...so went the Rudsambeelets last night. Lots of sickness around at present and the air was scented with Olbas Oil (other natural sinus clearers are available). Hopefully we'll all be on the up by next week.
So we were late beginning the main rehearsal because we were moving through the fair with the small group so Maestro Boy's warmup was as follows: "(note on the keyboard) can you sing that? (Rudsambeelets sing beautifically) Right, let's try the 'Huron Carol' then shall we?" Surely the shortest warmup ever attempted.
Yes, you hear right, the 'Huron Carol' has been dragged out of the folder for Christmas 2009. So it's Gitchi Manitou all over again. For those who haven't heard this one before it is a jolly Native Indian song celebrating Christmas. The final chords take us into a major key which makes the whole thing a little cheesy/emotionally affecting (delete as appropriate). As we sang we remembered the last time we performed this a couple of years ago. There is a wonderful moment where the lyric is 'kneel' but the representative rhyming word is 'pelt' (as in beaver pelt don't you know). In order to rhyme it with the former it would, of course, have to be 'peel' which brings a whole other image to the table! We decided that Beaver peel could either be a type of shoe leather or the rodent equivalent of candied peel. So 'knelt' to rhyme with 'pelt' seems to be best.
There is also a moment in this piece where the basses split into three. Since we only had two basses last night this posed a bit of a problem. We did consider doing a 'mother in front of Solomon' and chopping Arno in half but decided against it.
We used to do this piece with rolled 'r's' as far as we remember but as we couldn't imagine our Indian friends singing it as though it were Italian opera we decided just to emphasise the 'r's' instead. Claire 2's laughter at the sops' lovely rolled 'r's' confirmed our decision... We also created two new musical terms last night (we are right on the cusp of the British experimental choral scene) - 'bigging' and 'littling'. Basically I think it refers largely to crescendos and...erm...the opposite.
So we also bashed through 'Veni, Veni' again and a new piece about trees (the title has escaped me). The latter was hard with bars of 9/8 and notes with little '2s' above them which means...the 2 version of triplets. So the piece feels like it is slowing down, like squishing your way across a muddy field. A tough little number but we'll get there as always. We even had time to sing through 'Dormi Jesu' which we've nailed. Huzzah!
So that's all for now. Lots of pills, Vitamin C and throat sweeties. Cough, cough...Hugs to all the Rudsambeelets who are struggling through the dreaded colds.
Until next week...cough...cough
CSW
Thursday, 22 October 2009
Thursday, 15 October 2009
'Twinkle, Twinkle, little star, how I love your shiny bra'...
Ha! That got your attention, didn't it? Rather predictably this was a wee Jenny ditty which she regaled us with during our small group practice. I realise that over the course of these posts I have rarely mentioned our small group (Rudsamb-wee)so let's make up for that right now. After the delights of Miserere, last Thursday, last night it was back to She Moved Through the Fair. Due to the big clash (intentional I may add) between Robin and Christopher (it should be noted that the clash is musical rather than personal... I think), Robin's line is pure brutal to sing. Jenny sang along in his ear which helped to a point but then, as Maestro Boy helpfully pointed out, "you are standing next to a woman singing low and it's scary". That's your Quote of the Night award and I've not even mentioned the main rehearsal yet. This beautiful number is really coming on quite well. I particularly like the Celtic twiddles (if you know what I mean - grace notes et al) and do feel that the piece should include a few more actually. If one adds too many, however, you do begin to sound like a Mariah Carey-alike, a terrifying prospect!
And so on to the main rehearsal. Arno led us through a very entertaining warm up in which he taught us a Dutch song about sheep drinking milk. What larks! The first time through we remembered there was a child and a sheep but couldn't quite recollect the actions of the said sheep. This led to a noisy opening retreating to a non-existent middle two lines. We got there eventually though. He then made us sing it to the tune of Beethoven's, oh, you know - that one that isn't the Moonlight and rather unbelievably it fit perfectly. Exactly what the great composer would have wanted methinks.
Well, last week Maestro Boy put on his best teacher gown and grabbed his sharpened cane (not really but you see the point, so to speak) and brought a bit of discipline to proceedings. You see the Rudsambee-lets are all chatty sorts of folks, finding humour in the least humorous places. So Maestro Boy could be heard above the racket, he decided to bring a little order. So now whenever he says "PENGUIN!" we all have to be silent. It's the Rudsambee equivalent of putting your finger to your lips (which we also did last night btw). Why Penguin? Oh come on, surely after 95 posts you don't need to ask questions like that.
We spent most of the night on two Christmas pieces - The Coventry Carol and Veni, Veni Emmanuel (aka O Come, O Come Emmanuel, but for posh choral types who like to show off in Latin). Both were sounding rather good towards the end. Both are versions by the King's Singers who are, or course, all boys and (wait for it) have a counter-tenor (after a particularly funny experience a few years ago, which I won't go into, in Rudsambee counter-tenors are the cause of hilarity and respect all at the same time). Rudsambee, with girls (yes, I know, who'd have thought it?), 20 voices and certainly no counter-tenor (unless Christopher gets a shock) have to adapt things slightly. But both really sounded good and we'll look forward to performing them at Christmas.
We also sang through Green Fir Forest as Sebastian is going to China (don't you try and rob his house neither you varmint, he has a cello and it bites) and wanted to take a recording with him. So we crowded up the stairs and sang into his camera propped on the arm of the chair. Marvellous! Here's hoping our Chinese friends enjoy it, even though we were a little hazy in places - some Rudsambee-lets' eyes are not up to reading music in a stairwell.
As we re-entered the rehearsal space (the lounge Chez Wexler actually) I began to sing what I always sing when I have stood on a step for a period of time, "Half way up the Stair is the Stair where I sit...". A former flame (actually we were madly in love when we were six, when I was seven his friend dumped me on his behalf - coward!) sang this once in performance and I always think on it. Rather amazingly it sounds quite like Veni, Veni Emmanuel. Try it and see. There's a musical link you've probably never made before.
And so we concluded by singing Happy Birthday to Alison who has a special birthday - discretion will not allow me to tell you which. Tea, coffee, chat etc.
So the run down to Christmas is on. We worked out that it really wasn't that long until the first concert (scarily enough at St Giles!) so we need to get down to it. Everything is so far sounding rather beautiful though so huzzah for us.
Thanks for reading and a shout out to my Dad who reads this every week and who actually was able to recite some of it to me down the phone from memory! Either shows the greatness of my prose or the never ending devotion of my Dad. Also, while we're on the subject of parents, cheers to Rachael's Mum and Dad who are fast becoming our biggest groupies - they came to watch the Falkland concert even though Rachel was sunning herself in Bath and not singing. Commitment of the highest order indeed.
CSW
And so on to the main rehearsal. Arno led us through a very entertaining warm up in which he taught us a Dutch song about sheep drinking milk. What larks! The first time through we remembered there was a child and a sheep but couldn't quite recollect the actions of the said sheep. This led to a noisy opening retreating to a non-existent middle two lines. We got there eventually though. He then made us sing it to the tune of Beethoven's, oh, you know - that one that isn't the Moonlight and rather unbelievably it fit perfectly. Exactly what the great composer would have wanted methinks.
Well, last week Maestro Boy put on his best teacher gown and grabbed his sharpened cane (not really but you see the point, so to speak) and brought a bit of discipline to proceedings. You see the Rudsambee-lets are all chatty sorts of folks, finding humour in the least humorous places. So Maestro Boy could be heard above the racket, he decided to bring a little order. So now whenever he says "PENGUIN!" we all have to be silent. It's the Rudsambee equivalent of putting your finger to your lips (which we also did last night btw). Why Penguin? Oh come on, surely after 95 posts you don't need to ask questions like that.
We spent most of the night on two Christmas pieces - The Coventry Carol and Veni, Veni Emmanuel (aka O Come, O Come Emmanuel, but for posh choral types who like to show off in Latin). Both were sounding rather good towards the end. Both are versions by the King's Singers who are, or course, all boys and (wait for it) have a counter-tenor (after a particularly funny experience a few years ago, which I won't go into, in Rudsambee counter-tenors are the cause of hilarity and respect all at the same time). Rudsambee, with girls (yes, I know, who'd have thought it?), 20 voices and certainly no counter-tenor (unless Christopher gets a shock) have to adapt things slightly. But both really sounded good and we'll look forward to performing them at Christmas.
We also sang through Green Fir Forest as Sebastian is going to China (don't you try and rob his house neither you varmint, he has a cello and it bites) and wanted to take a recording with him. So we crowded up the stairs and sang into his camera propped on the arm of the chair. Marvellous! Here's hoping our Chinese friends enjoy it, even though we were a little hazy in places - some Rudsambee-lets' eyes are not up to reading music in a stairwell.
As we re-entered the rehearsal space (the lounge Chez Wexler actually) I began to sing what I always sing when I have stood on a step for a period of time, "Half way up the Stair is the Stair where I sit...". A former flame (actually we were madly in love when we were six, when I was seven his friend dumped me on his behalf - coward!) sang this once in performance and I always think on it. Rather amazingly it sounds quite like Veni, Veni Emmanuel. Try it and see. There's a musical link you've probably never made before.
And so we concluded by singing Happy Birthday to Alison who has a special birthday - discretion will not allow me to tell you which. Tea, coffee, chat etc.
So the run down to Christmas is on. We worked out that it really wasn't that long until the first concert (scarily enough at St Giles!) so we need to get down to it. Everything is so far sounding rather beautiful though so huzzah for us.
Thanks for reading and a shout out to my Dad who reads this every week and who actually was able to recite some of it to me down the phone from memory! Either shows the greatness of my prose or the never ending devotion of my Dad. Also, while we're on the subject of parents, cheers to Rachael's Mum and Dad who are fast becoming our biggest groupies - they came to watch the Falkland concert even though Rachel was sunning herself in Bath and not singing. Commitment of the highest order indeed.
CSW
Saturday, 10 October 2009
3 in one...
This evening's blog post attempts to chronicle a busy week in the life of Rudsambee. I was going to post three installments (like Corrie...is that on four nights a week now? Honestly, from someone who knows, Manchester just isn't that incident-filled) but due to said busyness coupled with the blogstress' overwhelming sloth, you have just the one.
So we begin with Wednesday and the final major rehearsal before the Falkland concert. We all turned up at Priestfield (our normal pre-concert venue) to test out the music avec acoustics. Maestro Boy led a warm-up that seemed to be entirely based on the blogstress' first postgraduate lecture, conducted (successfully I might add...at least no one threw any rancid foodstuffs nor did they walk out huffing so I therefore conclude that it was of relative success) that very day. We moved on to have a run through of as many pieces as we could cope with. In Harry Hill style, my 'Musical Highlight of the Week' was our vain attempt to sing blinkin' 'Margot' with quartets. Surely the most hilarious musical performance since the Peter Kay/Geraldine escapade (currently reading the aforementioned Bolton comic's second autobiography which I would heartily recommend but do avoid reading it on the bus as I actually laughed aloud much to my embarrassment. Incidentally the lady next to me on the 26 had a dog that kept reading over my shoulder - he wasn't a person sized dog, he was sitting on her knee. He managed to contain his amusement though, at least he didn't guffaw or anything which made me conclude that either a) dogs don't like Peter Kay or b) dogs actually can't read. Either conclusion is a shocking indictment on our current dog education system methinks...and on that note I should surely get out of parenthesis and back to the post).
Well, suffice to say that Maestro Boy (after saying 'ah that was lovely' or something equally insincere) decided that we should sing tutti except for verse 1 because the folks singing that are big swots and had cracked it [and of course we've sung it the most while learning the piece]. After bashing through the rest of the music (including 'If You Love Me' which I sight-read...or at least it felt like that) we were ready for Saturday.
On Thursday night the small group met to have a run through of 'Miserere' which is finally coming together (we've only been working on it for like 3 and a half years). We can now do it without panicking which is progress indeed. I got to meet Helen's snake which was very sweet and hiding in a pot.
And so on to Saturday and a trip to Falkland which turns out to be a beautiful wee village in the Fife countryside. There is even a palace where Mary Queen of Scots stayed (incidentally is there anywhere in Scotland where Mary hasn't stayed? Every time I go to any house bigger than my flat some intelligent looking guide with a name badge informs me that good ol' Mary stayed there. She must have got about a bit ol' Mary). Had a wee pre-gig rehearsal in Falkland Parish Church where we realised that though Maestro Boy thought we were singing 'In the Springtime of the Year' and the printed programme thought we were singing 'In the Springtime of the Year', the rest of the choir were unaware of this and had largely neglected to bring the music. Good job we realised this before the performance as it could have been a little scary otherwise.
So, we had a great concert all in. Some slightly terrifying moments which I won't share with the blog fans as they are under the impression that Rudsambee always gets every note right. Oh if only you knew! Overall though we had a great time - lovely venue, lovely people, lovely homebaking. I know at least one Rudsambeelet who well remain nameless (alright it was Arno but don't tell him I told you) who tried nearly every cake available and still managed a nibble back at Chez Mummy Elaine who put on a spread for us. Thanks to the fab people of Falkland who came out to support us.
So next week we are on to Christmas music in earnest. All bells and holly for the next ten weeks or so. Man I love it.
See you then
CSW
So we begin with Wednesday and the final major rehearsal before the Falkland concert. We all turned up at Priestfield (our normal pre-concert venue) to test out the music avec acoustics. Maestro Boy led a warm-up that seemed to be entirely based on the blogstress' first postgraduate lecture, conducted (successfully I might add...at least no one threw any rancid foodstuffs nor did they walk out huffing so I therefore conclude that it was of relative success) that very day. We moved on to have a run through of as many pieces as we could cope with. In Harry Hill style, my 'Musical Highlight of the Week' was our vain attempt to sing blinkin' 'Margot' with quartets. Surely the most hilarious musical performance since the Peter Kay/Geraldine escapade (currently reading the aforementioned Bolton comic's second autobiography which I would heartily recommend but do avoid reading it on the bus as I actually laughed aloud much to my embarrassment. Incidentally the lady next to me on the 26 had a dog that kept reading over my shoulder - he wasn't a person sized dog, he was sitting on her knee. He managed to contain his amusement though, at least he didn't guffaw or anything which made me conclude that either a) dogs don't like Peter Kay or b) dogs actually can't read. Either conclusion is a shocking indictment on our current dog education system methinks...and on that note I should surely get out of parenthesis and back to the post).
Well, suffice to say that Maestro Boy (after saying 'ah that was lovely' or something equally insincere) decided that we should sing tutti except for verse 1 because the folks singing that are big swots and had cracked it [and of course we've sung it the most while learning the piece]. After bashing through the rest of the music (including 'If You Love Me' which I sight-read...or at least it felt like that) we were ready for Saturday.
On Thursday night the small group met to have a run through of 'Miserere' which is finally coming together (we've only been working on it for like 3 and a half years). We can now do it without panicking which is progress indeed. I got to meet Helen's snake which was very sweet and hiding in a pot.
And so on to Saturday and a trip to Falkland which turns out to be a beautiful wee village in the Fife countryside. There is even a palace where Mary Queen of Scots stayed (incidentally is there anywhere in Scotland where Mary hasn't stayed? Every time I go to any house bigger than my flat some intelligent looking guide with a name badge informs me that good ol' Mary stayed there. She must have got about a bit ol' Mary). Had a wee pre-gig rehearsal in Falkland Parish Church where we realised that though Maestro Boy thought we were singing 'In the Springtime of the Year' and the printed programme thought we were singing 'In the Springtime of the Year', the rest of the choir were unaware of this and had largely neglected to bring the music. Good job we realised this before the performance as it could have been a little scary otherwise.
So, we had a great concert all in. Some slightly terrifying moments which I won't share with the blog fans as they are under the impression that Rudsambee always gets every note right. Oh if only you knew! Overall though we had a great time - lovely venue, lovely people, lovely homebaking. I know at least one Rudsambeelet who well remain nameless (alright it was Arno but don't tell him I told you) who tried nearly every cake available and still managed a nibble back at Chez Mummy Elaine who put on a spread for us. Thanks to the fab people of Falkland who came out to support us.
So next week we are on to Christmas music in earnest. All bells and holly for the next ten weeks or so. Man I love it.
See you then
CSW
Monday, 5 October 2009
Better late than never...
...a thousand apologies oh blog fans for the delay in posting this week. I could give a 'dog ate my homework' type excuse but I don't really have one. I am up to my ears in Canadian Literature and job things, perhaps that will do. So it will have to be a quick run down this week. You will however be getting two (yes, that's right, two) posts this week though, so hopefully that will appease the readership. This is due to a concert (I know! A what?). I haven't really mentioned this yet, largely due to the fact that I keep forgetting we are actually performing this week. Fortunately Anne has not forgotten and emailed the Rudsambee-lets with detailed distractions/instructions this week. Once again (as a running theme from last week) thank goodness for Anne. We are doing a concert in Falkland (a place in Fife, not to be confused with the British overseas territory - on second thoughts I wee jaunt through the the Falklands would be jolly - ah well, for now we will have to be content with the ancient Kingdom). We are performing on Saturday night at 7.30 in Falkland Parish Church so come along if you are in the vicinity. It would be great to see you there.
So last Wednesday. To be honest, it was a long time ago and my notes are somewhat confused (understandably given the the incompetence of the writer). From what I can remember (ha!) Natalie led us in a wonderful warmup which included a version of the William Tell Overture (hark at me!) using the words 'Many men' repeatedly. Jen's eyes lit up at the very idea!
We then bashed through a number of pieces including the new Victoria (which we actually remembered) and 'Dormi Jesu' (which we nearly remembered). Highlight of the night for me was (sorry Claire 2) 'Margot'. We now have quartets for this wee ditty which will make the whole thing more jolly. I think I can award myself with the trophy for 'poorest effort in singing quick French' though I was nearly pipped at the post for this most illustrious of awards by most of the other members of Rudsambee. How all the words will fit in I do not know. Mirren, you would have had your head in your hands and your fingers in your ears (if such a dual action is even possible...*blogstress trying this*...ah yes you can, but you do look silly). What larks!
And so it is back to the lecture planning. I wish one and all a happy sun-filled week.
CSW
So last Wednesday. To be honest, it was a long time ago and my notes are somewhat confused (understandably given the the incompetence of the writer). From what I can remember (ha!) Natalie led us in a wonderful warmup which included a version of the William Tell Overture (hark at me!) using the words 'Many men' repeatedly. Jen's eyes lit up at the very idea!
We then bashed through a number of pieces including the new Victoria (which we actually remembered) and 'Dormi Jesu' (which we nearly remembered). Highlight of the night for me was (sorry Claire 2) 'Margot'. We now have quartets for this wee ditty which will make the whole thing more jolly. I think I can award myself with the trophy for 'poorest effort in singing quick French' though I was nearly pipped at the post for this most illustrious of awards by most of the other members of Rudsambee. How all the words will fit in I do not know. Mirren, you would have had your head in your hands and your fingers in your ears (if such a dual action is even possible...*blogstress trying this*...ah yes you can, but you do look silly). What larks!
And so it is back to the lecture planning. I wish one and all a happy sun-filled week.
CSW
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