Germany Rehearsal Notes – Master

• Adoramus te– Rehearsal Notes
• 4/2 time.  Note: DOUBLE WHOLE NOTE gets 4 beats, regular whole note gets 2 (quarter notes will feel like 8ths
• No real bar lines – just extremely long phrases
• Wait, wait, wait at the ends of phrases
• Letter B: allargando means growing louder and slower
• Count like crazy:  know when you are to move and then move decisively
•                 But also watch like crazy because tempos fluctuate
• Don’t get pulled into singing a syllable that is the same as yours one beat too soo (e.g. tu-am on top of p 3)
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• Afternoon On A Hill – Rehearsal Notes
• General info:
• 20^th century piece with a great deal of mixed meter and full dynamic contrast. Be alert to the meter changes and don’t be shy about the dynamics (on quiet as well as loud)
• Note specific articulation markings (accect, tenuto – see first two measures)
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• Breathing/phrasing:
• M8 no breath (NB) after “thing”
• P6 before “ah”
• Breathe after commas and periods
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• Other Details:
• Piu mosso (P5) means: more motion
• P8 m41and m43: even slow slide from one note to the next.
• P10 m55 and m58: watch out for 5/4 (extra beat) and sustain and sing though the half notes (especially sop & ten)
• M64 – m69: slow slide down
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• Ave Verum Corpus– Rehearsal Notes
• General info:
• Mozart is always elegant – sing it thus.
• Sotto voce literally means: “under the voice” or a subdued sound
• Phrases MUST be long, connected, and shaped like an arch (i.e. there is a crescendo/decrescendo in each phrase).
• Remember to grow through long notes followed by short notes.  The exception to this is if this occurs during the tapering of a phrase.
• This piece is homophonic which means that generally all parts are singing the same words at the same time (like a hymn).  Work very hard at entering together, cutting off together, shaping phrases together and shaping vowels together (basically – all the elements of good choral singing).
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• Breathing:
•                 M4-5 NO BTREATH after the second ave (you will be very tempted)
•                 M6 after corpus
•                 M10 after –ne
•                 M12 after passum
•                 M13 Sops only: after –tum
•                 M23-24 NO BTREATH after latus (you will be very tempted again)
•                 M25 after –ra-tum
•                 M33 S/A after –tum
•                 M35 T/B after –tum
•                 41 after –tis
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• Other details:
•                 M30-m35 gradual crescendo through mortis (even though there is a breath after pregustatum)
•                 M37 -41 gradual crescendo through mortis (even though there is a breath after mortis
• Blue Moon – Rehearsal Notes
• Swing rhythm (two eight note are triplet feel with the first long and the second short)
• Put “t” on doot
• Note all of the scoops: honor them
• Somewhat breathier tone throughout – this is vocal jazz
• Pu to p 5:  B/T take over melody.  Thus, S/A: back off
• M21 B/T change to high harmony
• Top of 7: crescendo on gold going into Blue Moon (forte)
• P7 sys 3, m2 do not sing the triplet that you have in the coda
• Bottom of 7 last measure: straight eighth notes
• M37 may be done as an improvised scat solo but everyone learn it and it may be sung together
• Bottom of 8 D.S al coda means go back to the sign (found on the top of 5) and then when you see the coda sign: skip to there (top of 9)
• Coda:  now there are triplets and scoops on “love of my”
• Note the fall off and then watch at end
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• Bouree for Bach – Rehearsal Notes
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• General info:
• Part of the 1963 Grammy winning Jazz album by the Swingle Singers
• Bach’s music is not altered except for the inclusion of jazz nonsense syllables, a stand up bass, and a snare drum with brushes
• Everything should be buoyant and light and slightly detached
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• Breathing/phrasing:
• B/T  m3 breathe after tie into b1
• P4 s2 m1 sop: brethe BEFORE b4 not after as written Honor all other breath marks
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• Other Details:
• Lay off if you are singing static parts and bring out moving parts
• p5 -6 trio dialog between A/T and Sop. The moving lines take over the spotlight
• last measure is a harpsichord part spread amongst the four parts.  They must flow together.
• Don’t forget the repeats
• Note the dramatic change in dynamics on the repeats
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• Conversion of Saul – Rehearsal Notes
• General info:
• This is a contemporary piece and a hallmark of 20^th century composition is mixed meters.  The time signature changes frequently and you should mark them.
• Breathing:
•                 The breathing is pretty straight forward on rests.  Be on the lookout for the dashed arched lines that mean – DO NOT BREATHE.  Honor them.        
• Other details:
•                 Molto agitato means very agitated
•                 Sfz stands for sforzando which means a sudden strong accent
•                 The note heads with an x represent unpitched sounds – in this case a well supported shout
•                 P 10 glissando means to slide
•                 Tiny notes (e.g. p13 m41) are grace notes sung very short before the main note
•                 Watch for and honor repeats
•                 P1
•                 P18 m64 tenors: note that you move on dark-ness one beat before the rest of the choir
•                 P19 m66 and m66 note that women move on “turn” and “bow” one beat before men
•                 Niente means dying away
•                 6/8 bars will be conducted in two, the 3/8 bars will be conducted in one, and the 7/8 bars will be conducted in three with one of the three beats longer than the other two (2 eighth notes, two eighth notes and three eighth notes)
•                 Note the change to 4/4 time at p16 m53
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• Elijah Rock – Hogan – Rehearsal Notes
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• General info:
• Contemporarily arranged spiritual.  As with most spirituals, rhythmic vitality and accuracy are fundamental to bringing the music alive.  Pay attention to all markings: accents, staccatos, marcatos, sfz, portamentos (slide offs), etc.
• Its easy to get this music too heavy too soon.  Keep it light and rhythmic
• Pay careful attention to the road map of this piece.  The repeats can be very confusing
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• Breathing/phrasing:
• They are all on the rests or are marked by the composer.
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• Other Details:
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• 1^st page last measure:  note that the portamento happens only on beat 4
• Letter B:  altos – work slowly on this to get it accurate.  Slash the beats to keep on track
• Throughout the piece note and honor the rests (especially the 16^th rests)
• Basses: note the difference between the 3 eighth notes leading into C (also at the top of p5) and the 3 16^th notes almost everywhere else
• Bottom of p 5:  ten and bass are singing one line that has been broken apart and sung an octave apart.  But you should hear/think it as one
• Coda top of page 6: MUCH slower and free tempo – watch
• Tenor Is: bottom of p7 – very light
• Letter E: WATCH
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• Gloria – Dvorak – Rehearsal Notes
• General info:
•                 Pronunciation: 
• Gloria flip the r or replace with a d
• In:  een
• Excelsis:  ek-shel-sees
• Deo:  Deh – o
• No h on Hominibus
• Te:  halfway between eh and a long A – NEVER:  eh-ee (like day)
• I will teach the rest of it in rehearsal
•                                                                                
• Breathing/phrasing:
•                 Breathe after:  Gloria in excelsis Deo
•                 No breath: et in terra pax hominius – then breathe
•                 Sop: NB p15 s2 m3 hominibus – bonae
•                 Breathe after: adoramus te glorificamus te
•                                 Exception: Sop: m59 breathe BEFORE glorificamus te – honor accents
•                                 If either of these repeats: breathe after the first
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• Other Details:
•                 M67 staccato (separate)
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• Hallelujah– Rehearsal Notes
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• General info:
•                 Although Beethoven is the culminating figure of the Classical Era and lead the musical world into the Romantic Era, this oratorio chorus is a throwback to the oratorios of Baroque composer Handel (the master of this form) and the early classical composer Haydn.  An oratorio is a large scale choral work that is essentially a sacred version of an opera without the costumes and staging.  The most famous oratorio is Handel’s Messiah. Another famous oratorio is Haydn’s Creation from which we have sung: The Heaven’s are Telling.
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•                 This has many, many diction challenges including  lots of  A and EE vowels that must be sung with a vertical, classical, British shape.
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•                 The biggest diction problem are many, many diphthongs. A diphthong is where one syllable contains two vowel sounds (this is not a problem in Latin and Italian where they do not exist – but is a huge problem for singers of English).  Since singing is sustaining sound on a vowel, the questions arises which of the two vowels should be sustained and for how long?  The answers for classical English singers (as opposed to Country and Western singers) is to sustain the first vowel sound for the entirety of the note and only say the second vowel with the consonant to end the word. 
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• Looking now at the allegro section beginning on p 3 we find:
•  the following diphthongs:
•                                                                 Praise (eh – ee), bright (ah – ee), choirs (ah – ee), joy (oh-ee), grace (eh-ee), and almighty (ah-ee)
•                                                 Bright horizontal vowels in:
•                                                                 Praise, bright, choirs, holy, joy, grace, glory, almighty
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•                 The second biggest diction concern is the three consonants that give singers fits when they come towards the end of a syllable: r, s, l.  The way to treat these is to LAY OFF of these consonants as much as possible – sometimes completely eliminating them and always making them as short, clean and crisp as possible.  When sung classically, r’s should be flipped or rolled.
•                                 In the allegro section we find:
•                                                 Lord (eliminate the r), choirs (eliminate the r), holy (hold vowel as long as possible), angelic (hold vowel as long as possible), glory (hold vowel and flip the r)
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• Breathing: Pretty straight forward on rests
•                 P2 s2 m1 not breath between jah and hal
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• Other details:
•                 Even though this starts ff always stress the syllable lu in hallelujah (not all notes have the same weight)
•                 P2 s3 m1 no one sing the ee of al mah-ee- ty son (on this diphthong just sing the first vowel exclusively
•                 Like the Bach, the allegro section should be sung buoyantly.
•                 The allegro is a fugue (complicated round) and thus:
•                                 Be assertive when your sections states the theme
•                                 Back way off when you do not have the theme
•                 Letter G:  count count count so you KNOW when to move
•                 Letter H begin softly and gradually build but continue to be relatively loud/quiet depending upon whether you have the theme
•                 Letter J same as letter H
•                 P13 piu allegro means more quickly (it will really book to the end).
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• Hine Ma Tov – Rehearsal Notes
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• General info:
•                 We may sing this a cappella at the concentration camp but it will be accompanied at our home concert.
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• Breathing/phrasing:
•                 When singing the melody (e.g. m 13, men m 32, 36) – do not breathe after “na-im”, but in other sections you should breathe after “ma tov” (e.g. ms 22, 25, 40, 44)
•                 Breathe before m53
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• Other Details:
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•                 M47 notice that everyone except altos are mp  while altos are f
•                 Note rall. (slow down)  and cesura ( cease) in m 53
•                 Wait for me to show the change to the hmm (lips together/teeth apart) in the last measure.
•                 Shape vowels properly for a warm rich tone.
•                 Honor all dynamics and tempo markings
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• Home on the Range – Rehearsal Notes
• General info:
• Be careful about rhythms and chords. – This is deliberately written as a jazz ballad and thus there are many moments that are not the same as you remember.
• Breathing:
•                 M18 – 19 no breath
•                 M27 no breath after “heard”
•                 M29 DO breathe after “word”
•                 P6 NO Breathing until m47
•                 M51 breathe before “and the skies”
•                 M94 breathe and watch after “range”
•                 The rest should follow the previously established pattern          
• Other details:
•                 As always, but particularly in this piece crescendo through long notes that move into shorter notes (e.g. m18 “home, home on the”  m24 “deer and the” m27 “heard a discouraging” m30 “skies are not”.  This piece is full of these long note short note combos
•                 m43 watch rhythm
•                 m50 S/A: watch notes and rhythm
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• How Lovely Are The Messengers – Rehearsal Notes
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• General info:
• Romantic composer who rediscovered and promoted the music of Bach
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• Breathing/phrasing:
• Breathing is all marked by the editor.  Honor all markings. Remember, the dashed/arched line means no breath
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• Other Details:
• This has long, long phrases and all should be arch shaped.
• This piece is full of long short long short (quarter 8^th combos): sing through the 8^th notes so it doesn’t sound “loopy”
• Altos: bottom of p9 m2 note that you move to “through” before everyone else
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• In Virtute Tua – Rehearsal Notes
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• General info:
• This is Baroque style so like Lobet is should be sung lightly, buoyantly, and with a fair degree of separation between notes.
• Always separate: dotted eighth/sixteenth combos (e.g. Do- mine)
• Melismas (many notes on one syllable – e.g. alto part beginning p4 s2 m3 b3 ta——) should have a bit of separation – enough to keep it clean and accurate.  Learn it slowly and carefully
• This era also has terraced dynamics which meant that the change in dynamic level is direct and immediate. There are a lot of echo passages with sudden changes in dynamics (e.g. p6 s2 and p7 s1 laetabitur soft loud soft loud. They are all marked – honor them.
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• Breathing/phrasing: 
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•                 Breath at each rest
•                 Space/separation at each comma
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• Other Details:
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• Sop: look out for p12 s1 m2 and 3 – work this out
• Sop: p13 s2 m1 b3 D#  – this is an unexpected modulation from the original key and tends to be sung very very flat.  Sing it high and in tune.
• P14 s2 m3 note the meter change to 3/2. It is also a mood change – more legato (smooth)
•                 This section really requires counting like crazy
• When you have “tribuisti” repeated: crescendo throughout and then taper back on: “e-i”
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• It Don’t Mean A Thing – Rehearsal Notes
• General info:
• This whole work is in swing rhythm which means that the two eighth notes in a pair of eighth notes are NOT equal in duration.  Rather, the first is twice as long as the second.
• This is jazz so… when you have off beats (the & of the beat – e.g. 1& 2&) they should be accented.  Examples include:  m10 must, m11 train, m16 if
• In vocal jazz the diction is different from classical.  Consonants are much less crisp and are stopped without explosion
• Last notes of phrases can fade away – not crisp cut offs.  Having sdaid this it must be rhythmic not random
• Generally more air in the tone for vocal jazz
• Breathing is straight forward on rests
• Other details:
• A Train:
•                 Observe accents that are written in (e.g. p4 m30: those)
•                 Teepee shaped accents are stronger (e.g. p5 m40 above “take the”
•                 P4 m24 note the rest between “better and hurry” – same thing on p4 s3 m2 “a-hummin”
•                 P5 s2 m1 T/B note the staccato above not indicating a separation
•                 Everyone must honor the jazz slides down and back up in ms 39, 41, 43, 45 and the slide up and then back down in m47
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• Mood Indigo: 
• strive for a warm rich “bluesy” sound
•                 M55 tenors bring out the moving line. Everyone else sustain for the full three beats while they move
•                 M66 change sit to sid (perfect example of a stopped consonant)            
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• Satin Doll:
•                 Lots of off beat accents see m101 “which” m 103 “she” etc
•                 M108 and m110 watch out for the triplet (“baby shall” and “careful a”)
•                 Big crescendo at m122
•                 Big slide into m124
•                 N138 note strong accents
•                 M139 “Dwee” – the slash under the note indicates that you are to scoop up into the notes
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• It Don’t Mean A Thing:
•                 Eighth quarter eighth note combos are classic examples of syncopations which give jazz its rhythmic drive.  The quarter note is now the offbeat and thus is accented –  see m148
•                 Practice rhythm slowly to get it accurate
•                 M155 – the long slashes after “wah” indicate a large “fall-off”. This is another classic jazz style element
•                 T/B m 165 note the eighth/dotted quarter syncopation on “rhythm’s” –  accent the second note
•                 M180 – look out for the repeat
•                 Learn m185 – mm192 carefully and slowly.  Once you have theat the rest of the song is repetitive with each part just moving up the chord in subsequent sets (i.e tenors move from do – mi, altos move from mi – sol, and sops move from sol – do – etc…)
•                 Start softly and each set in this section should get progressively louder to the big finish
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• Java Jive  – Rehearsal Notes
• All basses and tenors sing the baritone line
• This should have a laid back swinging feel.  Thus
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•                 Consonants are stopped – not classically (Italian) crisp
•                                 See especially letter D doot – don’t release the tongue on the “t”
•                 Tone is a bit breathier – less bright
•                 Eighth notes are swung
•                 Light scoops and slides are acceptable
•                                 Heavier scoops where marked (e.g. m 15)
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• Note staccatos in letter D
• Breathing is laid out on rests EXCEPT baritones p.9.  Here: breathe every two measures
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• Jesu Meine Freude – Rehearsal Notes
• Breathing:  Every two measures EXCEPT m’s 15 through the first half of 17 and from the last half of 17 till the end.
• Sing very connected lines. 
• Clear crisp diction.
• DON’T slow down at ends of phrases
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• Kyrie Eleison – Haydn – Rehearsal Notes
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• General info:
• Haydn is the musical “father’/mentor to both Mozart and Beethoven
• The Kyrie Eleison is the first part of the ordinary of the mass which means that it is spoken, chanted, or sung in every mass.  Thus many many many composers have set this text.  Many, like Haydn, have set it numerous times for different masses they have composed.
• This mass was composed when Austria was in turmoil from fear of Napoleon’s army which helps explain the dramatic and powerful minor key opening.  It was named Lord Nelson Mass since the day it was premiered was possibly the same day that Lord Nelson defeated Napoleon.
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• Breathing/phrasing:
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• Pretty straight forward on rests with a couple of exceptions:
•                 When repeating the word “eleison” put in a space (not necessarily a breath)
•                 P5 s1 m1 breathe after –son
•                 P5 s1 m3 and 4 breathe after –son
•                 P10 s1 m2 breathe after –son
•                 P11 m1 breathe after –son
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• Other Details:
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• Strong “K” on all “kyries”
• Flip the r or replace with a d on all kyries
• Make sure that the “e” of Kyrie is pronounced eh not ay
• Sing THROUGH high notes and long notes
• P10 sepmre ff means always very loud
• When the two syllables lei are on one note put the “i” (ee sound) on the last beat (sometimes a quarter note and sometimes an eighth note).
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• Lebenslust – Rehearsal Notes
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• General info:
• The title says it all: Joy of Living. Lilting is the operative word.
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• Breathing/phrasing:
• Look at the program notes page on the inside cover where it shows the poem and the translation. Breath at the end of each line (phrase)
• P10 m36 breath after “nuss”
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• Lobet den Herrn, alle Heiden (Bach Motet VI) – Rehearsal Notes
• COMPLETE
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• General info:
• This is in 4/2 time so… the half note is the unit of beat and quarter notes will feel like eighth notes do in 4/4 time (1& 2& 3& 4&). Likewise, eighth notes will feel like 16^th notes do in 4/4 time (1e&a, 2e&a, 3e&a 4e&a).
• This is Baroque style and as such should be sung with a sense of buoyancy and space.  As such, melismas (many notes on one vowel – e.g. Lo – – – – – – – ) should be slightly separated (just enough to keep it clean and precise).
• Keep everything light and sing mp after you have sung the theme.  Conversely, when you have the theme, keep it light but at considerable more volume to bring it out.
• Slight crescendos on long notes followed by short notes (this is a general rule but especially applicable here – see e.g. sop part m3
• Breathing/phrasing: 
• For this to be clean and accurate we must all breathe together within our sections.  Please mark and honor breath marks below.
• Be clear – you should always breathe on rests.
• For the Alleluja (m99 on) breathe after EVERY Alleluja that ends with a quarter note or longer note.
•                 Tenors you may need to take one before letter Q
•                 Tenors also take one after the tie crossing into p 32 M154
• Sopranos:
• M2 after herrn
• M3 b1 after –le
•                 M5 after Heiden
•                 M7 b1 after – le
•                 M10 after den
•                 M11 b1 after – bet
•                 M15 b1 after  – den after b3 – bet (first one)
•                 M20 after Herrn
•                 M22 b3 after Heiden
•                 M30 after Volker
•                 M31 after Volker
•                 M 32 after Volker
•                 M33 after ihn
•                 M 34 after ihn
• M36 after alle
• M45 after Volker
• M46 after ihn
• M47 after ihn
• M50 after alle
• M52 b1 after – ker
• M54 after Volker
• M56 after herrn
• M60 after Wahrheit
• M66 after Wahrheit
• M75 after waltet
• M85 after Ewigkeit
• M86 after Wahrheit
• m89 after – keit
• m95 after – keit
• Alto:
•                 M3 b3 after Herrn
•                 M4 b1 after – le
•                 M5 b2 after – le
•                 M7 b3 after Heiden
•                 M10 b3 after Heiden
•                 M11 b1 after Herrn AND b3 after  – bet
•                 M13 B1 after  Heiden
•                 M15 b1 after – den
•                 M18 b2 after – den
•                 M20 b3 after – den
•                 M21 b1 after Heiden
•                 M22 be after Heiden (2^nd one)
•                 M33 after ihn
•                 M34 after ihn
•                 M36 after alle
•                 M38 b1 after –le
•                 M41 b2 after first alle
•                 M42 after Volker
•                 M45 after herrn
•                 M46 after preiset
•                 M49 b1 after first Volker
•                 M51 b1 after first alle
•                 M60 after Wahrheit
•                 M66 after Wahrheit
•                 M81 after Ewigkeit
•                 M83 after Wahrheit
•                 M86 after Wahrheit
• M89 after – keit
• M91 after uns
• M92 after Ewigkeit
• M93 after Wahrheit
• M95 after uns
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• Tenor:
•                 M6 b3 after Herrn
•                 M7 b1 after – le
•                 M9 b1 after Heiden
•                 M12 b1 after Herrn AND b3 after – bet
•                 M15 b1 after Heiden
•                 M18 b3 after Herrn
•                 M21 b3 after the first al – le
•                 M22 b3 after – den
•                 M33 after preiset
•                 M33 after ihn
•                 M34 after preiset
•                 M34 after ihn
•                 M35 after Volker
•                 M37 after – le
•                 M38 after Volker
•                 M40 after ihn
•                 M41 after alle
•                 M46 after ihn
•                 M50 after alle
•                 M52 b1 after – ker
•                 M52 b3 after Volker
•                 M53 after Volker
•                 M55 after ihn
•                 M72 after – heit
•                 M76 after uns
•                 M77 after – keit
•                 M78 after Wahrheit
•                 M81 after Ewigkeit
•                 M82 after Wahrheit
•                 M84 after Ewigkeit
•                 M85 after Ewigkeit
•                 M89 b1 before wal-
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• Bass:
•                 M7 b3 after Herrn
•                 M10 b1 after – den
•                 M14 b3 after – den
•                 M21 b1 after Herrn AND b3 after the first – le
•                 M33 after ihn
•                 M34 after ihn
•                 M37 b1 after first alle
•                 M44 after ihn
•                 M45 after Volker
•                 M48 after herrn
•                 M50 after alle
•                 M52 after – ker
•                 M53 after – ker
•                 M56 after – ker
•                 M72 after – heit
•                 M75 after – tet
•                 M82 after Wahrheit
•                 M87 after Wahrheit
•                 M88 after uns
•                 M95 after Ewigkeit
•                 M97 after waltet
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• Mack The Knife – Rehearsal Notes
• This should have a upbeat swing feel.  Thus
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•                 Consonants are stopped – not classically (Italian) crisp (see bops on p 11)
•                 Tone is bright
•                 Eighth notes are swung
•                 Accent offbeats (e.g. m5, 7, 9) and syncopations (e.g. m10, 18) where appropriate
•                 Light scoops and slides are acceptable
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• Note staccatos (e.g. S/A p5)
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• Breathing is generally laid out on rests However, there is a pattern of very short phrases followed by one long one and you may not breathe in the middle of the long one (e.g. m 13, 14, 15)
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• Starting on p 5 the melody ends with an eighth NOT an eighth tied to a quarter as in the beginning.  Be sure to get off of those notes.
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• P 13 f starts the “big finish.”  Don’t be shy – Even more on p 15
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• Marianske Ave  – Rehearsal Notes
• Breathing:  Breathe at the end of each line.  Note that there are no bar lines which implies that you:
• Sing very connected lines. 
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• Clear crisp diction.
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• Be  prepared to wait to start the next phrase
• Translation:
• Ave Marianske
• 100,000 times greetings
• To you love rekindling
• Oh my, oh my greetings
• Because you are worshipped.
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• So be healthy and praised
• Virgin Mother  (worshiped adored praised)
• With stars coronated (crowned)
• In love for God praised
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• My dove, o my little birdy
• O my dove, when I’m yours
• So I would with you singing
• Your son is praised
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• Mi Yitneni Of – Rehearsal Notes
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• General info:
•                 We may sing this a cappella at the concentration camp but it will be accompanied at our home concert.
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• Breathing/phrasing:
•                 The composer has given you breath marks and rests – honor these and you should be good.
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• Other Details:
•                 Pitch, pitch, pitch.  To accomplish this keep the sound high and light – NEVER heavy.  Be particularly careful in the passagio (treble clef 3^rd space c through 4^th space e). 
•                 Shape vowels properly for a warm rich tone.
•                 Honor all dynamics and tempo markings
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• O Haupt voll Blut aka Matthaus Passion – Rehearsal Notes
• Breathing:  Every two measures EXCEPT  that each phrase begins with a pick up (4^th beat of previous measure).
• Sing very connected lines. 
• Clear crisp diction.
• DON’T slow down at ends of phrases – However, be prepared to wait to start the next phrase
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• O Schone Nacht – Rehearsal Notes
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• General info:
•                 Long, long, long phrases
•                 In general, each phrase should grow and taper
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• Breathing/phrasing:
•                 Bass: p3 s2 m2 breathe after: erglanzt
•                 Ten: p4 s2 m1: after schaft m4 after schaft
•                 Alto: p5 s2 m3 after: Tau
•                 T/B: p9 s1 m1 after : seiner
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• Other Details:
•                 M67 stacatto (separate)
•                 Sop: p6 s2 m1-3 note the difference amongst eighth notes pairs, dotted eighths/sixteenth combos, and doted quarter/eighth combos.  Also do not accent the upper note – make it even and light.
•                 T/B: p7 s2 m3 and the following measure:  note that the basses move on three quarter notes while the tenors have a dotted pattern
•                 All: p9 s2 m1-3 (e.g.) note the quarter note with staccato followed by a quarter rest followed by a quarter note with staccato all with a phrase marking over.  I interpret this to mean short on the quarter notes and no breath on the quarter rest.
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• Rorando coeli – Rehearsal Notes
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• General info:
•                 Pronunciation: 
• I will teach in rehearsal
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• Breathing/phrasing:
•                 Breathing is obvious at the rests – nowhere else.  These are short phrases
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• Other Details:
•                 This is early Baroque and is homophonic in that within each choir every part sings the same words at the same time (like a hymn).
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•                 This is also an excellent example of antiphonal singing where one group echoes another.  The two parts are identical so be prepared to sing either.  The second group may well be smaller that the first (more like an echo).  How we perform this, will depend upon the venue and its particular acoustics and space options.  This can be very exciting in the right setting.
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•                 Dynamics are fairly static but will have variety in the different sizes of the two groups.
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• Shenandoah – Rehearsal Notes
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• General info:
•                 This is a contemporary arrangement. – quite easy BUT watch the time signatures.  They change and you will be forced to move or not move at times that will “feel wrong” to you.
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• Breathing/phrasing:
•                 Never breathe after “Shenandoah” except men pp 3 & 4
•                 Breathe before every “away” and never after “away” except women p 4
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• Other Details:
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•                 Pitch, pitch, pitch.  To accomplish this keep the sound high and light – NEVER heavy.  Be particularly careful in the passagio (treble clef 3^rd space c through 4^th space e).  Be especially careful of the descending steps (E-D#-C#) on “away”  This will go flat almost every time if you are not diligent.
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• Sicut Cervus – Rehearsal Notes
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• General info:
•                 Pronunciation: 
• I will teach in rehearsal
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• Breathing/phrasing:
•                 Breathe after: 
•                                 Cervus
•                                 Fontes
•                                 Aquarum
•                                 Desiderat
•                                 Anima mea
•                                 Deus
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• Other Details:
•                 This is a perfect example of Renaissance polyphony (many voices).  Each voice part has its own integrity and is of equal value.  It is round like with each part maintaining some of the characteristics    of the others but not exactly the same. Each phrase grows and tapers.  This, as one group tapers, another is growing causing an aural tapestry. We should never hear one solid block of sound – rather we should hear parts weaving in and out of prominence.
•                 Virtually no vibrato. – very even
•                 Pitch, pitch, pitch.  To accomplish this keep the sound high and light – NEVER heavy.  Be particularly careful in the passagio (treble clef 3^rd space c through 4^th space e).
•                 There are a couple of minor discrepancies in syllable placement in the bass and tenor parts between the two editions.  I will go over this in rehearsal.
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• Sleep – Rehearsal Notes
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• General info:
• Eric Whitacre, the composer of this piece, is regarded as one of the finest American choral composers working today.  He music often features tone clusters – not traditional chords based upon triads (stacked up thirds) – rather clusters of notes that are a step apart.  This makes his music challenging, but his voice leading in general is often stepwise which mitigates against the difficulty.  Do not be afraid of “clashes” – own them.
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• On a side note, his explanation about the work on the inside cover is an interesting foray into the arcane world of copyright.
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• Breathing/phrasing:
• Whitacre has marked specific phrasing.  Honor it.
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• Other Details:
• Lento; lontano e molto legato means: slow, distant/remote and very smooth
• Watch out for meter changes (almost every measure).  These take away the sense of pulse which will help keep it smooth
• M14 poco piu mosso means: a little more movement
• M58 (p9) – M62 (p10):  COUNT COUNT COUNT.  It is critical that you KNOW when to move from note to note.  This is the most dramatic moment of the song but will also be the weakest if you are unsure.
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• Verano Porteno – Rehearsal Notes
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• General info:
• This is a Tango. It is very rhythmic, sulty, and emotional.
• Basses are the bass in the orchestra, the melody and rhythm section move among the sop, alto, and tenor parts.  When you have the melody – bring it out.  When not, back off. Be aware of how it moves from one part to another
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• Breathing/phrasing:
• Pretty self evident
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• Other Details:
• Really pay close attention to dynamics and articulations – they bring this piece alive. Accents are very very important
• Slash rhythms at m17 – learn accurately
• M39 meno means less – this refers to tempo – it slows down here
• M41 altos: slide down on long dash.
• M41 altos: dolce means sweetly – think sultry
• M42 altos: careful with the rhythm in the triplets
• M49 altos: crescendo through the half notes
• M53 rit begins here not one measure later
• M56 accel. means accelerando which means speed up
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• What a Wonderful World – Rehearsal Notes
• General info:
• Pop/jazz ballad – not the swing rhythm (see It Don’t Mean a Thing for explanation)
• Warm sound – more air in tone
• Stopped consonants
• Lots of dotted quarter eight combos (e.g.m11 “skies of blue and clouds of white): long followed by short – slight crescendo
• Pay careful attention to dynamics – mark them
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• Breathing:
•                 M3 NO BREATH after “green”
•                 P6 s3 m1 breathe after “hands”
•                 P7 s1 don’t breathe after “sayin”
•                 M27 no breath (NB) after “cry”
•                 P7 s3 NB after “more”
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• Other details:
•                 M34 tenuto marking (flat line above note head) this means to stress and slightly lenghten
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• Zigeunerleben – Rehearsal Notes
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• General info:
• Lots of German here. Work slowly and carefully to get it to flow freely.  The language is the most difficult part of this piece.
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• Breathing/phrasing:
• Pp3-5 are regular two measure phrases
• P6 s1 m2 bass: breathe before the last two 16^th notes
• P6 s2 m1 B/T breathe before “da”
• Letters C and D are regular 4 measure phrases
• Letter H to end (like beginning) is regular two measure phrases
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• Other Details:
• Very animated and intense even (especially) when soft.
• Honor dynamics
• Letters C and D are very legato and connected
• Everyone learn the parts at E through G
• P10 s3 m3 divide the two sopranos parts into Sop/Alto
• P11 s1 m2 divide the tenor parts into Ten/Bass
• Note the ending:  pp and decrescendo
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• Zog Maran – Rehearsal Notes
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• General info: In Yiddish and English
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• Breathing/phrasing:
• The main verses are in two measure phrases
• The oos and ahs should be unbroken.  If you must breathe do so during a note (note between notes) and not when your neighbor breathes
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• Other Details:
• Count carefully on the oos and ahs so that you move at the correct time
• Put slight accent each time you change notes on the oos and ahs