert dress is solid bright color, longsleeve shirt (no tie or coat) and black pants or long skirt. Please avoid fragrances or fancy jewelry or accessories.
3. Be certain that you have a black folder and that your music is gathered and organized before our Sunday warm-up.
4. Sunday morning we will sing WAKE AWAKE and WELCOME ALL WONDERS for 10:30 worship. We can meet in the choir room at 9:30. If any Abendmusik Chorus folks would like to come sing with us, you are most welcome. Please just RSVP via e-mail if you'd like to come. This will give us a few more opportunities to sing some of our more intrepid pieces together.
5. Keep on practicing! : )
Thank you all for the gift of your time, talent, energy, and enthusiasm towards our Christmas celebration, and know that I am grateful for all that we will share together and with our family and friends on Sunday.
Grace and peace and many thanks for all you are and all you do!
concert week details 12.12.2011
Dear friends,
It is our big week-- HOORAY! I look so forward to making the final preparations for WELCOME ALL WONDERS, our Abendmusik Christmas celebration. Here are a few notes about this week:
Rehearsal schedule:
Wednesday, 7:00-9:30 (start in the choir room)
Thursday, 7:00-9:30 (start in the choir room)
Friday, 7:00-9:30 (start in the choir room)
Sunday, 2:45 warm-up (start in the choir room); concert at 4:00 p.m.
Tickets:
Please encourage your family and friends to come to the concert. Think about offering them tickets as an early Christmas gift-- remember choir members can receive Buy-one-get-one-free tickets if you call Becky in the ticket office by Friday night. Think about purchasing in person from Becky on Wednesday night!
Concert Dress:
We will all wear bright solid colored (jewel tones are the best!), long-sleeve shirts and long black pants/skirts and shoes. Try to avoid any eye-catching jewelry, hats, broaches, all neckties, etc.
Concert Smell:
Please use deodorant but not any fragrances (no perfume, cologne, smelly shampoo, etc.)
Folders:
Our music must be held in black folders. If you do not have one, see us Wednesday before rehearsal, or purchase one of your own before Sunday.
Practicing on your own:
Please listen to Welcome All Wonders, Wake Awake, and No Small Wonder on the blog, particularly, as these are our most challenging and least familiar pieces.
Order and logistics for concert:
We will assemble in the choir room before the concert and proceed to the narthex:
Jeremy welcomes and prays
We process prayerfully as we sing: Love Divine (pink sheet): vs. 1- women in unison; vs. 2 men in unison; vs. 3 harmony; vs. 4 all in unison
we remain standing
Zuri solo verse of I Wonder as I Wander
reflection
The Lord is the Everlasting God
please be seated for reading
please stand for Unexpected and Mysterious (white sheet to be handed out on Wednesday)
be seated for reading
please stand for O Little Town of Bethlehem (purple sheet to be handed out Wednesday)
reamin standing for reading, French horn solo verse of I Wonder as I wander
O Magnum Mysterium
please be seated for scripture reading
please stand excitedly and randomly cheering phrases of your choice: Glory to God in the Highest! Peace on Earth! Good Will to All!
excerpt from Dona nobis pacemremain standing for scripture collage
Wake, Awake
O Come All Ye Faithful (blue sheet to be handed out Wednesday)
please be seated for reflection
please stand for Before the Marvel
during introduction to Silent Night, please begin recessional to surround congregation.
Silent Night (Yellow sheet)
after this carol, gently recess to choir room for intermission
Intermission
brass plays For Unto Us a Child is born (choir gathers in narthex; small group gathers in balcony)
small group sings Behold the Child
we process joyfully (following the dancers, beginning procession as we sing stanza 1) We Three Kings (orange sheet)
remain standing as French horn plays solo verse of I Wonder as I Wander
No small wonder
please be seated for reflection and Becky's solo verse of I Wonder as I wander
please stand as introduction begins for And the Word Became Flesh
And the Word Became Flesh...segue immediately into:
O Day Full of Grace (gold sheet-- to be handed out Wednesday)
remain standing for closing prayer
Welcome All Wonders
Joy to the World (green sheet)
CELEBRATE! : )
Thanks to each and all of you for the many contributions you areoffering to our shared experience of wonder, awe, and mystery. : ) Welcome all wonders in one sight!
Grace and peace,
TT
It is our big week-- HOORAY! I look so forward to making the final preparations for WELCOME ALL WONDERS, our Abendmusik Christmas celebration. Here are a few notes about this week:
Rehearsal schedule:
Wednesday, 7:00-9:30 (start in the choir room)
Thursday, 7:00-9:30 (start in the choir room)
Friday, 7:00-9:30 (start in the choir room)
Sunday, 2:45 warm-up (start in the choir room); concert at 4:00 p.m.
Tickets:
Please encourage your family and friends to come to the concert. Think about offering them tickets as an early Christmas gift-- remember choir members can receive Buy-one-get-one-free tickets if you call Becky in the ticket office by Friday night. Think about purchasing in person from Becky on Wednesday night!
Concert Dress:
We will all wear bright solid colored (jewel tones are the best!), long-sleeve shirts and long black pants/skirts and shoes. Try to avoid any eye-catching jewelry, hats, broaches, all neckties, etc.
Concert Smell:
Please use deodorant but not any fragrances (no perfume, cologne, smelly shampoo, etc.)
Folders:
Our music must be held in black folders. If you do not have one, see us Wednesday before rehearsal, or purchase one of your own before Sunday.
Practicing on your own:
Please listen to Welcome All Wonders, Wake Awake, and No Small Wonder on the blog, particularly, as these are our most challenging and least familiar pieces.
Order and logistics for concert:
We will assemble in the choir room before the concert and proceed to the narthex:
Jeremy welcomes and prays
We process prayerfully as we sing: Love Divine (pink sheet): vs. 1- women in unison; vs. 2 men in unison; vs. 3 harmony; vs. 4 all in unison
we remain standing
Zuri solo verse of I Wonder as I Wander
reflection
The Lord is the Everlasting God
please be seated for reading
please stand for Unexpected and Mysterious (white sheet to be handed out on Wednesday)
be seated for reading
please stand for O Little Town of Bethlehem (purple sheet to be handed out Wednesday)
reamin standing for reading, French horn solo verse of I Wonder as I wander
O Magnum Mysterium
please be seated for scripture reading
please stand excitedly and randomly cheering phrases of your choice: Glory to God in the Highest! Peace on Earth! Good Will to All!
excerpt from Dona nobis pacemremain standing for scripture collage
Wake, Awake
O Come All Ye Faithful (blue sheet to be handed out Wednesday)
please be seated for reflection
please stand for Before the Marvel
during introduction to Silent Night, please begin recessional to surround congregation.
Silent Night (Yellow sheet)
after this carol, gently recess to choir room for intermission
Intermission
brass plays For Unto Us a Child is born (choir gathers in narthex; small group gathers in balcony)
small group sings Behold the Child
we process joyfully (following the dancers, beginning procession as we sing stanza 1) We Three Kings (orange sheet)
remain standing as French horn plays solo verse of I Wonder as I Wander
No small wonder
please be seated for reflection and Becky's solo verse of I Wonder as I wander
please stand as introduction begins for And the Word Became Flesh
And the Word Became Flesh...segue immediately into:
O Day Full of Grace (gold sheet-- to be handed out Wednesday)
remain standing for closing prayer
Welcome All Wonders
Joy to the World (green sheet)
CELEBRATE! : )
Thanks to each and all of you for the many contributions you areoffering to our shared experience of wonder, awe, and mystery. : ) Welcome all wonders in one sight!
Grace and peace,
TT
oops...I forgot to include this 11.17.2011
Greetings again!
Sorry for another e-mail so quickly on the heels of the earlier one from today, but I meant to share what was covered last night (for any who may have missed and for everyone to review) and what will be covered Sunday (for those who may need to miss or who wish to prepare).
From last night:
The Lord is the Everlasting God--p. 8-10 without text; p. 11-12 with text
Wake! Awake-- p. 2-7 without text
Excerpt from LIGHT FROM OUT OF DARKNESS, p. 4-8 with text
For this coming Sunday:
O Magnum Mysterium-- be sure you have markings for a read through
The Lord is the Everlasting God-- be sure you have markings, and we will review, adding text to the beginning
Wake! Awake-- be sure you have markings. We will review and add pgs. 10-12
Welcome All Wonders-- we will do a read-through and begin working
Before the Marvel-- read-through and begin working
No Small Wonder-- read-through
Grace and peace,
TT
Sorry for another e-mail so quickly on the heels of the earlier one from today, but I meant to share what was covered last night (for any who may have missed and for everyone to review) and what will be covered Sunday (for those who may need to miss or who wish to prepare).
From last night:
The Lord is the Everlasting God--p. 8-10 without text; p. 11-12 with text
Wake! Awake-- p. 2-7 without text
Excerpt from LIGHT FROM OUT OF DARKNESS, p. 4-8 with text
For this coming Sunday:
O Magnum Mysterium-- be sure you have markings for a read through
The Lord is the Everlasting God-- be sure you have markings, and we will review, adding text to the beginning
Wake! Awake-- be sure you have markings. We will review and add pgs. 10-12
Welcome All Wonders-- we will do a read-through and begin working
Before the Marvel-- read-through and begin working
No Small Wonder-- read-through
Grace and peace,
TT
It's beginning to sound a lot like Christmas... 11.17.2011
Dear friends,
What a joyful and uplifting beginning to our new edition of the Abendmusik Christmas festival. Thank you all for your attentiveness, energy, spirit, focus, and, also, for your willingness to unanimously engage in the commitment that it will take for us to sing our most beautiful concert!
As a reminder, our next rehearsal will be Sunday from 12:30-2:30 p.m. We will not have rehearsal next Wednesday as part of our Thanksgiving holiday.
I promised to send, once again, the link to our choir blog where you can find streamable recordings of many of our pieces as well as links to pdfs that contain markings that you should copy into your scores before our next rehearsal. Please make every attempt to do this:
http://firstplymouthchoir.
For those who struggle with technology (which includes me!), I have attached the pdfs with markings that you can access from this e-mail. We can provide you printed copies if both of these possibilities become problematic for anyone. Again, please make every attempt to complete the markings that pertain to your voice part by this Sunday's rehearsal. It will enable us to maximize our together time to build our sense of ensemble and unity! : )
What a blessing to be part of such a singing community as this, and know that I am thankful each and every day for these opportunities to share beautiful music and meaningful spiritual messages with each of you.
Grace and peace, and thanks for all you are and all you do!
What a joyful and uplifting beginning to our new edition of the Abendmusik Christmas festival. Thank you all for your attentiveness, energy, spirit, focus, and, also, for your willingness to unanimously engage in the commitment that it will take for us to sing our most beautiful concert!
As a reminder, our next rehearsal will be Sunday from 12:30-2:30 p.m. We will not have rehearsal next Wednesday as part of our Thanksgiving holiday.
I promised to send, once again, the link to our choir blog where you can find streamable recordings of many of our pieces as well as links to pdfs that contain markings that you should copy into your scores before our next rehearsal. Please make every attempt to do this:
http://firstplymouthchoir.
For those who struggle with technology (which includes me!), I have attached the pdfs with markings that you can access from this e-mail. We can provide you printed copies if both of these possibilities become problematic for anyone. Again, please make every attempt to complete the markings that pertain to your voice part by this Sunday's rehearsal. It will enable us to maximize our together time to build our sense of ensemble and unity! : )
What a blessing to be part of such a singing community as this, and know that I am thankful each and every day for these opportunities to share beautiful music and meaningful spiritual messages with each of you.
Grace and peace, and thanks for all you are and all you do!
Sunday morning and markings for next week 11.11.2011
Dear friends,
It was so fun to begin exploring our Advent and Christmas music together on Wednesday night, and I look forward to continuing together next week when we invite 31 (WOW!) additional Abendmusik singers to share with us! In the meantime, here are a few details:
1. Sunday, we will meet in the choir room at 9:45 and sing for the 10:30 service. We will sing PRAYER FOR PEACE, reprized from last weekend's concert.
2. Homework is to copy markings from our blog for a few pieces from the Christmas concert: The Lord is the Everlasting God and Wake, Awake! Here is the direct link. http://firstplymouthchoir.
3. This Sunday is the culmination for MISSION ONE. If you are able to bring more letters, groceries, or donations to the all-church harvest, it will be possible to complete our mission.
Grace and peace, and ongoing thanks for all you are and all you do. : )
It was so fun to begin exploring our Advent and Christmas music together on Wednesday night, and I look forward to continuing together next week when we invite 31 (WOW!) additional Abendmusik singers to share with us! In the meantime, here are a few details:
1. Sunday, we will meet in the choir room at 9:45 and sing for the 10:30 service. We will sing PRAYER FOR PEACE, reprized from last weekend's concert.
2. Homework is to copy markings from our blog for a few pieces from the Christmas concert: The Lord is the Everlasting God and Wake, Awake! Here is the direct link. http://firstplymouthchoir.
3. This Sunday is the culmination for MISSION ONE. If you are able to bring more letters, groceries, or donations to the all-church harvest, it will be possible to complete our mission.
Grace and peace, and ongoing thanks for all you are and all you do. : )
Pacem! 11.6.2011
Dear friends,
Thank you for making today such a blessed day for me and for many. Your reading of a challenging and mature work today was expressive, passionate, communicative, and meaningful. Astonishingly, you accomplished all of that in less than a month's time...thanks to your vigilance, practice, and commitment. I hope you rest now in the realization that every effort was worthwhile for the opportunity to be involved in and engaged with such an astonishingly beautiful creation. Thank you for helping me and others to fully experience this great work of art, this great testament of faith, this great treasure of our history and heritage.
Though I try not to share too much personal history with you (pretty boring!), I hope you will indulge me this once...
This was my third time to conduct DONA NOBIS PACEM. The first time was 1999, and it was my first ever experience with conducting a major work-- it was a tremendous gift from my college professor to allow me that opportunity at the end of my senior year (ironically, my teacher was performing at First-Plymouth earlier in that weekend of our performance in Cleveland!). The second time was 2005, my third year in Michigan. That performance was a true turning point for our choir there-- and, ironically, it nearly followed the choir's first visit with Anton Armstrong (sound familiar?). Those two experiences inspired the rest of our music-making and ministry there in an undeniable way. This third time--another six years later-- is extra special for me, personally, because it brought together two choirs that I dearly and truly love...I even find myself with some tears in my eyes as I write this, picturing you all side by side in the choir loft... With every part of my being, I can say with conviction that there is nowhere else on earth I would have rather been at 4:00 this afternoon than to be with each of you within the sanctuary of the choirs I love. I can only hope that that might be true for you, too.
Thank you, each and all, for the gift you are in my life. Thank you for welcoming me, accepting me, caring for me, encouraging me, challenging me, teaching me, and enabling me to grow. Know that I am grateful each and every day to have two jobs, two choirs, and two communities that really are home for my soul. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Grace and peace,
TT
Notes from rehearsal 11.4.2011
Dear friends,
As promised, here are some items gleaned from study of the recording from our rehearsal last night. Be confident and affirmed that the overall effect is even more satisfying and compelling than I thought it would be (and I am admittedly an optimist!). You are to be commended for all your efforts both in tone (vowel) and text (consonant). Many of your convictions are communicating. Below you will find some suggestions to help us grow. Please spend time finding these issues in your scores, and your individual study will benefit our collective performance! : )
General:
Though there are masses of people in the chancel making noise, it takes EACH OF US to make the desired result. Ponder this: if just one person sings flat, the entire choir is out of tune. However, if all of us sing with great energy and commitment to every sound of every syllable, the entire choir will have great energy and diction! Keep engaged-- your voice matters, your detail matters!
If I don't mention it below, assume it was EXCELLENT but that it continues to need your vigilance and commitment in practice and performance.
Movement 1:
Sing with more passion and fire in the forte "Dona' outbursts in this movement.
This is important-- be VERY aware of rhythm (particularly your releases on eighth notes "M") on p. 3-4. Practice this. You must imagine the eighth note 'numbers' inside of each long note to ensure that we align perfectly on entrances and releases. This must be sung with more (quiet) confidence. NO GUESSING...! Be precise.
Movement 2:
Do not underestimate the breath energy and marcato accent that your W' releases necessitate. Send the W' to the back of the church and beyond! This is VERY exciting when we all do it together. It takes everyone!
Think of B-LO-Wih as a three syllable word. So that both the B and the L have pitch and rhythmic energy. Feel the difference between a mild-mannered, polite enunciation of "blow" and an inspired, dynamic manifestation of "B-LO-Wih" Practice this in the context of its many iterations in movement 2 (and 4)-- see page 6. 12, 15,16, 20
p. 8-- C sound for CONGREGATION is invisible. C and K are our weakest consonants BY FAR. Please practice them with air forward in your mouth-- do not swallow this Ks and Cs.
p. 9- Quiet has no audible Q sound (see above...)
p. 13- Continue-- C (see above)
p. 14- QuiCKer-- (see above, and exaggerate beyond your wildest imagination of how much you should sing these consonants, multiply that by ten, add 3 zeros to the end, and it will be getting close to enough!)
tenors-- p. 12: please mark your dynamic at 'over the traffic of cities" as forte. The rest of the dynamics here are well balanced.
Movement 3:
p. 23-- Carnage-- C sound (see above...)
p. 23 bottom-- sopranos may sing with more voluptuous, expressive solo colour-- particular as we go over the page turn to 24.
p. 23 bottom-- alto, tenor and bass should sing more ppp and with more shape (basses-- falsetto colour here, please). Be careful not to out-sing the sopranos in the first three beats atop p. 24.
p. 26-- sopranos and tenors, more shapely, soloistic singing is needed for this melody. We can practice it Sunday morning. Shape the multi-syllable words in an elegant, meaningful way.
Movement 4
p. 30-- altos and basses, we are too loud at the bottom of this page and block the melody.
p. 30-- tenors and sopranos, we must sing the bottom of this page with more pointed text (Front of mouth) and more rhythmic solo colour.
p. 31- top-- listen to your recording, and learn the rhythm and shape of this first measure atop p. 31
p. 31-32- sopranos your solo is beautiful, but we need more definitive and present final consonants: NG, N, etc.
p. 33 bottom-- Coming full Keyed-- C and K are hidden (see above)
p. 34 bottom-- breathe with amazement and wonder so that the entrance at 21 is magical rather than loud. In other words, space around the vowel-- no Ethel Merman attack on "I"
p. 35 bottom-- much more extroverted diction needed! Everything has an exclamation mark. B-LO, GRRRRRReat ConvulsiVe DRRRRRRumZZZ STRRRRRR
p. 28- first note-- baritones, be careful not to out-sing this chord...
p. 38-- LOW men and women, we are too loud at the bottom of this page and block the melody.
p. 38-- HIGH and MIDDLE men and women, we must sing the bottom of this page with more pointed text (Front of mouth) and more rhythmic solo colour.
p. 43 bottom-- Please me-- be sure they are warm, rich EE vowels-- not bright or smiley.
p. 43 bottom-- there is NO space after immense or face, so be VERY VERY VERY VERY careful not to hiss those s sounds-- gently attach them to the next word-- sing the vowel for the complete duration of the half notes.
p. 44-- men, please practice the transition from "burial" to "what I have" at the bottom of the page. There is VERY little time here... do not miss that entrance.
p. 45-- begin THe with a gentle but present TH on pitch.
p. 45 at square 47, men we have taken out the breath after heart... And my heart O my soldiers-- one phrase without a breath-- t attaches to O
I hope this feedback will help us all take the next steps forward. Can't wait to see you either tomorrow at 10:30 if you want to come for some extra tweaking, or Sunday at 9:30 and 2:45.
Grace and peace,
TT
As promised, here are some items gleaned from study of the recording from our rehearsal last night. Be confident and affirmed that the overall effect is even more satisfying and compelling than I thought it would be (and I am admittedly an optimist!). You are to be commended for all your efforts both in tone (vowel) and text (consonant). Many of your convictions are communicating. Below you will find some suggestions to help us grow. Please spend time finding these issues in your scores, and your individual study will benefit our collective performance! : )
General:
Though there are masses of people in the chancel making noise, it takes EACH OF US to make the desired result. Ponder this: if just one person sings flat, the entire choir is out of tune. However, if all of us sing with great energy and commitment to every sound of every syllable, the entire choir will have great energy and diction! Keep engaged-- your voice matters, your detail matters!
If I don't mention it below, assume it was EXCELLENT but that it continues to need your vigilance and commitment in practice and performance.
Movement 1:
Sing with more passion and fire in the forte "Dona' outbursts in this movement.
This is important-- be VERY aware of rhythm (particularly your releases on eighth notes "M") on p. 3-4. Practice this. You must imagine the eighth note 'numbers' inside of each long note to ensure that we align perfectly on entrances and releases. This must be sung with more (quiet) confidence. NO GUESSING...! Be precise.
Movement 2:
Do not underestimate the breath energy and marcato accent that your W' releases necessitate. Send the W' to the back of the church and beyond! This is VERY exciting when we all do it together. It takes everyone!
Think of B-LO-Wih as a three syllable word. So that both the B and the L have pitch and rhythmic energy. Feel the difference between a mild-mannered, polite enunciation of "blow" and an inspired, dynamic manifestation of "B-LO-Wih" Practice this in the context of its many iterations in movement 2 (and 4)-- see page 6. 12, 15,16, 20
p. 8-- C sound for CONGREGATION is invisible. C and K are our weakest consonants BY FAR. Please practice them with air forward in your mouth-- do not swallow this Ks and Cs.
p. 9- Quiet has no audible Q sound (see above...)
p. 13- Continue-- C (see above)
p. 14- QuiCKer-- (see above, and exaggerate beyond your wildest imagination of how much you should sing these consonants, multiply that by ten, add 3 zeros to the end, and it will be getting close to enough!)
tenors-- p. 12: please mark your dynamic at 'over the traffic of cities" as forte. The rest of the dynamics here are well balanced.
Movement 3:
p. 23-- Carnage-- C sound (see above...)
p. 23 bottom-- sopranos may sing with more voluptuous, expressive solo colour-- particular as we go over the page turn to 24.
p. 23 bottom-- alto, tenor and bass should sing more ppp and with more shape (basses-- falsetto colour here, please). Be careful not to out-sing the sopranos in the first three beats atop p. 24.
p. 26-- sopranos and tenors, more shapely, soloistic singing is needed for this melody. We can practice it Sunday morning. Shape the multi-syllable words in an elegant, meaningful way.
Movement 4
p. 30-- altos and basses, we are too loud at the bottom of this page and block the melody.
p. 30-- tenors and sopranos, we must sing the bottom of this page with more pointed text (Front of mouth) and more rhythmic solo colour.
p. 31- top-- listen to your recording, and learn the rhythm and shape of this first measure atop p. 31
p. 31-32- sopranos your solo is beautiful, but we need more definitive and present final consonants: NG, N, etc.
p. 33 bottom-- Coming full Keyed-- C and K are hidden (see above)
p. 34 bottom-- breathe with amazement and wonder so that the entrance at 21 is magical rather than loud. In other words, space around the vowel-- no Ethel Merman attack on "I"
p. 35 bottom-- much more extroverted diction needed! Everything has an exclamation mark. B-LO, GRRRRRReat ConvulsiVe DRRRRRRumZZZ STRRRRRR
p. 28- first note-- baritones, be careful not to out-sing this chord...
p. 38-- LOW men and women, we are too loud at the bottom of this page and block the melody.
p. 38-- HIGH and MIDDLE men and women, we must sing the bottom of this page with more pointed text (Front of mouth) and more rhythmic solo colour.
p. 43 bottom-- Please me-- be sure they are warm, rich EE vowels-- not bright or smiley.
p. 43 bottom-- there is NO space after immense or face, so be VERY VERY VERY VERY careful not to hiss those s sounds-- gently attach them to the next word-- sing the vowel for the complete duration of the half notes.
p. 44-- men, please practice the transition from "burial" to "what I have" at the bottom of the page. There is VERY little time here... do not miss that entrance.
p. 45-- begin THe with a gentle but present TH on pitch.
p. 45 at square 47, men we have taken out the breath after heart... And my heart O my soldiers-- one phrase without a breath-- t attaches to O
I hope this feedback will help us all take the next steps forward. Can't wait to see you either tomorrow at 10:30 if you want to come for some extra tweaking, or Sunday at 9:30 and 2:45.
Grace and peace,
TT
Thank you! 11.3.2011
Dear friends,
Again, thank you for your energy and endurance through these two days in a row of extreme rehearsing! Coming from your busy and hectic lives, you generously share your body, mind, spirit, and voice in such abundance. What a gift you give! Though our preparation time for this project has been intense and brief, we are finding our way to make some truly glorious music. In listening to some of the pieces you are singing with Jeremy from out in the sanctuary and in listening to some of our Vaughan Williams on the CD from tonight's rehearsal, I can assure you that we are collectively creating a musical and spiritual experience that will be meaningful and memorable for those who join us on Sunday. Thank you for all you have contributed to make this possible!
As we mentioned tonight after rehearsal, you have exceeded all expectations and have enabled us to sing a concert with less than our usual amount of preparation time. Thank you and bless you!! Here, once again, are a few suggestions for moving forward in the next few days to allow us even more comfort, security, and connection:
1. Please listen to (at least) one complete run-through of DONA NOBIS PACEM with the streaming recording on our blog: http://firstplymouthchoir.
2. Please review your part to movement V of DONA NOBIS PACEM (pgs. 48-52) which we have sorely neglected. You may find the cyberbass site helpful: http://www.cyberbass.com/
3. Please review your part to BATTLE HYMN OF THE REPUBLIC. This is not difficult, but we need to just be more familiar and confident. : )
Here are THREE additional opportunities to grow into the music:
1. I will meet anyone who would like to come (and take your suggestions of trouble spots) for an optional brush-up rehearsal on Saturday, beginning in the choir room at 10:30. We can go as short or long as those who come wish. Do not feel obligated to attend, but if you think it would help you, feel welcomed! : ) I will bring donuts even! Some of us can practice better in groups rather than on our own. If that is you, and you are free, join us. You will be out in time for Husker mania-- do not fear!
2. Sunday morning we will sing BATTLE HYMN OF THE REPUBLIC and the third movement of DONA NOBIS PACEM for 10:30 worship. Singers should gather in the choir room at 9:30 a.m. This will give us another opportunity to spend some more time with these two pieces. : )
3. Tomorrow I will send you some notes about specific impressions, perceptions, and suggestions I have from reviewing our CD recording of the rehearsal. Please take the time to process these, and mark anything that pertains to your voicepart in your score. This enables us to have a VIRTUAL rehearsal, and gives you another way to interact with your scores. : )
Final concert logistics:
1. Concert dress is ALL BLACK, LONGSLEEVE. Please do not wear cologne or perfume or scented shampoo, or anything fragrant. Please do not wear flashy jewelry. Please do not wear colors other than black.
2. I will offer an OPTIONAL extended vocal warm-up in the choir room beginning at 2:30 Sunday for anyone that would find that useful.
3. Our warm-up rehearsal on Sunday begins promptly at 3:00 in the sanctuary WITH THE ORCHESTRA. Please plan to arrive by 2:45 to ensure that you will be ready.
4. We will use black folders during the performance.
5. Buy-one-get-one-free tickets are available until Friday (tomorrow), via Becky in the Abendmusik office:rebecca@abendmusik.org
Thank you again for sharing in this adventure. I look so forward to seeing and hearing how we come to the finish line. : )
Grace and peace,
TT
Again, thank you for your energy and endurance through these two days in a row of extreme rehearsing! Coming from your busy and hectic lives, you generously share your body, mind, spirit, and voice in such abundance. What a gift you give! Though our preparation time for this project has been intense and brief, we are finding our way to make some truly glorious music. In listening to some of the pieces you are singing with Jeremy from out in the sanctuary and in listening to some of our Vaughan Williams on the CD from tonight's rehearsal, I can assure you that we are collectively creating a musical and spiritual experience that will be meaningful and memorable for those who join us on Sunday. Thank you for all you have contributed to make this possible!
As we mentioned tonight after rehearsal, you have exceeded all expectations and have enabled us to sing a concert with less than our usual amount of preparation time. Thank you and bless you!! Here, once again, are a few suggestions for moving forward in the next few days to allow us even more comfort, security, and connection:
1. Please listen to (at least) one complete run-through of DONA NOBIS PACEM with the streaming recording on our blog: http://firstplymouthchoir.
2. Please review your part to movement V of DONA NOBIS PACEM (pgs. 48-52) which we have sorely neglected. You may find the cyberbass site helpful: http://www.cyberbass.com/
3. Please review your part to BATTLE HYMN OF THE REPUBLIC. This is not difficult, but we need to just be more familiar and confident. : )
Here are THREE additional opportunities to grow into the music:
1. I will meet anyone who would like to come (and take your suggestions of trouble spots) for an optional brush-up rehearsal on Saturday, beginning in the choir room at 10:30. We can go as short or long as those who come wish. Do not feel obligated to attend, but if you think it would help you, feel welcomed! : ) I will bring donuts even! Some of us can practice better in groups rather than on our own. If that is you, and you are free, join us. You will be out in time for Husker mania-- do not fear!
2. Sunday morning we will sing BATTLE HYMN OF THE REPUBLIC and the third movement of DONA NOBIS PACEM for 10:30 worship. Singers should gather in the choir room at 9:30 a.m. This will give us another opportunity to spend some more time with these two pieces. : )
3. Tomorrow I will send you some notes about specific impressions, perceptions, and suggestions I have from reviewing our CD recording of the rehearsal. Please take the time to process these, and mark anything that pertains to your voicepart in your score. This enables us to have a VIRTUAL rehearsal, and gives you another way to interact with your scores. : )
Final concert logistics:
1. Concert dress is ALL BLACK, LONGSLEEVE. Please do not wear cologne or perfume or scented shampoo, or anything fragrant. Please do not wear flashy jewelry. Please do not wear colors other than black.
2. I will offer an OPTIONAL extended vocal warm-up in the choir room beginning at 2:30 Sunday for anyone that would find that useful.
3. Our warm-up rehearsal on Sunday begins promptly at 3:00 in the sanctuary WITH THE ORCHESTRA. Please plan to arrive by 2:45 to ensure that you will be ready.
4. We will use black folders during the performance.
5. Buy-one-get-one-free tickets are available until Friday (tomorrow), via Becky in the Abendmusik office:rebecca@abendmusik.org
Thank you again for sharing in this adventure. I look so forward to seeing and hearing how we come to the finish line. : )
Grace and peace,
TT
Thank you 10.17.2011
Dear choir,
Thank you for singing your faith and giving your voice to the spirit. It was a beautiful evening, and my heart is moving with gratitude and love for each and all of you.
Grace and peace, and thanks be to God!
Thank you for singing your faith and giving your voice to the spirit. It was a beautiful evening, and my heart is moving with gratitude and love for each and all of you.
Grace and peace, and thanks be to God!
Sunday rehearsal at Doane 10.14.2011
Dear friends,
I am so excited for Sunday evening when our two choirs become one! The Abendmusik Chorus and the Doane College Choir have a combined rehearsal on the stage of Heckman Auditorium on Sunday evening from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. I do hope everyone can be there for what will be a formative time of finding our ensemble and discovering our shared interpretation of the music for our upcoming concert. Since the students must travel into Lincoln 3 times the week of the concert, this is a great opportunity for us to share the travel load with them, coming to their turf for a rehearsal. Here are the details and directions:
DETAILS:
1. Please bring three pieces: Let Peace then Still the Strife, O Day Full of Grace, and DONA NOBIS PACEM. If you find that you do not yet have one of these pieces, e-mail me, and I will bring you a copy.
2. Please be certain that you have all annotations for DONA NOBIS PACEM copied into your score. If you have have yet to do this, you can find the pdfs of the entire score on the DONA NOBIS PACEM page of our choir blog, www.firstplymouthchoir.
3. There is a carpool list on the wall in the choir room if you wish to assemble for rides. I would suggest leaving Lincoln a shade after 5:00 to ensure that you have time to find your way and calmly gather.
4. We will intersperse ourselves with the Doane students, but feel free to sit by one of our 'buddies' who creates a safety zone for you in your section!
DIRECTIONS:
1. Take route 77 towards Crete
2. Exit at the Crete Exit (route 33) and Turn right atop the exit ramp
3. You will go around 10-15 miles and then find a Walmart on your left. Keep going a bit more.
4. At the Pizza Hut, you will turn left onto Boswell Street. This will take you up towards campus
5. Your next turn will be to take a left at 13th Street. There is a 3-way stop sign there. Turn left even though there is a ROAD CLOSED sign.
6. At the first driveway you encounter, turn right into the parking lot, then take an IMMEDIATE left and drive through the parking lot to the stop sign.
7. At the stop sign, turn right and follow this driveway until it deadends into the parking lot by the communications building. Park in the parking lot.
8. Take the entrance door on your right into the communications building, then almost straight ahead is Heckman Auditorium. We will assemble there in a circle on the stage.
Looking forward to a wonderful Sunday evening with each and all of you.
Grace and peace,
TT
I am so excited for Sunday evening when our two choirs become one! The Abendmusik Chorus and the Doane College Choir have a combined rehearsal on the stage of Heckman Auditorium on Sunday evening from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. I do hope everyone can be there for what will be a formative time of finding our ensemble and discovering our shared interpretation of the music for our upcoming concert. Since the students must travel into Lincoln 3 times the week of the concert, this is a great opportunity for us to share the travel load with them, coming to their turf for a rehearsal. Here are the details and directions:
DETAILS:
1. Please bring three pieces: Let Peace then Still the Strife, O Day Full of Grace, and DONA NOBIS PACEM. If you find that you do not yet have one of these pieces, e-mail me, and I will bring you a copy.
2. Please be certain that you have all annotations for DONA NOBIS PACEM copied into your score. If you have have yet to do this, you can find the pdfs of the entire score on the DONA NOBIS PACEM page of our choir blog, www.firstplymouthchoir.
3. There is a carpool list on the wall in the choir room if you wish to assemble for rides. I would suggest leaving Lincoln a shade after 5:00 to ensure that you have time to find your way and calmly gather.
4. We will intersperse ourselves with the Doane students, but feel free to sit by one of our 'buddies' who creates a safety zone for you in your section!
DIRECTIONS:
1. Take route 77 towards Crete
2. Exit at the Crete Exit (route 33) and Turn right atop the exit ramp
3. You will go around 10-15 miles and then find a Walmart on your left. Keep going a bit more.
4. At the Pizza Hut, you will turn left onto Boswell Street. This will take you up towards campus
5. Your next turn will be to take a left at 13th Street. There is a 3-way stop sign there. Turn left even though there is a ROAD CLOSED sign.
6. At the first driveway you encounter, turn right into the parking lot, then take an IMMEDIATE left and drive through the parking lot to the stop sign.
7. At the stop sign, turn right and follow this driveway until it deadends into the parking lot by the communications building. Park in the parking lot.
8. Take the entrance door on your right into the communications building, then almost straight ahead is Heckman Auditorium. We will assemble there in a circle on the stage.
Looking forward to a wonderful Sunday evening with each and all of you.
Grace and peace,
TT
Hymn Festival coming soon! 10.12.2011
Dear friends,
We are a few days away from an awesome collaboration with the beautiful a cappella choir from Concordia in Seward and the renowned Cantorei from St. Olaf College in Northfield. Though John Ferguson is the director of Cantorei, Anton Armstrong is traveling with the group and will lead them and us in this celebration. Both Dr. Ferguson and Dr. Armstrong are true role models for many of us church musicians, and this is really an awesome opportunity to share this experience with them. I want to remind you of some logistical information at this point so that there are no surprises for you heading into the week ahead:
Repertoire:
Schedule:
Concert dress:
Thank you all for your willingness to share your voice in this joyful community sing!
Grace and peace,
TT
We are a few days away from an awesome collaboration with the beautiful a cappella choir from Concordia in Seward and the renowned Cantorei from St. Olaf College in Northfield. Though John Ferguson is the director of Cantorei, Anton Armstrong is traveling with the group and will lead them and us in this celebration. Both Dr. Ferguson and Dr. Armstrong are true role models for many of us church musicians, and this is really an awesome opportunity to share this experience with them. I want to remind you of some logistical information at this point so that there are no surprises for you heading into the week ahead:
Repertoire:
- Everytime I feel the spirit- arr. Dawson
- The Lord's My Shepherd- arr. Ferguson
- pink hymnsheet
Schedule:
- Tonight (Wednesday): optional voice class from 6:35-7:05 p.m. in choir room
- Tonight (Wednesday): rehearsal from 7:15-8:30 p.m. in choir room
- Sunday morning, October 16: warm-up at 9:30, then sing for the service at 10:30 (Abendmusik Chorus singers are most welcome to join us on Sunday as we will be singing the music for Monday's hymn festival!)
- Monday, October 17: rehearsal with Anton Armstrong and the combined choirs from 5:45-6:45 p.m. (Sanctuary) Please make arrangements to be in a seat in the sanctuary by 5:45 if at all possible. There will be more than 200 singers to assemble, so if you can come on the early side, we will all be grateful! There will be a snack break at 6:45 p.m. The festival begins at 7:30 p.m. Family and friends may purchase tickets fromwww.abendmusik.org or through Becky in the office.
Concert dress:
- ALL BLACK from horn to hoof-- longsleeve is best.
- subtle deodorant (but no intense shampoos, perfumes or colognes, please)
Thank you all for your willingness to share your voice in this joyful community sing!
Grace and peace,
TT
planting the seeds 10.6.2011
Dear friends,
Moving from the assembly-line-driven mindset of Metro Detroit to the farming spirit of the Midwest has been a blessing and gift. As a musician, I have grown to know that few good things happen all of a sudden. Growth takes time. Progress requires our preparation and vigilance-- a thoughtful, healthy process. We can not expect the harvest to come if we have not planted the seeds and tended to the crops, offering food and fuel along the way. What an abundant harvest we will share if we continue to tend to our choral garden these next few weeks. We have been given a great spread of land-- the powerful, poignant text of Walt Whitman and the inspiration of scripture coupled with Vaughan Williams'Dona nobis pacem gives us good soil! We cannot expect amazing results on November 6 if we don't offer our very best to the process of growing and learning in the days between now and then. We have a great project and we have an abundance of talent. Now, we must use that talent-- focus it forward through our practice, preparation, and discipline to produce our finest fruits when the harvest comes in.
There are many ways to do this:
1. To have robust attendance at group rehearsals. To make every attempt to be fully present--body, mind, spirit, voice-- whenever we gather. Our rehearsals offer us the opportunity to come together from our individual worlds to establish our corporate, collective sound as an ensemble. This is where we can create a shared vision of interpretation-- what, why, and how to sing the meaning of the music we sing. This choir offers the grace of not having audition requirements or strict attendance policies and heavy-handed rules. Your choice to be with us is the greatest gift you can offer and the most valuable grace you can return. : ) If you do find it necessary to miss our time together, please take the initiative to seek out the information you have missed from someone in your section.
Here is a reminder of our rehearsals ahead:
Here is a review of what was covered yesterday. It is important that we all review this before our next gathering so that we continue from where we left off-- rather than go back to where we started:
Here is a heads up on what will be covered Sunday if you wish to get a head start:
2. Score preparation from each individual singer helps us to use our together time for its most important purpose rather than just to give annotations. You can find a pdf with annotations for every page of Dona nobis pacem on our choir blog: http://firstplymouthchoir.
3. Listening to the music-- both in the background as you do other things and also in the foreground as you follow along in your score. This helps us to immerse ourselves in the sonorities and in the textures. We enter the world of the composer, the fabric of the music, and the spirit of the text. Listening gives us a sense of the whole in a way that is difficult as we are practicing on our own. You can find a stream-able recording on the choir blog: http://firstplymouthchoir.
4. Working to learn our notes on our own so that we can use our time together to learn the music that the notes create. This website provides very helpful resources for you to learn your voice part. It is awesome and free! http://www.cyberbass.com/
5. Engage the text: To fully engage our spirits in choral music requires a personal connection with the text we strive to communicate. Read and reflect upon the poetry and scripture to see how your singing can help the words to sound with greater meaning for you and for those who hear you.
It is an honor and privilege to share such amazing experiences together. I appreciate your willingness to share your very best, and I promise to bring all I can as we find the deep, rich beauty, truth, hope, and peace of this inspired work. We are so blessed to have an opportunity not only to sing this music but to bring it new life. Let's do all we can to live into the possibility of all we are and all we can become. Dreaming of the harvest is not enough. Work towards the harvest of your dreams, and be open to the miracles of grace that can spring when we are fully engaged in beautiful collaboration with the great Creator.
Grace and peace,
TT
Moving from the assembly-line-driven mindset of Metro Detroit to the farming spirit of the Midwest has been a blessing and gift. As a musician, I have grown to know that few good things happen all of a sudden. Growth takes time. Progress requires our preparation and vigilance-- a thoughtful, healthy process. We can not expect the harvest to come if we have not planted the seeds and tended to the crops, offering food and fuel along the way. What an abundant harvest we will share if we continue to tend to our choral garden these next few weeks. We have been given a great spread of land-- the powerful, poignant text of Walt Whitman and the inspiration of scripture coupled with Vaughan Williams'Dona nobis pacem gives us good soil! We cannot expect amazing results on November 6 if we don't offer our very best to the process of growing and learning in the days between now and then. We have a great project and we have an abundance of talent. Now, we must use that talent-- focus it forward through our practice, preparation, and discipline to produce our finest fruits when the harvest comes in.
There are many ways to do this:
1. To have robust attendance at group rehearsals. To make every attempt to be fully present--body, mind, spirit, voice-- whenever we gather. Our rehearsals offer us the opportunity to come together from our individual worlds to establish our corporate, collective sound as an ensemble. This is where we can create a shared vision of interpretation-- what, why, and how to sing the meaning of the music we sing. This choir offers the grace of not having audition requirements or strict attendance policies and heavy-handed rules. Your choice to be with us is the greatest gift you can offer and the most valuable grace you can return. : ) If you do find it necessary to miss our time together, please take the initiative to seek out the information you have missed from someone in your section.
Here is a reminder of our rehearsals ahead:
Sunday, October 9: rehearsal from 12:30-2:30 p.m. IN CHAPEL
Wednesday, October 12: rehearsal from 8:45-9:30 p.m.
Sunday, October 16: rehearsal at Doane College from 6:00-9:00 p.m.
Wednesday, October 19: rehearsal from 7:15-9:30 p.m.
Wednesday, October 26: rehearsal from 7:15-9:30 p.m.
Wednesday, November 2: rehearsal with Doane Choir from 7:15-9:30 p.m.
Thursday, November 3: dress rehearsal from 7:00-9:30 p.m.
Sunday, November 6: Concert at 4:00 p.m. (warm-up at 3:00 p.m.)
Here is a review of what was covered yesterday. It is important that we all review this before our next gathering so that we continue from where we left off-- rather than go back to where we started:
- movement 2 (text and rhythm)
- movement 3 (pitches p. 22-24)
Here is a heads up on what will be covered Sunday if you wish to get a head start:
- movement 1 (complete)
- movement 2 (text and rhythm for 6-16, pitches and rhythms 17-20)
- movement 3 (complete pitches)
- movement 6 (complete)
2. Score preparation from each individual singer helps us to use our together time for its most important purpose rather than just to give annotations. You can find a pdf with annotations for every page of Dona nobis pacem on our choir blog: http://firstplymouthchoir.
3. Listening to the music-- both in the background as you do other things and also in the foreground as you follow along in your score. This helps us to immerse ourselves in the sonorities and in the textures. We enter the world of the composer, the fabric of the music, and the spirit of the text. Listening gives us a sense of the whole in a way that is difficult as we are practicing on our own. You can find a stream-able recording on the choir blog: http://firstplymouthchoir.
4. Working to learn our notes on our own so that we can use our time together to learn the music that the notes create. This website provides very helpful resources for you to learn your voice part. It is awesome and free! http://www.cyberbass.com/
5. Engage the text: To fully engage our spirits in choral music requires a personal connection with the text we strive to communicate. Read and reflect upon the poetry and scripture to see how your singing can help the words to sound with greater meaning for you and for those who hear you.
It is an honor and privilege to share such amazing experiences together. I appreciate your willingness to share your very best, and I promise to bring all I can as we find the deep, rich beauty, truth, hope, and peace of this inspired work. We are so blessed to have an opportunity not only to sing this music but to bring it new life. Let's do all we can to live into the possibility of all we are and all we can become. Dreaming of the harvest is not enough. Work towards the harvest of your dreams, and be open to the miracles of grace that can spring when we are fully engaged in beautiful collaboration with the great Creator.
Grace and peace,
TT
World Communion Sunday 9.29.2011
Dear friends,
I look forward to seeing you, dawning bright colored tops (no robes) on Sunday morning. We will gather at 8:00 for warm-up in the choir room and then will have an opportunity to collaborate with First-Plymouth's newly-founded Mele Agbe Drum Circle. It will be a joyfully unusual day! How blessed we are to worship in a sanctuary where all kinds of music from all kinds of traditions may be offered in praise and thanks to the God of all kinds! I look so forward to sharing this special day with each and all you. We will sing the 9:00 and 10:30 service, and breakfast will be served in between them.
Homework reminder: remember that we will need to have performance markings for the 2nd, 3rd, and 6th movement of Vaughan Williams in our scores by next Wednesday.
Voice class reminder: remember that we begin our voice class with UN-L voice professor Donna Harler-Smith next Wednesday from 6:35-7:05 in the choir room. I hope you can all take advantage of this awesome opportunity!
Grace and peace, and many thanks for all the ways you serve our church.
I look forward to seeing you, dawning bright colored tops (no robes) on Sunday morning. We will gather at 8:00 for warm-up in the choir room and then will have an opportunity to collaborate with First-Plymouth's newly-founded Mele Agbe Drum Circle. It will be a joyfully unusual day! How blessed we are to worship in a sanctuary where all kinds of music from all kinds of traditions may be offered in praise and thanks to the God of all kinds! I look so forward to sharing this special day with each and all you. We will sing the 9:00 and 10:30 service, and breakfast will be served in between them.
Homework reminder: remember that we will need to have performance markings for the 2nd, 3rd, and 6th movement of Vaughan Williams in our scores by next Wednesday.
Voice class reminder: remember that we begin our voice class with UN-L voice professor Donna Harler-Smith next Wednesday from 6:35-7:05 in the choir room. I hope you can all take advantage of this awesome opportunity!
Grace and peace, and many thanks for all the ways you serve our church.
Voice Class begins October 5 9.26.2011
Dear friends,
I am excited to invite you to this year's voice class which will occur on Wednesdays in October and November (through the week before Thanksgiving) from 6:35-7:05 p.m. in the choir room. Our teacher this year will be Donna Harler-Smith, one of the terrific voice professors from UN-L. Some of you women will fondly remember her very engaging sessions from last year. This year's class is designed for BOTH male and female singers, and I would encourage each and all of you to try to make a commitment to attend as many sessions as possible. These classes are designed to offer you more information and experience with vocal technique-- more than we can cover in the context of a choir rehearsal. I believe these classes to be of great value to everyone in our choir-- whether you've studied voice or not, whether you consider yourself a professional or an amateur, experienced or beginner. Further, these are offered free of charge which is a pretty awesome gift. Jeremy and I believe it is a good investment in our vocal development, but it will only help us if we take advantage of the opportunity. Encourage your choir buddy to come, too, and remember there is dinner available at the church from 5-6:15 every Wednesday if that helps your scheduling.
Thanks so much for your consideration. I look forward to seeing you all Wednesday. We will learn our repertoire for World Communion Sunday (when we sing with our new Mele Agbe Drum Circle) and begin our time with the Abendmusik Chorus for the Hymnfestival with St. Olaf and Concordia Colleges, coming up soon. HOORAY for great days ahead.
Grace and peace,
TT
Keeping in touch 9.17.2011
Dear friends,
A lot of fun and exciting events are coming up for us...and soon! Here is a brief reminder of some details:
Tomorrow we will sing at 10:30 service (warm-up at 9:30). We will sing the last portion of BLEST PAIR OF SIRENS (p. 14 to the end) and the final 2 pages of UBI CARITAS
Sunday evening at 7:00 is Abendmusik's Night at the Movies when I will accompany THE MARK OF ZORRO (a 1920 Silent Film Classic starring Douglas Fairbanks); Tickets available at the door.
Wednesday: Bass sectional seating at 6:35. Everyone will rehearse, 7:15-9:30 p.m.
Thursday: extra rehearsal for those singing for ROYAL WEDDING, 7:15-9:00 p.m.
Friday: Royal Wedding: Warm-up at 6:15 before the 7:00 concert (Ubi Caritas, Blest Pair of Sirens, I Was Glad, and hymns) We will wear robes for this concert. FREE event, but donations are encouraged.
Next Sunday we will sing at 10:30 (warm-up at 9:45): We will reprise Ubi Caritas (complete) and Not One Sparrow
Next Sunday evening at 7:30 is the Intercollegiate Choral Festival featuring 13 Nebraska choirs at Kimball Hall (FREE) I have the pleasure of leading the Doane Choir. The massed choirs will sing together a cool arrangement of AMAZING GRACE with organ and bagpipes to finish the evening! : )
In the meantime, I encourage you to copy performance markings from the blog for ALL movements of the DONA NOBIS PACEM so that you have them ready when we begin rehearsing in earnest on October 5. Here is the link: http://firstplymouthchoir.
I look forward to these next few intense and exciting weeks to share music and ministry together!
Grace and peace,
TT
A lot of fun and exciting events are coming up for us...and soon! Here is a brief reminder of some details:
Tomorrow we will sing at 10:30 service (warm-up at 9:30). We will sing the last portion of BLEST PAIR OF SIRENS (p. 14 to the end) and the final 2 pages of UBI CARITAS
Sunday evening at 7:00 is Abendmusik's Night at the Movies when I will accompany THE MARK OF ZORRO (a 1920 Silent Film Classic starring Douglas Fairbanks); Tickets available at the door.
Wednesday: Bass sectional seating at 6:35. Everyone will rehearse, 7:15-9:30 p.m.
Thursday: extra rehearsal for those singing for ROYAL WEDDING, 7:15-9:00 p.m.
Friday: Royal Wedding: Warm-up at 6:15 before the 7:00 concert (Ubi Caritas, Blest Pair of Sirens, I Was Glad, and hymns) We will wear robes for this concert. FREE event, but donations are encouraged.
Next Sunday we will sing at 10:30 (warm-up at 9:45): We will reprise Ubi Caritas (complete) and Not One Sparrow
Next Sunday evening at 7:30 is the Intercollegiate Choral Festival featuring 13 Nebraska choirs at Kimball Hall (FREE) I have the pleasure of leading the Doane Choir. The massed choirs will sing together a cool arrangement of AMAZING GRACE with organ and bagpipes to finish the evening! : )
In the meantime, I encourage you to copy performance markings from the blog for ALL movements of the DONA NOBIS PACEM so that you have them ready when we begin rehearsing in earnest on October 5. Here is the link: http://firstplymouthchoir.
I look forward to these next few intense and exciting weeks to share music and ministry together!
Grace and peace,
TT
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)