Alto Rehearsal Notes
February 17, 2026
2025-26 Spring Alto 1, Alto 2 Rehearsal Notes
If you missed a rehearsal, search for the date you missed to see which pieces were rehearsed. Questions or additional notes, please don’t hesitate to contact Liz Berk berkden@comcast.net or Cynthia Sorn cls208@comcast.net.
1. I Started Singing
2/3
2/3
– M52: No breath.
– M73: Change first note to 1/4 w 1/4 rest.
– M76: No “oi” in voice.
– M78: No breath.
– M78: No breath.
– M80: “Dawm” for “dime.”
2/10
– Needs ENERGY!
– M59: No break between “stories” and “that.”
– M66-74: Cutoffs need to be clean.
2/17
– “I” is “AH.”
– “Out” is “aht.”
– M15-16: No breath.
– M18: Note start of Rit.
– M19: Tempo 1.
– M26: No breath.
– M25: Caution with notes.
– M25: Caution with notes.
– M28: Breath after “riddle.”
– M44: Turn page early.
– M57: Start of Rit.
– M66: Note time change 2/2.
– M72: Get to E-flat.
– M73: Breath.
– M76: No breath.
– M84: Slower. Not too accented.
2. Hope is the thing with feathers
2/3
– M51: Mark repeat back to top of page 5, note second verse text.
2/10
– Page 5: Bottom line splits are for Alto I and II.
– M44: Change to 1/2 note with 1/4 rest on beat 3.
– M44: Change to 1/2 note with 1/4 rest on beat 3.
– M45: “Tune” is “tee-oon.”
– M52: Take off tie on beat 2.
– M52: Take off tie on beat 2.
– M57 and 64: Glottal “T.”
2/17
– LIGHTER!
– M5: Breath, 1/4 rest after soul.
– M5: Breath, 1/4 rest after soul.
– M8: Crescendo.
– M11: Note A# in A2.
– M18: Put the “pt” of “kept” on beat 1 of M19.
– M18: Put the “pt” of “kept” on beat 1 of M19.
– M19: Note and blend on unison B for all altos, less weight.
– M22: ALTO II: HIT and back off. Same for Alto I in M41.
– M25: Breath after ah.
– M40: Full breath on beat 3.
– M52 and 54: change tie to eight note, eighth rest.
– M52 and 54: change tie to eight note, eighth rest.
3. Birds of Passage
2/3
2/3
– M48: “Craw” for “cry.”
– M62: “Delight” is “di-light.
– M96: “Clime” is “clawm.” 1
– M104: “Night” is “nawt.”
-M109: “Rhyme is “rhawm.”
– Page 12: Pick a phrase.
– Page 12: Pick a phrase.
2/10
– M100: “Light” is “lawt” and add “T” at the beginning of M101.
– M106: “sounD.”
– M108: “Rhyme” is “rhawm.”
4. Alway Something Sings
2/3
– All altos on bottom line at all times.
– M85: “Still” – put L at very end. Watch Jane.
– M94: “Sings” is “see.” Do not re-enter if run out of breath. Jane will conduct voicing the ending “s” in “sings.”
2/10
– M62: “But in the darK” add big K.
– M62: “But in the darK” add big K.
– M65: “Things” – put “S” on beat 2, 1/4 rest.
– M66-67: No break.
– M66-67: No break.
– M70: “Ah is “AW.”
– M74 and 76: 1/4 note rest.
– M86 – 92: A2: Sing lowest note.
– M86 – 92: A2: Sing lowest note.
5. The Tree House
Landfall
2/3
– M23: “When” is “hwhen.”
– M25: K at very end.
– M46: “Rage” is “rayh.”
– M39: Observe hold.
– M42: “-ce” at very end before “a single.”
– M46: “Rage” is “rayh.”
– M80: Observe hold.
2/17
– Beat is in large two.
– Cutoffs are important.
– M73: “Blossoms” is “blah-somes.”
– M75: Crescendo.
– M79: Give slight nudge to “no” and “tice” of “notice.”
– M80: HOLD.
– M82: Note break.
– M85: “Fail” is “fay” with “el” at very end.
The Orchard
Alder
2/17
– “Weary” is “weee” on G and flipped Ree on F.
– Clots: Get past the “kl” to get to the vowel.
– M6: Off on 2.
– M6: Off on 2.
– M8: Crescendo, NO BREATH.
– M9: Clearer E in weary. Flip r. “weee-ree.”
– M9: Clearer E in weary. Flip r. “weee-ree.”
– M10: Decrescendo, off on 3.
– Page 22: Circle the rests.
– Page 22: Circle the rests.
– M28-29: Note unisons.
– M31: “Squalls” is “squAHs.”
– M33: “-tered” of “tattered” is on beat 2.
– M38: Note unisons.
– M41: Note unisons.
– M43: Put “st” of mists” on “tat.”
– M40: Wait for rest before M41.
– M44: Breath after B flat.
6. Where Light Begins:
2/3
– Generally, mark measures where we sing with another part.
– M37: Unison.
– M40: Crescendo.
– M44: Decrescendo.
– Many unisons on page 11.
2/10
– M20: No “R” in “perhaps.”
2/17
– M20-26: REHEARSE WITH FILES. And listen to Jane’s suggested version.
– M20: Add “s” to “it”: “Peh-hap-sit does not.”
7. This Sky Falls
8. Shadow River
2/3
– Generally mark alto unisons with at least one part.
– M27-28: No breath before “my.” Breath after “command.”
– M34: Breath after lone.
– M36: Cut off 1/8 note.
– M40: Slower.
– M46: “Heav’n” is very short.
– M50” “A” is on the beat.
– M52-53: No break.
– M59: Get “twah” of “twilight” out quickly.
– M62: Cut off on 3.
– M65: Note fame is on E.
– M68: Note rest.
– M71: Breath after “-ing.”
– M76-79: No break.
– M76-79: No break.
– M80: Note rest on beat 3.
– M82: Sing low F# if able.
2/10
2/10
Watch Jane for final note cutoff.