Good evening, Choir:

Well done on our first rehearsal together. I’m really encouraged by the initial sounds you made and your ability (and willingness) to make significant changes right away and retain them throughout the rest of the work. Bravi!

A few general comments:

1. In Baroque music (Vivaldi and Durante are Baroque pieces), we’re going to put a little “space” on the dotted rhythmic figures. You’ll find them right away in the first movement of the Vivaldi. Where you see the dotted eighth sixteenth notes, we’ll put a little space/ decay where the dot is. 
2. With very few exceptions, we’re going to breathe where there are punctuation marks in the text, and we’ll carry through places where there aren’t. I’ll point out the exceptions as they arise.
3. It would be helpful if you’ll number the measures in the Durante. Some of the pages are not marked with a number, so it’s tedious to have to find our spot by hunting. Help me out here, please.
4. It should be our constant goal to blend with our fellow singers. Always and ever more. Saecula, saeculorum. Amen. There were many instance last week where individuals were sticking far out of the ensemble. I appreciate the leadership, but blend within the section and within the overall ensemble. You’ll hear me talk about choral singing and “singing with your ears as much as with your voice”. I’m talking about blend. This is paramount.

Ok. Here’s what we’ll rehearse on Monday, in no particular order.

1. Vivaldi – pg. 41 “Cum Sancto Spiritu”
   • mm. 1-35; 51 – end
2. “Domini Fili” pg. 23
   • mm. 9-37; mm. 70 – 90. There are rhythmic bear traps throughout this movement. Bonus points to those you who find them and perform them correctly.
3. “Gratias agimus tibi”
   • mm. 7 – 17

Durante

1. “magnificat” pg. 1
   • mm. 1 – 25 (review)
   • mm. 57 – end
   • mm. 25 – 44
2. “Sicut erat” p. 29
   • mm.1-14; 15 – 39
3. “Sicut locutus est” p. 25
   • mm. 1-12; 13 – 21
4. “Et misericordia” p. 14
   • mm. 18 – 21; 22 -28

If we have time, we’ll review the stuff we did last week

 Vivaldi – “Cum sancto spiritu”

Discussed fugal subjects and counter subject using the first 16 measure. We worked mm. 1 – 16; 23 – 32

“”Gloria” p. 1 

Space on dots; worked mm. 17-27; 50 – end

“Quoniam” p. 38 – see above. 

Durante – p. 14

worked mm. 18-28 on neutral syllable “bm”; tenors change the rhythm and pitches at m. 27 to two eighth notes with the pitches D, C# respectively.

p. 1 – worked text mm. 1-25; 45-end