Details for Nov 29/30!

Hi everyone!!!

What an incredible weekend. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!! Your focus, energy, and commitment to this project shone through at every moment. It has been an intense journey to get to this point, but we hope you all feel uplifted and proud of the beautiful music we made this past weekend. This CD is going to be absolutely magical and it is thanks to your dedication to the project and care for one another over the weekend that made it happen!! Now we get to celebrate and share this music with our audiences!

Our next two rehearsals are dedicated to learning choreography for our December 13th performance. Here are the songs we will be singing. These must all be memorized.

Set 1

Snow

Winter

Northern Lights

Kiurun Tie

Set 2

Songbird

Tabula Rasa

Pseudo-Yoik Lite

Here on these branches

Opening for "The Secret Lantern"

Pakkanen

For this Sunday you need to have the following pieces memorized: Kiurun Tie, Pseudo-Yoik Lite, Here on these branches, Pakkanen. The other pieces will need to be memorized for our December 7th rehearsal.

This Sunday, we will be creating the image for the CD cover. Our concept is to use willow branches to create a beautiful object that will then be photographed. We are going to work together during the last hour of rehearsal to create the object!

Schedule for December 13th

As you know, December 13th is our big night to celebrate the CD being recorded and hype it up to our audiences. The CD will be available for pre-order that night and there will be a reception following our hour of singing prior to XYE's show The Secret Lantern. We are also using the opportunity to work in Alderney Landing Theatre to get footage for our newest promotional video with Journeyman Films. Here's how the scheduling will work for the day:

10am-12pm  Filming session with Journeyman Films

12pm-4:30pm Break/Off

4:30 pm  Soundcheck

5:30 pm  Backstage time

6:30 pm  Show

We will discuss in further detail at this Sunday's rehearsal. Reminder that tickets for this event are now available for purchase online and via phone: https://alderneylanding.ticketpro.ca/?lang=en&aff=alt#achat_ALT13LS14

Fundraising

This Saturday is our wreath decorating day (YAY!!!) from 9am-5pm at Edgewood-Oxford United Church, 3055 Connaught Ave. Please enter from the side door off the parking lot. We will be in the basement. Reminder that wreaths will be able to be picked up from 2-5pm. Please tell the people you have sold wreaths to about the pickup time! If any of your people cannot come to the church to pick up their wreaths, YOU are responsible to take them home and deliver them. We cannot store ANY wreaths.

If you have friends or partners who want to come and help out, please bring them along! There are a lot of wreaths to decorate and we need to make sure we get it all done (go team!!) Any additional wreath related questions should be directed to Tenille.

CD WEEKEND IS HERE!!!

Hi everyone,

It's finally here!!! Our big weekend!!! We are so excited and we know that we are going to have a great experience and create something beautiful!!

Thursday Nov 20th

• Dress rehearsal
• 6:30-9:00pm
• Location: Dalhousie Arts Centre, Room 121 (see Christina's Facebook post)
• Plan: Do a run of everything, especially the pieces we didn't get to on Sunday

Friday Nov 21st

• Recording Day 1
• 6:00pm-9:00pm
• Location: St Anselm's - 7037 -7 Highway, West Chezzetcook
• Please come with a bag supper you can eat in the car, or with lots of snacks for yourself

Saturday Nov 22nd

• Recording Day 2
• 9:30am-5:30pm
• Location: St Anselm's - 7037 -7 Highway, West Chezzetcook
• Lunch will be provided by the Xara organization
• Soprano 1s are on snack duty

Sunday Nov 23rd

• Recording Day 3
• 1:00pm-8:00 pm
• Location: St Anselm's - 7037 -7 Highway, West Chezzetcook
• Soprano 2s & Alto 1s will bring a potluck supper on Sunday
• Alto 2s are on snack duty

Recording Etiquette

As I said on Sunday, the recording process is different than anything else in the music world. Beginning on Friday night, even my "ears" are not in charge - that role gets turned over to our producer, Jeff Reilly. So, in order to ensure we maximize our time, these are the "rules" of recording etiquette. I'm going to have to be fierce about enforcing them since our ultimate success is very tied to staying on schedule and to only one person steering the session.

1. Questions: No matter what you hear or what concerns you have about how the music goes with each take, there are to be no questions. At all. Trust that Jeff is listening to everything, catching everything, and has a plan to ensure he gets what he needs to edit our work into a cohesive, fabulous track. The only time questions are okay are if Jeff or I ask for your feedback on how something felt. I know this goes against our norm, but recording is just entirely different from the rest of the world of music-making.
2. Wait Times: There will be countless moments of waiting while Jeff listens back to things or has me come listen to things. At that time, please stretch, drink water, release stress, etc. However, DO NOT leave the room. There will be sufficient bathroom breaks, etc scheduled. The moment Jeff or I says we're back "on" you need to be there and ready to go. 
3. Page Turns: Have the bottom corners of your pages folded over so you can turn pages as slowly and silently as possible.
4. Physical Readiness: Wear layers, do everything in your power to be well-rested and healthy for each day, wear REALLY comfortable and supportive shoes.
5. Strike a Balance: Recording can often make a choir become "stiff" as we are working hard for the perfect take. I am far less concerned with the perfect take (that's what editing is for) as I am with the "Xara feeling" living in each song. When we do full runs of a piece, we need to perform rather than just sing. So be ready to connect to the emotions, the ideas, and the passion for each piece. Any blips that happen will be dealt with by re-singing a few measures so they can be edited in.

Notes Re: Food

• We have been told that the water at the church is safe to drink but doesn't taste very good. In that case, we advise bringing lots of your own water and we will provide some large jugs of water as well.
• The kitchen is equipped with dishes, an oven, a microwave, and a fridge. 
• Reminder that we only have an hour for each meal break so you should bring things for the potluck meal that will be relatively easy to assemble or heat up.

Other Details

• Please dress in layers as we don't know how warm the church will be each day, although we have asked to have the heat left on throughout the day on Friday so that it is warm.
• WREATH MONEY must be brought to Tenille not later than Sunday's session.

Erin's Notes from November 16

General Notes

ALL wreath money must be handed in to Tenille next weekend with a final count of how many wreaths you are ordering.

If you cannot attend the dress rehearsal on Thursday (6:30 – 9:00, location TBA), please let Christina, Claire and Erin know (don't rely on the Facebook poll to give us that information)

Bring your folder with you on Thursday.

Snowforms

·      Page 5, middle system last “measure” – everyone says the entire word “Akelrorak”, and you just stop on your note (but keep saying all the syllables of the word)

·      Page 3 middle system, alto entry – double check the entry note (there was a bit of wavering on it)

·      Page 4 middle system, alto entry – the “mm” starts on the D (not the G)

Songbird

·      Stagger breathe the whole piece – consider writing that at the top of each page J Endings are getting clipped. Where Christina has given breaks, don’t actually take a full breath

·      Altos, double check the number of “Come my way” repeats you have at the bottom of the first page

·      Measure 69 – No breath, but give the impressing that a new phrase has started

·      Sop 1s – page 5 – stronger entry please

·      Altos – page 6 – make the transition over the bar feel like a new phrase, even though you might not be breathing

·      Altos – page 12 – check the early entry of the high E (you are coming in late)

Northern Lights

·      Those of you who have some minor part changes, make sure you know where you switch and where you switch back!

·      Standing order for this has changed a bit:

o   Sop 1s special new order (Stage Right to Stage Left)

§  Nelle  Kristin   Shannon   Georgia   Kallie   Maria   Rachael

o   Second Row  (Stage Right to Stage Left) :

§  Claire   Hayley   Paige   Zoe   Mackenzie   Tenille   Robin  Natasha   Sara   Krystal

o   Front Row (Stage Right to Stage Left) :

§  Brianna   Colleen   Shila    LeahB   Sydney   Camila   Joanna   Nikki   LeahP   Devon   Cat

·      More Alto 2 at letter D

·      Everyone please note the crescendo in the last two measures of D

·      No breath for Alto 2 & Sop 1 in the last measure at the bottom of page 5 (measure 59 into 60)

·      Sop 2 - Top of page 6, we have scaled all of the dynamics UP by one level (pp by the very end of the last measure)

Lullaby

This piece seems to need the most work – check your entries in terms of timing and notes

Winter

Great work on the final measure! J

Top of page 8, bottom two parts need to back off and listen to the Sopranos more

Page 11, middle system, 4^th measure (nightly sings) – EYES UP for the molto rit.

            

Notes for ScotianAires + Logistics for Sunday, November 9th

Hi everyone!

Great work on Sunday - not only are we making great progress on the CD we are also off to a great start with our Christmas wreath sales!!!!! Whoo!!!

ScotianAires

Call time: 5pm
Location: Spatz Theatre at Citadel High School
Entrance: Please enter through the ground floor doors at the rear of the building (off of Ahern Ave.). The doors to the theatre are to the right once you enter (the big glassed in cafeteria is on the left)

Rep:
Be Like the Bird w/ XYE)
(walk offstage for XYE's two songs)
Songbird
I'll Give My Love an Apple
Pakkanen
(break)
One Voice (big closing number with XYE & ScotianAires)

Please refer to Erin's excellent notes and photos regarding standing order for each piece.

Dress: Full Xara outfit - black tunic, opaque black leggings, black boots
Hair: off your face, either down or up
Makeup: stage makeup (foundation, blush, lipstick, eyeliner, mascara)

You will have time before the show to get dressed and put on makeup if need be so you do not need to arrive in full dress.

Please bring a snack for yourself as we will be rehearsing over the dinner hour and we want y'all to be feeling good and well-fed!

Sunday Nov 9

Please note our special rehearsal time of 5:30-9:00pm this Sunday at St. Matthew's. We have an alternate time because the Canta Mara concert is taking place in the space that afternoon. If you would like to attend the concert, check out the event here.

Keep up those Christmas wreath sales!!!! 155 and counting!

Erin's Notes - Nov. 3

Overall Note

The theme of the day was text painting – during your rehearsal time this week, really read the words to these pieces of music and find the meaning in the poetry that is used. Give much more attention to special words (think about alliteration and onomatopoeia!)

Snowforms

We did a lot of work today on text colour – refer to your notes as you rehearse to lock those in.

Songbird

In your personal rehearsal, please pay much more attention to variety in dynamics (write in if the dynamic goes up or down when there is a shift) and appropriate text stress.

Pseudo Yoik Lite

Check your nanas ;-)

Practice this piece with all of the extreme dynamic changes to get your muscle memory working for you.

Snow

Christina really will post her score this week so that you can mark in the groups of two and three.

Here on These Branches

·      Only breathe when there is a period/question mark. NEVER breathe other than at a period/question marks. Christina gave you all the exceptions during rehearsal today.

·      Commas are acknowledged by a lift in the sound, but no breath.

·      Don’t sing through a rest J

·      You can back off on the diction a little bit, particularly with the “t” sounds

·      A little less Alto 2 throughout this piece (more buoyant/bubbly in nature)

·      Look at your individual line at the end of the piece to make sure you are tuning your intervals properly – use a piano of some sort

Heaven Will Rise

Sounding good. Continue to check the key changes.

ScotianAires Information

Soundcheck is at 5pm at Citadel High, please email Erin if you are unable to make it for 5pm. Bring all of your music with you, in case a moment occurs at the After Glow! If you have to leave immediately after the show, that is fine too.

Be Like the Bird

3 part split – mixed scattered but in sections (with XYE)

*split in the centre & exit to both sides of the stage*

Songbird

3 straight rows, spread wide to leave windows

Apple

Regular U formation

Pakkanen

Mostly in recording order, but with a couple of changes for height reasons (Nelle & Georgia in the back)

One Voice

Likely mixed scattered with XYE in front of the ScotianAires (on risers)