Notes for Sun Oct 5!

Hi everyone!

What amazing work we did this weekend at Ibsen Bites! Thank you for your focus, energy, and general sense of otherworldly-ness that you imparted to our audiences! I heard many people say that they either a) got tears in their eyes when we sang or b) thought we tied the whole show together! Excellent work team!!!!

Here's what's happening this Sunday:

1:15  "Secret" performance rehearsal (those who responded to the poll for Fri Oct 10)
1:45   CD rep
3:30   Break
3:45   CD rep
5:00   Special recording


CD Rep
Christina would like you to review the following pieces in particular detail: Winter, and Snow. For new singers who haven't yet performed Pseudo-Yoik Lite and Kiurun Tie, please make sure to review those closely as well.

Special recording

We have been invited to work on a short video project by local video/audio artist Mike Ritchie that will be shown at this year's Halifax Pop Explosion! Basically, he does "360 degree filming" - video and audio recording performances from all directly simultaneously. He thought it would be amazing to record a choir and invited us to record a couple of songs! Apparently we will be the first choir in the world to be recorded in 360 degree video! :)

We will record Vem kan segla and Sister Song. Please wear all black to rehearsal (nice pants and shirt, or skirt or dress, doesn't have to be formal but does have to look good) and come with hair and makeup looking film-ready (not full out stage makeup, think more job-interview).

Any questions, let us know! Looking forward to being together again this weekend!

Notes & Changes from Last Night's Dress Rehearsal

Hi everyone,

Thanks for your super amazing work last night under conditions that were at times confusing (and dusty!) You were all total pros and we are so pleased with how things are coming together now that we have worked out the kinks in the space.

A big change: we no longer need to worry about "the longest room". The stage manager will sound a gong at the end of each performance to signal the huldras to move to the next room. Once you hear the gong, the forker for each quartet needs to immediately give the pitch and start singing. Think GONG=GO

Other than the top of Act 1 & Act 2 when we are gathering audience members, we will only be singing the "slow motion Be Like the Bird" version as we walk to each room.

Here is the running order of what happens during the show:

• Preshow in the Nest on the 3rd floor
• Christina/Claire will cue start of show/moving to stairs, gong, LunaSea director to give pre-show talk
• Vem kan segla sung on the stairs between the second & third floors
• Be Like the Bird (regular tempo, four part round) - go get your audience members and move to your first room
• Ibsen Bite #1
• Gong
• Slow Motion Bird, move to next room
• Ibsen Bite #2
• Gong
• Slow Motion Bird, move to next room
• Ibsen Bite #3 - once you reach your third room, drop your audience members off and immediately return to the Nest and DO NOT TALK
• Intermission
• Gong sounded 3x to cue the end of intermission
• Move to the stairs (same as Vem kan segla positions)
• Be Like the Bird (regular tempo, four part round) - go get your audience members and move to your fourth room ** note that your audience members will likely be different than in Act 1 and that's ok
• Ibsen Bite #4
• Gong
• Slow Motion Bird, move to next room
• Ibsen Bite #5
• Gong
• Slow Motion Bird, move to next room
• Ibsen Bite #6
• Gong
• Sister Song opening vamp, move to backyard
• Sister Song properly start to finish (cued by head conductor)
• Huldravisa (once loo's start, move forward to allow the actors to fill in behind you. Look at the actors as they appear out of the house to take their bows while you sing the loo's)
• Huldra bow
• Turn to the side for the Actor Bow
• Full company bow
• Disperse ASAP back into the house

A couple of room-specific notes for when you are showing your audience into each room:

• Room D (2nd floor) - do not gesture to the audience to sit down. The actors will seat them.
• Room F (basement library) - audience needs to stay off the couch/carpeted area

Performance notes:

• During Vem kan segla, please look over the bannister down at the audience members below. If there are audience members on the second floor landing (ie right in front of you) make sure to also make eye contact and acknowledge them.
• When retrieving your audience members you should do the Be Like the Bird choreography, but feel free to break out of it in order to touch audience members on the shoulder to get them to move with you. 
• Be Like the Bird will now ONLY be sung in B natural throughout the whole show.
• When singing the Slow Motion Be Like the Bird, NO choreography needed.
• Last night Christina made the change that after Ibsen Bite #6, we will just sing the opening passage of Sister Song (soprano 1 line, mm 1-mm4 beat 1) on a loop. We will not sing the rest of Sister Song until everyone is outside in the backyard (too difficult to stay together while moving through the space). 

Transition notes:

• When you are at room B/E (main floor), you must hold your audience back until the group from downstairs/outside (rooms C & F) have made their way upstairs. Cat the stage manager will be there to remind you and prevent you from going right away, but just an FYI.

Notes for Ibsen Bites & NSYC & AGM!

Hi everyone,

Lots of info in this blog post so please make sure you keep track of all the details for this weekend's rehearsals and shows:

IBSEN BITES!

Location: 2125 Brunswick St.
Schedule:

• Thursday, Sept 25 - Xara-only dress rehearsal from 6:00-7:00 pm (please arrive at 5:50 pm), full dress rehearsal with the actors from 7:00-10:00 pm
• Friday, Sept 26 - 5:30 pm call, 7:00 pm show
• Saturday, Sept 27 - 2:30 pm call, 4:00 pm show (matinee cast); 7:30 pm call, 9:00 pm show (evening cast)
• Sunday, Sept 28 - 5:30 pm call, 7:00 pm show

Quartets

Please refer to the image below for your quartets. Also, please note the number beside your quartet. This is your "Quartet Number" for each show. Remember that at the top of the show during Vem kan segla, Quartet #3 is at the bottom of the staircase, Quartet #2 is in the middle, and Quartet #1 is at the top. Your Quartet number will also determine your route through the house.

Rooms

For map-related clarification, please refer to Erin's blog post here about which rooms are on each floor. Here is a bit more information including details about each room. You might hear rooms D and B/E referred to by alternate names so I included them here:

3rd Floor: Room A (bathroom)

2nd Floor: Room D (Linda's study)

Main Floor: Room B/E (Sandy's study) and Main Hallway 

Basement: Room F (downstairs living room)

Outdoors: Room C (backyard)

Routes

Please refer to the above chart to determine your quartet number for each show, and then the room letters above to figure out your route.

Quartet 1 - Act 1: A, B, C;  Act 2: D, E, F

Quartet 2 - Act 1: B, C, A;  Act 2: E, F, D 

Quartet 3 - Act 1: C, A, B;  Act 2: F, D, E

For example, Quartet 1 will start Act 1 at the 3rd floor bathroom (A), make their way to the main floor study (B), then the backyard (C). In Act 2, they'll start at the 2nd floor room (D), followed by the main floor study (E), and then the basement living room (F).

It will be very useful for you to visualize your routes ahead of time for each of your shows. It will of course become clearer on Thursday night after you've seen the house, but every bit of preparation you can do in advance will help make things easier.

After your last room of Act 2, everyone proceeds with their audience group to the backyard (if the weather's nice), or to the main floor hallway (if it's raining).

Running Order

Please review Erin's excellent notes from Sunday's rehearsal regarding what you are singing and when, as well as who is cuing with tuning forks etc. The basic structure for the evening is this:

Top of show:

• Vem kan segla sung from upper staircase in big group
• Be Like the Bird (regular tempo + choreo), each quartet gathers their audience group and takes them to their first room
• Travelling between rooms in Act 1 - Be Like the Bird (slow tempo, no choreo)
• Intermission

Top of Act 2:

• Be Like the Bird (regular tempo + choreo), each quartet gathers their audience group and takes them to their first room
• Travelling between rooms in Act 2 - Be Like the Bird (regular tempo + choreo)
• After third room, Sister Song as each quartet leads audience members to backyard
• Once in backyard, Huldravisa. Actors join in for "loo" part of chorus
• Curtain call

Costumes

Skirts, shirts, and huldra capes will stay onsite all weekend. Please refer to Erin's previous post regarding which skirt you will be wearing for each show. You are to bring your own Xara shoes for each show. If you would like extra layers (it may be cool in the house and/or outside), please wear skin-tone pantyhose or leggings under your skirt.

Hair

Each of you will be wearing a kerchief on your heads which we will provide. Your hair can be up or down - though those with long hair may want to consider a braid as long hair will obscure/get caught in your Huldra cape. Note that some of your hair will be visible at the front (perhaps a Xara braid at the front or just pinned back so it doesn't fall in your face). Please bring bobby pins to pin the kerchief in place.

Makeup

You need to have basic foundation/blush stage makeup and a neutral lip colour (beige, light pink etc). Click the link for a step by step tutorial of what we'd like for eye makeup: http://media.trusper.net/u/c35bc756-37fd-49b5-8333-45a5eacb3fe3.jpg . We will provide the black, silver, and white eyeshadow. Please bring your own eyeliner and mascara.

OTHER IMPORTANT THINGS!

Nova Scotia Youth Choir Concert - The 2014 NSYC is having their final concert at St. Matthew's this Sunday afternoon at 3pm. If you still want to get your regular Sunday dose of awesome choir music, please consider attending!! The guest conductor this year, Jakub Martinec of the Czech Boys Choir, is absolutely fantastic!! Tickets are $20 adults/$5 students. One of our XYE singers is a member of this year's choir, so if you are going please wear your Xara t-shirt to show your solidarity! Anyone who is going, let's try to sit together.

Notice of Annual General Meeting - Each year, the XCT Board must hold an annual general meeting (AGM) with the membership of the organization (you!). This year it will be taking place from 4:30-5:30 pm on Sunday October 26th (the last hour of our rehearsal that day).

Rehearsal Notes – September 21

Recording Information

We will be recording at St Anselm’s in West Chezzetcook. Drive organization will follow!

The Sunday evening time is the “just in case time”, but please plan to be there and we will be released early if possible.

LunaSea Information

Footwear – Xara shoes (basically just black ballet slippers)

Here is the list of costume numbers for each show :

And the list of people with tuning forks:

	Friday	Sat (AFT)	Sat (EVE)	Sunday
Group 1 - Forker	Shannon	Nelle	Kallie	Zoe
Group 2 - Forker	Jenny	Zoe	Kristin	Kallie
Group 3 - Forker	Joanna	Leah B	Jenny	Nelle
Vem kan segla Forker & Huldravisa Conductor	Shannon	Nelle	Jenny	Nelle

(sorry for the formatting, I hope it is clear enough!)

Vem kan segla pitch will be given by someone with a fork, with a breath intake to begin. (Christina will send out a metronome marking for you to practice with) 

Then straight into Be Like the Bird (B Natural) in time and with choreography (Sop 2, Sop 1, Alto 1, Alto 2). Take the tempo and start note from Vem kan segla.

After the first room, transition between rooms in the first act is the slow motion Be Like the Bird (B Natural) that we rehearsed today. The pitch giver in the longest room begins with the word “Be” and everyone joins in as they hear it. Keep going until you are at your next room, and then fade away.  The distance from room C to room A is the longest journey (backyard to third floor), just be aware of that.

At the start of Intermission something will happen (TBA on Thursday) to get you back to the Green Room. At the end of Intermission, something else will happen.

In Act Two : The group who is at the longest room will start Be Like the Bird (B Flat) together in unison. When the second phrase starts, the second soprano keeps going, and the others split off and join as indicated (Sop 2, Sop 1, Alto 1, Alto 2)

After the final room : The longest room will cue the start of Sister Song (the singers in that room will sing the first phrase in unison, and then the round will begin) then you will move outside.

End of the Show (backyard) : Huldravisa will be directed by someone with their head. Note will be taken from the end of Sister Song

Homework

Read the poem for Day Dawn, and let it live inside you as a piece of text in order to really get a sense of the full arc of the piece. Then, look at each phrase of the poem in the context of the music. There will be a quiz ;-)

Ice

If you were absent, please make sure to get phrasing notes from someone in your section

·       Check your AH vowel, and constantly re-evaluate throughout the piece

·       Try to make a “cold” sound, not breathy

·       Whenever a “word” (or consonant) appears under a note, rearticulate. Otherwise, treat it as a slurred vowel.

·       Breath marks for everyone in Choir 1 are as follows:

o   End of measure 6

o   Quick breath in the last measure of page 2

o   Quick breath pick-up to D

o   Sop 1 & 2 after beat 2 in measure 42, Altos breathe at the end

o   NO BREATH after the pause in measure 44

·       Choir 2 only breathe where silence is shown in the music

Pseudo Yoik LIte

·       Really solidify from measure 36 – 40

·       Practice this piece with a metronome beating steady quarter notes

Day Dawn

If you were absent, please make sure to get emphasis notes from someone in your section

Here on These Branches

If you were absent, please make sure to get breath marks from someone in your section

•   The “traps” in this piece are measures with three quarter notes (particularly all on the same note) that lead to something more interesting. It tends to come out very punchy, which is not what we’re after. Make sure the quarters lead toward the next measure. An exception to this is when the text is “What can this be?”

Satakieli

•   Review pronunciation based on the notes Christina gave in rehearsal today (if you were absent, please make sure to check with a member of your section)

•   Sop 2s make sure to solidify the last measure of page 1

•   Note that double consonants in Finnish need to be observed (more so than in English)

Winter

Score study – go through the score and make note of all the complexities (tempo, dynamics, phrasing, text etc)

Typo on the bottom of page 8 in the Alto line : 4^th system, second measure, “nipp’d” should be an 8^th note. 

Notes for Sunday Sept 21

Hi everyone!

Great rehearsal on Sunday! Thank you especially to Edward for his wonderful leadership helping us to really lock in some of this music!! We are so grateful!

This Sunday, we'll be tackling the CD rep first before moving onto the LunaSea stuff.

Reminder that Vem kan segla and Sister Song must be memorized for this Sunday's rehearsal. Also reminder that the LunaSea directors are going to be coming to rehearsal this Sunday to check out what we've been working on!

We're also going to take a bit of a longer break so that you can try on the LunaSea costumes and make sure you know what sizes you need. The skirts are wrap skirts so it should be fairly straightforward in that regard.

Here's the schedule plan!

1:15  Physical/Vocal Warmups
1:35  CD Rep
3:40  Break/Costumes - SOP 2S ARE ON SNACK!
4:00  LunaSea

Looking forward to putting the final touches on the LunaSea stuff before our first show of the year! And to having Christina back!

See you Sunday!
Claire

Notes for LunaSea

Notes on LunaSea – September 14

• A lot of this is subject to change, please be flexible J
• Please check the blog post to ensure that you know which shows you are performing in.
• Dress rehearsal will take place on Thursday night from 6 – 10pm. From 6pm – 7pm is the XARA ONLY time in the space. This time slot is super important. From 7pm – 10pm we will be doing a dry run of the show, moving through the house.
• Friday & Sunday shows are at 7pm (arrive at 5:30)
• Saturday shows are at 4pm (arrive at 2:30) and 9pm (arrive at 7:30)
• Location: 2125 (?) Brunswick St in the block between Cornwallis and Cogswell. The house is called the Charles DeWolfe House. Grey stone house with red trim.

Layout of the house (not to scale) :

Flow of the evening

5:30 – Arrive & Warm Up

6:30 – Doors to the house open, audience enters and mingles (50 per show)

7:00 – Show begins – We start the show

We will be on the 3^rd floor landing spilling down the stairs to sing the first piece of the evening. The group that is lowest on the stairs will take the first group, because they have the farthest to go (Room C – backyard) – Vem kan segla

Be Like the Bird - Groups take their people to the first assigned room. See video for choreography.  

The evening is broken into two acts – there are three pieces in the first half, and three in the second half with an intermission in between.

Act 1 Rooms : A, B/E & C

In Act 1, for moving between rooms, groups will be singing the special tuning meditation type thing that Christina will teach next week.

Act 2 Rooms : D, B/E & F

In Act 2, we will use Be Like the Bird for traveling between rooms.

End of Act 2 : When you get to your third piece in the second act, Christina or someone will cue the start of Sister Song. During Sister Song, take groups to the backyard. That is where we will sing Huldravisa while the actors join in on the Loo section.

Costumes – Provided by Xara, to remain on site for the weekend

Wail skirts & shirts with your huldra poncho with a kerchief for hair. There will be stage makeup – TBA. Shoes TBA.

LunaSea Scheduling

Hi everyone,

Update: LunaSea now only needs 12 singers per show, so no one has to do more than two shows! If there are any problems with the schedule below, please let Claire know via email ASAP:

Friday
Shannon (S1)
Georgia (S1)
Kristin (S1)
Colleen (S2)
Brianna (S2)
Shila (S2)
Tenille (A1)
Robin (A1)
Joanna (A1)
Natasha (A2)
Jenny (A2)
Leah P (A2)

Saturday afternoon 
Nelle (S1)
Maria (S1)
Rachael (S1)
Colleen (S2)
Zoe (S2)
Hayley (S2)
Mackenzie (A1)
Sydney (A1)
Leah B (A1)
Sara (A2)
Cat (A2)
Devon (A2)

Saturday evening 
Kallie (S1)
Kristin (S1)
Rachael (S1)
Shila (S2)
Paige (S2)
Hayley (S2)
Mackenzie (A1)
Camila (A1)
Sydney (A1)
Jenny (A2)
Natasha (A2)
Leah P (A2)

Sunday
Shannon (S1)
Kallie (S1)
Nelle (S1)
Zoe (S2)
Paige (S2)
Brianna (S2)
Tenille (A1)
Joanna (A1)
Camila (A1)
Devon (A2)
Krystal (A2)
Cat (A2)