2/03/2023 – A cold but sunny Friday!

I hope everyone was pleased with our new rehearsal space on Tuesday! I have heard nothing but positive comments. If you listen to the recording I took from the back (that can be found on Facebook), the acoustics are sublime. You can understand every word and there is a beautiful resonance in the hall that transfers to the quality of sound produced by you. And Roy is in love with the piano! He appreciated all the well wishes during his bout with Covid  and loves difficult music, the harder the better! Well Haydn and Gjeilo do not disappoint in that regard! And a special thanks to Wendy and Pastor Andy for their warm welcome. It is a privilege to use there Faith home and I know God will be pleased with the music emanating from its walls.

Now for some info about rehearsal on Tuesday. As usual we will start promptly at 7 PM. The warm-ups this week are from volume five numbers 10, 11, 18 and 19. Make sure you are using your straw on a regular basis. I have plenty more so feel free to ask for another one. I have gotten numerous comments that it is making a difference. It is all in learning to gauge breath usage. And as you know, it is a technique that we will be using throughout the various selections, especially the Sunrise Mass. Much stagger breathing is called for and as you learn  to utilize your breath to the fullest, it will get much easier.

We will be doing With one Voice this week which is the name of the festival on April 1. The entire event will start with that piece which was written by Danny McDavitt when we first introduced the With one Voice  choral festival in 2016. If you do not have a copy, it can be found on the Google Drive. For now, soprano 1’s, please sing the treble part.

We will concentrate on the assigned materials in “The City”. It is definitely the most difficult movement and requires a lot of concentration, listening and practice. There is  chromatic movement, constant changing of  dynamics, much Latin text and difficult  Divisi sections. But the result will be spine-chilling!!

The Haydn is coming along. Remember those spots I asked you to put in solfege. Please do it as a regular practice as you learn a new section. Test yourself and see if you can figure it out. Work on the various intervals and say the words in rhythm. Once again, lots of text but it is the same as The City. We will do the Credo pgs. 46-55 and if ready, add the quartet. And I plan to start the Gloria pages 12 through 16. Please solfege your part until measure 24. Once again you are in the key of C. And as usual, we will review those things that we have already learned as time allows.

Please  share the poster with your friends and family. We want a full house to witness your amazing work!!! Tickets will go on sale in March.

Here’s to a cozy weekend by the fire (if you have one). Good luck to the Harford All-County Chorus concert tomorrow (Paul Head is the conductor) and to our DCC singers who are involved. Stay well and see you soon!!!!