Dear Singers-
* Does anyone have a copy of the choral part to the medley from Oklahoma? It’s three or four sheets that I wrote out in Finale. Please let me know or bring it in.
* Tonight
~ I will dismiss women at break
~ 8:50 pm – work with men on Shearing
~ 9:15 pm – rehearse the Leipzig group
~ Next week we will resume our normal schedule.
* This Sat at noon -women
* This Sat at 3:00 pm: Amanda Prices Graduation Recital
Photo Gallery, from concert on Sunday, March 29
Photo Gallery, from concert on Sunday, April 5
Dear Singers –
You were amazing last night. Here is Introit and Kyrie. Enjoy.
The link is for a .mp3 file. For most systems, click to play file, right-click to download.
Dear Singers –
* We had a great Women’s rehearsal today. Tomorrow is going to be a wonderful concert!
* Attached is the seating chart. As you see, I have left ample chairs on the front row for anyone who feels they need a chair. I have been able to put 3 fewer singers on each level, which should relieve the crowding we experienced at the dress rehearsal.
Original riser chart | Same chart enlarged to print onto two pages for easier reading.
* Tomorrow’s 2 goals:
** Watch me at all times. Only occasionally should you need to look at your music.
** Wear your most excited, ecstatic, angelic face at all times. This is music of angels.
* Ul will be setting chairs at 12:30 pm. Come help him if you can. I will see you on stage at 2:00 pm.
From Fred: Stage Instructions, for April 5 concert
Updated (3/31/09) Chorus Schedule, Spring 2009, from Dr. Whitmire.
(3/30/09) Dear Singers –
* I was immensely proud of your singing last night. As I said following the performance, the first two movements were among the most transporting moments of my conducting career. We had some rhythmic and entrance problems in III (I even caught myself snapping! Just one snap. Did you hear it?). IV was very good: we raised the roof at “in excelsis”. VI and VII were very good. VIII saw the return of some rhythmic problems. IX was our best ever. I will know more once I hear the recording. What I know now is that we did every movement as well as we ever have. That’s as good as it gets!
* The attendance was 218. That’s up from last Spring at Epiphany when we had 166. I am hoping the turn-out at BI is much better.
* I have sent our $1000.00 donation. Thanks to all who contributed. While we weren’t listed on Sunday, we will soon be listed as a WMPO Benefactor.
* Please do not miss tomorrow’s rehearsal. Bring your Shearing as well as Durufle.
* If, for any reason, you were not present at the concert, please contact me immediately.
From Chorister Ellie: Optional Shearing note-learning sing-through at Ellie’s house
Monday, April 6, 7:30 – 8:30 pm (or 9 pm if we need it)
I plan to work from a performance recording I have downloaded, plus plunking notes out on the keyboard. (There are errors on the practice CD for tracks 1-3, beware.) (For more details, please contact Debbie or Ellie.)
Performance Program, from Durufle concerts, March 29 & April 5
Dear Singers –
* Please spend 2 hours today with your Durufle. Lets leave no stone unturned. We owe it to ourselves and to this beautiful music.
* Please scour your brain today for every person you might be able to bring to the concert. Make phone calls, send e-mails.
* Attached is the riser chart. There are chairs for those who need to sit. I have assigned chairs to those singers that I know need them. I have left several chairs for use by anyone who needs them. We can easily add more chairs stage left. The chart is a rough draft. Changes will be made. Be patient and flexible. I want every singer to be comfortable enough to fully devote themselves to the music.
Original riser chart | Same chart enlarged to print onto two pages for easier reading.
* Tomorrow’s pre-concert rehearsal begins at 2 pm. Do not be late. At 2:00 pm please take your place on the stage. No talking on stage. Fred will make adjustments as necessary. Do not allow stage logistics to delay the start of this very important rehearsal.
* This is going to be a wonderful, transcendent concert.
From Dr. Whitmire: Information regarding the 2009 Voices United Festival Chorus, part of the 11th Annual Voices United Conference. The application deadline has been changed to APRIL 30th!
Admin Note: Upon further research, this site includes conference registrations forms and information: http://www.vaacda.org.
Admin is not responsible for the accuracy of this site’s content, as it was not provided directly.
From Stage Manager Fred:
See: www.epiphanydc.org
The church is 1/2 block from Metro Center.
If you park in the underground lot adjacent to the church, be sure to pick up a voucher within the church. This will reduce your parking fee to $8 vs the normal $16. We usually pass the vouchers around while waiting in the Parish Hall.
When you leave the parking lot, have your voucher and $8 already in your hand when you get to the one and only exit booth. There will be many cars behind you hoping you will just wiz through checkout.
From Stage Manager Fred: Our annual NOVA Chorus picnic will be held on Saturday, May 9, at Fred and Judy Wulff’s residence. It will start at 2 p.m. and will be in our standard pot luck format in the standard place.
We’ll send more details and a map in a few weeks. For now, mark your calendar. It’s a great time to celebrate a successful concert season.
Dear Singers-
* Tonight is to our 10th rehearsal of Spring 2009! Please sign in.
* Thanks for your excellent work at Sunday’s Dress Rehearsal.
* If you were not present at the Dress Rehearsal, please see me tonight.
* Absentee Audition is tonight- If you have missed more than 2 rehearsals this semester be prepared to audition to demonstrate preparedness. If in doubt, see Section Leader
* Music Majors mid-term exam is tonight.
* Our first concert is this Sunday 3/29 and Epiphany. Call is 2:00 pm. Bring your friends and family.
* 2nd Concert Sun 4/5, 2 pm call, Bishop Ireton HS
From Dr. Whitmire: Dear Singers –
* Tomorrow (Sunday 3/22) at 5 pm is our Dress Rehearsal at B. Ireton High School. Attendance is mandatory.
* Thanks to Nick King and Chris Hagan for the excellent rehearsal on Tuesday.
* According to the sign-in sheets there were 21 absences on Tuesday! This is very disheartening to me.
Soprano-5 | Alto-11 | Tenor-5 (of 16, almost one third!) | Bass-0 Bravo!
* If you have (or will) miss more than two rehearsals during preparation for this concert, be prepared to audition to demonstrate preparedness. Audition will this Tuesday, March 24.
* Thanks to all who have made contributions to the WMPO. We will be listed in the program at the $1000 level! At a time when some of the region’s finest arts organizations are folding, this is very important.
* Attached is a pdf of the seating arrangement for tomorrow. Zoom to 250%. It is a first draft. We’ll make any necessary adjustments on Tuesday. In order to achieve balance I am bring 3 sopranos and 3 tenors to sing with us. Their names are in Italics. We will have to modify this seating for Epiphany.
* Jim and Fred need about 10 able-bodied persons to help with the risers. If you can help, come tomorrow at 3:45 pm.
* Please set aside time to go through all of Durufle today and again tomorrow before rehearsal. We have invested 9 weeks. We can make it pay off handsomely only if every singer is ready.
* Happy Birthday J. S. Bach!
From Stage Manager Fred:
Our performance of the Durufle will be FIRST on the program instead of last.
– Be on time for the warmup before each performance.
– Tell your customers to be on time, too.
Counting measures of rest was far more demanding than I remembered. A couple of times I found singers around me had already started while I still had a measure or two of rests left to count. (Oops – those were 2/4 not 4/4 measures.) There are places we must count 10 to 20 measures with a mixture of 4/4 & 2/4 or 8/8, 7/8, 9/8, 12/8.
What to do? When the cue indicates it is played by flute, oboe (hautbois.), bassoon or drum – it really is. You can’t miss it. Write it on your music. Note what else is going on in the orchestra while you are counting rests.
Nick said he will work on counting rests at our next rehearsal.
From Chorister Bill: Information regarding the Singer Network website.
Please see Bill’s message, and flyer.
From Chorister Peggie: Information regarding the CHORWORKS Summer Workshop
For more information.
From Chorister Bill: Information regarding the Singer Network website.
Please see Bill’s message, and flyer.
From Chorister Peggie: Information regarding the CHORWORKS Summer Workshop
For more information.
From Chorister Grace:
Something worth sharing with the group – I had a letter recently from Berkshire Choral Festival. If you were considering it, but thought you were too late to register, you’re in luck. There are still openings in almost all voice parts for almost all weeks this summer. The only week that is full – at least as of the date of the letter – was the Verdi (Defiant) Requiem at the Spring Festival in Prague. Any singer looking for a rewarding way to spend a week in the summer can check out http://www.choralfest.org to see what music has been programmed for each week and who the conductors will be.
From Stage Manager Fred:
* I was just told that Foxes is temporarily out of small black folders but more are due in store during the week of March 23. Call before going there.
* I’ve attached a flyer for the best Messiah Singalong in this area. Note that it is the Easter portion: Part’s II and III and it’s on Easter Day.
A church filled with experienced singers from the best choruses and J. Reilly Lewis conducting. Professional soloists and orchestra, too, and you are only asked for a reasonable donation to support their expenses. Get there before 7 PM so you can find a nearby parking slot and a good seat.
From Chorister Grace:
Something worth sharing with the group – I had a letter recently from Berkshire Choral Festival. If you were considering it, but thought you were too late to register, you’re in luck. There are still openings in almost all voice parts for almost all weeks this summer. The only week that is full – at least as of the date of the letter – was the Verdi (Defiant) Requiem at the Spring Festival in Prague. Any singer looking for a rewarding way to spend a week in the summer can check out http://www.choralfest.org to see what music has been programmed for each week and who the conductors will be.
Reminder: Information regarding our performance venues is listed on the Performances Page. It has been updated to include an additional link on the Church of the Epiphany’s website, for directions and parking.
From Chorister Ellie: Foxes Music has small black music folders, the size of our Durufle and Shakespeare music. $7. A good investment for our crowded venues.
If you want, they will UPS it to you overnight for an additional $7.25. Call (703) 533-7393, ask for choral department.
Foxes Music; 416 S. Washington St; Falls Church, VA 22046; (703) 533-7393 www.foxesmusic.com
Update: You can also have your music wire bound, with black front and back covers, at Staples or Kinko’s. The cost is minimal.
Color Flyer for our Durufle concerts, March 29 & April 5
We now have a Facebook “Page” for the group. The public page is here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/NOVA-Community-Chorus/53919288886
Log in to Facebook to see more, contribute, become a “fan” of our group, and share our information with others. Information can also be shared with people outside of Facebook.
We are asking for volunteer “administrators” of the Page. Facebook experience preferred. Please see Kate.