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Rehearsal and performance
Sat, Jan. 13th, 2007 11:13 amHaven't written much about chorus this season with the exception of posting concert information recently; I admit that my mind has been on other things. Here we are, though, on the day of our first concert of the season, and so I want to post a little about the last day or so.
Last night was what was supposed to be the chorus tech rehearsal for tonight's concert. Several problems cropped up. The tech guy that the church was contracted to supply didn't show. The pipe organ we're to use was locked. Our guest artist, therefore, couldn't do her sound check and neither could we. We eventually got the organ open and still had a productive evening, rehearsing with our musicians for the first time and getting used to the space. It's a little nerve-wracking, going into the show without knowing what the amplification situation may be tonight. We can only wait and see, I suppose.
We'll be singing at Seattle's First Baptist Church which is a historic old building and just beautiful. I lived in Capitol Hill (where the church is located) for two years and have lived in Seattle nearly 13; I never knew this church existed until it was chosen as our concert venue. Built in the late 1800s, it feels timeless. Through the arches at the top of the room, you can see the pipe organ's pipes. The instrument fills the room with sound, and I'm told that even though our chorus is small, our sound balanced out with the organ very well.
Though I enjoy singing the "Gloria," singing "Chichester Psalms"* accompanied by the organ and the harp for the first time was thrilling.![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
aprivatefox and I, as two-thirds of the Jews in the chorus, had a moment together of hand holding and just sort of grooving out on singing this magnificent piece of music with those instruments and those acoustics. I haven't been very excited about this show, but now I'm starting to feel the kick I get out of performing. We sounded good last night; we sounded ready.
Our musicians are pretty serious players. Our organist is Assistant Professor of Music and serves as University Organist at Pacific Lutheran University, and has performed all over the world. Our harpist is principle harpist with the Pacific Northwest Ballet Orchestra and appears regularly with the Seattle Symphony and Seattle Opera orchestras. From their descriptions, they sound intimidating, but they are both charming gentlemen, very approachable, and played beautifully. I believe we'll live up to the gifts they brings as musicians. "Chichester Psalms" requires us to use a boy soloist for the second movement, and our director found one with a sweet, clear, beautiful voice.
The program booklets (created by Yours Truly) look quite fine, if I do say so myself.
I'm feeling pretty good about all this. I think tonight should go well.
* "Chichester Psalms" by Leonard Bernstein (of "West Side Story" fame) is a setting of several psalms in Hebrew, one of the few major choral presentations of Jewish material, and a very complex and occasionally experimental piece. We've worked especially hard on this and when I've been able to focus, have found it hugely satisfying to work on.
Last night was what was supposed to be the chorus tech rehearsal for tonight's concert. Several problems cropped up. The tech guy that the church was contracted to supply didn't show. The pipe organ we're to use was locked. Our guest artist, therefore, couldn't do her sound check and neither could we. We eventually got the organ open and still had a productive evening, rehearsing with our musicians for the first time and getting used to the space. It's a little nerve-wracking, going into the show without knowing what the amplification situation may be tonight. We can only wait and see, I suppose.
We'll be singing at Seattle's First Baptist Church which is a historic old building and just beautiful. I lived in Capitol Hill (where the church is located) for two years and have lived in Seattle nearly 13; I never knew this church existed until it was chosen as our concert venue. Built in the late 1800s, it feels timeless. Through the arches at the top of the room, you can see the pipe organ's pipes. The instrument fills the room with sound, and I'm told that even though our chorus is small, our sound balanced out with the organ very well.
Though I enjoy singing the "Gloria," singing "Chichester Psalms"* accompanied by the organ and the harp for the first time was thrilling.
aprivatefox and I, as two-thirds of the Jews in the chorus, had a moment together of hand holding and just sort of grooving out on singing this magnificent piece of music with those instruments and those acoustics. I haven't been very excited about this show, but now I'm starting to feel the kick I get out of performing. We sounded good last night; we sounded ready.Our musicians are pretty serious players. Our organist is Assistant Professor of Music and serves as University Organist at Pacific Lutheran University, and has performed all over the world. Our harpist is principle harpist with the Pacific Northwest Ballet Orchestra and appears regularly with the Seattle Symphony and Seattle Opera orchestras. From their descriptions, they sound intimidating, but they are both charming gentlemen, very approachable, and played beautifully. I believe we'll live up to the gifts they brings as musicians. "Chichester Psalms" requires us to use a boy soloist for the second movement, and our director found one with a sweet, clear, beautiful voice.
The program booklets (created by Yours Truly) look quite fine, if I do say so myself.
I'm feeling pretty good about all this. I think tonight should go well.
* "Chichester Psalms" by Leonard Bernstein (of "West Side Story" fame) is a setting of several psalms in Hebrew, one of the few major choral presentations of Jewish material, and a very complex and occasionally experimental piece. We've worked especially hard on this and when I've been able to focus, have found it hugely satisfying to work on.