Blog Posts - Lakeland Choral Society

A Message From Bob Grizzard ...

8/21/2016

To: Members Lakeland Choral Society

From: Bob Grizzard, President

    As you may remember, at the general meeting last spring dues for the year were increased to $125.00 for the year. ($75.00 for those who only do half a year.)

    Things are progressing well, and Kris has some exciting music in store for us! There is no intent (though I have heard a rumor) to shrink the size of the LCS adult choir– just the opposite, Kris would like to see us grow in numbers! There is again discussion of having smaller groups for things like the Museum performance (they liked it so much they want us back!), but if we end up with 100 members, that is great.

    For this year, the ‘auditions’ will actually be a short 5 minutes for Kris to hear our individual sound and judge our placements. No previous member will be cut.

    IT IS IMPORTANT, however to go to the website members section and fill out the usual form, and SCHEDULE A TIME to be heard. There is a link to an external scheduling app, it is in 10 minute sections, but two persons can sign up within that ten minutes.

    First rehearsal is September 12, the first Monday after Labor Day, and will be at the usual time and place. If you have any questions about any of this my main email is rhgrizzardlaw@ix.netcom.com, let me know.

August 3, 2016 - Welcome Back

8/3/2016

Dear Choral Society,

I am very excited about our new year of making beautiful choral music together. I hope you have had an enjoyable summer filled with travel and visiting with friends and family. This letter is for the purpose of giving you information concerning upcoming auditions as well as our first rehearsal.

Auditions: Each member new or returning is asked to complete an “audition” this year. Please understand that these are not auditions so much as they are an opportunity for me to meet you, hear your vocal range, and assign you a voice part. There will also be a short sight reading example for the purpose of seeing how well you do or do not read music. Your place in the group will not depend on this sight reading. This is a way for me to see where people are with music reading skills. This process will be done individually or in groups of two and last no more than 10 minutes per slot. The main thing I want to stress is that these are not meant for the purpose of cutting people but for me to get an idea of who is in the group and what our balance will be.

Craig McCaa will be sending out through the internet a schedule for everyone to sign up. I greatly appreciate his assistance with this.
Here are the dates and times for “auditions”
August 29 6:00pm-9:00pm
August 30 6:00-9:00
August 31 6:00-9:00
September 11 3:00-6:00

Our first rehearsal will be Monday night, September 12 from 7:00-9:00 at Florida Southern College in the chorus room.
Our Winter concert will be December 11. Place will be announced at our first rehearsal

If you are not able to sign up for a time before our first rehearsal, please come and sing and we can schedule a time on that evening.
Please invite people you know who may be interested to come and sing with us this year. Your word of mouth and positive encouragement always is the best way to bring new people into the group.

If you have any questions please feel free to email me at Kristopher.ridgley@polk-fl.net The schedule for auditions should be sent out soon so stay tuned.

I look forward to a wonderful year of making great music together,
Kris Ridgley

See the membership page for audition sign-up information -- Craig

April 18, 2016

4/18/2016

Hi LCS Singers ---

Just a reminder that call for tomorrow's performance is 6:45 PM in the Lake Hunter Room. See you there.

- Craig McCaa

April 7, 2016

4/7/2016

Dear LCS,

These important Notes:

1. We have a fine smaller ensemble for the Polk Museum on Friday night [Apr. 8]. Popular vote decided that we are to be in concert dress (tuxes, etc). Those singers, please try to be at the Art Museum (next to the Public Library at Lake Morton) c. 5:30 p.m. We sing our program at 6:04, or thereabouts. Your guests are welcome, but there's a $10 admission for non-members of the museum.

2. Last Monday's rehearsal went very well, accomplished much! If you're still in need of Beethoven practice materials, try CyberBass.com You can isolate your part, slow things down, put parts back together, etc. Just in case you're Google-challenged:   http://www.cyberbass.com/Major_Works/Beethoven_L_v/beethoven_9th_symphony.htm

3. Many people strongly recommended that we have regular rehearsal on Monday, so we will!  Monday, 4/11. 7 p.m. And then we're with orchestra the next night. Good plan if you can manage that.

4. From Christine at the ISO office, these logistics/ticket info:
   (a) The Lake Hunter Room will be available to all choirs as a meeting/warm-up space prior to both rehearsals and the performance. There will be signs to lead you from Lake Hunter, through the storage area to the back stage area.
    (b) 4/12 rehearsal in Youkey will start with Mvt. 4 from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Count on being in place before 7:30!!
    (c) 4/18 dress rehearsal starts at 7:30pm in Youkey, may go in concert order, TBD by Mark
    (d) Tickets: I will have comp tickets for each of you to hand out to your choir members at the 4/12 rehearsal, enough for 2 comps each. Please let your members know that additional tickets will be available at 50% off 4/12-4/18 with code ISOJOY through the Lakeland Center box office: (863) 834-8111 or online: http://imperialsymphony.org/event/ode-to-joy (additional fees apply to e-tickets). Please remember that all students are admitted FREE to ISO performances with student ID or paying adult. (student tickets are not available online)5. I (Larry) will probably already have the comp tickets for you by this coming Monday night, so that will cut down on the frenzy Tuesday evening.

Freude,
Larry

April 2, 2016

4/2/2016

Dear singers,

Please take note of these things:
1. We are scheduled to provide a very brief opener for the Polk Art Museum exhibit/reception next Friday, April 8, at 6 p.m. They're trying to spotlight and celebrate those community organizations who have been in business c. 50 years - and that includes us!! It will necessarily be a short program, between 5 and 10 minutes, to include two or three pieces at the most, as well as a little information about who the LCS is and what we do. These receptions are attended by some of the most involved members of the cultural/arts community, so that's very important. And, as we know, many of them possibly know very little about the LCS - and that makes this even more important.
2. I know this is hurried, but let me know ASAP if you can take part in this event. I apologize for not discussing this last Monday evening - but other items seemed to take over. Your letting me know about your involvement can help enormously in choosing the 2 (or 3) pieces we'll sing. Music will be from the previous concert.
3. Monday night's rehearsal will be combined choirs, at FSC, 7-8:30 p.m. And then, the LSC singers for the Friday night event will remain for an additional 30 minute preparation time.
4. If you cannot make the Monday rehearsal but intend to take part on Friday, that can work. But I still need to know about your participation so we can plan and have music for you.
5. We'll try to meet together at the museum c. 5:30 p.m. on Friday to settle logistics and warm up.

Thanks,
Larry

Re-posted Rehearsal Information - March 28, 2016

3/28/2016

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

March 26, 2016

3/26/2016

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:

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.
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.
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.
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.)
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

March 17, 2016

3/17/2016

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

lcs_program_march_2016.pdf
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March 11, 2016

3/12/2016

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

February 25, 2016 -- Rehearsal Monday at All Saints

2/25/2016

Dear Singers,

First, and most important: Rehearsal this coming Monday (March 29) will be at All Saints’ Episcopal Church!! We had announced that we had been bumped from our regular FSC room because of other events, but hadn’t been able to provide the new location. For those who aren’t familiar with the area, enter from the rear of the church (209 S. Iowa Ave.) where directions to the choir room will be posted. There should be ample parking in either the City Hall lot or the large parking garage on Iowa.

Second, there are only three remaining Monday rehearsals before the March 20 concert! We’re in wonderful shape on much of the more difficult music but now must concentrate on these central tasks:

Learn the notes for (and become comfortable with) the lighter pieces in our packet. These are fun and not difficult, but shouldn’t be taken for granted.
Straighten out those remaining spots where troublesome pitches/rhythms are still unconquered. (Yes, you know where many of them are.)
Make each of the pieces come alive as expressive musical works that work start-to-finish, that say what they need to, that connect with our listeners. This task involves every part of our singer’s skill set: erasing dependency on the printed page, observing the dynamics, making clear and rhythmically precise consonants, energizing every moment of every note, producing lovely and resonant sounds……

Third, please mark your calendar for the LCS “dress” rehearsal on Saturday, March 19, from 10:00 a.m. – noon.

And, in anticipation of other great things: We got together for the first time with Beethoven and many other good folks on Monday evening. There was little question that we were becoming part of an exciting and important grand enterprise, and there was a good feeling about what we sang and heard. [No, we won’t have any other occasions to walk as far as was required that night!] Thanks for being such a strong part of that session. The students I spoke to were very pleased to be singing alongside you.

Please pass the word to singers who might not remember about the location change for Monday. Thanks for your excellent work on a such a variety of music. Our upcoming concert promises to be a successful and rewarding event – and I hope you’re excited. Sell tickets!

Best,
Larry