Score Markings- Complete

I finished choral score markings for the Mozart Vespers.  My job is now to do two things: 1) Double check my form analysis of each movement and 2) hear the entire piece in my head over and over.  Sing it.  Think it.  Love it.  Embody it.

I have the choral scores marked for Psalm 86 by Holst, too.  I haven't yet done the Howard Goodall Psalm 23 markings, but I am not worried.

We have a choir concert on Wednesday night.  There will be some great moments.  Unfortunately, I have lost so many rehearsals with my choirs so far this semester (with two snow days, a hospital visit, the campus closing because of a visit from the POTUS, candidates coming in for interviews, etc).  The next few days of rehearsals will be full and well used.

The small chamber ensemble is singing a piece in Russian and two pieces in French.  The Russian is a challenge because of language and the counterpoint, and the French is tricky because of vowel alignment.  I'm grateful to have three days of rehearsals with them.  The large auditioned group is in a great place.  Not quite consistent with all vowels in one of the pieces and sometimes the Cuban piece they are singing requires a reminder of character, but with two rehearsals this week, they will be fine.  The large non-auditioned group has come a long way in the last three rehearsals- and I have lost the most rehearsals with them.  I wish I had two more rehearsals with them instead of one, but as long as Tuesday's rehearsal is efficient, I think I'll be pleased.

This concert has snuck up quickly- especially, as mentioned, due to the lost rehearsals.  But they have worked hard.  The concert will be shorter than normal (less time = less pieces).  And then we start on the Mozart, which will be a challenge but completely possible.  I am looking forward to working on the Mozart with the singers.  It will be very challenging, but I think they will be very proud of themselves when they are done.

A Snow Day?

Tomorrow is a snow day.

It's a strange experience to have a snow day as a college professor.  I don't like particularly like snow days.  I like my students.  I want to have rehearsals.  We have a rehearsal schedule to keep so I can give them tools to have a great concert.  Not to mention, I've lost other rehearsals this semester due to other reasons.  Maybe I would feel differently about a "snow day" if I hadn't lost those rehearsals.

So, I sent my singers an assignment.  Really, it's not a big deal, but I do need them to hear the music and keep it in their head.  So that's what I did- I emailed them some links to our pieces so they could listen to them.  I'm normally against doing that, because I never want students to get a certain idea of a piece stuck in their head.  In this case, however, I'm feeling almost desperate.  I meet with my non-auditioned group only on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  So, I won't see them until Thursday now, and it will be after an entire week.

So tomorrow I will be working on music and putting together some editions for future use.

But I'd rather be teaching.