Prep for Oct 22 Rehearsal

Hi everyone!

First of all, it's important that I summarize the big news that we shared at last week's rehearsal since there were a few folks who couldn't be there and I don't want them to be in the dark.

Change in Schedule for the Year (AGAIN)
If you're new to Xara this year you must be wondering why our dates are changing constantly. Please know that this is highly irregular for us and we typically have the whole year quite clearly laid out by the summer that precedes our start up. However, this year, many things have made that impossible. The first was the potential Neptune collaboration (as you know). Once that was settled and off the calendar, we thought that everything would be good to go without any notable changes. However, a bit more than a week ago, we got some very disappointing news - for the first time since Xara has existed we were turned down for a large grant that our season hinged on. We have an astonishing track record of getting grants but I guess it had to happen sometime. Furthermore, there was an administrative mix-up that meant we heard the news about this grant far later than normal.

What this all boils down to is that we do not have sufficient funding to move forward with The Girl Who Stole the Sun. The Board of Directors thought long and hard about this and we were very, very grateful for the perspectives of our new singer reps. Instead of just pushing "pause" on Xara life until January (tears!!) we decided to make the most of this time!! There are several smaller projects that we've been wanting to do but haven't been able to fit into our schedule. Plus, with so many new folks this year, we could really, really use some extra group bonding time, vocal pedagogy time, and "Beyonce training" (a la Claire!).

So, this fall, we are going to work up a few of the pieces that were from the show to recording level and record them - giving us new, high quality material to share with our fans and use for promo. On top of that, we are going to shoot a new music video!! It's been two years since we have been able to do this and it has always been such a rewarding and useful thing. Finally we will also do a bunch of group bonding and skill development activities. :)

The other "silver lining" to this situation is that we will get to start on RISE (our Spring show) in January instead of in February. The extra time this gives us allows us to make that show even more spectacular ... which is important because it's our 10th anniversary performance!!

If you have any questions about this news, please feel free to talk to me or to any of the singers who sit on the board (Hayley, Georgia, Morgan).

Prep for Oct 22 Rehearsal
First of all, rehearsal will be from 2:00-5:30 PM again. Alto 1s are on snack duty!

The memorization schedule is no longer in effect and this Sunday I'll be discussing which pieces we are going to focus on and to what level we are going to take them (ex. will they just be for recording or will they be memorized and blocked)?

For this week, please review your music and the choreography for Stig In, Lucia and Sure on This Shining Night. We will be running both of these and expect to see them in really top-notch shape. Several of you still had quite a bit of work to do on your Swedish so hopefully you've been doing that!

Otherwise, there is nothing else you need to formally prepare for this week. Come ready to do lots of singing and a bit of personal sharing too!

Schedule of Important Dates for the Season
Based on the latest developments, the schedule of important dates for the season has changed again. Hopefully this will be the last major change!!!! Please find it here. Also, please note that you are off both next Sunday and the Sunday after (Oct 29 and Nov 5) because the whole artistic team (Christina, Jenny, Claire, Erin plus 14 singers, our lighting designer and two guest artists) are touring Xara's show Fatty Legs through southern Ontario. Please wish us well!! It's a really intense schedule (14 shows) and a very emotionally intense story to tell through our singing.

Rehearsal Notes - October 15

Stig In, Lucia, Stig In - Video

Process in, starting on right foot, one step per measure - eye contact with each other. Move to the following mixed scattered locations. Arrive by the end of the first verse.

First 4 measures of Verse 2, move to a circle (all facing towards the audience)

Measures 5 - 8 of Verse 2, stay in the circle formation.

Measures 9-12 of Verse 2, move to double diamond formation

Measures 13 - 16 of Verse 2, hold in the double diamond formation

Measures 17 - 22 of Verse 2, move to two line formation :

Measures 1 - 4 of Verse 3, move to double V formation :

Measures 5 - 8 of Verse 3, hold in the double V formation.

Measures 9 - 12 of Verse 3, move to four line formation :

Measures 13 - 16 of Verse 3, hold in 4-line formation

Measures 17 - 22 Move apart into a mixed scattered formation.

Prep for October 15 Rehearsal

Hi all,

I miss you!!!!! I hope you each had a relaxing and/or productive Thanksgiving Weekend and that you are looking forward to digging back in to our music making this Sunday!

We are back to our regular location at St. Matthew's United Church and this week our rehearsal will be from 2-5:30 PM (please note the later start time).

Please have Stig In, Lucia, Stig In memorized for this Sunday (as you were meant to for last Monday) and review the blocking/music for Sure On This Shining Night.

In addition to some regular rehearsing we have a couple of exciting announcements to make as well as some new information about something we'll be working on over the next two months!

Please come wearing comfortable clothes that are easy to move and that won't cause you embarrassment if you need to do a forward fold or some floor work in (i.e. short skirts with no cautionary leggings underneath!) since Claire will be doing some movement training work with you.

Soprano 2s you are on snack!

Prep for Grease FR & Oct 9 Rehearsal

I hope you've all been coming up with creative costume ideas for our Grease Fund Raiser on Friday evening!  Here are important reminders about upcoming events and rehearsals.

Movie Musical Fundraiser - Grease - Friday, Oct 6

Please, please, please invite as many people as you can to this event! It's not an expensive evening to attend but if we get lots of people it has the potential to make a real difference for our organization! 

Please arrive at St. Matthew's United Church no later than 6:30 PM. The doors will open for the public at that time. Our job is to create an atmosphere of fun, warmth, and friendliness. We want people to feel like they are at a happy-making event, not just a movie! Soprano 2s are on concession this time and they've come up with some awesome ideas for snacks so you should bring some cash along! It won't be expensive but it will be yummy!! 

Thanksgiving MONDAY Rehearsal - Oct 9 - Room 121 in the Dal Arts Centre

Our rehearsal this weekend is on Monday evening from 6-9 PM in order to give you a long weekend.  Please note that we are in an alternate location - the basement of the Dal Arts Centre on University Ave. in Room 121. I will post some instructions about how to find that room on our facebook group in case you've never been there before. You were asked to have two pieces memorized for this rehearsal but I am going CHANGE that based on some developments in our season that have happened this week. I will explain in much more detail on Monday but you only need to have Stig In, Lucia, Stig In memorized now.

Fees & Scheduled Absences

Just a reminder that if you haven't already paid your fees you need to make arrangements with Jess about doing so (email her at manager@xara.ca). As well, please email both Erin (eringaudet06@gmail.com) and me (conductor@xara.ca) as soon as possible with any scheduled absences you have this term. Just in case you haven't read the document yet, Xara's list of committed dates for the year can be found here. This is a live document and will be updated regularly so that it is always correct.

Rehearsal Notes - October 1

Sure on This Shining Night

Video

Begin in a clump, in the following lines.

From stage right to stage left, row 1 in the front then rows 2, 3 & 4

Row 1 - Rachael, Rowan, Hayley, Anna S, Katelyn, Charlotte

Row 2 - Talisa, Maiti, Laycie, Morgandy, Mackenzie C, Raquel

Row 3 - Molly, Georgia, Morgan, Leah, Katie, Kate

Row 4 - Theresa, Gabrielle, Mack H, Anna C, Sarah

Measure 1

“Kelp” movement on the downbeat (drift out from the clump, then return)

Measure 2 - 4

Expand to four-line formation, make sure to be in between the two people in front of you

Measures 5 - 9 (when you start singing)

Rows trade places (rows 2 & 4 move forward, rows 1 & 3 move back)

Measures 10 - 12 (when you start singing)

Pivot 45˚on left foot to face downstage right

Measures 13 - 14

Two steps back (right foot, then left foot - leave the right foot forward)  - Think about the wind pulling you back and then pushing you forward (but gently and kindly!)

Measures 15 - 16

Then two steps forward (onto right foot, then left foot forward, then feet together)

Measures 17 - 18

Pivot to face forward

Measures 19 - 20

Drift to a clump in the middle of the stage, maintaining your lines

Measure 21

Kelp movement

Measure 22 - 25

Drift to four-line formation (where you just came from)

Measure 26 - 27

Rows trade places (to return to original locations, from measure 2)

Winter’s Night

NOTE - THIS PIECE IS TO BE MEMORIZED FOR NEXT WEEK

Two-bar phrases on page 2

Four-bar phrases when you are singing text “Vai-ja na”

Altos, when you have sustained notes please stagger-breathe

**Every time you see a “la” it is a TYPO and should be “ja” - in fact the only words are “Vai-ja na & no” Anything else is wrong!**

Stig In Lucia, Stig In

NOTE - THIS PIECE IS TO BE MEMORIZED FOR NEXT WEEK

Christina will provide a recording of herself speaking the Swedish text.

Link to running blocking notes - these will always be the most up-to-date version of blocking.

Link to snack schedule!

** Note: Christina has created a Spotify playlist called "The Girl Who Stole the Sun" which contains recordings for all of the songs in the middle section of the show for your reference. Search and enjoy! **