28 January 2025

Dear Singers,

There was such a lovely atmosphere at this week's rehearsal, I am proud of our choir. The Cake & Coffee Fest was very special - sociable and fund-supporting . A huge 'thank you' to everyone who contributed by baking, eating or buying cakes, for serving, for bringing raffle prizes and buying tickets. 

WHAT WE DID ON 28.01.25
Thanks again to Matt for taking a sectional. We made good progress in the Mozart:

Confutatis 

• T/B - Very spiky. Make the crotchets full length a-ddi-----ctis

• S/A - Very smooth by contrast - heavenly angels(!)

• Bar 26 onwards - the dramatic tension is in the harmony. Unlike the T/B lines there is no rhythm, just pulsing crotchets

• Text:
  When the accused are confounded,
  and doomed to flames of woe,
  call me among the blessed.
  I kneel with submissive heart,
  my contrition is like ashes,
  help me in my final condition

Rex tremendae 

• Again, spiky with double dotted rhythm

• Text:
  King of tremendous majesty
  who freely saves the worthy.
  Save me, source of mercy

For the Lacrymosa we started adding detail as follows:

• Make the music 'dance', feel the swaying 12/8 rhythm

• Bars 5/6 - Short quavers with clear consonants on '-get' (pronounced 'jet') and '-ex'. Split'favilla' into fa-vi-lla

• Sopranos bar 7 - Climb up the semitones with care - the F# and G need to be really bright 

• Bar 22 onwards, loud and keep it up on p44

• From bar 24 sing 'Dona eis' in one phrase 

• This is a deep and meaningful text:
  Full of tears will be that day
  When from the ashes shall arise
  The guilty man to be judged;
  Therefore spare him, O God,
  Merciful Lord Jesus,
  Grant them eternal rest. Amen.

After coffee we sang through these together, and also the Kyrie on p6.

NOTICES
Devon Performing Arts Festival: We have entered the festival again this year. It is on Saturday 8 March in the early afternoon (time tbc.) in the South St Baptist Chapel where we rehearse. 
The festival is non-competitive, we enter the Large choir class (the only group last year!) and an adjudicator comments on our performance. We found this feedback a useful experience last year - constructive about all aspects of what we did well, and things to improve.
This is an opportunity for the whole choir and I would be grateful for as many of you as possible to join in. There will be a sign-up sheet out next week.
The music for this event will be Mozart Hostias and Quam olim Abrahae (pages 54-61) AND from our Christmas concert: Masters in this hall and Gaudete (quick and easy for new members to pick up!)

WHAT WE WILL DO ON 04.02.25
FIRST TUESDAY OF THE MONTH - PUB NIGHT! 🙂
After rehearsal - St George's Meeting House - Wetherspoons in South St 

Hummel: Kyrie (opening movt) - SECTIONALS
Mozart: Hostias and quam olim (pages 54-61) 
Check out: Mozart 4 movements - Dies irae, Rex T, Confutatis & Lacrymosa

Inspiration slot.....
Composer of the week on Radio 3 last week was IMOGEN HOLST (daughter of Gustav Holst). I have always had an interest in her early years at Dartington Hall where I was a student in the 1970s. In the 40s & 50s she established music teaching at the estate, which later developed into the bedrock of the Arts College. She was a serious and prolific composer too and in her later life worked closely with Benjamin Britten at Aldeburgh.
This recording is the Agnus Dei from her Mass in A minor, written whilst at Dartington, supervised by her teacher Vaughan Williams. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSbA7BTKhGA      

Happy listening, practising and singing
Peter