Soprano 2 Notes4/9/2026We covered some tricky spots in the extra…
Second Soprano Rehearsal Notes
Soprano 2 Notes
11/4/2025
Creator of the Stars
General comments:
Careful of tuning with descending lines (keep notes high)
For long, sustained notes (e.g. m. 23-24, 26-27) keep the support and tone up, lifted.
We have got to count. If a measure is 3/2, subdivide to quarter notes. The quarter notes are basically consistent – the tempo changes a lot but the quarter note is still consistent. And we have to get our heads out of the score to follow all the tempo changes. Lift your music up so you can see it and Jane simultaneously.
Cutoffs are as written – watch Jane, but if she is busy, still cut off accurately.
The line constantly ascends the descends – crescendo and decrescendo with it.
We need to keep the undercurrent, keep it vibrant, give it energy and always air support.
Pronunciation – but no dipthongs:
Cray ah tor ahl may see deh room
Ay tehr nah loox cray dehn tsee oom
Krees tay ray dehmp tor awm nee oom
ehks aw dee voh chehs soo plee koom
Details:
m. 21 Maybe mark this so you remember it's latin and pronounce “cre-a-tor” as latin.
m. 35 Mezzo forte – more sound
m. 38 “splen-dor” The “dor” is a neutral sound, no R, I think of a german ö (O umlaut) or a french eu.
m. 45 Crescendo
m. 59-60 Put emphasis on words correctly (a of creator, stars) despite how it is set
m. 89-90 Bring out the E flat, D, C
m. 113 – end Keep the G high!
Gloria in Excelsis
General comments, challenges:
Knowing when it's on and when off the beat
The slight intervallic changes
It's the same chord repeatedly, but each time it's set differently
It's too fast, you need to know it, recognize patterns, know what is coming
We need to be in the future and the present simultaneously (but never in the past)
We need to know where we are in the chord, harmonically. The altos may cross over us, etc.
Keep it in the body, well supported. Because of the staccato it's easy to get off the support and sound Minnie Mousey.
Keep the musicality despite the staccato.
It's important to watch, yet hard to watch (cause it keeps freakin' changing)
Observe the tenutos – he has used them to show us word emphasis.
Details:
m. 20 Keep the B and C high, make sure we come unison with the firsts.
m. 25 Requires rhythmic accuracy, still being smooth and unaccented.
m. 29 Soft
m. 33-34 Higher C and B
Illuminare
General:
Breath after each comma in the Alleluia section.
Do not kick the “ia”
“Ah leh loo ya” – leh not lay
The quarter note is the unit of measure. Do not get hung up on the time signature. If it's 3/2 subdivide to the (consistent) quarter.
Details:
m. 106 Now Big
m. 109-110 Bring our part out
m. 122 Watch Jane for a big cutoff
m. 148-155 Quarter rest at the end of each “lux”
m. 165 No breath, no vibrato
I hope you did not blow away today. Enjoy your week.
Linde