REHEARSAL RECORDINGS - Spring 2022
​(Olivet to calvary plus others)

1st April 2022
25th March 2022
13th March 2022
4th March 2022
25th February 2022
11th February 2022
 This week's rehearsal was to see where the choir "is at" given we're at the half-term stage of our preparations.
  • Good legato opening – need more words.
  • First harmony section – good but need more words.
  • Second harmony section – sopranos you need to know your part a little more confidently and not be surprised by the higher notes. I need more Sops and Altos. Basses are really not heard. This section needs to sound more “together”.
  • “Hosanna”s need more accuracy and the Sopranos need to know the “Blessed to King of Israel”.
  • Sopranos “Blessed Is He” – not good. You must know it.
  • The rest works quite well! I think we need to work on the ending to make it work for the voices we have.
  • The tempo of this is good at the start but it slows as we go through – especially the middle section of the piece, where the men sing in unison. This will moved forward more.
  • Though it seems you all roughly know where you’re going and you’ve got the “feel” there is a lack of accuracy and confidence in the soprano parts.
  • “The Beasts” bit was awful. Definitely need to work on this.
This was projected mostly by the tenors. We can’t have this.. Sopranos have the tune! Sing louder!
... this has a good sound and notes. However the words are unclear. Clarify them but ensuring all consonants are heard. Watch me for the end of each verse, remember – no slowing up till the final verse.
​This could be more attacking at the start; really get the vicious sounding words spat out.
Sopranos, as highlighted here, you need to know when to “Crucify hIm!” and, yes, this is tricky and the top note is not straightforward.  This movement is short and attacking but this sounds, at the moment, unknown, unsure, messy. We will work on this.
​Entry needs to be more sure! Sopranos – bring the tune out more and keep all the jumps better in tune. Follow the dynamics a little more, and that will help.  Take the opportunity to take bigger breaths.  This is another piece that needs more work.
  • Good start from lower voices.
  • When harmony comes in; a little more confidence from Sopranos please. Basses you must make sure you come in confidently.
  • More clear words “Look upon thine adversity”.
  • “Turn thee again” – really, this is OK but needs far more confidence from the Sopranos. The tune is lost underneath the tenors and the tenors can’t go much quieter! 
  • Words not clear at the start, needs to enunciate better.
  • Sopranos, you were being helped by me – shouldn’t be happening at this stage. You should know your part well enough.
  • Generally it sounds fairly correct but lacks so much confidence. This must be resolved.
​Sopranos! Sing up! Take the lead and sing through the phrases. Altos – you probably need to do the same….  Tenors this does highlight that you need to be more sure on the notes in this one. Bass harmony at the end of the 1st verse was odd. Sopranos you must keep yourselves better in tune.  Will work on this.
This was much better on the words and intent at the start! Words could be clearer. Bass harmony could be louder; Sopranos could remember to stay better in tune…!  Ending was poor.
​The speed of this will not drag. However this means you must sing all the notes tunefully and with intent. Do not be caught out when you move away from unison singing to harmony singing. This is a horrible piece of music – not particularly interesting and therefore difficult to keep the motivation and momentum going. We will have to work on this as a performance point – the notes and rhythms seem absolutely fine.
​This should not be difficult for any of you. This will improve once you get the larger print copies.
This is coming along nicely, mostly. We need to work on the third section of the piece, but we have lots of time and this piece is definitely coming together. 
4th February 2022
28th January 2022
Apologies - only recorded the first half as I forgot to turn the recording device on at the end of the break.... 
21st January 2022
14th January 2022
7th January 2022