Notes for Sunday November 6

Hi everyone!

Excellent work yesterday! Despite the little messy areas in the run, it was awesome to get a sense of the overarching shape of the show and test our memory work! We just under a month away from opening, so now is the time to really push to make it amazing! Here's the plan for this coming Sunday.

Call Times
Full SATB Company & Jennette are called 1:15-5:50pm

Schedule
1:15 Physical Warmup
1:25 Vocal Warmup
1:35 Scene 7 Blocking (SATB)
2:00 Kayama Music (SSAA)
2:20 Scene 8.1 & Kayama Blocking (SATB)
3:15 Break
3:30 Parting Glass Music (SATB)
4:10 Scene 8.2 & Parting Glass Blocking (SATB)
5:10 Jing-ga-lye-ya Music & Blocking (SATB)

5:50 Home!

To Be Memorized This Week

Kayama (SSAA)

Parting Glass (SATB)

Reminders

Alto 1s are on snack! If any tenors & basses wanted to contribute that would also be awesome, since we have the full company present for the whole rehearsal.

Scenes 6-8 need to be offbook by Saturday November 12.

Upcoming Rehearsals

Reminder that on Saturday Nov 12 and Sunday Nov 13 we have a POWER WEEKEND! Which means rehearsal from 9:30-4pm on Saturday, and regular rehearsal time from 1:15-5:50pm on Sunday. Both rehearsals will be at St Matthews. This is going to be an awesome opportunity to really dig in and make the show amazing with lots of time for fixes, tweaks, transitions, and working with costumes.

Tickets

We have the opportunity to sell tickets hand to hand for this show, in addition to tickets being available at the Alderney Landing box office & online via Ticketpro. This is awesome because when you sell a ticket hand to hand, your ticket buyers save a bit on service fees! Tickets are $23 for adults and $13 for students and we can take payment in cash or cheque. You have until Sunday November 13 to take orders for tickets - all money and FINAL ticket numbers must be submitted at that rehearsal. Erin will be uploading the ticket order form to the Facebook group this week or you can pick one up from her at Sunday's rehearsal. 

Wreaths

We are now taking orders for our annual fall fundraiser - beautiful hand decorated Christmas wreaths! The order form is available on our Facebook group (pinned to the top). Tenors & basses are welcome to take part in this very fun and easy fundraiser - we would love the extra support in raising funds for awesome shows like Tales! Wreaths are $20 for a decorated wreath and $18 for an undecorated wreath. Wreath decorating day is Saturday, December 3, which is also when the wreaths will be available for pickup.

Rehearsal Notes from October 30

Reminders & Housekeeping

Wreath orders are to be done online this year - see Alex's pinned post in our Facebook group

Ticket order forms MUST be in on November 13th. Any questions, please send a message to Erin

Music & Blocking

Kayama

See edited score

Call of the Flowers - VIDEO

M 1 - 4 Birds clumped in the Upstage Right corner, Soldier & Princesses make a line on the diagonal from downstage right towards upstage left

M 5 - 9 Birds cascade downstage between the Princesses & Soldier (three lines of birds)

M 5 Group 1 (between Natasha & Georgia) - Jess, Rhian, Jordyn, Karen, Morgan

M 7 Group 2 (between Georgia & Joanna) - Maria, Antoinette, Rowan, Katelyn, Catherine, Gabrielle

M 9 Group 3 (between Joanna & Mackenzie) - Rylee, Kallie, Shila, Leah, Hayley

M 11 - 12 Reconfigure into a trapezoid with Mackenzie and Joanna downstage, Georgia and Natasha upstage, with groups around each character in a small horseshoe. Special group movements from measure 13-16 as follows :

• Group A Rylee, Kallie, Shila, Leah (with Mackenzie) - special group movement on measure 13
• Group B Hayley, Gabrielle, Catherine, Morgan (with Georgia) - special group movement on measure 14
• Group C Maria, Antoinette, Rowan, Katelyn (with Joanna) - special group movement on measure 15
• Group D Karen, Jordyn, Rhian, Jess (with Natasha) - special group movement on measure 16

M 17 - 18 Princesses and Soldier clump in the centre, Birds spread into a large U around them

M 19 - 20 Birds drift toward the centre, maintain the U shape

M 21 - 24 Slowly drift upstage left to reform a clump in the corner. Group 1 should be furthest left, Group 2 in the middle, Group 3 closer to the centre of the stage. Princesses and Solder make a line on the diagonal from upstage right to downstage left

M 25 Group 3 moves in line between Mackenzie & Joanna

M 26 Group 2 moves in line between Joanna & Georgia

M 27 Group 1 moves in line between Georgia & Natasha

M 28 (when the piano starts again) Birds swiftly exit stage right, Leah & Kallie remain on stage until the end of the piece, and then exit stage right with Princesses & Soldier

Clocks - No video this week (it’s really, really simple ;-) )

Enter when piano begins, over the top platform. Sop 2, Alto 1, Alto 2, Sop 1

Sop 1 - Top platform

Sop 2 - Lower platform, close to centre

Alto 1 - Lower platform, close to stairs

Alto 2 - Stairs

M 1 - 96 Birds sitting upstage on platforms and stairs, Soldier sitting downstage centre.

M 97 - 105 - Soldier stands up

M 105 - 112 - Stand up (same order in which you entered at the beginning of the song)

M 113 - 125 Stand up, walk down and create a mixed scattered formation around the Soldier. Sop 2 & Alto 1 Move when you start to sing. Alto 2 move when Alto 1s are out of the way, Sop 1s move when Altos 2s are out of the way.

M 126 - End Sing in these positions.

Notes for Sunday October 30

Hi everyone!

What a great rehearsal yesterday! Thank you to everyone for your hard work. From here on out things will be getting more and more detailed as we continue to refine the show and start adding the visual elements like costumes, the Troll, and props!

This Sunday is the first rehearsal where we will be doing a partial run (Scenes 1-5). That means that all music, blocking, and text in those scenes needs to be memorized and comfortable. We realize this means a big week for all of you, BUT we promise it will be worth it!! Doing partial runs is a great way to check your memory work, flag any trouble spots, and get a good feeling for the overall flow of the show.

Call Times

SSAA Company is called 1:15-5:50pm

Jennette is called 3:30-5:50pm

Sid is called 3:30-5:50pm

Tenors & Basses are called 4:15-5:50pm

Schedule

1:15 Physical Warm up

1:25 Vocal Warm up

1:35 SSAA Music (Kayama + Lie Light with blocking)

2:05 Call of the Flowers Music

2:20 Call of the Flowers Blocking

3:00 Clocks Music

3:20 Break

3:35 Clocks & Scene 6 Blocking

4:20 Run Scenes 1-5

5:00 SATB Music (Parting Glass)

5:50 Home

To Be Memorized This Week

Call of the Flowers

Clocks

All text Scenes 1-5

Reminders

Soprano 2s are on snack!!

Costumes

Our amazing costume designer Matthew Peach will be back in Halifax this week and will be at our rehearsal on Sunday. As we mentioned yesterday, Matthew will be posting a spreadsheet in the Facebook group to sign up for costume fittings, so please keep an eye out for that and be pro-active about signing up ASAP.

Rehearsal Notes from October 23

Link to Running Blocking Notes

Link to Script and Notes

Songbird - VIDEO

M 1 - 16 Standing and singing in zigzag U formation (Kallie and Rylee in front on the Soprano side, Rhian in the back row on the Alto side, on the end)

M 16 - Birds flock to form a clump upstage right

M 17 - Maria enters to dance around Soldier

M 21 - Rowan joins Maria

M 25 - Kallie joins

M 29 - Hayley joins

M 30 - Lead Birds bring Soldier to the front of the flock

M 33 - 42 Large flock movement, following Lead Birds

M 43 - Lead Birds take Soldier downstage right & Antoinette moves to join them

M 47 - Karen joins

M 51 - Gabrielle joins

M 55 - Morgan moves to the centre and beckons all the birds back into the flock

M 59 - 65 Large flock movement, following Lead Birds

M 66 - Break apart into a mixed scattered clump, not too far apart

M 69 - 80 Find someone to hold hands with, groups of two or three (Rylee with Rachael, Rhian with Karen, Kallie with Rowan)

M 81 - 85 Look at each other, still holding hands

M 86 - 89 Reform the zigzag U formation, more tightly around Soldier

M 90 - 93 Inner circle follows Krystal downstage, Outer circle follows Rachael

M 94 - 97 Inner circle follows Kallie back to U formation, Outer circle follows Rhian

M 97 - 100 Inner circle follows Krystal downstage, Outer circle follows Rachael

M 101 - Two quick steps in towards Soldier

Pseudo-Yoik Lite (sorry, no video this week!)

M 1 - 14 Troll is upstage centre, asleep on the back platform. Soldier enters sneakily with Princesses in tow (Princesses join their singing sections at measure 13). Birds will be peeking in from the edges of the stage.

M 15 - 22 All birds creep in towards the centre to support the Soldier. NO NOISE OF FEET.

M 15 Step on beat 1

M 16 Step on beat 1

M 17 Step on beats 1 and 3

M 18 Step on beats 2 and 4

M 19 Step on beat 1

M 20 Step on beat 1

M 21 Step on beats 1 and 3

M 22 Step on beats 2 and 4, step together on 6 (nh!)

M 23 - 30 Troll wakes up and startles the birds, Princesses & Soldier. Everyone flock downstage left with Soldier closer to centre and Princesses behind her.

M 31 - 35 Crouch in hiding, while the Troll looks around slowly from stage right to stage left

M 36 - 45 Soldier circling Troll

Troll moves forward, Soldier crosses in front to Stage Right, then Princesses rush toward and then away from the Troll, joining the Soldier. They then cross back to Stage Left and walk around the Troll, and the Troll turns all the way around. Birds remain crouched on Stage Left until measure 45.

M 46 - 53 Creeping into the centre, toward the Troll

M 46 Step on beat 1

M 47 Step on beat 1

M 48 Step on beats 1 and 3

M 49 Step on beats 2 and 4

M 50 Step on beat 1

M 51 Step on beat 1

M 52 Step on beats 1 and 3

M 53 Step on beats 2 and 4, step together on 6 (nh!)

M 54 - 71 Fighting between Soldier and Troll

Sopranos cross behind the Troll, returning to opening positions. Altos also return to opening positions. Princesses join their sections as well. Birds and Princesses remain in position until the end of the piece.

M 72 - 75 Soldier’s sneak attack moment

M 76 - 82 Final blow and head decapitation

Notes for Sunday October 23

Hi everyone!

What an awesome rehearsal yesterday! We are staying right on track and making great progress. Thank you all for your hard work! Here's the plan for this coming Sunday. Reminder that starting this week, rehearsal will run until 5:50 pm every Sunday. Tenors and basses are off this week, with the exception of the Troll Team. We are back at our regular rehearsal venue, St. Matt's, this week.

Call Times

SSAA Company is called 1:15-5:50pm

Jennette is called 2:15-4:10pm

Troll Team is called 2:15-4:10pm

Schedule

1:15 Physical Warm up
1:25 Vocal Warm up
1:35 Pseudo-Yoik Lite Music
2:15 SSAA Music/Scene 5 Blocking
3:00 Run Lie Light with Blocking
3:15 Break
3:30 Pseudo-Yoik Lite Blocking
4:10 Songbird Blocking
4:55 SSAA Music

5:50 Home!

Please note that Songbird and Pseudo-Yoik Lite are to be memorized for this week. We will also be working on music for Clocks, Call of the Flowers, and Kayama. Note that we will be running Lie Light with blocking, so please take some time to review and refresh that piece this week. Reminder that soprano 1s are on snack!

A Special Note for Tenors & Basses

You guys rock!!!

Also, now that your first two pieces are memorized, please put some significant effort into learning Parting Glass over the next two weeks (it's due to be memorized on November 6). We will have a solid chunk of time to work on it on October 30 but it would be super helpful for you to stay on top of things so we are really productive in rehearsal.

Off Book Dates

For those with speaking roles, Scenes 1-5 should be off book by Sunday October 30. Scenes 6-8 should be off book by November 12.

Tuition

Reminder that choir fees + dress fees for new singers are due now. Please coordinate with Erin.

Rehearsal Notes October 16

Link to Script with Blocking Notes

Link to Running Blocking Notes for Songs

O Yo Yo Blocking - VIDEO

SECTION 1

During the lead-in line “As soon as they left the clearning, Sop 2s peek in from upstage right

Leah, Hayley & Antoinnette on top platform

Gabrielle, Katelyn & Georgia on the floor

M 1 - Sop 1s peek in from downstage right (Shila, Kallie & Rachael centre; Rowan, Maria & Rylee downstage); Altos peek in from centre and downstage left (Morgan, Mackenzie, Catherine, Jordyn, Natasha centre; Krystal, Karen, Rhian & Jess downstage)

M 13 - Sop 2s enter on the edge, one step in

M 16 - Everyone else enters on the edge, one step in

One bar of rest, then into the hummed version.

REPEAT UNDER NARRATION

Repeat measures 1-12 on a loop, hummed, staccato, underneath Narrator’s text.

After “unable to move a limb” finish the phrase you are on and stop singing.

At the end of this section, sit down (from downstage to upstage) at the edge of the stage. Sop 2s make sure to leave space for the entrance and exit on stage right. Alto 2s, make sure there is space for Dan to enter and exit downstage left.

SECTION 2

Sitting and singing.

SECTION 3

M 67 - 84 Transition from sitting to standing. Starting with the Sop 2s (upstage to downstage), and then adding people from upstage to downstage. Stand slowly, intrigued and supportive of Joanna.

M 85 - 94 Move in lines toward the centre (see video)

M 95 - 100 Drift back to regular positions (Sop 2s may walk sideways up the stairs instead of backward) Remain here until the end of the piece.

After the song ends, slow staggered fade-away exit into the wings, from upstage to downstage.

Nothing Else Matters Blocking - VIDEO

Enter two bars before you begin to sing. Altos enter downstage left, then Tenors enter upstage right, then Basses enter upstage left, then Sopranos enter downstage right. Form a scattered clump with your voice part, leaving a channel up the centre of the stage.

M 29 - Drop heads on the downbeat

M 32 - Rachael’s head comes back up

M 41 - Alto heads come back up, not too quickly

M 50 - Soprano heads come back up, not too quickly

M 59 - Tenor & Bass heads come back up, not too quickly

M 64 - 65 Turn slightly towards the centre, Sopranos and Altos drift back to make a V formation

M 67 - 80 Stand in these positions and sing, Joanna will walk forward in the centre during this section

M 81 - 97 Create a clump in the centre of the stage, with Joanna and Rachael at the front

M 98 - 122  Stand and sing

M 122 - Drift apart to create a mixed scattered look across the entire stage

Notes for Sunday October 16

Hi everyone,

We missed seeing you on Monday evening but we are glad you are all safe and sound. As a result of losing that evening's rehearsal, we have had to make some shifts to the long range rehearsal planner in terms of music memorization and blocking. Please review it carefully and make note of any changes by clicking here.

Thank you to those who responded to the poll re: making up the extra time. In order to accommodate our singers/stage manager who travel from Wolfville, we have decided to extend our rehearsals by 20 minutes each week rather than try and schedule a separate rehearsal. These extended rehearsals will begin starting October 30.

Here's the plan for this Sunday. We are once again at the Dalhousie Arts Centre, Room 121 (basement). O Yo Yo & Nothing Else Matters are to be memorized for this week. Please try your best with Songbird. Reminder that Alto 2s are on snack!

Call Times

• SSAA company is called from 1:00-5:15pm (**note the early start time and early end time, this is due to space availability)
• Tenors & Basses are called from 3:45-4:50pm. 
• Jennette is called from 2:30-5:15pm
• Sid is called 2:30-5:15pm
• Dan is called 2:30-4:50pm 

Schedule

1:00 Physical Warm up
1:15 Vocal Warm up
1:25 SSAA Music
2:10 O Yo-Yo Music
2:30 O Yo-Yo Blocking + Scene 3 Blocking
3:30 Break

3:40 Housekeeping  

3:45 TENORS & BASSES ARRIVE
3:50 Nothing Else Matters Music
4:10 Nothing Else Matters Blocking
4:50 SSAA Music/Scene 4 Blocking

5:15 Home

Tuition

Reminder that tuition (or payment plan schedule coordinated with Erin is due this Sunday, October 16. Payments can be made via cash or cheque (or series of post-dated cheques). Please note that new singers are required to pay a one-time $40 uniform fee in addition to their tuition. Tuition is $75/term or $150 for the year.

Choir Reps

We are still accepting expressions of interest for choir representatives for the board of directors. If you are interested, please let Claire and Christina know via email before this Sunday's rehearsal. We will be making a final decision on Sunday as a group for who will represent the singers at the board level.

Notes for Monday Oct 10 + Vocal Solo Results

Hi everyone,

Thank you so much for an excellent rehearsal on Sunday! We are making some great progress and things are really starting to come together! Let's keep it up!!!

As Thanksgiving is this Sunday, we will be holding our rehearsal on Monday evening from 6-9pm. Please note that rehearsal will be held at the Dalhousie Arts Centre, Room 121 (basement of the building).  

4:45 Scene 3 rehearsal - Jennette, Dan, Colleen, Sid, Joanna only

6:00 Physical Warm up - Full SSAA Company
6:10 Vocal Warm up
6:20 O Yo-Yo Music
6:45 O Yo-Yo Blocking + Scene 3 Blocking
7:45 Break
8:00 Music

Note that Sid and Dan will have to stay until 7:45pm in order to rehearse Scene 3 with full music and blocking. 

Reminder that O Yo-Yo is to be memorized for this week. For music, we will be working on Songbird, Pseudo-Yoik Lite, Call of Flowers, Kayama. We will also be running Lie Light with blocking so please make sure to review this piece in detail before Monday. Reminder that Alto 1s are on snack!

Choir Reps

Thank you all for your great discussion regarding choir representatives for the Board of Directors. Anyone who is interested should send an email to Christina and Claire before Monday evening's rehearsal. Once we receive expressions of interest we will bring them forward to everyone and we can decide at Monday's rehearsal who will be the choir representatives for this year.

Tuition

Just a reminder that tuition is due Sunday Oct 16. Please give Erin any tuition payments, or make arrangements to pay or create a payment schedule with her.

Tales of the Old North - Vocal Solos

Thank you to everyone who auditioned for vocal solos - you made it extremely difficult because there are so many talented people in our company! We tried to ensure that those without lead speaking roles had an opportunity to shine in the area of vocal solos.

Songbird: Kallie

Pakkanen1: Jordyn (lead) + Shila (echo 1) + Rachael (echo 2)
Pakkanen 2: Kallie

Nothing Else Matters: Rachael

Call of the Flowers: Kallie & Leah

Clocks: Shila

Kayama 1: Jess
Kayama Trio: Rachael/Leah/Jess

Rehearsal Notes - October 2

Link to Running Blocking Notes. I will continue to update these notes as we block new songs. If you click on "Tools" and then "Document Outline" you can see a table of contents that will take you to the song you are looking for by clicking on its name.

Link to Script with Blocking Notes. I will continue to update these notes as we block new scenes.

Nothing Else Matters

Page 10 measure 116 Soprano line

Top - Rachael, Rylee, Kallie, Shila

Middle - Maria, Rowan, Georgia, Hayley

Bottom - Leah, Katelyn, Gabrielle, Antoinette

Pakkanen - Video

Enter after Narrator’s line “with a determination unlike any other” - just inside the legs on SL & SR

During B1, singers cluster around Joanna - entrances starting with downstage right and moving around in an arc to downstage left.

A3 - Spread out to a checkerboard formation with joined hands to create a tangled forest. Joanna will weave among the company. As she passes, singers should release hands to let her through and then re-form.

B2 - Move to the other side of the stage and make a large U around the perimeter of the stage, stay with your section

C1 - hold the U formation

M 72 - step forward with right foot and lean slightly in towards Joanna, keep straight upper bodies

C2 - Move in towards Joanna, stepping softly forward on the downbeat of each bar. Maintain the U shape

D1 - Drift backwards to the edges of the stage, leaving a gap upstage centre.

After the last note of the piece - take a step backwards into the legs