October 3

This %*&@$^! program just ate my ENTIRE post, which I had put quite a bit of time and effort into.

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Highlights
1. 18 days remaining until FWC, hustle to the max and we will again do a wonderful job this year!
2. New people: there are 2 Family Weekend concerts, each under an hour. 7 to 8 p.m., then 8.30 to 9.30 p.m. I suggest that EVERYONE "eat big" around 6 p.m. and pack a little snack to tide over and eat between 8. and 8.30. There won't be enough time to grab and safely ingest something from 12th Avenue eateries - if you try to do that, you'll find yourself getting into position with half your dinner still on its way down to your tummy!
3. Bella Voce: Quickie Trick for learning the Britten Hodie - prepare your own score and write 'neumes' (little markings above syllables that indicate where pitch rises, falls, etc.)

A bit about neumes here (read the first 2 paragraphs): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neume

Easy to do: just copy the text by hand on a sheet of paper or use what I've given below. (Copying by hand will help you memorize the words very quickly, btw).

In the text below, I've maintained syllabification - Copy (or copy and paste, format in 14 point type with double space between the lines):

Ho-di--e-- Chri-----tus na-tus- est---;
Ho-di-e-Sal-va-tor ap--pa-ru--it:
Ho-di--e in ter-ra ca---nunt an-ge-li---
lae-tan--tur arch-an-ge-li:
Ho-di-e------ ex-sul----tant jus-ti--- di-cen-tes
glo-ri-a in ex-cel-sis De-o.
Al-le-lu-ia!
Al-le-lu------ia!
Al-le-lu------ia!

Maintain the dashes between syllables. If there's a melisma (group of notes sung over a single syllable of text), indicate this with a longer dash.

Then, listening to the choral recording, mark or draw a wavy pencil line ABOVE the text to help feel the melodic contour. Mark in breaths!! Use pencil!
Sing with the clip - test yourself
Then using your score and the clip, play 1 phrase / sing it / play it again and check yourself, etc.
Get together with others from B.V. and test each other!!

Here is a nice clip - it's too long to put in DropBox -  just follow the link -
it leads to an SATB version of the "Ceremony of Carols," which Britten originally scored for 3-voice treble choir and harp.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXyjrhz5bzs

Here's another  clip - also too long to put in DropBox because it is of the entire C of C. DO NOT LISTEN TO WHAT FOLLOWS THE 'HODIE' MOVEMENT - it is not good!!!!! The "Hodie" is the best of this performance, imo.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQyunriE1zg

Bon chance!
Lee