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
