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
