Dear Singers,
Marvelous beginning to the 2022-2023 season! The energy in the room was remarkable and I look forward to see that grow as yet more singers join in the weeks to come.
NOTES
This past rehearsal (9/6) was devoted to getting us together again, and exploring several details of our two major works for the fall, Dmitro Malyi's Salve Regina and Fauré's Requiem. I was intent on sharing some key sounds and melodies from Salve Regina, and I feel that our initial read of the first movement was quite beautiful, in fact, I think we should record it for the composer next week.
Next rehearsal, I also plan for a longer, more developed warm up. Last night was about getting together, and we did also take a step towards shifting ourselves back in to our best approach in using our voices for singing. Next week, we will go much further in that way, and you can prepare yourself by taking a few minutes each day to:
think about and practice posture and breathing for singing. We need to make space for breath, and we need to think about allowing a lot of it in.
think about and practice vocalizing with supportive posture and breathing. Make some healthy vocal sound (doesn't need to be loud) anywhere you can find, and just a little (each day or so) goes a long way.
We can consider that we use our entire body in singing, and at the very least we can imagine that we do. We need to sing from a place deeper and bigger than our vocal mechanism, which by itself is remarkably small. But when supported with relatively tall posture, sufficient and continuous breath, and a sensation of resonance that is full-body (at least, full head), that small organ will produce sound far beyond its tiny nook in our throat. Let's make a big (not necessarily loud) sound, let's be thinking of that as we approach our next rehearsal and come with the expectation of ourselves as a chorus that we will sense a difference for our efforts. It is a gratifying process, but it does require our effort, and our personal expectation! Note also that there is no issue of "failure" in our singing. Rather, there is only the inspiration to do more.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
VPR Classical will broadcast the VSO/Chorus recording of Fauré Requiem tonight at 8:00 PM! This performance was conducted by Robert DeCormier, and I understand that the broadcast is in his memory.
Resources will continue to appear on our web site: go.middlebury.edu/communitychorus/ - then look for the link, "Chorus Member Resource Site," down a little bit on the page (or use this direct link). There, see the "Resources" tab on the top right.
Next rehearsal is Tuesday, September 13, 6:30 PM, College Chapel. Note that we will RECORD a short passage of our rehearsal that week, and we will be recording rehearsal segments with some regularity this fall.
Sunday rehearsals begin on September 18! Join Tim Guiles in the Chapel, 6:30 PM (until or unless I or Tim says differently).
Zoom may be available if requested this week, and for this week please contact me.
NEXT REHEARSAL
Malyi: movement 1, we will make a rehearsal progress recording. Part files are available on the website above. We will explore more of the second and final movements.
Fauré: Movements 1 and 2 will be the focus, but we will sing something of each movement. If you can possibly do so, spend some time on vocal parts of those movements, and the website above offers specific links for that.
Fauré: I asked you to listen to movement 5, Agnus Dei, to appreciate the lyrical melodic quality of some parts, and the constant change in harmonic color of other/alternating sections. Find a recording, and listen to it a few times this week. Let's see how that changes our approach to and productivity in rehearsal.
Finally, in our next rehearsal we will sing more of the Fauré, in two ways: singing through big sections of music, and then focusing on a few details in building our performance. I hope that these notes and available resources reinforce that, to the extent that our rehearsals are truly rewarding, on personal, vocal, and musical levels. I know that thinking about all of this towards our next rehearsal has me excited already.
Sincerely,
Jeff