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Alto Rehearsal Notes

April 8, 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
– M52: No breath.
– M73: Change first note to 1/4 w 1/4 rest. 
– M76: No “oi” in voice.
– 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.  
– 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.
3/24
– M11: No break after first “yes.”
– M16: Breath after “yes.”
– M17 -20: No breath after “clear.” Note slight rit.
– M29: No breath after “shadow.”
– M-32: Emphasis on “sea.”
– M43: Fierce.
– M44: Turn page early.
– M52: Hold “giggle-s to “tied.” No breath. Breathy
– M59: No breath after “stories.”
– M73: Get up to the B-flat.
– M74: Change half note to quarter with quarter rest.
– M75: Do not slow down. 
– M79:  Watch for slight rit.
– M82: A1 on middle line, A2 on bottom line. Big.
– M85: A2s HIT the A-flats.
3/31/2026 I started Out.       Cut-offs!    Prepare for page turns earlier
M 18:  WATCH for slight Rit.     39:  Smah ling.  73:  -s off at beat 2
 
 
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.
– M45: “Tune” is “tee-oon.”  
– M52: Take off tie on beat 2.  
– M57 and 64: Glottal “T.”
2/17
– LIGHTER!
– 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.  
– 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.
3/31
Hope.     Soft and intense!
M 12:   Sw-  keep short
NB:  (mf) notations are for repeat lines.   55:  mp  Second time. 63:  cutoff after (or at?) beat 3
 
3. Birds of Passage  
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.
2/10
– M100: “Light” is “lawt” and add “T” at the beginning of M101.  
– M106: “sounD.” 
– M108: “Rhyme” is “rhawm.”
4/7
– Keep pitch up.
– M61: “Flow” – get past the “L” to “foh.”
– M75: Have a phrase ready. Whisper, a bit louder as we go, but not to point of distinguishing words.
– M94: Breath after “fly.”
– M98: “Flight” is “flaht.”
– M110: Wait for Jane to indicate come in quietly with whispering phrase.
 
 
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.    
– M65: “Things” – put “S” on beat 2, 1/4 rest.
– M66-67: No break.
– M70: “Ah is “AW.”  
– M74 and 76:  1/4 note rest.
– M86 – 92: A2: Sing lowest note.
4/7
– M3: Breathy.
– M4: “Will” stay on “ee” in word, don’t go to “L” (“leh”) until cutoff in M5.
– M33: Hold to end to rest.
– M63: Reminder, all altos all on bottom all the time.
– M74: Shorten to dotted half, quarter rest.
– M79: Turn early and often.
– M85: HOLD.
– M87: No breath.
– M93 – end: No breath.
 
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.
3/10
– M30: Keep pitch up on the G entrance. Turn page early.
– M80: Observe hold.
3/24
– M27: “dark” is “dahk.”   
– M33: Cut off on downbeat.
– M41-52: No breath, stagger.
– M54: Hit and pull back on “veer” and “ing” of “veering.” Repeat in 57-59.
– M85: “Fail” is “fahl.”
 
The Orchard
3/10
– M3, 4: Sing “hee.” “Hee, hee, hee-.”
– M5: Off on best 4 Flipped “r.” No “errrr.”
– M8: Still in 6/8 on “Where.”
– M9: Go into 4/4 while holding “where.” “The” is an eighth note, on the last half beat.
– M13: Note “the” is an eighth note but don’t slam it.
– M16: Note the B-flat on “the.”
– M19: Note that “moon” is on the fourth beat of the measure.
– M23: Note that “ap-” is on the fourth beat.
– M22: And throughout, follow hairpins as written.  
– M26: Piano plays our B-flat in left and then right hand.
– M33: Hold “s” into M34.
– M34: Change shape of mouth on each beat rather than sounding out words. Practice. (Swishing skirts.)
– M36: Off on beat 2.
– M40: Off on beat 2.
– M41, 42: remember it is D-flat.
– M44 and 46: “Silent” has “T” snapped out on best 2.
3/17
– M44: Get off “T” of “silent” asap.
– M48-49: A2s, go to bottom line with “sh-shuh” etc.
– M49: A1s, change C to A-flat.
– M52: Cut off, do not sing eighth note. 
– “Hush” is “hawsh.”
– M53: No vibrato.
– M58: Same notes as in M62.
– M67: A2, note C-natural.
– M69: Crescendo.
– M73. Note accel.  
– M74: “Wall” is “wahl.” L at last moment.
– M75: Change to dotted half note with 1/4 rest.
– M83: Huge sound.
– M91: “History” – flipped “r.” No “errr.” If can’t flip r, sing “his-toh-de” (soft d sound).
3/24
– M13: Caution on counting. Don’t come in late.
– M23: Come in on beat 4.
– M34: Change shape of mouth on each beat, do not sound out words. Practice. (Swishing skirts.)
– M81: No breath, stagger breathing, get softer.  
– M82: “Women” without an H in front (no hwomen.”)
– M95: “Creature” is “crea-tehr.”
– M99: “Dusk” is “dah -sk.” Keep open.
– M102:  No pulsing of “slender.” “Garden” is “gah-den.”
– M106: No “r” in “musculah.”
4/7
– M53: This entrance needs work. Try to remember the previous notes in M50 – 51.
– M58: Same notes as M54 and M62. Practice.
 
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.   
– M8: Crescendo, NO BREATH.
– M9: Clearer E in weary. Flip r. “weee-ree.”
– M10: Decrescendo, off on 3.
– 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.  
3/2
– “Alder” is “aldeh.”
– Cutoffs will be exactly as written. Put consonants on cutoffs.
– M8: “Rain” is “rehn.”  
– M14: Accent  “KL” of “clots.”
– M22: Voice the “p” of “droop.”
– M27: Forte.   
– M29: Soften for unison note.
– M32: Watch.
– M38: Quiet.
– M41: Unison on E-flat. Less “sts.”  
– M51: Lift on beat 3.  
– M54: Unfolded is “unfol-ded,” remove tie. No breath until 57. Accent -fore.”
– M64: Breath.
– M69: Watch for cutoff.
– M67 and 74: No “R”  in “Glacier” and “first.”     
– M78: “one” is “won.”
– M92: “Earth” no R.
– M102: “Rain” is “rehn.” 
– M110: Note B-natural.
– M127: “T” on “But.”
– M134: “sun” is short.
– M136: Turn page in advance.
– M137-8: NO breath.
– M142: “How” is “haw.”  
– M143: “Sparkle” is “spah” “keuh.”  
– M149: “Like” is “lah-k.” No breath until 154.
– M159: “fountains” is “foah-tans. “tan’ is on beat 3.
3/10
– M74: Count! Three beats a measure. Write in the beats per note if that helps (it does help!).
– M92-92: Be aware you hold “earth” for 3+1 beats. Turn early and often.
– M93-94: Get from the G to the E. Tricky passage.
– M109-110: Cut off “-you” on time, then just two beats before “re-.”
– M114: Cut off on downbeat.   
– M129, 130: A1, listen to Sop2 and accompaniment for the B-flat in M131. A2, there are multiple E-naturals in accompaniment so just go to E-flat.
– M136: Cutoffs as written.
– M142 “How” is “haw.”
– M160: Short “I” in “-tins.”
– M165: “Fountains” is “fah-tihns.”
3/17
– M137: No vibrato.
– M142: “How” is “Haw.”   
– M149: “Like” is “Lawk.” Practice matching “like a foun-” with notes and rhythm. Listen for Sop2 -they have B-flat, D-flat just before we do.
– M151: “Fountain” is “fawn- ten.”
– M157 – 159: Note we are in unison with Sops.
– M160-162: Be brave, hold that note even though Sops cut off! mf.
– M165 – 167: Note f – p – f.
 
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.”
3/2
Work on it from beginning for next week.
– M34: Quick break.
– M49 to end: Jane will give each note.
3/17
– M3: Keep pitch up.
– M5: Don’t close “-haps.” 
– M6: Turn page early.
– M7-M8: And throughout, it may help to mark when we sing on the beat in these parts. For example,     M7, “life” and “op” of “open” are on the beat, M8 “eye-” and “-s” of eyes (“eyez”) and “learn” etc. are on the beat. Cut off on the eighth note of “eyes.”
– M11: “House” is “haws.”
– M18: “Out” is “awt.”
– M20: “Perhaps it” is “peh-hap-sit.”
– M27: Firm rhythm.
– M33 – 35: No breath.
3/31/2026 WHERE LIGHT
think about rhythm.   We should sound like “ one rich voice”
M3:  slight blooom on note
 
7. This Sky Falls
3/10
– Throughout: “sky” is “skah.” No “eee.”
– M9: Higher G.
– M10: “skin” is “skih.” Sing on the vowel.
– M20: “Night” is “nawt. Note crescendo, and not slowing.
– M58: F-natural.
– M61: forte.
– M65: Slower.
– M67-68: Hold on quarter, then full four beats before a tempo. 
– M72: Don’t slam “the.”
– M73: Crescendo.
– M74: “Fire” is “fah.”
– M74: Accent “sil” of “silver” then decrescendo on “veh.”
– M82: BIG. Pay attention to rests.
– M91: “-times” is “-tawms.”
– M94, 95: Altos, don’t sing low or high D at all unless you are REALLY light and can do it perfectly.
3/17
– M50: Practice rhythm.
– M:51 and 54: Bigger “K” on “break.”
 
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. 
– M80: Note rest on beat 3.   
– M82: Sing low F# if able.
2/10
Watch Jane for final note cutoff.
3/24
-M7: “Skies” is “skahs.”
– M23: “Lahn..d.”
– M29: “Made” is “mahed.”  
– M36: “A-lone” “-n” off on 3.
– M40-41: No breath.
3/31/2026 Shadow.    Sing in the body
20:  accent 1/16 and 1/8     Not soft on dotted 1/8.     26:  in body. 27:  grow notes
31:  blade:  whole note then whole rest.   36:  off on 3. 45:  warm
47:  NO break at air
82.  Watch for n closure
 
NOTE: For Recording Session in May (Tree House is above)
 
Grown Wild
2025
– M73 – 76: Strong, in the body. Unison, not too loud. No breath.
– M75: Watch A to F, don’t flat. No R in “girl.”
– M77: Note unison D entrance with S2. No breath until 81.
– M85 – 88: No breath.
– M88 – 95: Breath after “up” only.
– M96: Breath after “wild.”
– M5: Add H before Ooo’s.  
– M 25 – 28: Sing the vowels of “months…years.”
– M61 “Willingness” is key word of the text. Full sound.
– M67: Steady and smooth.
– M5: “hwoo.”
– “Her” is “heh.”
– M25: Slight push on “months,” “years.”
– M53-54: Louder.
 
 
Concord Fragments
 
I. In Some Dry, Dry Earth
From 2025
– M4: “Dry” is “drawh.”
– M5: “Earth” is “eahth.” No “r.”
– M10: Forte.
– M11: Change starting quarter note to eighth note, eighth rest.
– M35, 36: Note altos, S2 unison.
– M38: “remembrance” is “reh-mem-brawhns.” Just slight R.
– M38:  breath after “discoverer”
– M48: Same C as in 47.
– M50: “reappear” is “reh-ah-pearh.”
– M53: “Ah” is “aw.”
– M9: “Heart’s” is an E-natural (previous E was E-flat). No breath.
– M10: “Torn up” short breath. Don’t sing “uPP.” Gentle on release. Note rhythm on “heedless.”
– M11: Quick breath after held quarter note, which is shortened to eighth note, eighth rest. “When” is “Hwhen.”
– M14: Count! “laid then” two beats each. Don’t sing “there” by mistake.
– M15: Breath after whole note.
– M17: No breath.
– M19: Breath before “in some.”
– M20: “Dry” is “drawh.” “Earth” is “eahth.” No “r.”
– M33: Forte.
– M36: No breath.
– M37: “Found” is “fawnd.”
– M38: Breath after “discoverer.”
– M40: “Days” is “dahz.”
– M41: “Now” is “nawh.” Note unison in octaves with S1 up to half of M45.
– M45 – 46: “Smiles” is “smahs.” No aisles. No breath.
– M47: “-ease” change to quarter note, eighth rest.
– M48: “buried” is smooth, quarter notes, not eighth, don’t rush.
– M50: “Reappear” does not have an “S” at the end.
– M51: “light” is “lawt.”
– M52: Watch to where to put on T.
– M53: “Ah” is “awh.”
– M4: Flip the “r” in “dry” (“drah”).
– M11: “When” is “hwhen.” Come in on time.
– M48: “Buried” is beats 3 and 4. No rush.
– M50: Note rhythm for “reappear.”
– “Naw” for “Now.”
– M43: Breath after light. 
– M44: “Smiles” is “smawls.”
– M45 – M47: No breaths in M47: Cut off on beat 3.
– M51: “Light is “lawt.”
– M52: Watch for when to put “T” on.
– “Dry, Dry” is “draw, draw.”
– M11: Change tied (first) note to 1/8 note. With breath on downbeat
– M11: “When is “hwhen.” Give a little push on “when” for entrance.     
– M36. No breath between “first” and “up-rooted.”   
– M37: “Found” is “fawnd.”
– Don’t drag.
4/7
– M8: Softer.
– M15: Change to dotted half, quarter rest.
– M17: Breath.
– M23: Turn early and often.
– M42: Breath.
 
II. This Day I am Eighteen
Current – 3/31/2026
M 17-18.   Watch Jeffrey?? each note.    35:  -t at end
From 2025
– M6: Get starting C from S2.
– M7: Crescendo.
– M10: Note 7/4. If hard to count, write beats in. No breath.
– M11: Back to 4/4. “What” is “hwhat.”
– M13-14: Helps to note the unions with S2.
– M15: Note “for” in the margin for page turn.
– M16: Note rhythm on “myself alone.”
– M18: Watch Jane on timing of triplet.
– M20: Get starting B-flat from S2.
– M22: Starting notes are unison. “The” is “thee.”
– M31: Breath after “myself.”
– M28 – 31: Slower, watch Jane.
– M7: No slow.
– M11: No break.
– M17: Note starting note unison with S1.
– M18: Watch Jane on timing of triplet.
– M20: The word is “when” not “but.”  “hwhen.”
– M22: Forte.
– M20: Get starting B-flat from S2. Try quietly singing an octave lower when S2s come in.
– M25: No breath.
– M28: Slower. No rush.
– M35: Write “End” at the margin so as to not turn page.
– M14: Breath after “me.”
– M31: Wait for Jane before moving to M32.
4/7
– Watch the tempo.
 
 
III. Walden
2025
– Practice for next week.
– M4: Watch for breath.
– M20: Note entry. Watch Jane for entry.
– M23: “All” is “Hall.”
– M26: “Sky” is “skah.”
– M29: Turn page for entry.  
– M31-32: Keep beating going. “Light” is “lawt.”  
– M33: Mark breath as possible – put a check mark in (/).
– M34: “White” is “hwhat.”  
– M35: “Pine” is “pawn.”
– M40: The “puckered” oo on loon – one beat.  
– M46: Breath after “green.”
– M51: Cut off ending quarter note.  
– M56: Open sound on “sun” is “suhn.” 
– M64: “Spring” is “spreeng.”
– M77:  Soft. See mouth directions – close to “N” then open sound in M78, crescendo to F.
– M79: Rest on quarter note.
– M81: Close to “n” on beat 3.
– M84: “Horizon” is “hor-rah-zawn.”
– M87/88: Prep to turn page. Put the notes in the margin.
– M89: Watch Jane for cutoff.  
– M95: Breath.   
– M99: May have lift before “and.”
– M108 and M110: Breath before “AW” (ah).
– Carefully check for a tempo and rit. areas.
– M10: Ritard.
– M23: Altos lead here, come in strong.
– M28: Turn page early.
– M37-40: Keep the pace, it is faster than you think.
– M63: Slower, unwind.
– M100: This measure is slower than you think.
– M4: Take quarter rest.
– M13 – to entrance in M20. Count 7 full measures (two beats each) before entrance. Don’t be late.
– M54: “Keeps pace” instead of “keep.”
– M77: Accent “d” of “dawn.”
– M99: Breath before “and take wing.”
– M106, 107: Slower.
 
 
 
 

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