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First Soprano rehearsal notes

March 3 Rehearsal Notes
First, please note for next week's rehearsal: first sopranos sit in back (after the sectionals).
And now for the notes. 
General
  • Support, support, support. The more the voice is supported, the more the body remembers
The Tree House: Alder (whole movement)
  • Per Jane, the music is composed to paint a picture of the words. So it's important to think independently (pitches, rhythm, cutoffs) and not be thrown off by the other voice parts.
  • Universal: Keep whole-step intervals accurate–resist the temptation to let them slide into something else. Enjoy them and think of them as as beautiful as possible. Also, no vibrato when voice parts are a whole note apart, to avoid muddying the dissonance
  • Universal: When singing repeated notes, think of each as being higher than the last, to avoid going flat
  • Universal: Keep cutoffs precise! Remember that the silence is as important as sound
  • Measure 15: Keep the G high
  • Measure 16: Put a good “k” on “like”
  • Mm. 17-18: Let the held note bloom a little
  • Measure 20: Keep the G high
  • Mm. 27 & 31: Get the “squ” of “squalls” out of the way fast, so you can get right to the vowel
  • Measure 28: “tattered mists” is a whole-note scale (in case that helps you get the pitches)
  • Universal: Drop or flip the “r” of “tattered”
  • Universal: Don't overdo the “sts” of “mists”–Simon suggests thinking of it as the sound of jazz percussion (but make it quick); also, keep the vowel bright
  • Universal: Be aware of the moments when we come together in unison with the S2s (e.g., the B-flat of measure 32, the A-flat “tat” in measure 43, the E-flat in measure 46, etc.); it's a good moment to check in on pitch
  • Mm. 42-43: There should be a slur here–the “mists” phrase continues into the triplets
  • Measure 52: The last 1/8 is a unison G (not E-flat, as written)
  • Measure 64: Revise to a 1/2 note and 1/4 rest
  • Measure 74: The time signature changes to 9/8, but the pulse remains the same
  • Universal: Drop or flip the “r” of “first,” and enunciate the “f” 
  • Mm. 74-75: Observe the crescendo
  • Measure 75: “n” on beat 3
  • Mm. 76-77: Note that the text is “first,” not “first one”; and keep the F high
  • Mm. 90-91: We got the rhythm here–let's not forget it; also, keep it legato and “gooey” (“like the cheese on a slice of pizza”); text pronunciation is “am-bee-gu-ou-searth”
  • Measure 93: Again, good idea to practice the rhythm
  • Measure 96: Observe the ritard–watch Jane
  • Measure 98: Tempo change–watch Jane
  • Measure 113: Keep the pitch of the B-flat high
  • Last three measures: Observe the dynamics
Where the Light Begins (whole piece)
  • Universal: Cutoffs are critical in this piece, too
  • Universal: Listen to the “luminous line” phrase and try to get the rhythm with your ear rather than your eye
  • Universal: Support, support, support
  • Universal: “Express something other than shame and fear”
  • Measure 35: The vowel is “aw”
  • Measure 45: Mezzo-forte, and watch Jane
  • Measure 49: Watch Jane
Next week: Sectionals again: Tree House: Alder (focus on measure 74 to the end), Tree House: Orchard (whole movement), Where the Light Begins (whole piece)

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