THESE NOTES are information that was sent as email to MRC Singers. They might be easier for you to find later than fishing through your old emails. Unlike Rehearsals recordings, these are in reverse chronological order, so recent notes are on top.
1-30-2018
Hello, singers!
It’s always fun to get back together to sing, and last night was no exception. Even spread out in the church pews we had a good sound right from the start, and were introduced to many of the beautiful songs we’ll be singing this term. We also got a good head start on foreign language pronunciation for the songs in other languages. Lucky for us, Mary Jane said that the vowel sounds will be the same for all
To those of you who couldn’t make it to the first rehearsal, we hope to see you next week, Monday February 5, back at our usual rehearsal venue in the chorus room at Harwood.
A few messages to everyone —
Q.: How do I find the chorus room at Harwood? A.: Park in the big lot on the south side of the building, enter the door by the glassed-in staircase, take stairs or elevator (first left in hall) up one flight, and the music department hallway is the first door on the right as you look down the hall (across from the elevator). The chorus room is then the first door on the right.
1. Every week there will be a recording of the rehearsal on the website of our bass Rick Rayfield. This week’s recording will be available tomorrow, Wednesday Jan. 31. Go to
rickrayfield.org, select My Singing near the top of the home page and find MRC Spring 2018. Select Rehearsal Recordings and follow instructions.
2. We’ve heard that this year’s flu has now officially hit our area, so PLEASE, if you are sick at all, stay home from rehearsal to take care of your own health and everyone else’s. (Some of you may already know this all too well.)
3. If you are new to MRC and felt a bit overwhelmed last night, please don’t be discouraged. It may seem as if everyone else can sight-read their music, but in fact most of us really can’t. We just listen to our neighbors and the piano, and maybe notice if the notes go up or down. Most of us started right where you are now.
MRC offers so many aids to learning that you will find it’s quite easy to practice your part at home, and if you need help in rehearsal you can ask Mary Jane to have your section’s part played on the piano. There’s also a good list of learning aids in your music packet.
4. Speaking of learning aids, you’ll be receiving another email soon with files of each of our songs for the Sweet Midi app. In your music packet there’s a page of instructions about how to use the app and the files. If you need help with that there are singers who can help you. Please ask at the next rehearsal.
5. You’ll also find in your packet a note about what happens if we have to cancel a rehearsal (been there, done that already), a two-sided page with general information about MRC, and a page entitled Expectations which was prepared at the request of singers. Please read all that stuff so we all have the same information.
6. Section Leaders, formerly known as Section Facilitators: Each voice section has one or two people designated as section leaders. Their jobs include getting to know you and making sure things are going well for you and the group, taking careful notes of anything Mary Jane tells the section in rehearsal so absentees can get the information from them, organizing outside sectional rehearsals, and generally dealing with your questions or problems unless you need to go directly to Mary Jane with them.
S. L.s are:
soprano—Kristin Reedy and Shannon Seymour-Michl; alto—Barbara Barra and Sue Davies; tenor—Skip Potter; bass—Bob Emmons and Peter Delfausse (in absentia for the moment).
Please watch your email for the MIDI files and information about what we’ll be singing next week, and if the weather is at all questionable next Monday be sure to check your email before leaving home for rehearsal.
See you February 5, in the chorus room at Harwood UHS!
Jane H., for the board
MRC Spring 2018 Music List So Far
(Sample recordings of the arrangements we have, sung by other groups, will be available shortly to download or click and play, or on an audio CD. Mary Jane suggested you can look for samples like these on YouTube yourself.)
Randall Thompson- The Road Home
Verdi/Neuen- Va Pensiero (and sheet of Italian- English translation)
Bernstein- Chichester Psalms (we are doing 3rd movement Psalm 13 , p.33)
(with sheet of Hebrew-English translation)
Randall Thompson- Frostiana- The Road Not Taken
DeCormier, arr. – Wayfaring Stranger
Belafonte/Freedman Turn the World Around
Randall Thompson, Frostiana The Pasture (men only TBB)
Randall Thompson, Frostiana The Telephone (men only, till few measures at end)
Randall Thompson, Frostiana, Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening (men only)
Randall Thompson, Alleluia
Bernstein, Make Your Garden Grow (from Candide)
RickRayfield 