18 November 2025

Dear Singers,

Thanks again one and all for making Saturday's workshop such a success. We really made progress with musical confidence and got deeper into the texts. I do like the Mint as a venue for this kind of event, do you agree?

I'd be happy for feedback on that.

Short MD notes this week as I don't want to keep you from your practising!!

Important domestic notices and decisions emerging from last night:

• CONCERT DRESS: We are aiming to reflect the exuberance of the music in our attire. Ladies - Black, with single colour, bright scarves; Men - Black trousers, white shirt, coloured bowtie

• CONCERT DRESS REHEARSAL: Provisional timings with a break somewhere as appropriate -

  12.00 - Band alone (can meet in the crypt if stage not complete)

  13.30 - Tutti rehearsal for Misa and Navidad

  16.00 - Choir alone for sepearate pieces

  16.30 - Choir END Band rehearse their items

• REMAINING TWO REHEARSALS: I would like to start at 6.30 on the 25th and Dec 2nd please. This will give us time to sing through things for continuity and spend time on words. I understand that this might not be possible for all, but please come if you can. We will still finish at 9.15. NON-concert singers are welcome, sitting aside.

• BEST PRACTICE?? A good use of any time you can devote to practising is to speak the words in the rhythm you sing, slowly, then increase to the right tempo. 

WHAT WE DID ON 18.11.25

Venezuelan Carol: Good work on verse 3. Phrasing (ie where you breathe, or don't!) is important. Basically you breathe after every four bars, even if there is a comma in the text

Misa: The Sanctus (p30) - Sorted out what's happening here. From bar 87 (Josana en las alturas) the tenors sing what the alto solo has just sung (E E E D F# E E____); everyone else - as written.

Navidad no 2: Great work on this - you all grasped the rhythms well and it began to get into a groove by the end. We sang though the whole movt - bravo!

Navidad no 6: Looked in detail at the opening chorus to sort the harmonies. REMINDER TO TENORS about what you sing:

What do the tenors sing?  In the chorus, when everyone sings, (e.g. the opening) you divide into 1st & 2nds. In the verses which are sung by all T & B, just sing 2nd T. DO NOT sing when it's tenors alone (ie bars 6-9 & 31-34), the soloist will take T1. 

WHAT WE WILL DO ON  25.11.25

START AT 6.30 or whenever you can get there....

Sorting notes out:

Misa: Agnus Dei (p32 to end) and Navidad No 6

Huayno: Refresh, and sort out the slow section   Venezuelan: Verse 3 & ending

Some notes and continuity:

Navidad: No 6 & no 2

Sing through as much as we can

Thank you everyone for the hard work and dedication you are committing to this programme. It is challenging, but we are getting there, and the concert is going to be good fun. As the main pieces are short (15/20 mins) we will have time to sing them several times in dress rehearsal (unlike the longer works we normally tackle).

Have a good week.

Peter