Rehearsal Schedule 9-10

Dear Singers
We had an excellent first rehearsal. I look forward to many more! As will be the case each week, the rehearsal schedule, listing all the pieces and, in some cases, specific measures, is below. There are also the links to all of the pieces in Bandlab along with the alternate versions.
Voice part changes
Lullabye: Since the numbers in our group are slightly different than the King Singers’🙂 we will need to adjust who sings what. Here are the changes:
  • Alto 2 and Tenor 1 will sing the Tenor 1 part
    • Exceptions: Alto 2 does NOT sing Tenor 1 (or anything) during mm 1 – 2, and 38 – 39
  • All males will sing the Tenor 2 part throughout the piece
Baba Yetu:
  • mm 2 – 4 is a soli for Alto 2
  • Alto 1 will sing the middle note anytime there are three parts
  • Alto 2 will sing D, not F#, m 18 and 66
  • All altos sing tenor mm 71 – 77, switch back to alto line, 78 and 79
  • Tenor 2 and Baritone sing middle note anytime there are three parts
  • Tenor sing top note, Bass sing bottom note mm 23 – 24 and 27 – 28
Silent Night
  • As already mentioned, no sopranos (altos only) mm 13 – 28
How to Practice
The reason we are doing so well as a choir is that everyone takes responsibility for learning the music.  It might seem that you can hide in the group and follow someone else and it will all be OK.  Unfortunately, that means you are singing a little behind the beat and with a little less energy.  Your contribution is crucial, whether it seems so or not.  Stand in front for a while (or in the audience) and you’ll understand.
The use of Bandlab, an online DAW (look it up), is a far superior way to use rehearsal recordings than the basic recordings I, and other directors, produced in the past. There are excellent directions for its use on the website as well as links to each of the pieces (links below). The password to the members section is “silentnight.” Using Bandlab is NOT a requirement, though. Many people in the choir have their own practicing routine. Be sure to use what works for you.
Set a goal for yourself that, if everyone else in our section were absent, you could carry the part by yourself (probably not quite as loudly).  This means a level of practice beyond guesswork.  Here are some suggestions, born from many years of practicing and teaching, to make your practice time more productive:
  • Be honest with yourself as to whether you actually know a particular section.  During your practice, record yourself, whether with Bandlab or with another type of recorder, to check on your actual progress. This is a brutally honest way to check yourself! If you record using Bandlab, be sure NOT to save your recording. It is important to leave each piece “unsullied” for the next person to use.
  • Concentrate on the difficult sections.  This strategy is time much better spent even though it feels much more enjoyable to practice the easy sections.  Also, the process of actually determining which sections are the difficult ones is helpful in itself.
  • If you use Bandlab, do so with the music in front of you.  It is much more efficient.   After you have the basic idea of your part, make sure to listen to all of the parts at the same time. Eventually you can check your knowledge of the part by muting your own part and listening to the rest as you sing. 
  • When practicing a difficult technical passage, practice slowly first until you are so accomplished with it that you are bored with it and then try it at tempo.  Usually that will do the trick.  I am not a believer in the “set the metronome forward two ticks” approach.  I think it builds in tension.  The practice recordings have slow versions for those pieces that move along. 
  • During our choir rehearsal, make it a habit to circle the sections that give you difficulty so that you can refer to them during your next week of practice.  Saying “I’ll just circle the whole thing!” is actually a cop out (yes, I learned that phrase in the 60’s).  Try to be as exact about your practicing needs as possible.  That also saves your time.  I will provide my take on those spots that need work, but everyone has their own spots!
Bandlab alternate versions
I’d like to make sure you are aware that the biggest drawback to the Bandlab program is that only one person can practice a particular piece at a time. If you see two icons in the upper right hand corner that means someone else is already there. Check the online instructions to understand more fully. There is an alternate version of each piece marked, appropriately ” – alt”. Use it instead, or wait until a better time.
See you Tuesday!
Mark
 
Rehearsal Schedule
Warmups
Vivaldi Gloria 1 to the end
Vivaldi Gloria 2, mm  9 – 33
Chichester Psalms 1, mm 1 – 10Chichester Psalms 3, mm 20 – 37
Lullabye, mm 1 – 21
Break
Baba Yetu, mm 11 – 14
Hey Jude, mm 1 – 59
Bandlab Links
Vivaldi Gloria 1
Vivaldi Gloria 2
Vivaldi Gloria 4
Vivaldi Gloria 5
Vivaldi Gloria 5 Slow
Vivaldi Gloria 7
Vivaldi Gloria 8
Vivaldi Gloria 9
Vivaldi Gloria 11
Vivaldi Gloria 12
Chichester Psalms Intro
Chichester Psalms 1 (7/4)
Chichester Psalms 1 (7/4) Slow
Chichester Psalms 2
Chichester Psalms 3
Boogie Fever
Blackbird
Baba Yetu
Lullabye
Hey Jude
It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year Slow
Let It Snow
Winter Wonderland
Silent Night

Alternates
Vivaldi Gloria – 1 – Alternate
Vivaldi Gloria – 2 – Alternate
Vivaldi Gloria – 4 – Alternate
Vivaldi Gloria – 7 – Alternate
Vivaldi Gloria – 8 – Alternate
Vivaldi Gloria – 9 – Alternate
Vivaldi Gloria – 11 – Alternate
Vivaldi Gloria – 12 – Alternate
Chichester Psalms – Intro – Alternate
Chichester Psalms – 1 7/4 – Alternate
Chichester Psalms – 1 7/4 Slow – Alternate
Chichester Psalms – 2 – Alternate
Chichester Psalms – 3 – Alternate
Boogie Fever – Alternate
Blackbird – Alternate
Baba Yetu – Alternate
Lullabye – Alternate
Hey Jude – Alternate
It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year – Alternate
It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year Slow – Alternate
Let It Snow – Alternate
Winter Wonderland – Alternate
Silent Night – Alternate