Wednesday and Thursday of SHOW WEEK!!!

Hi everyone!!

Thank you for such a great rehearsal on Sunday. It was SO good to be in the space and be able to get our bearings before tech week takes off in earnest. Now with the show sold out we are going to give it all we've got!!!

Some important info:

Wednesday Jan 29
Tech Rehearsal from 6-10 pm
**anyone who has volunteered to be a makeup tester should arrive at 5:30 pm

We'll be starting and stopping throughout the show as Matt fine tunes looks for each of the songs and we'll spend a good amount of time on transitions. You need to bring your full costume, but only those who are being makeup testers need to do their makeup. Please also make sure you have all music and your script.

Thursday Jan 30
Dress Rehearsal from 6-10 pm

We'll make sure everyone has time to get the stage makeup concept applied. We'll do a run of the show and then notes/fixes. Please come with your full costume and base face makeup done. The more you are able to get done before you arrive at the MMA, the more efficient we will be.

Snacks
We don't have anyone assigned for snack duty on Wednesday or Thursday. If you are able to bring a snack to share, then please do, otherwise everyone should be responsible for bringing their own snacks so that you have lots of energy and are ready to give'r! Don't forget to bring water - very important to stay hydrated this week!!

Marley
On Wednesday at 5 pm we will be rolling out the marley flooring. Once the marley flooring is down IT MUST NOT BE STEPPED ON WITH OUTDOOR SHOES. This is crucial as the marley cannot be damaged and it is very expensive to replace.

Photos
Nick will be shooting the dress rehearsal on Thursday evening, so just ignore him as we are doing the run. We may also have videographers at the rehearsal on Thursday to start filming material for our promo video. This is to be confirmed.

Thank you to everyone for selling your tickets, and to Erin for coordinating the tickets!!!! This is going to be an INCREDIBLE week and we can't wait to share this amazing show with the world!

Notes from January 26

General Notes

All spoken text can be significantly louder. Try to turn slightly as you speak in order to send your voice towards more of the audience members.

Text between pieces can begin very soon after the song has ended – don’t allow a lot of dead air to come between.

In singing, maintain your dynamics – what you can hear in this space can trick you.

Use the whole space, especially in mixed scattered formation.

I himmelen

Please find a way to love this song by Wednesday. ;-) It really needs a sense of wonder and joy at being in the heavens. Shore up those lyrics, and review your blocking.

Be in character from the moment you can be seen by audience members.

When walking to mixed scattered, make sure to fill the space, keeping in mind that the “Dah” singers don’t move.

Soundscape Transition

Shannon begins the A  minor soundscape to transition between Prologue and Polaris

Ave Maria

There were a number of tempo issues, make sure to watch Christina rather than relying on your ears. She will be sure to spin perpetually :-)

Be aware of the amount of space you have in the aisle, you may need to modify the larger movements in order to not hit members of the audience!

Transition

Can begin almost as soon as the song is over.

Magnificat

Yay Sara and Zoe! Sounding awesome!

This piece is about longing and reaching out for something. Imagine you are trying to catch and hold Sara & Zoe’s sound as a source of hope and connection.

When you begin singing words, the hope is physically drawing you toward the centre of the stage and connecting with others in the same situation. Find comfort in being with others. Note : the clump should be about 65%, and quite circular.

Remember the movements that happen when the soloists sing alone – this is the moment of peace and joy entering your body and giving you a sense of resolution and groundedness. On the Gloria text, there should be a sense of the realization that things will get better.

Transition to Lyra

Quickly to places. Aside from the three speakers at the start, everyone needs to be fully in the aisles.

Orpheus & Eurydice text

Great job. Review as needed, and be sure to speak loudly enough.

Pseudo Yoik Lite

Keep being excited that Jenny has found the Lyre until Kallie interrupts with her vocal cue. Take Kallie’s tempo as the eighth.

On your way to the circle, greet people with touch as you pass them.

Use a more nasal sound throughout this piece.

Transition

Forming and breaking up the traveling formation needs to happen more efficiently.

From Ash You Rise

Please double check the last page of music.

In the “from ash you stir” section, Altos are starting a beat early.

Stay connected to the people on either side of you.

The cue to walk forward in measure 58 is the word “song” (the downbeat of the measure)

Eurydice team, don’t rush backwards quite as far – just do three quick steps, rather than moving through the whole bar.

Your faces really need to tell the story. Sad sad sad!

Muses – Text

If you are not one of the 9 Muses, please go right off the stage into your aisle. Some people could sit down as well.

The whole group should sing-song “Urania!” when that moment comes.

Earth

Altos, start further south in the beginning section. Use the whole space.

Magical moving rectangle – needs to be more playful. Sisters having fun together! See the photo on facebook for starting positions. Angle the rectangle towards the SE corner.

Starborn

Don’t forget to fade back all the way into the aisles – do this when the lights get turned on.

INTERMISSION

Royals

Don’t forget that Leah starts this ;-)

Percussion please back off after the first three measures, and then decrescendo so that Leah’s opening can be heard.

Double check to see if you have text in the Coda.

Spread out and use the entire space.

The cue to come back for the second chorus is “that we’re fine with this…”

We will take a more detailed look at the choreography on Wednesday – in the meantime, check with people on your side for which way you are supposed to face.

Aglepta

Tenille will exit SE, so those people in that aisle will relocate to the East aisle

Illumina

Staggered entrances can happen a bit faster.

Warrior

Beautiful!

At the end of the third verse, those who need to turn to face centre should do that over their left shoulder.

Pakannen

Check in with Christina throughout the piece to ensure the tempo stays together.

Revontulet

Don’t forget the hand raise!

Lux Aeterna

More spread out in the space.

After the Requiem, find a place where you can stand and see Christina without necessarily facing her.

From Ash You Rise blocking

Hi everyone - here's the detailed blocking notes for From Ash You Rise:

-move into positions after Kristin's solo
-Orpheus line is facing east toward Christina, Eurydice line is facing west away from Christina
-should be into lines and still by mm 11 beat 3
-mm 18 both lines start walking in (take small steps)
-mm 28 beat 3 - stop
-mm 35 start walking and cross
-mm 45 beat 3 - stop, lines should be crossed and still fairly close together
-mm 52 Eurydice team turns over right shoulder
-mm 58 all walk forward (toward Christina)
-mm 62 beat 3 - stop
-mm 69 Orpheus team turns over right shoulder
-mm 74 Eurydice team quick fade back
-mm 75 Eurydice team stop
-mm 78 Orpheus team reaches
-mm 85 beat 3 spread to 2 staggered lines

Last Sunday Rehearsal Before Constellations!!!

Hi everyone!

I hope you are all warm and cozy on this snow day! What a perfect day to look over your music and script.... :)

Thanks for all your hard work on Sunday. We are getting SO excited for this show!!!! We can't wait to make magic happen onstage for our audience. Some important stuff for this Sunday's rehearsal.

Time/Location

As we discussed last rehearsal, this Sunday we will be rehearsing at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic from 5:15-9:30 pm. 

Rehearsal Plan

Our plan is to take the first hour do some musical work on From Ash You Rise and Starborn, then block the bow. At approximately 6:00 we will do a run of the show. When we're finished (approx 7:15-7:30), we'll take a break, and then do fixes until 9:30

To Bring

• Please bring your boots so you get used to performing in them in the space.
• Royals percussion group, please bring all your gear.
• All ticket money and unsold tickets to give to Erin!!!

Important Change

We have decided that it will benefit both singers and audience to have an intermission in this show. So we will take a 15-minute intermission between Lyra and Andromeda. Yay!

Practicing This Week

Memory security is critical this week for music, movement, and text. Christina would like you to take some extra time on From Ash You Rise. She also is advising everyone to practice your music up to tempo (in particular Ave Maria, Pseudo-Yoik Lite, and Earth). There are a few pieces we have only touched once or twice in the last couple of weeks (Andromeda rep in particular) so please make sure to review that. Claire is reminding you to spend some significant time going over the Lyra script. You should know where your body is at all times, and you should know what's happening and be responding to it. Please read over Lyra every day between now and Sunday. Muses need to make sure their text is solid and they have a firm grasp on their cue lines.

Thank you all and can't wait until Sunday!!

Rehearsal Notes – January 19

ALL MONEY AND UNSOLD TICKETS MUST BE BROUGHT NEXT SUNDAY!!

Essential Homework:

1. Read over the entire script to really get a sense of the flow of the show.

2. Work on the music for From Ash You Rise (also, Claire will post blocking notes this week)

Pseudo Yoik Lite

We’ve picked up the tempo considerably, make sure to embody this in your rehearsal this week. Metronome: 160-165. No slowing down at the end! Also, be very aware of the changes in dynamics throughout the piece.

Earth

Note that the last full measure has been cut.

I himmelen

Please review your choreography for next week.

Epic Celine Dion walking!

Vowels, vowels, vowels!

Pakannen

The rope pulling will happen on a diagonal, from SW to NE

Transition into Revontulet – there will be a change in lighting and the dancers will come on.

Revontulet

Letter G – Look slightly towards the SW corner

Letter H – Begin raising arm veeeeerrrrrry slowly (Sops – right; Altos – left)

Letter I – Point to the dancers in the SW corner

Epilogue

As Kristin speaks, Nelle will begin to spread an A-flat around the choir. After Tenille’s last line (Loosen your hands and say goodbye), pick up your light, and move to mixed scattered for Lux Aeterna. Remember that Christina will be standing in the centre of the stage, so you will be able to see her while still facing the audience in some direction.

Spring Season Update!

Hi everyone!

We know you are all working away at your preparation for Constellations, but we wanted to give you a heads up for what's coming up in the rest of our season. It feels like a long time away, but it will come quickly! We also know some of you need as much notice as possible to book time off for performances. I'll give you a brief run-down of some important things to note, and then at the bottom is a link to a Google Doc that's similar to the list of dates I made in the fall. I'll keep updating it regularly with more information as we know it.

Spring Show

The major piece that we're working on in the spring is the 25-30 minute choral theatre show that we'll be performing at Podium called Waiting on the Eastern Line. This is a really exciting piece with beautiful music (including a brand new Jeff Enns piece written especially for us), lots of choreography, costumes, etc etc! We'll go into more details about this piece at our first rehearsal post-Constellations on February 9, but it's important to note that this piece's Halifax performance will be solely at Podium. We had initially intended to perform this piece alongside a longer new choral theatre work that we would develop at the same time, but have decided for a variety of reasons to focus our energies on creating one amazing 30-minute piece that will wow everyone at Podium.

Tour

But Podium won't be the only time we perform this piece! We currently have contracts in the works with three Nova Scotian theatres to bring Waiting on the Eastern Line on tour! We will pair this piece with Xara Youth Ensemble's spring show, Free as the Wind, and visit Annapolis Royal, Liverpool, and Middle Musquodoboit during the month of June. Dates are still being confirmed, but we have some working dates to share with you now. We've also got workshops lined up with the Queens County Girls Choir in Liverpool!

Video

One of the reasons we chose to streamline our spring show was to leave some space for our professionally produced promotional video! We are currently in the process of selecting the company we will work with to create a 30 second teaser video that we can use to showcase what we do (to attract new audience, appeal to potential funders, and spread the word on social media!)

Other Performances

We've got some fun appearances lined up for this spring, including a performance at the TEDxNS conference in March, a Music Monday performance with Symphony Nova Scotia and Chris Hadfield, a performance as part of Live Art Dance Production's season, and a church service at Edgewood-Oxford United. We wanted to leave room in our schedule to take on these types of gigs, as we're getting lots of excellent recognition for our amazing performances.

Recording

Over the next year or so, we hope to have more of Xara's music professionally recorded. We plan to take one of our Sunday rehearsals this spring to focus solely on recording some of this material. Eventually, we will build on this material to create a full length CD!

So as you can see there are lots of exciting things coming up in the next few months. Xara truly is blossoming this year and we are so grateful to you all for helping to make that happen!!!! We have so much to look forward to!

Here's the link to the Google Doc for your reference: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1c24uNiGWx1EZ4qHX0vabT88i0EKM8o_-fqUphn4vAh4/edit?usp=sharing

Videos from January 11 & 12 - Royals, Aglepta, Illumina, Warrior, Pseudo Yoik, From Ash & Earth

Whew! Lots of videos in this post :-D Hope they are helpful!

Royals & Aglepta

Illumina le tenebre

Warrior

Pseudo Yoik Lite

From Ash You Rise

Earth (note the travelling formation at the start and end, and the magical moving rectangle!)