Hello everyone,
Wow - these have been some of the best and most productive dress rehearsals that I can remember - everyone is really ON IT :-)
We now have less than 48 hours until Concert #1.
Please take time to do some practical prep:
CONCERT OUTFIT
- clean
- all the buttons, zippers, etc. sewn in and working properly
- hair accessories collected and ready to go
- shoes shined
- tux accessories (bowtie, studs, etc.) PUT TOGETHER IN A BAG AND READY TO TRANSPORT WITH THE TUX!
- snack
- Put a thick sock over your metal water bottle.
- Bring a minimum of things - and do not leave anything in the social hall. Keep your stuff upstairs in the transepts.
- Music? for last minute reference
WILL CALL TICKETS
- Write recipients surname ON THE BACK OF EACH TICKET and give to designated individual/s at the pre-concert rehearsal.
- Or give the tickets to me - I will be around on Thursday in the early afternoon.
REMINDERS
- we don't have 'uniforms' (unless you consider tuxedos a type of uniform, as I do!) - re-read the syllabus guidelines for outfits and abide by them.
Hems down
Necklines up
Nothing transparent
Quiet shoes
NO FRAGRANCES ON THE RISERS: this includes hair products, shaving products, and deodorants as well as the "usual suspects"
"Fragrances" - also includes natural exudations (aka, body odor!!!) Be kind to your neighbors :-)
Please get enough food and sleep between now and Friday - take a little extra care of yourself (yes, I am penning this at 1 a.m., but do as I say, not as I do!!)
See you all on Friday - bright eyed, sparkling, scintillating, classy, fabulous, and READY TO RUMBLE. Let's do this!! The greatest gift that all of us can give Doc (and our audiences!) is the gift of our focus, concentration, expressive power, and best effort. This is it, y'all! Help create a wonderful experience and treasured memory for us all! You are the music, and the music is YOU.
In musical solidarity,
Lee
Thursday, May 3, 2018
Wednesday, April 25, 2018
WE ARE NOW IN THE HOME STRETCH!
FOR THE CHOIRFOLK: IT'S HERE! THE HOME STRETCH
You already know and (hopefully!) have implemented every single item on my list, below.
Please re-visit these items and govern yourself accordingly.
Yes, we will ALL be crying during the final 10 minutes or so of the Saturday 5/5 concert. But we'll be crying like the sharp, elegant, snazzy, talented, amazingly accomplished, alert, focused people that we are...
GETTING READY FOR IT
1. Consistent, focused effort alone and in rehearsals and breakouts.
2. Pencils MOVING during rehearsals!!!!!
3. Application of singing technique principles /across/ the board. For example, most of our pieces contain the English first-person pronoun "I." We all know how to sing that pronoun (ahem!) - writing this in just one piece may help you with THAT piece, but what about all of the /other/ pieces that employ the exact same pronoun and pronunciation? You have TWO pencils!! You see where I'm going with this. Your binders came with those pencils for a reason
4. Reinforcement and referral - these things, these things called CR - "choral recordings" - !!!!
5. Planning your self-care routine. What's left to chance or luck seldom happens the way we want it to happen, if it happens at all.
6. Use little bits of time to accomplish small, nagging tasks. F'r example: yesterday (and this morning!) I chanted and practiced the "Mr. Toad" motions while walking to and from bus stops, AND while waiting. I accomplished something important AND I had breathing space and an entire seat to myself once I got on the bus
7. CHECK / CLEAN / ASSEMBLE //ALL// PARTS OF YOUR CONCERT OUTFIT BY MIDNIGHT ON THURSDAY MAY 3. Tux wearers: This means ALL the studs, ALL the tie / socks / n' stuff. Everything together in one place. Shine your shoes. Gown wearers: If it can be seen through, or if the decolletage is more suitable to a romantic evening out, make the adjustment beforehand. At our last couple of concerts, I saw things that were NOT appropriate. Please re-visit your syllabus for the details.
ENOUGH SLEEP, STARTING NOW! Not a few hours every 3 days (like me) but several consecutive hours, every 24-hour period.
FOOD - You'll need FOOD with you on concert nights. We won't be snacking together. Assemble a little bag of goodies and bring it with you.
WATER
NO ALCOHOL - if you imbibe regularly, taper off so that you are imbibing /no/ ethanol on Thursday AND Friday. Your next drink will be AFTER SATURDAY'S CONCERT on May 5th. (If you find it difficult to taper down or to shut off completely for this short period, I recommend investigating that issue with a counselor after the weekend. I'm not being sarcastic here. Things can sneak up on a person, and certain things are always armed and carrying a ball bat and a .45...
NO 'HERB'. You know what I'm talking about here. And, the answer ALL next week is, "NO."
CONSCIOUS DEEP BREATHING. That (and giving up sleep time to Make, alone and in silence) is helping me greatly right now.
NO SCENTED STUFF: Cologne, perfume, shaving lotion or pat-down stuff, scented deodorant - you know the drill. Your neighbors should see and hear you - - /not/ smell you.
You're welcome!
Let's work together to make this our very best concert /ever/! What a tremendous gift for Doc - an outpouring of love and support and superb music-making <3
In musical solidarity,
Lee
Thursday, April 12, 2018
Spring Music Notes:: "Chariot," 2 Krenek madrigals, Lauridsen SOTSN
"See the chariot at hand" -- Robert Bridges - AMAZING - have a look.
My guesstimate placed Mr. Bridges in the 18th century because of a "vibe" I was getting from the poem...
It was interesting to discover that RB was a staunch advocate of prosody and even wrote an entire book about Milton's prosody.
John Milton wasn't 18th century either (!) - but hey, average the 2 and I'm right!
About the composer, Ralph Vaughan Williams (btw "Vaughan Williams" is his complete surname).
Ah, that chariot! Seems this is a popular theme...Here are a few examples.
this
and this
and this
--------------------
Sing Me to Heaven - the composer speaks. Do read all of this article - it is by turns interesting, enlightening, heartwarming, inspirational, and a little bit heartbreaking as well.
---------------------
Ernst Krenek - "Summer Again / The Fairies' Song"
Here's a page with original and ?modern?! texts, in context!
Shakespeare in ?modern?!! text - - who does this? PERISH THE THOUGHT. But anyway, have fun reading this excerpt from "A Midsummer Night's Dream."
Curious? Have a look here.
"Summer Again" - text by Alfred, Lord Tennyson. I'm kind of happy that Mr. Krenek changed the title!
Some of us know Tennyson for this poem (well, perhaps just Doc and I: we're old!!) Others of you may have encountered this magical verse.
I'm sure that you'll want to know all about this poet, creator of such wonderfully vivid, evocative verse.
-------------------
Sure on this shining night - James Agee, text
Here's the text all by itself. I chose this internet reference because of the discussion in the comments, and because a bit of bio about the poet appears in the right-hand sidebar onscreen. One-stop shopping!
Samuel Barber composed a transcendentally beautiful setting of this poem. Have a listen. (Original setting, for tenor and piano) There's also an SATB version.
Here is another wonderful setting, by Jay Giallombardo, for TTBB. OVERTONES beautiful.
-----------------
My guesstimate placed Mr. Bridges in the 18th century because of a "vibe" I was getting from the poem...
It was interesting to discover that RB was a staunch advocate of prosody and even wrote an entire book about Milton's prosody.
John Milton wasn't 18th century either (!) - but hey, average the 2 and I'm right!
About the composer, Ralph Vaughan Williams (btw "Vaughan Williams" is his complete surname).
Ah, that chariot! Seems this is a popular theme...Here are a few examples.
this
and this
and this
--------------------
Sing Me to Heaven - the composer speaks. Do read all of this article - it is by turns interesting, enlightening, heartwarming, inspirational, and a little bit heartbreaking as well.
---------------------
Ernst Krenek - "Summer Again / The Fairies' Song"
Here's a page with original and ?modern?! texts, in context!
Shakespeare in ?modern?!! text - - who does this? PERISH THE THOUGHT. But anyway, have fun reading this excerpt from "A Midsummer Night's Dream."
Curious? Have a look here.
"Summer Again" - text by Alfred, Lord Tennyson. I'm kind of happy that Mr. Krenek changed the title!
Some of us know Tennyson for this poem (well, perhaps just Doc and I: we're old!!) Others of you may have encountered this magical verse.
I'm sure that you'll want to know all about this poet, creator of such wonderfully vivid, evocative verse.
-------------------
Sure on this shining night - James Agee, text
Here's the text all by itself. I chose this internet reference because of the discussion in the comments, and because a bit of bio about the poet appears in the right-hand sidebar onscreen. One-stop shopping!
Samuel Barber composed a transcendentally beautiful setting of this poem. Have a listen. (Original setting, for tenor and piano) There's also an SATB version.
Here is another wonderful setting, by Jay Giallombardo, for TTBB. OVERTONES beautiful.
-----------------
Wednesday, March 21, 2018
SPRING BREAK FRIES - THE AIOLI METHOD
Hello everyone,
Perhaps you prefer to track your practice according to "things accomplished" rather than "allotted time finished?" - - Human nature being what it is, I sometimes have to force myself to put in work every day. When I'm feeling like that, or when other things encroach upon practice time, I prefer the time-management method, which ensures that I am sitting at the keyboard EVERY DAY.
Other times, I like to simply set a goal - a daily goal for each piece - and then put in as much time and effort as is necessary in order to accomplish that goal. This might be a daily goal or even a weekly goal.
EXAMPLE:
My previous post detailed the "time" method - determining tasks, estimating time to completion, setting daily time quota, and going for it.
The "task" method assumes a greater level of self-discipline than the "time" method - no one method is the only one to use - - tailor your own strategy according to the degree of self-knowledge you possess :-)
I've done both, honestly - and I don't prefer one over the other - - the right tool for the right job!
I have also done set a practice goal for a session and then tracked how quickly I was able to accomplish it! I call that method "short-order cooking" -- if one knows HOW to practice efficiently, it is incredibly effective.
Whatever method/s you decide to employ, please consider making this a non-negotiable declaration of purpose:
Perhaps you prefer to track your practice according to "things accomplished" rather than "allotted time finished?" - - Human nature being what it is, I sometimes have to force myself to put in work every day. When I'm feeling like that, or when other things encroach upon practice time, I prefer the time-management method, which ensures that I am sitting at the keyboard EVERY DAY.
Other times, I like to simply set a goal - a daily goal for each piece - and then put in as much time and effort as is necessary in order to accomplish that goal. This might be a daily goal or even a weekly goal.
EXAMPLE:
My previous post detailed the "time" method - determining tasks, estimating time to completion, setting daily time quota, and going for it.
The "task" method assumes a greater level of self-discipline than the "time" method - no one method is the only one to use - - tailor your own strategy according to the degree of self-knowledge you possess :-)
I've done both, honestly - and I don't prefer one over the other - - the right tool for the right job!
I have also done set a practice goal for a session and then tracked how quickly I was able to accomplish it! I call that method "short-order cooking" -- if one knows HOW to practice efficiently, it is incredibly effective.
Whatever method/s you decide to employ, please consider making this a non-negotiable declaration of purpose:
I WILL KEEP MY CONCERT MUSIC IN MY MIND, HEART AND SOUL EVERY SINGLE DAY, WHETHER OR NOT I AM ACTIVELY WORKING ON IT.
In musical solidarity,
Lee
SPRING BREAK FRIES 2018
Fries...as in, would you like catch-up with that?!
--
As we are all (uncomfortably?? joyfully? warily?) aware, once we all return from hiatus, Spring Concert weekend preparations will go into transwarp. Here are some suggestions that may help you prepare for this looming eventuality :-)
1. Determine exactly what you need to accomplish.
There is one more piece to learn for the spring concert - the piece I'm writing for the choirs. It's not difficult, but it is easy only if you know everything else. Otherwise, we'll all be scrambling.
If I finish the piece during the hiatus, I'll post PDF of the score AND the voice parts at Dropbox and ask Doc to email everyone with an announcement.
Okay.
So - determine exactly what you need to accomplish.
For this, you'll need a pack of sticky notes and your music.
First:
On one sticky note, write the title of the piece.
Beneath that, rate your own performance of your part on a scale from 1 to 10.
Your objective is to be at no less than a "9" rating, come the first week of April.
Beneath your rating, jot down what you need to know or do in order to get up to "9." Use more sticky notes if necessary - this is IMPORTANT.
Then! - estimate how much practice time it will take in order to achieve your goal with the piece. Listening and singing along with choral recordings DO count as practice.
Do this for each piece.
Add up your time estimates.
Voila, that's how much practice time you will need to put in before classes resume. Record this time in minutes.
NOW - how many days do you have? If you're going out of town and you /know/ you won't really have any time to practice, don't count those days! (However, you can always listen to the music! AND guess what - you can scan the scores into your smartphone, if you have one - and no danger of losing scores or having to haul around hard copies.
Divide the amount of practice time (in minutes) by the number of days you KNOW you'll //make// time to practice and study your music.
Voila - there's your daily quota.
One more thing - - Human nature being what it is, you will need to reward yourself at every stage of this project. Write a little Schedule of Rewards - one reward for each day of practice! I'm not talking diamond rings or $5000 coffee cards here - I'm talking /small/ things: perhaps a Hershey's Kiss candy or $1 put into your Rewards account - splurge at a later time.
------------------
SAMPLE
Sticky note for "See the chariot" - soprano
Mastery Rating: 6 - Goal: 9
Need to: make sure all pitches are correct / know exact location of cut-offs, review pitches and diction in mm. xx through xx / be able to sing straight through with choral recording, no mistakes
Amt of time necessary to attain this: 70 minutes (45 minutes of voice work, 15 minutes of listening to CR, 10 minutes of score study / checking markings, etc.)
Similar sticky notes for other pieces
Total practice time needed: 200 minutes (8 pieces)
Number of practice days in hiatus: 11
Daily practice quota: 20 minutes a day - this will exceed goal by 20 minutes!!
See? EASY!
Y'all, this is how I plan piano practice for all sorts of things -
I survey the task.
I determine exactly what needs to be accomplished
I estimate the amount of time necessary to accomplish the goal.
I add all of my estimates and divide the total number by the number of practice days.
That's my daily goal.
Rewards: Remind me to show you my "Kreutzer" and "Solo Recital" jewelry. I allotted myself 1 safety pin for each hour of practice completed and then strung the pins onto cords, forming tasteful and meaningful necklaces.
Have a wonderful hiatus - accomplish all the things - see you in April!
In musical solidarity,
Lee
PS. I'll be posting little gems about more of our concert repertoire during the hiatus - do check here occasionally for the updates.
--
As we are all (uncomfortably?? joyfully? warily?) aware, once we all return from hiatus, Spring Concert weekend preparations will go into transwarp. Here are some suggestions that may help you prepare for this looming eventuality :-)
1. Determine exactly what you need to accomplish.
There is one more piece to learn for the spring concert - the piece I'm writing for the choirs. It's not difficult, but it is easy only if you know everything else. Otherwise, we'll all be scrambling.
If I finish the piece during the hiatus, I'll post PDF of the score AND the voice parts at Dropbox and ask Doc to email everyone with an announcement.
Okay.
So - determine exactly what you need to accomplish.
For this, you'll need a pack of sticky notes and your music.
First:
On one sticky note, write the title of the piece.
Beneath that, rate your own performance of your part on a scale from 1 to 10.
Your objective is to be at no less than a "9" rating, come the first week of April.
Beneath your rating, jot down what you need to know or do in order to get up to "9." Use more sticky notes if necessary - this is IMPORTANT.
Then! - estimate how much practice time it will take in order to achieve your goal with the piece. Listening and singing along with choral recordings DO count as practice.
Do this for each piece.
Add up your time estimates.
Voila, that's how much practice time you will need to put in before classes resume. Record this time in minutes.
NOW - how many days do you have? If you're going out of town and you /know/ you won't really have any time to practice, don't count those days! (However, you can always listen to the music! AND guess what - you can scan the scores into your smartphone, if you have one - and no danger of losing scores or having to haul around hard copies.
Divide the amount of practice time (in minutes) by the number of days you KNOW you'll //make// time to practice and study your music.
Voila - there's your daily quota.
One more thing - - Human nature being what it is, you will need to reward yourself at every stage of this project. Write a little Schedule of Rewards - one reward for each day of practice! I'm not talking diamond rings or $5000 coffee cards here - I'm talking /small/ things: perhaps a Hershey's Kiss candy or $1 put into your Rewards account - splurge at a later time.
------------------
SAMPLE
Sticky note for "See the chariot" - soprano
Mastery Rating: 6 - Goal: 9
Need to: make sure all pitches are correct / know exact location of cut-offs, review pitches and diction in mm. xx through xx / be able to sing straight through with choral recording, no mistakes
Amt of time necessary to attain this: 70 minutes (45 minutes of voice work, 15 minutes of listening to CR, 10 minutes of score study / checking markings, etc.)
Similar sticky notes for other pieces
Total practice time needed: 200 minutes (8 pieces)
Number of practice days in hiatus: 11
Daily practice quota: 20 minutes a day - this will exceed goal by 20 minutes!!
See? EASY!
Y'all, this is how I plan piano practice for all sorts of things -
I survey the task.
I determine exactly what needs to be accomplished
I estimate the amount of time necessary to accomplish the goal.
I add all of my estimates and divide the total number by the number of practice days.
That's my daily goal.
Rewards: Remind me to show you my "Kreutzer" and "Solo Recital" jewelry. I allotted myself 1 safety pin for each hour of practice completed and then strung the pins onto cords, forming tasteful and meaningful necklaces.
Have a wonderful hiatus - accomplish all the things - see you in April!
In musical solidarity,
Lee
PS. I'll be posting little gems about more of our concert repertoire during the hiatus - do check here occasionally for the updates.
Monday, March 19, 2018
MAKING THE MOST FROM SPRING BREAK 2018!!
Hello everyone,
Please stay tuned for a big detailed post - I'll be talking about spring break and ways to leverage that "free time" into wonderful musical accomplishments!
I had planned to post tonight, but am not quite done organizing my thoughts.
The post /will/ appear sometime tomorrow (Tuesday March 20th) - so, STAY TUNED!!!
In the meantime, enjoy these video clips of wonderful pianists born on March 20th.
Please stay tuned for a big detailed post - I'll be talking about spring break and ways to leverage that "free time" into wonderful musical accomplishments!
I had planned to post tonight, but am not quite done organizing my thoughts.
The post /will/ appear sometime tomorrow (Tuesday March 20th) - so, STAY TUNED!!!
In the meantime, enjoy these video clips of wonderful pianists born on March 20th.
Tuesday, February 13, 2018
Visio Divina - accompanying post for the "Crucifixus" post
Here is information on "visio divina" - informed seeing - to accompany the post I just uploaded regarding Lotti's "Crucifixus."
I highly recommend this procedure as a way of SEEING the unseen reality represented by the artwork I referenced in the "Crucifixus" post a few minutes ago.
I will add that the core concepts of 'lectio divina' are not proprietary - no one group owns or enforces them. I have used similar techniques of Seeing in ///very/// different contexts and found them extremely helpful and enlightening.
Your personal belief system and referents may be different than those mentioned in the article I've linked here. Take what works for you.
http://www.patheos.com/resources/additional-resources/2009/07/praying-with-art-visio-divina
In musical solidarity,
Lee
I highly recommend this procedure as a way of SEEING the unseen reality represented by the artwork I referenced in the "Crucifixus" post a few minutes ago.
I will add that the core concepts of 'lectio divina' are not proprietary - no one group owns or enforces them. I have used similar techniques of Seeing in ///very/// different contexts and found them extremely helpful and enlightening.
Your personal belief system and referents may be different than those mentioned in the article I've linked here. Take what works for you.
In musical solidarity,
Lee
Crucifixus
What is crucifixion?
This is a very long article, but I believe it is important that EVERY ONE OF US understand the material therein.
Please also remember that Lotti's composition comes from a time when human life was shorter, nastier, and more brutish than most of us today can conceive. The reality of torture, unjust condemnation, horrific physical punishments and execution methods was but a rulership or territorial / religious squabble away.
Paintings - Personally, I favor crucifixions painted by Spanish artists - but there are literally millions of paintings and sculptures to choose from. I suggest that you locate an image, enlarge it as much as possible (use the computer for this, not the cell phone, for best effect) - and then examine it closely and let its power permeate your understanding - WITH THE CHORAL RECORDING PLAYING AS YOU LOOK AT THE ARTWORK.
Of all the crucifixion paintings I have viewed, two stand out in my mind, both by the same artist. Of course, my context for viewing the paintings is heavily informed by the faith tradition I most recently identified with and practiced. Your mileage may vary.
Corpus Hypercubus, by Salvador Dali
Christ of Saint John of the Cross, also by Dali
descent from the cross - Rubens
https://images.custommade.com/NUQ7vdjvZEO0nLMnvl43VX3CjdI=/custommade-photosets/4847/4847.472059.jpg
Sculpture
Pieta – Michelangelo
“et sepultus est.”
"Crucifixus" - Antonio Lotti - Cambridge Singers
Lee
Monday, January 29, 2018
About the Music: None Other Lamb, River in Judea, Crucifixus,
NONE OTHER LAMB
Poem by Christina Rossetti
Musical setting by Craig Courtney
A link to 320 of Rossetti's poems - have a look around!
About the poet - she had an /amazing!!!/ life!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christina_Rossetti
I will say that my favorite CR work is "Goblin Market" - read it aloud, expressively!
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44996/goblin-market
The poem was set to music by Craig Courtney - composer of "How Great Our Joy" and many other fine pieces <3
https://www.lorenz.com/more-information/meet-our-composers/composers?itemId=Composer:697
-------------------
RIVER IN JUDEA (TTBB) - by Linda Marcus & Jack Feldman, arr. John Leavitt
This is one of Fr. Sundborg's favorite TTBB pieces - he asks for it by name!!
From Shawnee's website - (the publisher)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Feldman_(songwriter)
About Linda Marcus:
https://www.lorenz.com/more-information/meet-our-composers/composers?itemId=Composer:133
About John Leavitt, who arranged this piece for TTBB chorus:
And, if you are a member of Cantemus - - there's this Emerson poem set by Nancy Cobb...!!!!
-----------------------
CRUCIFIXUS - by Antonio Lotti
About the text - -
The text is a phrase in the Credo, which is part of the Ordinary of the Mass.
What's a "Credo" - ? Have a look here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Credo
Texts for the Ordinary (unchanging) part of the Mass, in both English and (YES!!!!) Latin.
About Antonio Lotti:
I saw something interesting (taken from the Wikipedia article) -
"Lotti is thought to have influenced Johann Sebastian Bach, George Frideric Handel, and Jan Dismas Zelenka, all of whom had copies of Lotti's mass, the Missa Sapientiae.
...so I looked around a bit further, and found this! Here's a link to another article about Lotti, which goes further into the "Bach Connection":
And, an image! I don't know about you, but I like to know what people LOOK LIKE!
Poem by Christina Rossetti
Musical setting by Craig Courtney
A link to 320 of Rossetti's poems - have a look around!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christina_Rossetti
I will say that my favorite CR work is "Goblin Market" - read it aloud, expressively!
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44996/goblin-market
The poem was set to music by Craig Courtney - composer of "How Great Our Joy" and many other fine pieces <3
https://www.lorenz.com/more-information/meet-our-composers/composers?itemId=Composer:697
RIVER IN JUDEA (TTBB) - by Linda Marcus & Jack Feldman, arr. John Leavitt
This is one of Fr. Sundborg's favorite TTBB pieces - he asks for it by name!!
From Shawnee's website - (the publisher)
River in Judea
Series: Shawnee Press
Publisher: Shawnee Press
SAB
Composers: Linda Marcus, Jack Feldman
Arranger: John Leavitt
Publisher: Shawnee Press
SAB
Composers: Linda Marcus, Jack Feldman
Arranger: John Leavitt
An all-star writing team created this beautiful gospel-style song based on a secular text spun from the river-is-life metaphor. River in Judea is suitable for virtually any performance. Perfect for graduation.
About Jack Feldman: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Feldman_(songwriter)
About Linda Marcus:
https://www.lorenz.com/more-information/meet-our-composers/composers?itemId=Composer:133
About John Leavitt, who arranged this piece for TTBB chorus:
"River-as-life" metaphor - - - Uncle GOOGLE had way TMI for me - here are a couple of places -
The metaphor, specifically: http://blog.locustfork.net/2012/11/the-ultimate-metaphor-life-is-like-a-river/
A bunch of river = life poems: https://www.poetrysoup.com/poems/about/river_metaphor_poems
And, if you are a member of Cantemus - - there's this Emerson poem set by Nancy Cobb...!!!!
-----------------------
CRUCIFIXUS - by Antonio Lotti
About the text - -
The text is a phrase in the Credo, which is part of the Ordinary of the Mass.
What's a "Credo" - ? Have a look here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Credo
Texts for the Ordinary (unchanging) part of the Mass, in both English and (YES!!!!) Latin.
I saw something interesting (taken from the Wikipedia article) -
"Lotti is thought to have influenced Johann Sebastian Bach, George Frideric Handel, and Jan Dismas Zelenka, all of whom had copies of Lotti's mass, the Missa Sapientiae.
...so I looked around a bit further, and found this! Here's a link to another article about Lotti, which goes further into the "Bach Connection":
Thursday, January 18, 2018
A LOT OF GOOD INFORMATION about Next Week's Guest - Dr. Ben Bernstein!!!
Hello everyone,
We will be honored with a working visit from renowned performance psychologist, composer and coach, Dr. Ben Bernstein.
Ben Bernstein's website - take some time to look around, it is a fascinating place!!
http://www.drbperformancecoach.com/
We will be honored with a working visit from renowned performance psychologist, composer and coach, Dr. Ben Bernstein.
Ben Bernstein's website - take some time to look around, it is a fascinating place!!
http://www.drbperformancecoach.com/
Specific info about Dr. Ben!
Here is a vimeo link to Ben's one-act opera, "The Man in the Mirror," which was performed right here a few years ago - starring Ross Hauck!!!
Here's a wonderful link to more of Ben Bernstein's work - plenty of links to check out! Read about "Singers Gym" while you're at it :-)
THE SCHEDULE
Ben will be here on Wednesday and Thursday, January 24 and 25.
He will be working with our various choral permutations and with individual singers in a masterclass setting.
I'll ask Doc to publicize the time of the masterclass session - it's always wonderful to perform for an audience, and there's this thing called
VICARIOUS.
LEARNING.
Stay tuned!
In musical solidarity,
Lee
About the Music: Poulenc (2 pieces TTBB), Terminus, Mr. Toad's Song
Hello everyone,
Our ongoing survey of Winter and Spring quarter repertoire continues!
First up: "Seigneur" and "Tout puissant" (4 Prayers of St. Francis of Asissi, set by Francis Poulenc - Chamber T/B)
About the music and the text:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quatre_petites_pri%C3%A8res_de_saint_Fran%C3%A7ois_d%27Assise
About Francis Poulenc:
------------
"Terminus" - text by R.W. Emerson, music by Nancy Hill Cobb
You may know Emerson's famous essay on "Self-Reliance" - if you don't know it, DROP EVERYTHING FOLLOW THIS LINK AND READ IT RIGHT NOW! Forget the self-help aisle - go to the source, get the real deal - FREE :-)
Emerson, "Self-Reliance":
https://archive.vcu.edu/english/engweb/transcendentalism/authors/emerson/essays/selfreliance.html
About Ralph Waldo Emerson:
Emerson is meme'd a lot - why not dip into his essays and read some of his wonderful poetry - find out what he /actually said/...!!!
Text of "Terminus" - Nancy Hill Cobb set only a portion of it - here is the entire poem: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/52349/terminus
------------------
"Mr. Toad's Song" - text from "The Wind in the Willows" by Kenneth Grahame; setting by Lee Peterson
Y'all, TWITW is one of my favorite books of all time. I re-read it at least half a dozen times each year. It is a magical masterpiece! If you don't know it - hie you to Half Price Books and buy a copy /right now/.
Now - read the notes on your musical score for the background and text of this piece. And, think about Mr. Toad - he turns up in the most interesting places! He's practically an archetype. I'll leave it at that :-) :-)
About Mr. Grahame and the book:
A note about my setting: I love strutting, pompous, verbose, self-centered, manic but essentially good-natured Toady.
I was musically influenced by the magnificent Cab Calloway!
Get into the mood with these clips - -
Here's "Minnie the Moocher":
And a famous CC upbeat tune, "Jumpin' Jive"
Have fun with Mr. Toad - and yes, there is a video of me doing THE MOTIONS.
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In musical solidarity,
Lee
Our ongoing survey of Winter and Spring quarter repertoire continues!
First up: "Seigneur" and "Tout puissant" (4 Prayers of St. Francis of Asissi, set by Francis Poulenc - Chamber T/B)
About the music and the text:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quatre_petites_pri%C3%A8res_de_saint_Fran%C3%A7ois_d%27Assise
About Francis Poulenc:
Translations of all four poems:
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"Terminus" - text by R.W. Emerson, music by Nancy Hill Cobb
You may know Emerson's famous essay on "Self-Reliance" - if you don't know it, DROP EVERYTHING FOLLOW THIS LINK AND READ IT RIGHT NOW! Forget the self-help aisle - go to the source, get the real deal - FREE :-)
Emerson, "Self-Reliance":
https://archive.vcu.edu/english/engweb/transcendentalism/authors/emerson/essays/selfreliance.html
About Ralph Waldo Emerson:
Text of "Terminus" - Nancy Hill Cobb set only a portion of it - here is the entire poem: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/52349/terminus
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"Mr. Toad's Song" - text from "The Wind in the Willows" by Kenneth Grahame; setting by Lee Peterson
Y'all, TWITW is one of my favorite books of all time. I re-read it at least half a dozen times each year. It is a magical masterpiece! If you don't know it - hie you to Half Price Books and buy a copy /right now/.
Now - read the notes on your musical score for the background and text of this piece. And, think about Mr. Toad - he turns up in the most interesting places! He's practically an archetype. I'll leave it at that :-) :-)
About Mr. Grahame and the book:
What inspired Mr. Grahame to write this wonderful book? -
If you prefer to read the book online, it's right here at Project Gutenberg, free for the asking! - http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/27805A note about my setting: I love strutting, pompous, verbose, self-centered, manic but essentially good-natured Toady.
I was musically influenced by the magnificent Cab Calloway!
Get into the mood with these clips - -
Here's "Minnie the Moocher":
Have fun with Mr. Toad - and yes, there is a video of me doing THE MOTIONS.
-------------------
In musical solidarity,
Lee
Wednesday, January 17, 2018
For Cantemus: More info about Gospel Music! More about Precious Lord including T A Dorsey talking about it.
Here's follow-up to the gospel info passed on in today's Cantemus section Wed Jan 17
Here's a good article about the genre, for starters
Here's a good article about the genre, for starters
My arrangement of PLTMH is more "Southern" gospel style - I touched on this in Cantemus today - here's musicological information!
Here's a paragraph from the Southern gospel music article:
Several secular artists have expressed their love for and influence of the genre by recording southern gospel albums or performing gospel songs in concert. Among them are Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, Dailey & Vincent, Charlie Daniels, Bob Dylan, Larry Gatlin, Roscoe Holcomb, Alan Jackson, Kentucky Thunder, Jerry Lee Lewis, Loretta Lynn, The Louvin Brothers, Reba Mcentire, Willie Nelson, The Oak Ridge Boys, Brad Paisley, Dolly Parton, Carl Perkins, Elvis Presley, Leann Rimes, Ricky Skaggs, The Statler Brothers, Marty Stuart, Randy Travis, Carrie Underwood, and Hank Williams.
There's enough info above to keep you very, very busy at YouTube!!! Try taking one gospel song and listening to different renditions. "Precious Lord, Take My Hand" - for example...!
Mahalia Jackson - "Precious Lord" - long-meter style
Aretha Jackson - very long meter version.
EVERYBODY YOU MUST LISTEN TO THIS CLIP!!!! - it is Thomas A. Dorsey speaking about his song, "Precious Lord Take my Hand."
Mahalia Jackson - "Precious Lord" - long-meter style
Aretha Jackson - very long meter version.
About the music: I Have Had Singing, Agnus Dei, Thank You for the Music, Total Praise
Hello everyone!
Here are some links to reference text, context and composers:
"I Have Had Singing" TTBB - setting by Ron Jeffers
I
Have Had Singing paraphrases lines taken from
Ronald Blythe’s Akenfield, Portrait of an English Village. In
the 1960’s, Blythe traveled to the north of England interviewing farmers,
plowmen, blacksmiths — people whose stories dated back to the early 20th
century. One subject, given the name Fred Mitchell in the book, was an
80-year old horseman who told his story of working a bleak, unfertile land in a
life filled with little joy. In the midst of his story, he stopped and said,
“But there was always singing; the boys in the field, the chapels were full of
singing. I have had pleasure enough; I have had singing.”
Here are some links to reference text, context and composers:
"I Have Had Singing" TTBB - setting by Ron Jeffers
Ron Jeffers 1943 – 2017 wasone of
the founders of Earthsongs publishing company.
Wrote I H H S as a gift to
choirs. The sheet music is available free over internet, not for sale anywhere!
Earthsongs on
FB: https://www.facebook.com/earthsongschoralmusic/
Fascinating book which references the text: lotta garble but I think you can extract the pertinent information - Begin at p114 “Singing at work and the dialectic of grounded happiness”
Here's a review
of the book where the text was first published
And, if you're in a hurry - here's a bit of info about the text, taken from program notes here http://stevensametz.com/composer/works/info/i-have-had-singing/
Thank you for the music
About ABBA
-------------------------
Here is a wonderful article about Richard Smallwood that references “Total
Praise”
Agnus Dei text and musics
In the liturgy
Music:
LISTEN TO SOME OF THE PIECES
REFERENCED IN THIS ARTICLE!!!
About Franz Schubert
https://www.biography.com/people/franz-schubert-9475558 - shortish article
BUT
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_Schubert is much, much, much better. It is a super long article but I recommend this one if you really want to ‘get to know’
Mr. Schubert.
Franz (was) moved around a bit
after he died
About the Zentralfriedhof –
AMAZING PLACE. I have been there. I cannot tell you how awe-struck I was, to actually touch BEETHOVEN'S GRAVE. Somehow, despite years upon years of loving labor on various compositions, he truly became a Real Person (TM) to me when I went to the cemetery. He's near Schubert and Brahms (who has a most interesting gravestone indeed - one that I'm sure would have greatly amused him!)
Thursday, January 11, 2018
About the music: Hear My Prayer, O Lord / Stabat Mater
Hear my prayer, O Lord
About Purcell's setting:
Source text:
About Henry Purcell:
------------
About Pergolesi's setting, specifically - interesting!:
About Purcell's setting:
http://www.52composers.com/purcell.html shorter and not as dry as Wikipedia article
Pergolesi - "Stabat mater"
About the composer:
biographical info with pictures – not as ‘dry’ as the
Wikipedia article!
About the text:
Background of Pergolesi’s “Stabat mater”
Wednesday, January 10, 2018
About The Music: "Precious Lord," "Grace," "None Other Lamb:
About "Precious Lord, Take My Hand" - the story
originally known as "Take My Hand, Precious Lord"
SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE RECORDED THIS SONG!
Go to YouTube and type "Precious Lord Take My Hand" into the search bar -
!! - Use the "Performances" section in that Wikipedia article as the go-to list.
About Thomas A. Dorsey:
originally known as "Take My Hand, Precious Lord"
SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE RECORDED THIS SONG!
Go to YouTube and type "Precious Lord Take My Hand" into the search bar -
!! - Use the "Performances" section in that Wikipedia article as the go-to list.
About Thomas A. Dorsey:
----------
Bella Voce's "Grace" is a setting of "Amazing Grace" - read the entire article for information about the text and about John Newton - a truly moving and inspiring story!
The tune that most of us know ("Amazing Grace") is /major pentatonic/ - exactly like the tune for "How Can I Keep From Singing"
The tune that Mr. Mark Hayes set is /somewhat/ ! pentatonic
Mark Hayes' website:
Biographical information - he's a pianist - I KNEW IT!!!!
-------------------------
"None Other Lamb" - text by Christina Rossetti (Yes, "In the Bleak Midwinter" Rossetti!!)
About Christina Rossetti:
About Craig Courtney ("How Great Our Joy" - Cantemus folk will already know him!)
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Monday, January 8, 2018
Welcome Back! - January 8, 2018
Hello everyone:
Here are some references for the new music we did today (1/8/18):
Abendlied" by Josef Rheinberger (1839-1901)
About Josef Rheinberger:
Here are some references for the new music we did today (1/8/18):
Abendlied" by Josef Rheinberger (1839-1901)
The story behind the text:
About the piece, specifically:
Putting this all in context: History/politics, etc. – by year – scroll down to 1839 and
follow along, ending in 1901
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"Come and find the quiet center"
Hymn tune info - the tune is called "Beach Spring":
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"How can I keep from singing"
About the song:
About the arranger (Gwyneth Walker):
http://www.gwynethwalker.com/
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“Laudate omnes gentes”
About the text:
This is a Taize chant. What is Taize, you ask? –
“Breathe on Me”
About the composer, Cora L. Jackson – she will be working
with us on February 6 in noon Chorale section!
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