Master Chorale of Tampa Bay - Singers Section

Reminders and Concert Review
E-mailed: Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Note from Dr. Z:

Thank you for a wonderful 2007-2008 season. Your hard work and dedication to choral excellence resulted in a season of exciting and interesting concerts. Festival of Voices was a great educational event, our Faure REQUIEM with TFO was solid, Christmas with The Master Chorale concerts started a new holiday tradition, the workshop with Dale Warland made us all grow, our CARMINA performances with Christoph were extraordinary, and our DISCOVER Alice Parker workshops and concerts were fun and very rewarding!!! I also thought your workshop during the recording session was intense and VERY productive. Bravo Coro!

I look forward to working with you next season -BERNSTEIN, CHRISTMAS, VERDI and MAHLER - Life is good. Have a fun and restful summer. Many thanks.

Sincerely,

Rick Zielinski

Note from Kara:

Dear Singers,

Thanks so much for a fabulous Discover concert series with Alice Parker. I had the pleasure of speaking with many of the audience members on their way out on both days and, as usual, they were smiling and bubbling over with your praises! As you will see, John Fleming of the St. Petersburg Times felt the same way. I’ve attached his concert review to this e-mail for you. It will also be posted on our website under “Critic’s Corner.” As soon as the audience surveys are compiled, we will share those results with you. You should also know that we had nearly 30 volunteers working hard to help make this concert a success. They did many things for you including picking up and delivering your water, answering ticket calls in the office, ushering at the concerts, directing traffic, selling tickets and CDs, stuffing programs and more. We could not have done this without them and they deserve a big round of applause!

If you haven’t told Melissa that you’re singing for “Symphony Under the Stars” on May 10^th, we really need to know! I have received the parking passes, wristbands, and free family tickets for the event and will be mailing them to you. If you need a new maroon Master Chorale golf shirt, now is the time to tell us as well – including your size. I will be placing the order on Friday of this week. The shirts are $20 and will be available at the concert for you to wear (you can pay then too). Concert attire will be the MC maroon golf shirt and khaki pants. If you have any questions, please feel free to e-mail me or Melissa.

We look forward to seeing you at Round-up this weekend!

Best regards,

Kara

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Piano Dress Rehearsal Review
E-mailed: Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Dear Singers:

Alice Parker, the USF Jazz Combo, Soloists and the Tampa Bay Children's Chorus will be at rehearsal tonight. I'll begin working on "I'll Praise My Maker" beginning at 7pm. If you are feeling shaky on this piece, show up a 1/2 hour early at 7pm. Also, please have your music in concert order and in black folders. Here is the concert order:

Hark I Hear
Wondrous Love
Ellington Sacred Songs
Sing to the Lord
Balm in Gilead
The River and the Rock
I'll Praise My Maker

Maybe 40 minutes of music . . . . . if you choose to do daily score study this week, read, study and learn the text each day, mark dynamics, highlight your part, personalize the message in the music, and conceptualize the whole concert with music in program order in your black folder, we could have a wonderful weekend of music making.

Will you be there ready to go at 7pm tonight? What a special opportunity we have with Alice Parker being here with us . . . . . seize the moment folks, carpe diem!

Z

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Rehearsal Review #5 Discover! Alice Parker
E-mailed: Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Dear Singers:

You worked hard last night . . . thank you! I felt we made progress on I'll Praise My Maker, Hark I Hear and Balm in Gilead. Great work Scottie getting the RINGERS organized and ready to play. (Thank you to Bill Renfroe for letting us use your hand bells.) The commission, The Rock and the River and the Ellington arrangements will be exciting when all the pieces, Jazz combo and soloists, are in place.

REMINDER: We have a concert THIS Sunday, April 13, USF Spring Choral Concert, Honoring the Career of Robert Summer. Meet in FAH 102, 1pm on Sunday for a combined rehearsal with Chamber Singers. Repertoire: Hark I Hear, Wondrous Love, Hallelujah (Messiah). I'll have copes of the Handel for you.

Spend time with your scores. With a productive performance week, we can deliver an exciting and fun set of final concerts. Daily score study of all repertoire will be the key for us to have a successful final concert. Alice Parker will be here in one week!

Take care,

Dr. Z

PS: Keep in mind, we are recording The Rock and the River and the Ellington Sacred Song arrangements, Sunday, April 20, 2-10pm, Springs Theater.

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Rehearsal Review #4 Discover! Alice Parker
E-mailed: Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Dear Singers:

What a wonderful rehearsal!  Listening to the "live" recordings of Ellington's Sacred Concerts was a journey that gave us better insights into his style and presentation.   Your work on Alice's Ellington arrangements was spirited, focused, energetic and VERY PRODUCTIVE!!!!! And your work on the commission, The Rock and the River was GREAT!!! The second movement, II. Peace Like a River will need more work next week relaxing the phrasing and establishing more contrast between melody and vocal accompaniment.

Next Week: Buster Cooper, former Ellington Band member, who played on the recordings we listened to last night, will be at rehearsal, TUESDAY APRIL 1. Please review II. Come Sunday, III. Don't Get Down and V. Praise God and Dance. Alice would also like us to end the concert with  I'll Praise My Maker. (Any bell ringers in the crowd?) Please prep your score for this number, highlighting your part and be ready to secure all 4-part passages.

Start inviting your friends, family and co-workers to our DISCOVER CONCERTS. Get the postcards out now, so we have a packed house. This concert is going to fun and very audience friendly. Again, GREAT WORK. I look forward to seeing you next week.

Onward,

Dr. Z

PS:   I think the week off was a good time to refuel and gear up for our last concert, DISCOVER ALICE PARKER!!!

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Rehearsal Review #3 Discover! Alice Parker
E-mailed: Thursday, March 13, 2008

Dear Singers:

What a productive rehearsal!!! Parker's anthems and folk arrangements are really starting to take shape. I was very impressed with your work on blend, ensemble, phrasing and tone color. Balm in Gilead, Sing to the Lord and Wondrous Love were beautiful and Hark I Hear was very spirited!

We made progress on the Ellington arrangements. This collection will be our biggest challenge. With four rehearsals remaining (3/25, 4/1, 4/8, 4/15), I will focus 3/25 rehearsal on securing notes to #3 Don't Get Down and #5 Praise God and Dance. For #5 Praise God and Dance, identify your part in the score. Also, take one of the short licks, "Dah dah doo dah, Wah wah, wah” or “come and dance, dah, dah, dah dance" and let it fly with a full, beautiful tone!!! Can't wait to get YOU, the Jazz Combo and soloists all together!

Reminder: NO REHEARSAL NEXT WEEK 3/18.

So, during this TWO week period, please listen to the MP3 of the Ellington Sacred Song located in the “Singer’s Section” of our webpage. And TREAT YOURSELF, head out to as many Jazz Clubs as possible, enjoy, have some fun . . . . get that back beat into your soul!

Thank you for a GREAT rehearsal, we need a "good one" to secure our April 18, 19 concert. I sincerely appreciate your efforts.

Onward,

Z-man

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Piano Dress Rehearsal Review
E-mailed: Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Good Morning!

Very productive rehearsal last night. Your response to Christoph was good. This could be one of our benchmark performances. Christoph is a talented and fine artist with a commitment to detail, serving every intent of the composer's markings. Eyes up and watching him will be helpful for better ensemble. Let's review.

1) GENERAL
-As Orff said, CARMINA BURANA is TOTAL THEATER!!!! We can achieve this by knowing the text, committing to EVERY detail of the score and having a heck-of-a-good time with each other!!!!

2) TEXT
-Personalize the text, which will define the emotion and expression (Got English translations yet?)

3) DYNAMICS and ARTICULATIONS
-Memorize first 4 measures, set up dynamic framework in the first 11 measures.
-Dramatic Dynamic Contrast, forte sections must sound dramatically different than piano sections
-Marcato, staccato, legato articulations must be audible (RedBlue pencil is the answer!)

4) MEN
-You are so close to nailing these men's choruses. 90% of the Men have No. 14 down. 10% of you need to gear it up and practice more. So,
1) Pick one phrase, drill it, recite text in the car, at home, at work at Publix, etc. move to next phrase . . . drill, drill, bibit, drill, bibit, drill . . .
2) Drill: page turn 77-78, pg. 78, 4 after sq. 96; pg. 79, 3 after sq. 97
3) Crescendo on page 81 needs work, dynamic contract
4) Place all accents on the appropriate beats
-No. 19, Christoph would like to use the smaller men's section
1) Only those whose names are underlined sing
2) Some entrances have fermati some don't
3) Crisp, printed, angular, active text, especially coming out of a fermati
4) 4 before sq. 125 needs work
With daily work drilling specific section YOU CAN DO IT!!! You are so close. Onward.

5) WOMEN
-Your beautiful voices and emotion take us away . . . knowing the character of each phrase is the key!
-No. 7, be ready for each change of emotion. Color tone appropriately.
-Dynamic contrast needed throughout, No. 20 is a good example.
-Great work on your delivery last night!!!

See you tonight for a warm up at 7pm, Mahaffey, St. Pete. Thank you for all your hard work and commitment to excellence!!!

Cheers!!!

Dr. Z

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Concert Week Notes
E-mailed: Monday, February 4, 2008

Performance Week is HERE!!!! You have done well in preparing Orff's CARMINA BURANA. Many thanks for your work inside and outside of our weekly rehearsals. (Reminder: No Rehearsal on Feb. 12. Alice Parker rehearsals start on Feb. 19)

In a recent communication with our guest conductor, Christoph Campestrini, he had the following comments:

Sit/Stand Cues
-Choir sits quietly after No 3. Don't close your folder.
-Choir stands quietly and slowly 8 measures before No. 5 (1 Tenor, Scott Brown, will hum your "F")

Pronunciation of the "W"

The pronunciation of "w" in Nr.10 and 13 I feel should be "w" and not "v". However if possible with a lot of air and a strong accent, by no means a weak "w": for instance at "were", "werlt" and "wafna".

Coro Piccolo vs Coro Grande
Christoph may want to hear a small group of singers perform all Coro Piccolo (small, 40-80 singers) vs Coro Grande (Tutti). Men please review No. 19, we will try several combinations for this piece. What a talented group . . . you know all the notes for all of these choruses, so we will find the right combination of singers for these movements. No. 3, 7, 8, 9, 19.

I'll start warm ups at 7:20pm so we can start with Christoph at 7:30pm.

Onward,

Z

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Carmina Rehearsal Review #4
E-mailed: Thursday, January 31, 2008

Dear Singers:

Your work at the retreat was intense, impressive and productive. This kind effort advanced our cause. Bravo!
Your rehearsal last night was on the mark. Bravo!!
Your performances next week will be extraordinary!!! Bravo CORO!!!

Keep up the daily score study, re-read the text, recite the Latin (No. 14 and 19) and start preparing for PERFORMANCE WEEK!!!
Christoph Campestrini will be at our rehearsal Feb. 5, ready to go, at 7:30pm. Please arrive 10 minutes early.

IMPORTANT NOTE: NO REHEARSAL Tuesday, February 12.
We will start Alice Parker music and score preparation on Tuesday, February 19, 7:30-10pm USF 102.

Thank you for your dedication!!!

Onward,

Dr. Z

P.S. Dale Warland sends his best regards to you all.

Note from Kara:

We have to make an adjustment to the cost of the music because of a notice we received today about an additional licensing fee we have to pay for one of the Discover pieces (an additional $5 per copy L). I apologize for the change but it’s going to cost $15 instead of $10. I’m sorry to change the cost after I’ve announced it on Tuesday. I guess that’s what I get for trying to organize early!

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Good Morning:

Good work on Tuesday evening! With our abbreviated rehearsal period for our CARMINA preparation, (430 minutes remaining), we must stay focused over the next several days. Our Winter Retreat with Dale Warland should be very productive, especially if everyone has prepared their scores with the ENGLISH translation of the Latin/German text. I've attached a newly formatted translation that can be easily cut in strips and glue sticked into your score. With many of the notes, rhythms, and pronunciations learned we must now make the score come to life!!! Let's apply the following sets in my Performance Pyramid:

1) to achieve choral excellence each singer must develop a personal relationship with the song. This can be achieved only if the performers and choral director have developed a personal understanding of the score. PERSONALIZE the Text and the message in ORFF's Carmina Burana. (Write or paste in English translation.)

2) to successfully project the message of the music to the listener, the ensemble must deliver a choral product that reflects the intent of the composer’s work. Our facial expressions and body language must mirror the theatrical sound we create. Carmina is all THEATRE!!!

Looking forward to seeing you at the retreat!

Onward,

Dr. Z

PS: For review, I've also attached an outline of my Performance Pyramid.

GREAT WORK LAST NIGHT! Your dedication to CHORAL EXCELLENCE is very impressive!!! With two Tuesday's (1/22. 29) and a Winter Retreat (1/26) with Dale Warland left before performance week, here is the game plan:

First, read though the entire English translation. With many of the notes, rhythms, dynamics and articulations rehearsed, we need to PERSONALIZE this masterpiece!!! After you read through the entire English text, that inspired Orff to write this choral gem, print the English translations into the corresponding choruses. If you do two or three choruses a day, you'll be done with this score preparation by our next rehearsal. (Soprani and Alti please check pronunciation of chorus No. 8, page 54, thanks. Men, keep drilling No. 14.)

Second, prepare and study choruses No. 18 and 22. These are the last choruses we need to learn before the retreat. Our goal at the retreat is to practice projecting the message of this work, polish our choral product and refine our tone.

Your score preparation outside of rehearsal and your many talents make all the difference!! Have a great week. GO PACKERS GO!!!!

Onward,

Dr. Z

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What a spirited and productive rehearsal . . . . BRAVO! Your dedication to excellence is extraordinary!! Man, it was so good to see all of you last night!!!

With 3 Tuesdays and a Retreat and 690 rehearsal minutes left before we perform Carmina Burana with the Florida Orchestra, let me review our score preparation procedures. Before next week, prep your scores in the following manner:

1. Highlight your part with yellow marker
2. Use RED and BLUE pencil (Red = loud, Blue = soft)
3. Go to Singer Section of MC webpage, print pronunciation guide (use it if you have questions)
4 Write in ENGLISH translation into your score (Start with the fun stuff, In the Tavern, Nos. 10-17
"Bibit tenor, bibit bass, bibit Dr. Z, bibit tutti . . . ."
5. Tenor and Basses you have more to prep for this concert, please review/recite text on No. 14, 19 many, many times each day.
(REMINDER For No.19: 3-part tenor: T1, T2, B1, 3-part bass: T1 and 2, B1, B2
6. Review Rehearsal Grid (Winter Retreat, January 26)

Review choruses from last night: Nos. 1/25, 2, 3, 7, 12, 13, 14, 20, 24
New Choruses for next week: 19, 8, 9

Again, congrats on your fall performances, reviews and acknowledgements. They were well deserved.

Have a fabulous week. Onward,

Dr. Z

Note: The link to the pronunciation guide Dr. Z mentioned in rehearsal last night is in the Singers Section under Rehearsal Resources.