You all did very well last night… listening to each other and keeping your ears open for the band and brass. We continue to be on a “fact-finding mission” and tonight you will learn more about Part Two.
But, let’s take a moment to recall what we learned about Part One:
- What’s next… while you need to be 100% in the moment during each song that you sing, once you finish, you need to know “what comes next”. Please review your running orders, and scripts, so that you know whether more music immediately follows, or you know what dialog, or scene follows.
- Diction, Diction, Diction… please continue to review your cutoffs and focus on “over-pronouncing” at ALL times.
- Think about what kind of energy drives each song… everything you sing requires energy — but is it lively, or smooth, or boisterous, or sturdy?
Here are some specific notes from last night’s rehearsal:
Wexford Carol
- Diction, diction, diction, especially on final consonants.
- Continue to put emphasis on final 3 notes of phrases ie., “in the town”.
- Altos – measure 64 – in eagerness to make sure “who” comes the 4th beat, don’t rush. It should come right on beat 4.
Deck the Hall
- Teens who bring bells – I am going to bring ribbons for you to tie onto the bells you grab for the three players. You need to bring the bells sooner. My suggestion is to not wait until the end of Wexford to get the bells.
Kentucky Wassail
- Diction, diction, diction… (keep working it!)
New Britain
- Sopranos and Tenors – please be ready to start immediately. And, apologies for my bad conducting!
- Final verse – I need more accent and a sturdier sound.
Promised Land
- Altos – measures 15 and 24 the 2 eighth notes on “will” are an interval, not step wise. It’s really easy to slip into singing stepwise like the sopranos.
- Verse 2 and following refrain – remember to keep them both light.
- Verse 3 and refrain are fuller.
- Final refrain, even fuller.
- Sopranos (descant) – On the descant, there is still not total agreement in measures 20 and 21.
Amazing Grace – Audience Sing
- Unison (please check the melody) – Don’t move up to C at the end of the first phrase until the word “me” on the first beat of measure 7. There are still a few folks adding and eighth note and moving up to the C at the end of measure 6.
- Greg McG – fingers together (vs. spread) when leading please. Come see me if you have questions.
Come Thou Fount
- All – Band plays through entire piece once before chorus verse.
- All – At the end of each phrase, put a small emphasis on the last 3 notes, ie “sing thy grace” similar to what we do at the ends of phrases in “The Wexford Carol”