It's SHOWTIME!

You should all be pleased with how well things went Tuesday. Here are some general comments along with some more specific comments, courtesy of Allie:

• You may have water with you on stage.
• Concert dress is all-black.
• Soloists especially, but this applies to all: no leg-crossing while on stage. Keep your feet firmly planted!

General comment: anticipate tempos so that chorus comes in on time. Remember to keep those consonants ahead of the beat. Be very, very clear in your diction.

Specific comments to choir/soloists:

• #6 Julianna: make your consonants clear; we can't understand the words
• #11 "Let the triumphs": the "Let the" pickups aren't together. Be ready to sing in tempo!
• #20 When singing softly, keep the same poise as when singing loudly, using air and an open mouth. (The soft sections are coming out flat.)
• #26 Alto entrance "haste haste" can't be heard. Sing out!
• #27 Raymond: make your final consonants clear "heart" "forsake" "gods" "could die"
• #28 Ed: don't sing too softly in the soft sections; can't be heard
• #35 "Great" Put "gr" before the beat, not on it.
• #37 Cynthia: more closing consonants "When I am laid." Also, descending lines tend to go flat. Listen to the band!
• #38 Sopranos: breathe before your entrances

Please mark these comments in your part as they apply.

Call for Tuesday is 6pm. Please try to arrive by 5:50, since we need to start work at 6.

Invite everyone and have fun! This will be a blast!

April 21 agenda

First, I was very disappointed to learn that none of you had heard of H.R. Pufnstuf and Witchiepoo. As your punishment, you must watch this: https://youtu.be/obxfuFrUTzg

I am so sorry that none of you have had the pleasure of 1970's Saturday morning TV. 

Second, thank you for a GREAT rehearsal last night. I really appreciate your professionalism and attention to the rehearsal. On April 21, we return to Heineman where we will have our final rehearsal. Please try to arrive a little before 7pm so that we can begin without delay. At the end of rehearsal, I'll need everyone's help to break down the room and return it to normal.

Three more notes:

• Please be careful when moving around the instruments. Use extra caution and keep a wide berth. Above all, don't walk through the instrumental ensemble when going on/off stage.
• Other than a few tempo issues, the one big lapse last night was the section entrances in "Haste, Haste to Town." Please review your part while also reviewing the other parts. Know what needs to happen so that you come in on time and in the right place.
• Please make sure to turn your pages quietly. Trust me, the audience will hear page turns if we're not careful.

Please spread the word about the concert. Let's pack the joint!

April 14 agenda

Thanks for a great rehearsal. All is going really well. This week's rehearsal brings us back to WL201. Please plan for the extra walking time. Click here for directions.

Please be ready to sing all choruses! 

Soloists: please come at 6:30 to move furniture and to stay a few minutes later to move things back.

Everyone else: please be promptly in WL201 at 7pm.

Keep thinking of this music!

Sit/Stand directions

Please mark/do the following with your scores before next week:

• p. 1: SIT
• p. 3: STAND
• p. 5: SIT
• p. 8: STAND
• p. 24: SIT
• p. 26: at bottom of page on "Appear!": STAND
• p. 36: SIT
• p. 39: STAND
• p. 41: SIT
• p. 44: STAND
• p. 46: SIT
• p. 49: at bottom of page on bottom of page "tho' never": STAND
• p. 52: SIT
• p. 54: at bottom of page on "night": STAND
• p. 57: SIT
• p. 61: at no. 34: STAND
• p. 63: SIT
• p. 64: at end of aria, after Dido sings "fate": STAND

Agenda for 3/31 and 4/7

We are closing in on the concert, and everything is going quite well. For these last two pre-instrumental ensemble weeks, we'll be reviewing the entire opera during each rehearsal.

We'll be back in the chapel for these two weeks.

Agenda for soloists:

• 3/31: Dido and Aeneas, please come at 6:30
• 4/7: all soloists at 6:30

See you soon!

3/24 agenda

REHEARSAL VENUE CHANGE! This Tuesday, March 21, we will be in the library, room 201. Directions are as follows:

• from the chapel front entrance, continue walking up the hill
• cross the street
• continue walking up to the building at the top of the hill (Dwight)
• enter building, go left, exit building and continue walking (this enter/exit situation is due to construction)
• the library will appear on your right
• enter and ascend to 2nd floor, looking for room 201 (towards back of building)
• IF LOST/CONFUSED, ASK QUESTIONS! You may also call me: 617-466-9042

Last night, I woke up at 3am when I realized that we have just three more rehearsals till we meet with the instrumentalists. This is less of an issue for the chorus as it is for the soloists, but whoa! We all have work to do.

This Tuesday will be the last rehearsal in which I hope to pound out any individual parts/notes. From that point onward, we need to be making sure all segments fit together with chorus/soloists. In other words, this is the last week for note-learning.

Here's the plan:
6:30-7: witches/sorceress
7-7:10 warmup
10-25 review 16 and 18, then try them with soloists from 15-18
25-35 #23
35-50 #26, then try it w/ #25 beforehand
50-8:05 #28 w/ soloist
5-10 BREAK
10-25 #30, also connecting to sorceress solo on p.54
25-30 #35
30-45 #38
45-9pm all recitatives with soloists; Chorus dismissed

March 17 rehearsal

NO REHEARSAL. SPRING BREAK!