3 March 2026
Dear Singers,
Congratulations - we can now sing the Dies irae from start to finish (apart from page 41which requires divisi, yet to be sorted). Well done, good progress everybody.
Three things really struck me this week:
Word endings and placing final consonants is improving, beginning to sound tidy and together. Not perfect yet, but that's what the concert's for!
Our piano singing is sounding much more effective
You are staring to sing the legato passages (e.g. Lacrymosa and Agnus dei) more expressively.
The next challenge is to make our strong, louder sounds more dramatic and punchy. For this we need to focus on good breathing and support, and stronger consonants.
WHAT WE DID ON 03.03.26
We warmed up with arpeggios using the phrase "Are there bees on you?" to differentiate the 5 sung vowel sounds, then attempted some partially successful 'brain work' singing to the tune of 'Knees up Mother Brown'. You had to be there to understand......
We all learnt the Lacrymosa melody (solo Mezzo soprano on page 63) then explored what Verdi does with it on page 65. We are partnering the soloists and it is a real ensemble movement.
To complete the Dies irae we sang from pages 17-51.
Looking ahead to next week, I talked everyone through the Sanctus (p92) to scope what's required. Here's a short analysis:
Although in 2 choirs, it is really a mixed 8-part chorus from the beginning to page 96. The 'fugue' tune (bars 9-21 Sop 1) and the 'counter melody' (bars 10-17 Sop 2) occupy everyone singing one of the two tunes, in either F major or C major! After that (bars 33-68) the 'fugue' tune is developed through various keys until bar 69, where both choirs sing the same notes. At bar 79 the two choirs sing in distinct blocks until the end.
WHAT WE WILL DO ON 10.03.26
Our main focus will be the Sanctus, which will involve sectionals to divide each section into 2 choirs. When that's done we can work together on the first few pages to get used to the 8 parts, and hopefully putting the bare bones of this movement together.
Libera 2 - the plainsong chant on p 117, the repeat of opening Dies irae tune (p120) and the different ending on pages 125/6
Requiem (page 127)
STOP PRESS!
New practice tracks available......
I received a new Practice resource (called Choral Music Tutor) from a Chris Mills in Cambridge. I've explored it briefly and think you'll find it useful and easy to navigate.
It is free, there's no need to download or install anything, and it works on all digital devices: Windows PCs, Macs, tablets, and smartphones. Find it:
Select your voice part, then hit the Play button ⏯
Play around with the adjustments to balance instruments etc to make your part stand out. You can adjust tempo too!
I'm interested in any feedback you have.
Thank you, happy singing and practising.
Peter