We are on the Same Page

Pre Concert

Make your score your ally, and make sure we are all on the same page!

Score in a black choir folder or black binder or covered in black paper.

Solo movements' —Tuba Mirum, Recordare, Benedictus—pages paper clipped together:

Concert

Enter the stage with your score tucked into your hand that is AWAY from the audience.

After the soloists and orchestra have taken their acknowledging-the-audience bows, open your score on cue from Shulamit: the choir makes its first ensemble statement by opening all binders as one.

Golden Rule 1: The music is not in your score! It's in you!

When you sing from reading, you exclude the audience. When you sing looking up, you invite the audience into the drama, pathos, and beauty of the music.

Golden Rule 2: At least one beat before your voice part enters, make eye contact with the conductor.

Practice being able to look ahead in the music. A look in the mirror is a sure fire check.

The road ahead

Requiem Aeternam:

7 measures of orchestra open the movement: for these look up (not at the printed score).

Listen for the 3 trombone chords: After these, the choir enters, B, T, A, S, so there is plenty of time for the TAS to get ready for their respective entries, without having to look down at the music other than in the measure in which you sing.

Golden Rule 3: The choir helps guide the audience's attention to which choral voice part is entering, or to the soloist(s) , or to the orchestra

During the orchestra set up for the solo, mm 19 and 20, and the sop solo, mm 21-26 (1), look up, not at your score.

Letter C, m 26: Get ready for your "ex-au-di" entrance. One beat at least before your voice part enters, make eye contact with the conductor.

Letter D, m 34: One beat at least before your voice part enters, make eye contact with the conductor.

Requiem Aeternam into Kyrie

Hold the quiet intensity that we create in the Requiem Aeternam final et lux perpetua luceat eis phrase, as we go transition out of that delicious, pp, mysterious moment into the drama of Kyrie.

Kyrie

Look ahead in the music, so that you can look up one beat before any entry of your voice part's first or second subject. This conveys the interaction of the voice parts in this very active and interactive music-movie.

For the closing son, m 39(1), and the concluding Adagio: Kyrie Eleison: sing from memory this powerful ensemble statement.

Golden Rule 4: Hold the mood of the movement we have just performed, before turning a page for next movement.

Dies Irae

The terrifying drama calls for as much singing from memory as possible!

Before Tuba Mirum turn paper-clipped pages to Rex Tremendae

Golden Rule 5: During the solo movements, choir looks toward/at conductor

Tuba Mirum

Choir looks toward/at conductor

Rex Tremendae

S & A; T & B: sing Salva me from memory.

After Rex Tremendae turn (Recordare paper-clipped pages) to Confutatis.

Recordare 

Choir looks toward/at conductor

Confutatis

Soprani and Alti: sing Voca me from memory

Everyone sing Oro supplex, Cor contritum, and Gere curam from memory.

Between Confutatis and Lacyrmosa: not an eyelash moves!

Hold the mood of the music we have just performed, before turning a page for next movement.

No page turn, until second measure of Lacrymosa and then the turn, if you have one, slow and reluctant.

Lacyrmosa to Domine Jesu

Hold the mood of the music we have just performed, before turning a page for next movement.

Hold the grandeur of the final Amen until you see the conductor change mood for Domine Jesu.

Domine Jesu

Memorize as much as possible: Ne absorbeat eas Tartarus, ne cadant in obscurum

At least one beat before your voice part enters, make eye contact with the conductor.

The choir helps guide the audience's attention to the soloist(s), mm 32-43.

Domine Jesu to Hostias

Hold the mood we have just performed by waiting to turning a page after et semini, semini, eius.

Hostias

Sing the first phrase, Hostias et preces tibi Domine, without first looking down?

M 52 choir sings eighth note tam and eighth rest, and hold still, in awe of the poignant descending sequence of violin inverted tear drops.

Out of the quiet and dramatically into Quam Olim Abrahae.

et semini, semini, eius into Sanctus

Gather yourselves together for three magnificent Sanctus's.

After Sanctus Osanna turn Benedictus paper clipped pages to second Osanna.

Benedictus

Choir looks toward/at conductor

After Osanna, wait to turn to Agnus Dei.

After Agnus Dei, turn slowly, quietly in the first two orchestral measures of Lux Aeterna.

Lux Aeterna into Cum Sanctis

Hold the quiet intensity that we create in the Lux Aeterna final et lux perpetua luceat eis phrase, as we transition out of that delicious, pp, mysterious moment into the drama of Cum Sanctis.

Cum Sanctis

Look ahead in the music, so that you can look up one beat before any entry of your voice part's first or second subject. This conveys the interaction of the voice parts in this very active and interactive music-movie.

For the closing son, m 39(1), and the concluding Adagio: quia pius es: sing from memory this final, powerful statement.