Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Daemon Down

Dear Choristers,

Again you cease to amaze me. We have learned all the notes in Daemon in 2 rehearsals!

lets make sure and keep them learned for next Wednesday so we can work on musicality and cranking up the tempo.

Huge thanks goes out to Janis for painting our Choir Folder Holder! now I can label it and we can start assigning spots.

Also big thanks to Beth for filing music last week. It is a big job and she is helping us all by doing it.

The Food at the Community dinner this evening was fabulous Crystal can really cook a meal. However there were not as many folks there tonight as I would have imagined there should be. Think about it.... 4 bucks, no hassle, home cooked, good friends, there for you when you need it. why would you miss it???? Also if it is going to fly we will need a few folks to consider making food for one of the evenings. If you are enjoying the service consider giving back one of these nights. Just let me know if you are interested.

Chamber:

It is a pleasure working with you these days. Have a look at the YouTube video found on the right hand side of the blog and sing along. Go over the pronunciation in the shower. Hit Al's site once or twice. When we start rehearsal on Sunday I hope to fine tune and not fix too much.
things to remember: Long Phrase, Imagery, Lips out, Watch me.

Dress: Black
Time : 8:30

Thanks for your great work in uplifting this congregation.

Andy

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Daemon

Dear Choiristers,

I swear the choir is growing every rehearsal!

A big welcome to all the new folks! please go out of your way to introduce yourself to a new person and new people come to the community dinner at 6 to meet with us and have some grub.

After tonight's rehearsal I am positive that we will have no problems with Daemon. That doesn't mean that it will be easy but I hope you are all as excited for it as I am.

Great job tonight.

See ya wednesday

Chamber, Al has put Dirait-on up on his site so check it out. I will post a good recording from you tube for pronunciation.

Thanks

Andy

Monday, September 21, 2009

Photos?

Did any one take any photos or video of the performance last week? If
so I would love to post them on the blog.

Andy Marshall
Choir Director
360-220-3969

Sunday, September 20, 2009

WOWed UM

Yea for us!

here are a few comments.

'Choir is sounding fantastic!"

"Wow that forward nasal tone is really working, they sound great"

"I haven't seen a choir that full of energy in years"

Nice job today choristers. My favorite moment today was listening to that first verse of "Blue Boat Home" with your great tone production, full of emotion and pride for your art. I got chills all over. (that is what it is all about)

I am looking forward to having dinner with you again on wednesday and digging into Daemon. We will also be starting the november piece and I am VERY excited for it. It is beautiful and you'll love it.

In harmony

Andy

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Sickness

Lots of folks missed rehearsal tonight because of sickness.

Unfortunately you should probably duck out of the performance this sunday if you were sick tonight. but we are hoping you are back on your feet for this wednesday.

as for you healthy folk. STAY HEALTHY between now and Sunday.

BONSE Abra kadabra

Nice work tonight Folks!!

We are ready for a great showing on sunday. See if you can internalize those lyrics and we can go with out music.WHen you practice Bonse aba Make sure and do the motions and smile. Much like the models in the picture below. Great job Soloists!! I am really looking forward to it.

here is what you should look like on sunday:





Be there ready to sing at 8:30




Every time you happen over to the blog listen to Daemon again. the more you get it in your ear the easier it will be to learn.



Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Plan for Tomorrow

Hey BUF choristers,

remember to come early and get some chow. I will be seeing a few new members around 6:45 to find their best place in the choir.

Bonse Aba is up on Al's site and ready for you to practice. This should not take us long to perfect. There is a solo in the song and I would like someone in the choir to consider singing it.

Deamon is going to be a challenge for us, but after last weekend I have much hope that we will be able to do the piece justice. please take a look at it before tomorrow. I do not believe that it is on Al's site yet but please check to make sure.

See you tomorrow.

Andy

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Holy Smokes!!

What a rip roaring kick of to the 09/10 BUF choir season!! To have gotten 2 songs nearly performance ready with out having even seen the music before rehearsal and with only 25 minutes with Andrea is a tribute to the music training that we have been doing, and the confidence you have in me, and yourselves.

I would like to reiterate a warm welcome to the new people that came tonight. You have already made an incredible contribution to this group and I hope that you are able to continue singing with us. Rehearsals are not always that intense but I am glad to see that when put under pressure you can deliver! I hope you enjoyed it. We certainly enjoyed you.

Big thanks to Jami and Andrea for bringing even more life and vitality to our music.

Here are some rehearsal tips for this week:

Have Fun singing "the best of times" in the shower!! (but don't bring the words with you, they'll get wet, and you'll have to memorize them.)

With "We Are One", Practice rhythms at m108-118 accenting the down beat(ex. TEach them TO our CHIL dren) overemphasizing the consonants on the accented down beats.
work the transition from m66-71 arriving confidently on the Ahh at 71, Practice intervals at m78, remember that you don't sing from m39-50 but that you have to come in on the right note at 51. Sometimes humming along with the solo will help get you to the right note when you need to be there

If you are able to get those things down we will be in great shape to put everything together on sunday morning.


I am so Ecstatic!!

Be ready to sing at 8:30 on Sunday
Dress: Solid color on top and Black bottom.

See ya there.

Andy


First Rehearsal Agenda

BUF choir First Rehearsal Agenda

6-7 Potlach
Basses bring Sides
Tenors bring Napkins and plates and Forks (we are not able to use the kitchen downstairs so paper will have to work.)
Altos bring desert
Sopranos Bring Main dish

7 Rehearsal starts. (we only had about 4 rehearsals that did not start on time last year. I am working hard on my end to get the year started off right by being on time:)
  • Introductions
  • BUF choir what is it and what do we do?
  • New and old Technology
  • Summer of music
  • Direction of BUF choir this year
  • Community dinner night
  • Music Preview
  • Warm up
  • Sing, We have a lot of work to do!
7:15 the best of times
7:30 We are one
8:00 we are one with andrea
8:30 Done!

8:45 Chamber Auditions
I would like to have a balanced 12 voices this year that are committed to doing difficult and excellent music. I would like to make this group really shine and perhaps have its own presence at interfaith and other places in the community.

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Get Blog Post Via EMAIL

Hey Choristers,

I just added a feature that will allow you to get an email every time I make a post. I promise only to post when there is something important that you need to know about BUF choir. You will also be updated if I add a link or a video or audio of things that we are working on.

Thanks Beth Sobel For the great tip!!


Andy

Great rehearsal

Hey BUF choristers,

The rehearsal went really well last night and I am really looking forward to rehearsal on wednesday. Incidentally I will be singing in church on sunday. It will be really fun to see all of you.