Dress Rehearsal #1
October 12, 2015
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Guidelines for our time in St. Ignatius Chapel
1. Food/Beverages - In a word, NO. We are allowed to bring in water, in closed containers. All other beverages (coffees, pop, juice bottles, etc.) cannot be brought into the Chapel "in the open." If you have a bottle of juice in your backpack, that's okay - but you may not consume anything but water in the Chapel building. You may want to pack a small snack for yourself, as the rehearsal will be lengthy. No problem - but it must NOT be consumed inside the Chapel building. Food and all beverages except water must be consumed OUTSIDE.
2. Altar Platform Decorum - In two words, RESPECTFUL DISTANCE. I suggest everyone imagine a zone of 6 inches extending outward from the altar on all 4 sides.
Do not "handle" or lean against the altar.
Do not put ANYTHING upon the altar, including your hands.
3. Clean-up - It takes a village; everybody can help by taking out what they brought in.
Take out everything you brought in, PLUS rehearsal order or any other paper you were given when you came in.
A few people should stay to help check all pews, etc. after rehearsal.
What do the pros do in rehearsal?
Pros are off-book, but they don't leave the book at home; Bring your binder!!
1. A professional is ON POINT at all times: focused, quick-moving when directed, silent unless directed to sing.
2. A professional stays focused when not actively singing - if another group is working out some problem, the professional is IN THE MUSIC: reviewing, quietly tapping rhythm and mouthing text, audiating problem spots, etc.
3. A professional helps others to stay focused by not distracting THEM with side conversations.
?If you were being paid for your performance at rehearsals, what would your work be worth?
?If you were paying others for THEIR performance at rehearsals, what would their work be worth?
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Chamber: Practice Tip for Praetorius Resonet
There are quite a few places where a voice part "sits out" for a few beats and then re-enters on a different pitch.
You can practice this by eliminating the rests for a few repetitions. Sing the bit before the rest and immediately go to the next entrance. Do this a few times, then add in the rest one beat at a time until you're the correct "distance" from the next entrance.
SUBDIVIDE.
Draw lines connecting your part with parts that are in unison with you or doubling you at the octave. Draw a line from your part to a part that "gives" you the pitch for an entrance after you've been sitting out a rest.
Sing your part with the choral recording.
Sing your part with the voice part track for a different part.
Some of the text accents may seem "counter-intuitive." Practice chanting the text in rhythm (actually tap the beats as you chant).
Chamber: Practice Tip for the "Walking" Chants
Well, this one's self-evident, yes? Practice singing the chant while walking!
Walking, how? At a steady, controlled pace suitable for moving up a very long aisle.
Tip for chants in general: The rhythm of Gregorian chant is a wonderful clue to how ecclesiastical Latin must have been spoken back in the day.
- Study the translation. Know it word-for-word.
- Practice speaking the chant text, expressively.
- Sing the chant, expressively.
- Sing with the choral recording!
Men's Chorale: Practice Tip for Omnes de Saba
Women's Chorale: Practice Tip for Dufay Gloria
SOLFEGE YOUR PART!
Chant text in rhythm, tapping out the quarter note beats. This is another piece with "counter-intuitive" text accents.
Sing your part with the choral recording.
Sing your part with your voice part recording.
Sing your part with the track for whatever voice part is directly "above" or "below" yours.
Best Tip: Form a small practice ensemble (at least 1 person per part) and sing it TOGETHER.
Another Best Tip: Record your practice ensemble, listen to what you did, and share feedback. Then, sing it again!
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Art Links for Rachmaninoff Bogoroditse
Chorale - Y'all, your performance of this piece at yesterday's noon section in Campion was GORGEOUS BEAUTIFUL.
I thought the ikon reproductions might help us all get even more into the mood.
The prints I brought were of two very famous ikons:
Our Lady of Czestochowa
Theotokos of Vladimir - This ikon has lived in Moscow for hundreds of years. I am certain that Rachmaninov knew of it and perhaps even paid his respects.
There is a Russian Orthodox cathedral here in Seattle, within walking distance of SU.
More about ikons in the Orthodox church:
A tour of a Greek Orthodox church:
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