Preparation for Dec. 15th concert:
The singers should listen with their scores to help secure parts and help with memory work. Please have fully memorized by next rehearsal.
Treble and Concert-
Consider Yourself the recording cuts off a little at the end but the main sections for study are here.
Pro Arte-
Preparation for Let it Snow:
All choirs may prepare for Jesus Child by practicing with this recording.
Students may try to rehearse Sleigh Ride with this recording but most time should be spent on Jesus Child.
Library Concert Practice Notes
Circle Chant
Be sure the text is correctly memorized. Practice tall vowels and avoiding strong ‘r’ sounds. Remember, we either pronounce ‘r’ as ‘uh’ or make a ‘d’ sound.
Give up the World
Review and secure memory.
Ukraine Anthem (Lament for Mariupol’)
Work on memorizing. Practice each phrase several times, then try saying each phrase without looking at text.
Practice pronunciation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSPQd-0n_V4. One word in the second line of text doesn’t match but this will help with general pronunciation.
This recording uses the same text and will help with learning the melody: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzgViS4Rpf8
Šče ne vmerla Ukrajiny i slava, i volia. Still surviving Ukraine, its glory, and its freedom
Šče nam, brattia molodiji, usmichnet́sia dolia. Still for brothers all good fellows, luck on us is smiling.
Zhynut́ naši vorižeńky, jak rosa na sonci, Vanquish’d are our enemies as dew goes with the sunshine,
Zapanujem i my, brattia, u svojij storonci. We will live too, my dear brothers free in our own country.
Dušu j tilo my položym za našu svobodu, Souls and bodies dedicated to preserve our freedom,
I pokažem, ščo my, brattia, kozaćkoho rodu. We will prove that we are, brothers, made of cossack iron.
O Beautiful for Spacious Skies (Sing-along)
Memorize
Whistle a Happy Tune
Secure memory work. Here is a recording to help: https://www.jwpepper.com/sheet-music/media-player.jsp?&productID=11001619&type=audio
Practice whistling. Whistling tutorial: https://youtu.be/XKfTTHqbk-4 There are other tutorials on the internet that may be helpful.
Sally Gardens (Irish Tune)
Memorize
Read the text in rhythm several times in a row. Practice singing with these recordings:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhGJWgDpQ1E (Youth choir)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esI-cZAgfkM (Women’s choir)
The Gardener’s Song
Memorize
The “road map” is tricky. When you reach the D.S. at the middle of p. 8, go back to m. 54 at the bottom of p. 5. Next, at the top of p. 7 we jump to the Coda (ending) which begins at the bottom of page 8, m. 90 and sing to the end.
Here is a recording: https://www.jwpepper.com/sheet-music/media-player.jsp?&productID=10759568&type=audio
More Love
Secure memory.
Siyahamba
Memorize
Keep practicing text pronunciation as we learned in rehearsal. Work on learning your assigned part.
Concert and Treble Choristers Library Concert Practice Notes
Circle Chant Linda Hirschhorn (b. 1968) Be sure the text is correctly memorized. Practice tall vowels and avoiding strong ‘r’ sounds. Remember, we either pronounce ‘r’ as ‘uh’ or make a ‘d’ sound.
Give up the World Arr. Lena McLin (b. 1928) Review and secure memory.
Ukraine Anthem (Lament for Mariupol’) Arr. Andrew Lawrence-King (b. 1959) Practice pronunciation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSPQd-0n_V4. One word in the second line of text doesn’t match but this will help with general pronunciation. This recording uses the same text and will help with learning the melody: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzgViS4Rpf8
Šče ne vmerla Ukrajiny i slava, i volia. Still surviving Ukraine, its glory, and its freedom Šče nam, brattia molodiji, usmichnet́sia dolia. Still for brothers all good fellows, luck on us is smiling.
Zhynut́ naši vorižeńky, jak rosa na sonci, Vanquish’d are our enemies as dew goes with the sunshine, Zapanujem i my, brattia, u svojij storonci. We will live too, my dear brothers free in our own country. Dušu j tilo my položym za našu svobodu, Souls and bodies dedicated to preserve our freedom, I pokažem, ščo my, brattia, kozaćkoho rodu. We will prove that we are, brothers, made of cossack iron.
O Beautiful for Spacious Skies (Sing-along) Samuel Augustus Ward (1848-1903) Work to memorize text.
Whistle a Happy Tune Richard Rodgers (1902-1979) Arr. John Leavitt (b. 1956) Work on memorizing. Here is a recording to help: https://www.jwpepper.com/sheet-music/media-player.jsp?&productID=11001619&type=audio
Whistling tutorial: https://youtu.be/XKfTTHqbk-4 There are other tutorials on the internet that may be helpful.
Cantare Practice Notes for
Concert at Bon Air Presbyterian Church
February 12
The following is a list of music we aim to sing for our next concert. The asterisked pieces are those that need the most work – especially Ibo Landing. Please make a point on working on them every day. For the other pieces, please review them once or twice per week. Please work to be familiar enough with all this music that you do not need to rely heavily on your score.
Circle Chant – keep securing memory work – First sopranos need to be more secure on part I. This will be sung from memory.
O Lord, Most Merciful – Pro Arte should work to have this *memorized
Be Still – Continue to practice note accuracy on individual parts and continue to secure memory work.
*Caritas et Amor – Work hard to accurately learn your individual part on pp. 6-end
*Dona nobis pacem – continue learning your individual part on solfege (Ab is ‘Do’) then text. Also, practice with this recording (different that the recommended recording because it more accurately matches the score we are using)
*Ukraine Anthem – Continue to learn melody (top line) only on solfege. Practice pronunciation with this video as a guide:
O Beautiful for Spacious Skies – work on/review singing your own part.
*Elijah Rock – Pro Arte should work most on pp. 4 (bottom) – 8. Altos should especially remember how the part is different at the bottom of page 4. Practice with this recording.
Joshua – Cavalieri – Practice with this recording.
**Ibo Landing – Practice especially pp. 9-end. Work the hardest on mm. 121-135 for rhythmic accuracy. Use the markings that were sent via email on February 1. Be sure to transfer those markings to your own score. They indicate exactly where the beats fall in relation to the rhythm. Please refer to these marked rhythms as you practice Ibo Landing
More Love – Memorize. Tenors need to learn their part more accurately. Everyone should review the “road map” and dynamics.
Siyahamba – Review/Learn your part. Memorize in all languages.
Practice Notes for Upcoming Performances. And some thoughts about practicing can be found here.
Cantare at U of R Basketball game (December 10):
Please secure and memorize your part for the National Anthem. Complete memory is expected by December 5. This arrangement is somewhat challenging. Study it every day.
All choirs for Caroling in the Park (December 11):
In booklet with “White Christmas” on the front:
Rudolph – This should be fully memorized by the week of December 5th
In thick caroling booklet:
The First Nowell and O Little Town of Bethlehem – Cantare should study parts on these carols. Treble and Concert choirs will sing the melody in unison. All Pro Arte sopranos (I and II) should learn the descant for the refrain - the Treble and Concert choirs can carry the melody.
We Wish You a Joyful Holiday – This should be fully memorized by December 5th. Please secure your assigned parts.
Joy to the World – everyone in unison.
Practice Notes for Pro Arte/Cavalieri Westminster Canterbury Concert
May 1, 2022, 4:00 PM
Refer to Feb. 14th post for recordings
Tolepe Menenak – Review exact notes and rhythms. Memorize breathing instructions. Be sure to correctly align words and syllables with pitches, particularly on the “Aneer Nenowa” verse. Cavalieri, work on open supported sound on verse 2. Try practicing on an open ‘Hoh’ sound. Keep the same open shape when singing with the text. Everyone needs to have this completely memorized.
Algonquin Prayer – To sing this as well as possible, everyone needs to have this completely memorized. FYI, the composer just might be present. Cavalieri, please work on the same supported openness we ask for on Tolepe. On last page, check pitches on part divisions.
For the Beauty of the Earth – Have this piece fully memorized. Memorize where breath markings occur. Memorize dynamic markings. Cavalieri – same instruction as above on the sections you sing.
Song of Creation – Keep working on the rhythmic aspect of this. Strong diction/consonants will help this. Everyone should have the text fully memorized. No tripping over any of the many words! 😊
Birdsong (Pro Arte) – work on getting this memorized. You may be surprised by how much is already in your memory. Try singing it along with the recording from Lexington. Review held note values at the end of each phrase.
In Time of Silver Rain (Cavalieri) – Please memorize. Mind your breath control - think ahead and get good low breaths before each phrase, very open tall vowels especially on higher notes, let them float, keep the air moving steadily. We would like to keep hearing beautiful legato phrasing and following of the indicated dynamic markings as well as possible with a small ensemble. Crescendo and Decrescendos are especially important to phrasing.
Call It God – Review texts, notes and rhythms on verses especially. I’m confident we can get this memorized as well. The challenge will be keeping track of which verse follows each refrain.
The Peace of Wild Things (Pro Arte) – Each singer knows best where they need to work most within this piece. Being able to sing your part on your own with the other parts without faltering is the goal. Continuing solfege work can help with this. Be ready for tempo changes throughout the piece. Dynamics. Try singing from memory with one of the recordings.
Where the Light Begins – Same general instructions as The Peace of Wild Things.
This Land is Your Land – Study and memorize how your part moves around in the score. Continue securing your notes. Try singing this from memory with the Lexington recording. Study the places that are the weakest in your memory.
Lexington Concert video here.
Treble/Concert practice notes
Two Native American Songs – Keep working on flute-like tone quality by practicing with the tall ‘oo’ vowel sound. Concert Choir – Keep practicing your own parts on p. 6.
Tolepe Menenak – Everyone needs to keep studying breath markings on the refrain. Breathe at the end of each musical line only. As far as pronunciation, all of the ‘e’ vowels are pronounced ‘eh’. Concert choir – study melody on verses, especially the second line of the “Aneer” verse. Altos be sure to study your part on verses 3 and 4, as well as parts on the refrains that follow 3 & 4.
Song of Creation – Keep drilling text memory. Keep making this as rhythmic as possible through the use of strong and clear consonants.
Wind on the Hill – Keep working on your rhythm as mm. 23 and 43. Be ready for the ritardando (slowing down) at mm. 24, 35 and at the end. Be sure to shorten the tied quarter note in m. 30 to an eighth note to make space for a breath. Study dynamics (mf, mp, f, etc.). Feel the movement of the music.
For the Beauty of the Earth – Keep working on text memory. As Mr. Pete says, be sure you know how each stanza begins that will help you remember the remainder of each stanza. Make sure breath markings are memorized as well so we can sing beautiful phrases.
Heaven – This is in good shape! Keep practicing it so it stays that way.
Siyahamba – Keep reviewing your own part and the languages. Parts 2 and 3 need to study the rhythm and text alignment at mm. 5 and 6. All three parts need to study rhythms on the second line of music, paying attention to rests (2&3) and ties (1). A lot of repetition of the text will help you commit it to memory.
This Land I Your Land – everyone sings the melody. Study where the melody moves throughout the piece. You will see the abbreviation ‘mel.’ wherever it occurs in the music. – eg. m. 26, bottom part. Everyone drops out at m. 71 and enters again at m. 106 to the end. Work on memorizing.
Rhythm Reader and 333 Elementary Exercises – take time to review some of the exercises and concepts from the beginning of the books.
Practice Notes for Cantare and Concert Choir for Lexington trip:
Two Native American Songs (All) – Please be sure to review what sections of the piece you sing and which voice part. Be sure you have secured your own part and have the music memorized.
Tolepe Menenak (All) – Be sure to completely memorize. Study where NOT to breath. Study and secure exact notation, especially on the verses.
Algonquin Prayer (Cantare only) – MEMORIZE!! Secure the last three pages of the piece, especially moving to the final page.
A Song of Creation (All) – Have text fully memorized
Birdsong (Pro Arte) – Study dynamics. Review parts.
Call It God (All) – Concert Choir joins on refrain – single photocopied sheet. Cantare, please study parts on verses, especially pp. 3-6. Everyone should have the refrain memorized so we do not need to turn back and forth in the score.
The Peace of Wild Things (Pro Arte) – Keep studying your part. Pp. 5 & 6 are the weakest.
***Priority*** This Land is Your Land (All) – This is newer to everyone. Be sure to review parts on solfege and text. Bottom space ‘f’ is ‘Do’.
PRACTICING IS FUN! ENJOY!