Revised agenda for 2/10

Due to some anticipated absences, this is a revised schedule for 2/10:

7-7:10 warmup
10-20 p. 4 chorus
20-30 review No. 23 (w/ Belinda)
30-40 No. 4
40-55 No. 6 (including Belinda/2nd Woman duet)

• Belinda/2nd woman: also prepare S1/S2 part at bottom of p. 14 and middle of p. 15; alto section will sing lowest part with you

55-8pm BREAK

8-8:10 No. 8

10-30 No. 11

30-40 review No. 20

40-55 Nos. 25-26 (Dido & Aeneas: you're on!)

8:55 Dismissed, except for Spirit (#27)

Here's a review of roles:

Dido: Cynthia 
Aeneas: Raymond 
Belinda: Julianna
Sailer: Ed Sawyer
Second Women: Vanessa
Sorceress: Pat
First Witch: Daniela
Second Witch: Sadie
Spirit: Sadie

Agenda for 2/10

We were low in numbers, but we had a solid rehearsal nonetheless! Here's the plan for Tuesday:

7-7:10 warmup
10-20 p. 4 chorus
20-30 No. 4
30-50 No. 6 (including Belinda/2nd Woman duet)

• Belinda/2nd woman: also prepare S1/S2 part at bottom of p. 14 and middle of p. 15; alto section will sing lowest part with you

50-8pm No. 8

8-8:05 BREAK

5-25 No. 11

25-30 review No. 20

30-40 review No. 23 (w/ Belinda)

40-9pm We'll try to put together Nos. 15-18 w/ soloists (Sorceress & witches)

Here's a review of roles:

Dido: Cynthia 
Aeneas: Raymond 
Belinda: Julianna
Sailer: Ed Sawyer
Second Women: Vanessa
Sorceress: Pat
First Witch: Daniela
Second Witch: Sadie
Spirit: Sadie

1/27 rehearsal agenda

Belinda & Sailor: please have your solos (below) ready.

7-7:10 warmup
10-25 Nos 16 & 18 (Ho Ho choruses)
25-40 No. 20
40-55 No. 23 Belinda solo w/ chorus
55-8:05 BREAK
5-20 No. 26 Belinda solo w/ chorus
20-35 No. 28 Sailor solo w/ chorus
35-50 No. 31
50-9pm meeting with soloists

Converting YouTube to audio files

Click here: http://www.youtube-mp3.org/

Enter your video link in the box. The video will be converted to an audio file, and then you be prompted to download the file. Presto!

Dido & Aeneas: score, audio/video, roles

It's official! We'll be doing Henry Purcell's 3-act opera Dido & Aeneas this spring. Why an opera? Normally I wouldn't make this choice, but Dido has extensive choral parts, and we also have the right people for all of the roles. We'll be performing this with period string quartet and theorbo. 

A score is here: http://javanese.imslp.info/files/imglnks/usimg/1/17/IMSLP36466-PMLP05472-Purcell-Z626vsNov.pdf

You can download audio here (scroll down), but please note that the performance is a 1/2-step lower than the pitch that we'll be using: http://paulcienniwa.com/shop

Video is here: http://youtu.be/jweNnjeY-Q0 (There are better performances on YouTube, but many of them are at so-called "baroque pitch," a half-step lower. If learning from recording, be sure that the pitch is modern.)

Chuck from the bass section has indexed the video so that you can jump around by timings. To see his index, click here.

Please note that our performance will be a concert version with no staging. (Soloists may wish to act somewhat, but it won't be part of my planning.)

Roles: I've already made decisions about roles. There's much too much solo music in this opera to leave to mid-semester auditions. The two open roles (First Witch/Second Witch) will be filled be audition or covered by the doubles (see below).

Dido: Cynthia 
Aeneas: Raymond 
Belinda: Julianna
Sailer: Ed Sawyer
Second Women: Vanessa
Sorceress: Pat
First Witch: open
Second Witch: open
Spirit: Sadie

(Why so many women's roles? Purcell wrote the opera for a girls' school.)

First Witch and Second Witch are open to audition, and I'd rather not have those roles doubled.

Finally, witches? sorceress? Dido? Aeneas? What's this all about?! Read a synopsis here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dido_and_Aeneas#Synopsis

Afterword

Thank you for a great semester and for all of your hard work. Last night was the best singing of the season, and I hope you had as much fun as I did.

I'm working with the administration to bring on more singers, but I can always use your help. Please let your friends and enemies know about the Chorus. We can always use more--male or female.

I wish you the best for the winter holidays, and I look forward to seeing you when we resume rehearsals: January 20.

-Paul

Show time!

Just a few items before our concert:

• dress is all-black
• call time is 6pm
• concert is at 7pm
• please invite your friends/family
• (Thank you, Molly, for hanging the promotional posters!)

Above all: MAKE SURE TO LOOK OVER THE MUSIC AT LEAST ONCE BEFORE TUESDAY NIGHT!

We are on the verge of a great concert, so please keep the music fresh in your mind and ear. See you on Tuesday!