Chorus Notes # 12 - Chapter Meeting March 18, 2008

Special Thanks to Dean Rust for this week's rehearsal notes!


General

- Follow the Director (oft repeated).

- Be on top of your game during chorus rehearsal; think, anticipate, be ready to sing, use good vocal technique. "Vocal technique is paramount" (J. Cerruti, 1-3-08)

- (See a few reminders at the end of this E-mail from previous notes.)

Clap Yore Hands (aka Nashville Uptune)
(from Stephanie and Joe)

- General: Watch Joe for texture changes, exploit them, need more dynamic variation; feel the pulse (subdivide); sing a connected vocal line; sustain vocal quality through phrases, maintain quality vocal production even as the notes jump around.

- Intro: Lead, be on the money on that minor third; All, don't short-change the last "oh" in each sequence, give full duration.

- "Clap-a-yore-hands" (m 29): begins a new part of the song, should see and feel a difference.

- "jubilee, oh, me, oh, my" (ms 58-60): break after "lee".

- Lead, reminder to cool it on "slap a yore thigh, don't ya lose time" (ms 81-82) near the end when you jump up high.

I Love You Truly
(from Stephanie and Joe)

- Learn the music.

- Get involved in the passion of this Roger Payne arrangement.

- Watch's Joe's direction to make sure all are striking the target vowels at the same time.

- Sustain energy through the breaths. Breathe on Joe's direction.

- "Ah yes tis something" (ms 33-34): marks the takeoff point, build toward the "Gone" phrase; break after "yes" the first time, carry over the second time (opposite from the sheet music); the breath after "yes" should be alive, full of emotion; Bari - there is no move the first time on "some" of "something.

- "doubt and fear" (ms 43-44): Lead, do not move on "fear", get it right or you'll be having sectionals at Joe's. Tenor (1st) and Bari (2nd) move, Lead and Bass do not.

- "For you love me truly" (ms 45-46): watch Joe for tempo, don't drag it; Bari - get up there on "love me"

- "So come be my wife" (ms 48-50): Lead - "be" is whole step lower than "come"; non-leads - be ready to join the phrase on "come" after lead pickup.

- "The joy of my life" (ms 50-52): lock the chord on "life" and then press into the swipe with more volume. Keep chin level, maintain correct singing posture. Bring a little more brightness and brilliance to your tone to enhance intensity.

Mona Lisa

- Follow the Director.

- Three major points: don't go slow, watch Director for breaks at the end, sing well in the middle.

- Have lots of air, connected singing. Think of lyric line. Paint the picture before starting to tell the story

- "In a villa" (m 1): stress first syllable of "villa" just as if you were speaking it. Target vowel for second syllable is "uh" not "ah".

- "What does she want?" (ms 13-14): more emotion.

- "Or just a cold and lonely, lovely work of art." (ms 52-56): Lead - keep the pitch up on "or just a"; All - break after "lovely" but keep the energy flowing throughout the line; think of the emotional contrast between this line and the previous one ("Are you warm, are you real").

- Bari - "Mona Lisa" (ms 56-57, right after "lovely work of art"): open up on the higher note on "sa" of"Lisa".

Almost Like Being in Love

- "Maybe the sun" (m 1): Lead - more lyrical; Bass - lighten it up, don't plod; Tenor/Bari - don't be late.

- "All the music of life seems to be" (2nd time): stay in tempo, this is a change from previous interp.

From Previous Notes

- "Be ready to sing" includes proper stance, facial involvement and energy in body, instrument ready when D's hands go up, breathe through first vowel shape, start with an "h", release warm air before making sound.

- "Good vocal technique" includes use of all resonances, openness and raised soft palate such as the feeling when you smell your favorite childhood dish. Chin level. Proper breathing. Stomach taut.

- "Good singing" includes connectivity of word sounds, proper target vowels and duration, maintain support to ends of phrases, give full metrical value to each note.