Beth Cummings, Director
Lakeland Choral Society
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Re-posted Rehearsal Information - March 28, 2016

3/28/2016

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April 4 (Monday):   Combined Choruses Rehearsal - 7-8:30pm @FSC M208

April 11 (Monday): Choral Society at FSC 7-9pm 
(IF NECESSARY - Larry will announce at the April 4th rehearsal)

April 12 (Tuesday):  Full rehearsal with orchestra - 7:30-9:30pm @ Youkey 

April 18 (Monday):  Dress rehearsal with orchestra - 7:30pm @ Youkey 

April 19 (Tuesday):  Concert in Youkey 
7:30pm
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March 26, 2016

3/26/2016

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Dear Singers,
 
Thanks to all of you for a wonderful and memorable concert on Sunday!  I assure you that this was a highlight for me, as well as a showcase for your fine talent as singers.  There have been excellent reviews from members of the audience, as we always hope there will be.
 
A few “housekeeping” items are important here:
  1.  The LCS has been invited to provide a brief musical beginning to an exhibit opening at the Polk Museum of Art, Friday, April 8, 6:00 p.m. We’ll strive to create a small ensemble from the larger membership [c. 15 – 20?] to sing 2 short pieces.  We’ll discuss at rehearsal, but I might do recruiting/selecting, in order to create a workable balance of voice parts.
  2. Your Beethoven rehearsals are subject to the ISO calendar, as well as providing some additional time for the choruses to meet together.  These sessions are all on Mondays or Tuesdays, but please consult the website information for particulars.
  3. As you know, the scope of last Monday’s rehearsal was completely different from our first combined session, in which an overview was attempted.  On Monday, we were able to slow down and devote time to individual passages, both notes and text.  I believe that this was important: we needed to demystify the piece, to find out that those scary passages and words really are manageable.  And further, only with a little familiarity with the score can we make some informed decisions about your assignment to specific vocal lines. [Sopranos: Some of you will be altos at times.  Altos: You’ll occasionally be tenors. Etc…..]  We’ll give you some of those reassignments in advance anyway.  It’s important that your voices are used wisely.
  4. Some of your Beethoven scores are already marked with measure numbers and rehearsal letters.  If they are not, you need to have them clearly indicated.  Also, there are several performance marks that Mark Thielen has already given us.  These will be provided separately from this note on the website, so please take time to mark your scores accordingly. (Should be posted within the next day.)
  5. On Monday, we got halfway through.  Next rehearsal will be the rest! [But please don’t forget what we’ve accomplished.]
 
Best,

When I have sung my songs to you I’ll sing no more, T’would be a sacrilege to sing at another door.  We’ve worked so hard to hold our dreams just you and I.  I could not share them all again I’d rather die with just the thought that I had loved so well so true.   That I could never sing again, that I could never never sing again except to you!
  
Larry

​
lcs_16_beethoven_score_markings.docx
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lcs_16_beethoven_score_markings.pdf
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 Beethoven Markings   (In Case You Can't Open attached files)
Beethoven, Symphony No. 9                                          
Choral Markings to Enter into Score
 
Page           Measure #s                                    Rehearsal Letter   Other markings
              (by system, in descending order)    (if on this page)        (if provided)
              (to bottom of page)

 
3          216/222/227/232                                             In 4
4          237/242/247/257                                             In 2
5          257/261                                   D, m257
6          265/270                                                           Solos!!
7          275/280
8          284/289                                   E, m285           Chorus enters forte, letter E
9          294/298                                   F, m297           Solos!
10        302/306                                  
11        309.312                                   G, m313          Chorus enters, m313
12        313/318                                  
13        321/326                                                           Mark ¼ rests between ½  notes; mm29-30 in 4 with rit.
14        331/340/347/354/361/368       H, m359          In 2
15        375/381/387/393                     I, m391            Solo!
16        399/405/411                                                    TB enter, m411 (add A2)
17        416/421          
18        426/432/439/446/453              K, m431
19        459/465/471/477/483/488      
20        493/499/505/511/517/525/534    L, m493           Slight slowing, m529
21        543/549                                   M, m543          Chorus enters. Some S sing A
22        555/561                                                           m.566, insert ⅛-rest between notes
23        567/573                                  
24        578/583                                                           m582, insert ⅛-rest between notes
25        589/595                                                           Slow, in 3, at m595; ¼ rests between staccato halfs.
26        604/608                                                           ¼ rests after “Kuss,” m. 609
27        612/620                                   N, m612          ¼ rests on staccato “wohnen,” m619, & m23, after “zelt”
28        624/628                                                           m632, hairpin dynamics; ¼ rests on staccatos
29        635/643                                                           m635, ¼ rests on staccatos;  mark abrupt dynamics!
30        651/653                                                           m651,suddenly soft! Mm653,654, ¼ rests after “muss”
31        656/660                                                           marcato. S2 on A; m660, ¼ rest after 2nd note in A
32        664/668                                                           m664, A2 sing T; T2 sing B; end of m668, ¼ rest in A & T
33        672/676                                   O, m673          m671, A2 sing T for 4 meas.; m676, ¼ rest after 2nd note in B
34        680/684                                                           S2 sing A; m684, ¼ rest in S after 2nd note
35        683/692                                   P, m695           S2 continue A; m692, ¼ rest in S after 1st note
36        696/700                                                           m698, ¼ rest in A after 2nd note
37        704/708                                   Q, m711          m706, S2 may sing S till m716
38        712/716                                                           m714, ¼ rest in A & T after 2nd note; m719, A & B circle rhythm
39        720/724                                                           Sopranos trade off during high notes; S2 on A; A2 on T
40        728/732                                   R, m732           m732 slightly slower; m736, A2 on T for 4 meas.
41        738/744                                                           Cresc. thru page; m747, lift after 1st note
42        751/758                                                           m755, ¼ rest after 1st note; m759, ¼ rest after 2nd note
43        765/770                                                           Solos!
44        775/780                      
45        785/790
46        795                                          S, m795           Chorus enters, piano, but with rapid cresc.
47        799                                                                  Chorus part goes to top at page turn!
48        804/809                                                           Sudden change to 4 beats (slow) at m812
49        813/818                                                           m816, sudden change to fast in 2-beats per
50        824/829                                                           Syncopated entrance, m829; m833 slower
51        834                                                                  In 4
52        838/841                                                           Solos
53        845/853                                                           Fast, in 2
54        860/866                                                           S2 sing A
55        871/876                                                           Sopranos trade off during high notes
56        882/888                                   T, m889           m889, lift after 1st note
57        894/900                                                           S2 on A
58        906/912                                                             “
59        918/921                                                           In 6; suddenly fast in 2 at m920


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March 17, 2016

3/17/2016

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Dear Singers,

Before the big weekend, a few brief notes:

1.  The attached PDF provides the complete program order, almost exactly as we had used on Monday. This will help you arrange your music folder before Saturday.  [Black folders, please.  Inexpensive ring binder or term-paper folder can work, as long as you're comfortable with how it feels.]
2.  Dress for Sunday reminder:  men, black tuxes, black bow tie;  women: long black dresses with long sleeves or separates that create that general effect. Ergo, black pants can work. Three-quarter sleeves can work.  Simple jewelry ok, but no sparkles. And, of course, no perfumes/colognes for anybody!
3.  Saturday rehearsal downbeat is 10 a.m., so please arrive c. 9:45 to get arranged and to avoid confusions.  If a few folks can be present in the sanctuary at 9:30 for any remaining set-up, that will be helpful.  We will need to strike the rehearsal setup at the end of practice.
4.  Sunday call-time is 2 p.m.
5.  Please look (even if briefly) at every one of the pieces in your folder.  Take a moment to set the likely tempo in your mind, to get the sound playing in your memory, to remind yourself of the things you have to do to sing it at your best level.  Try doing this in the order we'll sing them, so you'll get a sense of the program flow.  If you have only 30 seconds per piece to devote to your review, that's still helpful.
6.  And, of course, look at your"problem" notes, if you still have them.  There is no available time on Saturday to correct these, so we have to trust that each singer has done the homework.  

Thanks for being a fine ensemble.  I look forward to seeing and hearing you soon!!
Larry


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March 11, 2016

3/12/2016

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​Dear Singers,
 
It’s that exhilarating and nervous time:  Only one more Monday rehearsal remains before the March 20 concert!  We know so much of the music well, but will everything be ready to put together?  We can sing all (well, mostly all) of our pieces effectively now – but sometimes it takes the third time through to accomplish that.  Last Monday’s session reminded us dramatically that pieces that we’ve not reviewed in a few weeks can become very stale.  There are real challenges in learning a full program without losing the things we’ve learned in early weeks. You’re a fine ensemble and I know you’ll do well.  But please keep in mind the following:
 
-  On Monday, we managed to do a complete run-through of our music, until the final pieces.  These were the spirituals, and they’ll need particular attention next rehearsal.  Please look at the Moses Hogan especially.  Listen to one of the YouTube versions and emulate the accuracy/clarity/expression you hear.  There are tough rhythms there and we need to make them right.
 
-  We’re still stuck with noses in music. There’s no excuse for that. None. No singer can do the job if eyes are down.  It’s a posture thing; it’s a communication thing; it’s an energy thing.  Thanks to the many who are doing well here.
 
-  The pieces we’ve had for a shorter time are less internalized.  We’ve simply not lived with them long enough to “own” them and feel natural as we sing.  You can speed that process by looking at them before Monday, by singing though your part, by listening to other performances.  Last rehearsal taught us that many folks haven’t been reviewing the pieces we thought we knew – and we had to relearn.  Are you comfortable enough with each piece to make it come alive?  Can you make the “pop” music POP?
 
-  Men: You sounded very good on the “Ave Maria,” but there isn’t much time to polish.  We’ll sing it for the women on Monday, but we definitely need a “woodshedding” by ourselves.  We’ll possibly fit it in at the end of rehearsal, so please be able to stay 15 minutes at the end.
 
-  And, please mark your calendar for the LCS “dress” rehearsal on Saturday, March 19, from 10:00 a.m. – noon at All Saints.
 
I look forward to a wonderful Monday rehearsal. Sell tickets!
 
Best,
Larry 
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