At the end of this blog post is a link to the video recording of the first two scenes! Woo!
Homework Notes
Virita Criosa (Section 1) & La luna asoma are to be memorized for next week (Feb. 7th)
Las Amarillas is to be memorized for Feb. 14th
General Gallery Note
There is not a need for people in the back row to file in all from the same side. You can use both the upstage and downstage sides of the back line.
Miserere
Practice the slowness of the last page, plan your breathing.
Mm 1-14 Processional, one step per bar on beat one, beginning with your right foot. Once you get onto the stage, break away from the line to make a mixed scattered formation facing forward. Everyone onstage by the end of mm 14.
Mm 15 Move into Gallery seating. Remain in this position until mm 36.
Move to Mixed Scattered positions at Mm 36 (see below for Mixed scattered positions)
You start moving right on Mm 36, and start the choreo score as soon as you reach your position.
Mm 36 Face stage left, right elbow up,
Mm 37 right hand press down and pivot.
Mm 38 & 39 Left shoulder forward, left foot step forward in a lunge
Mm 40 Hands up to peek over the ledge,
Mm 41 push down with both hands and bring left foot back to meet right foot
Mm 42 Step back with Right foot, left foot comes up to point with the toe, both hands come up next to the face (“I don’t care”)
Mm 43 & 44 Left foot step back to join right foot, hands come down (palms up) to sweep across in front of the body, right hand on top.
Mm 45 & 46 Hands tighten into fists and cross back across the body
Mm 47 & 48 Wring (like a facecloth) right hand tilts forward first (once per measure)
Mm 49 & 50 Left hand slowly drops and opens at your side while right fist comes up next to your ear, pinky toward the audience (as if you were about to stab someone)
Mm 51 & 52 Left hand pulls right hand to belly button (put the knife away!) Left hand is on top of right hand
Mm 53 & 54 Hands flip over (left hand is cradling right hand still in a fist), rotate both hands toward stage left and step-lean back with right foot
Mm 55 - 57. Right hand (claw like) leads from shoulder to escape from the left hand, left hand pushes right hand down to your side while you lean forward to bring right foot back in line with left foot
Mm 58 & 59 Hands spread apart and come down by your sides
Mm 60 Hands are relaxed by your sides, lift gaze to the pipe organ
Mm 61 Gaze back to centre
On the release of the ‘n’, heads down.
Heads stay down for the first two lines of dialogue. At the NOTHING of the Servant’s line, heads come up.
Bell Transition
Altos - Drop from your C to a low A. 3 “Bongs”
Sopranos - Join on the second or third “Bong” on the low A
After the three unison tones, start a descending pattern “D - C - A”. Start slow, build in speed, then fade back to a very slow descending pattern (follow Christina)
Remain in place for the first three bell tones. Then, as you sing the descending pattern, move to your new Gallery positions as shown below. Remain standing when you arrive in position. SISTERS DO NOT GO TO THE GALLERY - GO BEHIND THE SCRIM. Leave their seats empty, however (names in red):
Sisters & Servant will not be singing the first 12 bars of music.
Mm 1 - 12 Servant movement. Gallery remains standing to sing.
Mm 12 : Sisters enter from behind the scrim.
Lights up behind the scrim. Bernarda appears.
Bernarda : SILENCE
Gallery reacts to Bernarda with a small wince.
Watch Christina for cue to begin singing at Mm 13
Mm 13 - 16 Gallery remains standing, facing inward. Sisters and Servant take their places in the Gallery.
Mm 17 - 19 On your entry : Right shoulder shrug, as if someone has pushed you back. Fast start, slow return to neutral. The movement lasts over the three bars.
Mm 20 - 24 Turn head to look downstage on your entry, looking over your shoulder. Hold this position for the length of saying “Kyrie” two times, then slowly return your head to neutral position (facing centre)
Mm 25 - 26 Bring hands to front, hold in front with right hand over left.
Mm 27 (S2 pickup) - 28 Sit down when you start to sing. Feet flat on the floor.
Mm 29 - 30 Turn and talk to your neighbours. Groups of two in the front row. Back row sopranos two groups of three. Back row altos group of 2, group of 3 (Sara, Talisa, Jordyn), group of 2
Mm 31 - 33 “Can you believe how hot it is?”
Mm 34 - 35 “I CAN’T TAKE HOW HOT IT IS!” so incensed about the heat! 
Mm 36 - 37 On your entry, turn your head quickly to the left, as if spreading gossip. Come back to centre on beat 2 of Mm 37
Mm 39 (Sop 2 pickup) - 40 On your entry, cross right leg over left leg. Faces are neutral (“I was not just spreading gossip…”) Hands neutral by sides.
Mm 43 - 45 On your entry, bring hands to cross on knees, right hand on top (Smugness)
Mm 46 - 49 On your entry, uncross legs
Mm 50 - 53 Same right shoulder shrug as Mm 17-19
Mm 53 - 57 Same as Mm 20 - 24 - Look over shoulder to gaze downstage, hold for two Kyries then return to centre (except Altos who come back to centre on the downbeat of 55)
Mm 58 - 59 Turn head to the right then left, on the half note, two times to each side.
Mm 60 - Heads back to centre on the downbeat
Mm 60 - 62 Right hand begins to writhe and creep upward, starting at the shoulder.
Mm 63 - 64 Left hand pulls right hand into your lap
No pause between the end of Kyrie and the sound of Bernarda’s stick on the floor.
Act 1 Scene 2
All of the lines will be delivered from a seated position, be in character as you respond to Bernarda’s lines. Heads go down on your first line into praying position.
O Frondens Virga
Pitch will be given by Bernarda. Stand on Christina’s cue.
Mm 1 - Sopranos look straight ahead (i.e. on the angle that you are standing in the Gallery) and sing; Altos’ heads are down
Mm 5 - Altos bring heads up on your entry and look straight ahead.
Mm 16-17 On your entry, look up slightly toward the balcony
Mm 23 - Bring gaze back to neutral
After the cutoff, heads go back down
