4 November 2025
Dear Singers,
I am so pleased with progress this week, well done. We managed the Credo from end to end! Granted it wasn't perfect, and the Spanish was destrozado e incoherente in places, but it held together well and the opening had good energy and style.
The CHORAL CLINIC was attended by a dozen altos & sopranos, and we sang through the Kyrie & Gloria. It was helpful, and people could request help with uncertain bits. No one felt exposed, or that they had to be 'note perfect' and it was definitely helping with confidence. Do come along next week - the Choral Clinic offers you the kind of practice you wish you could do at home!!
WORKSHOP HEADS UP:
Numbers are looking good. Here is the provisional schedule.....
13.00 - Sign in. Visitors collect music
13.15 - Start
15.00 - Refreshment break
15.30 - 2nd half
16.30ish - Comfort break
17.30 - END
......and the list of movements we will tackle:
Misa Criolla: Kyrie (warm up) & Gloria (+ sing thru Credo)
Navidad Nuestra: Nos 1, 2 (pages 24-28) 3, 5 & 6 Plus La Huayno
WHAT WE DID ON 04.11.25
Huayno (first piece in the separate booklet) - We did thorough work on this and covered everything except bars 23-30 (slow section).
I had a query about the music link in last week's notes for this piece. It does work, but Huayno is piece no. 3 which starts at 2 minutes 18 seconds, so scroll through.
We nailed the Credo, the hardest movement in the whole programme, well done. We will sing it at the workshop to keep it on the boil. This might alarm any visiting singers but they will appreciate experiencing it!
WHAT WE WILL DO ON 11.11.25
We need to squeeze in quite a lot, so may not be able to dig so deep, but with this week and the workshop, we will cover quite a lot of the programme.
The Venezuelan Carol (sep. booklet)
Navidad Nuestra - No 4 Pastores. This was on the list for the week of 04.11. Here are my notes again (to save you having to find them!)
Here is a map of the sections - amend your scores
if possible please:
Bars 1-5 Tutti (this happens 3 times)
Bar 7 (p43) Solo top part & tenors lower part / basses bottom
Bar 12 (p44) All sops / Altos split. Top altos sing GAB ABC / BBD CCC / BBB ABA / G# Bottom altos sing EF#G F#GA / GGB AAA / GGG F#GF# / E
Bar 15 - Tenor solo takes the bass line (an octave higher)
Bar 25 (p49) - Tenor solo
Bar 30 - 32 repeat of bar 12....
Bar 33 - As written
Everything from here is a repeat of previous sections
This recording is a pretty close match to what we sing!
https://open.spotify.com/track/3275POXtJQb933hok5htvJ?si=bb3e67c0599341c4
No. 6 (Huida)
Thank you everyone, keep up the good work.....
Best wishes,
Peter