Christmas Eve

Hey Bufsters,

I am really looking forward to our service on Thursday. here is the time schedule for the next 2 days:

Wednesday

6-7 Small Group Rehearsal

I will be available to work with small groups to help tune you up for the big show in fifteen minute intervals. If you would like a specific time to work with me just email me back to confirm.

7-8:30 Finishing touches on our pieces.

8:40-9:20 finishing touches on chamber music.

Thursday

6:45 warm up and final run throughs.

8 christmas eve service starts.

Thanks for all your work so far. We are in good shape for a well prepared performance if we stick to it.

First blog in a while

dear choristers,

I am looking forward to our performance tomorrow. Again the call I'd
8:30 and be dressed in brown and green.

Andy
Andy Marshall
Choir Director
360-220-3969

Rehearsal tonight

Just to confirm for any of you that were wondering. We are having
rehearsal tonight at the normal time. See ya tonight!

Andy

Andy Marshall
Choir Director
360-220-3969

Great rehearsal

Dear Choristers,

We are making a lot of head way on O Magnum, I feel that there really is no limit to our growth on this song. I will post some you tube videos for good examples of diction and phrasing.

Earth song is also getting there. This will be a nice piece for us. the nuance in dynamic and breathing in Earth Song really became apparent to me tonight. Thank you for your attention to tuning and blending that we worked so hard on last week.

I am looking forward to this christmas eve service. we are on the road to having a well prepared and confident performance

in Harmony

Andy

Finale Completed... I think

Dear Cast,

here is the Finale Finished, There are probably several errors and other things that we may have to change but it should give us an idea... a place to start.

Andrea,

I cleaned up the ending and in doing so added a few little things that you may have questions about (mm 65-71 in particular. See what you can do with that). We may have a chance to talk them through before rehearsal tomorrow or not. we'll see. email me if you have any thing pressing.

Vampires,

most of the parts are spoken but i added a few harmony things in that we should look at. nothing too difficult but worth a look.

Chorus

Nearly every thing is the same except for a few addition of the Bel-tone "Beware" in a couple of spots. you will have to be on your toes for that but I think well get it.

these links are also avalible to the right under documents. (they don't seem to be linking from here.)

Here is a link to the score in PDF

http://dl.getdropbox.com/u/1745337/BUFpub/Beware%20Finalie.pdf

here is a link to the recording of us trying to create the score

http://dl.getdropbox.com/u/1745337/BUFpub/Finale.mp3

here is a link to a midi cheesy piano rendition of the score.

http://dl.getdropbox.com/u/1745337/BUFpub/Beware%20Finalie.mp3

May the force be with you.

Andy

Way to go!!

Dear choristers,

What a great showing we had today!! I got coment after coment on our
performance. We even have another alto who would like to join!! I am
looking forward to the next few months and pushing us to even greater
heights.

Did amyone see the fantastic sign that beth Made???? It is wonderful!!
Helpe find a good place to hang it.

TTFN

Andy

Andy Marshall
Choir Director
360-220-3969

Maple Alley inn Plan

Dear Choristers,

Because of the meeting tomorrow night that is going to be in the sanctuary, we will have rehearsal after the meeting at 7:30. The meeting will be over by then and I know there are several choir folks that are very interested in attending the meeting.

We had talked about starting at the normal time and having rehearsal down stairs but after consideration I feel that starting late is a better situation for us.

Any questions just email me.

Thanks

Andy

Maple alley inn

Dear choristers,

Because of the important meeting this wednesday concerning maple alley
inn that will be in the sanctuary, we will have rehearsal down stairs.

Don't forget to take part in the comunity dinner at 6.

See ya then :) Andy

Andy Marshall
Choir Director
360-220-3969

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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.

The Blog is working great and the data input form is incredible! All of your responses go to the same spreadsheet!! keep filling it out so I will have all of your information and wonderful comments.

Incidentally I will be singing on Sept 6th at the service.

I love Blogging!!

Andy

Ingathering rehearsal

Hey Choristers,

Our first OFFICIAL rehearsal is September 9th (see the post below for more detail on that) However, I would like to do a wonderful little piece I found called "We Are One" by Brian Tate for ingathering and I would like to invite you to an informal rehearsal on September 2 (next Wednesday) to get a head start on it.

The piece is a simple gospel piece and we should be able to tackle it in a couple of rehearsals. Andrea is going to play piano for us as it will be Melanie's first sunday off all summer. We will also have bass and drums.

We will be featuring a new Soloist in town her name is Jami Templeton. She Graduated from Sehome in 94 but has been studying in New York and in LA for the last 10 years. She is working on migrating back to Bellingham so I thought I would ask her to come sing with us for ingathering and she agreed!

The rehearsal time on the 2nd is 8:00pm and will be over around 8:50 (I know this is late but Andrea teaches until 8) don't worry our normal rehearsals will still start at 7pm.

Please RSVP if you are available to make the informal rehearsal on the 2nd by emailing me at andmarshall@gmail.com

Thanks and lets have a great year!!

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

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.

Hey choristers

This blog is going to be an easy way for us to be in better contact on what is going on in the world of BUF choir