Chorus Notes #7 - Chapter Meeting February 19, 2008 and Joe's Vocal Studio Notes

Thanks to Dean Rust for the following notes on our last rehearsal and the recent vocal studios.

Clap Your Hands

A. Joe's introductory notes given to attendees at the vocal studios on February 17 and 21.

- Lead pickup (m 8): "And you will..." not "we". (Bass pickup in m 66 is "and we will" and is correct as written.)
- no dialect: yo=yore, not your; and debble=devil.
- "Pebble" - second syllable is like "oo" in "book", and don't let the "l" creep in.
- Lead note change on "ber" of "remember" (ms 48 and 74): in both cases "ber" is one full step lower than written in the sheet music.
- "don't you lose time, don't you lose time", lead and bari in ms 39-40 and all parts in ms 82-83: use the schwa "ya" instead of "you".
- "Hallelujah, etc."(ms 31...): Not "Hal" but "Hall", use ah vowel.


B. Chapter Meeting February 19, 2008

- General: must know cold the notes, words and breathing plan for this weekend's retreat; stop using learning track; swing all the 1/8 notes.
- "Oh--, whoa--oh, Oh--, whoa-oh" (ms 1-4): Good round "Oh" vowel to start, not loud but not wimpy; "whoa" explodes but lead up to that dynamic, don't drop off on the 2nd "oh", finish it.
- Lead pickups, "And you will" (m 8) and "But you can" (m 16): anticipate them, they're important.
- "CHASE" (m 17): Learn it.
- "Clap-a yore hands" (m 29): Let's hear the "c" in "clap" and get right to the vowel in "clap" which is like "a" of "at", make it tall. Bari: use the entire instrument on the vowel, don't wimp out.

Happy Feet

- Don't move jaw when doing non-durational "doots"
- "Wha-da dance, do we do" (ms 1-2): remember dynamic plan, start at 6, up to 8 on "dance", back to 6 on first "do" and cresc. to 8 on second "do" -
- "Happy Feet" (m 13, etc.): Don't clip "happy", sing "habby" if it helps. -
- Charleston - "Rumba" - roll "r" and make sure the "m" has pitch.

Mona Lisa

- General: watch director; more movement, less waiting; song moves along except when it doesn't; many changes from the learning track.
- "Mona Lisa, Mona Lisa, men have named you, (You're) You're so" (ms 16-20): Don't drag but don't rush either, watch director, break after first "Mona Lisa"; bass take a quick breath before pickup on "You're", other parts cutoff at direction of bass pickup. Remember emotional context from the intro "What does she want? No one knows."
- "Or just a cold and lonely, lovely work of art?" (ms 52-56): break after "lovely", leads take it easy on the octave jump on "art", bass don't plod on "cold and lonely"
- tenor/bari, "Mona Lisa" (ms 61-62, at the end): don't get "swipey" with your moving line.

Music of the Night

- "...my music." (m 9, first "my music"): make a production of "sic" and a slight emphasis on the "c".
- Bass solo, "Night time sharpens...", Non-Basses on "ooh" (ms 11-14): All parts - Be there with confidence on the entrance; Non-basses be like violins, no breaths, stagger if necessary.
- Lead - "Soar" (m 34): don't pinch the sound, and don't lean into the swipe as you come down.
- "the darkness of the music of the night" (ms 44-46): this is the loud one, watch the director, he'll let you know.
- "...where you want to be!" (m 52): strength on "be" and throw the frisbee on the cutoff.
- Lead pickup - "Only" (m 52): With confidence.
- "night." (m 71, last word of song): only section leaders provide the "t" on "night."