Category: Choir Updates

Dear All We had an excellent run through of the whole Requiem on Tuesday. Ben is very pleased with how it’s going!  And here are his specific notes to work on (three weeks and two remaining rehearsals before the concert!). I’m still searching for a version of Placido with more legible Italian. As soon as I find it, it’ll be…… Read more →

A good session with Penny Homer last week cracking Rex Tremendae and the Offertorium. If you were not there, hope you have had chance to catch up on those with the learning tracks or your own chosen method. Tomorrow Ben would like to run the whole Requiem to assess what needs particular attention. Don’t forget your pencil! Read more → Read more →

Dear All, Last Tuesday we focused on the following parts of Mozart Requiem and here are the notes: Hostias – p57, bar 46: mark first syllable of faceas as FARK Confutatis – we must sing through the AR in ConfutARtis – attack! Agnus Dei – there is no R in the middle of Donna Eis make sure this is two words not donnareyis.  Lux…… Read more →

Dear All This week we did some thorough work on Tito’s Che del Ciel, and looked at the last movement of the Requiem, Lux Aeterna (beautifully similar to the first), and the Hostias, including the ‘Quam Olim Abrahae’. Ben’s tips: Brighten the sound of Hostias by aiming for a mid-Atlantic ‘Has-tias’ pronunciation and keep the semi-quaver runs in the Lux…… Read more →

Dear All We made good progress on Tuesday working on Tito’s Che del ciel, a first look at the start of the Hostias up to bar 55 (start of Quam olim Abrahae), Agnus Dei and a run through the Kyrie. Hopefully, everyone is now clear on the pronunciation of the Italian in the Tito chorus. The Kyrie was sounding really good;…… Read more →

Dear All We had a marvellously energetic and productive first rehearsal at St Mary’s looking in detail at the finale of the Magic Flute and the Introitus and Kyrie from the Requiem. Ben was very pleased with how it went! Some of Ben’s tips: Attack the ‘Dona’s’ in the Introitus as though flicking a rubber band, articulating the ‘D’ Bring…… Read more →

Dear All I hope everyone had a lovely Easter. We’ll be back singing next Tuesday 16th April – hurrah! Remember we’ll be in ST MARY THE VIRGIN’S church Mortlake, 19:45-21:30 as usual. Please allow plenty of time to find parking which is a bit trickier than at Christchurch. The entrance is accessed via the path (‘Church Path’) running alongside the church. The big wooden door…… Read more →

Dear All  Delighted to say I’ve just received a message from Brenda to pass on to the choir:  “Please pass on my thanks to the choir for their card and the socks!  I am still under doctor’s orders but hope to come back soon.  I hope all goes well with all the concerts etc in the meantime. I am pleased…… Read more →

Dear All Thank you again to everyone who took part in the Passiontide Service last Sunday with Christ Church Choir. Tom Coxhead really appreciated our efforts and enjoyed the collaboration. It was a real treat for the congregation, one I think they (and we!)  would love to see repeated. We had a very productive last rehearsal of term covering several movements…… Read more →

Dear All We did a lot of work finessing the pieces for Passiontide in yesterday’s rehearsal. They were sounding fantastic by the end. It would be really good if we could keep what we practiced in mind for the next few days, ideally by running through the pieces at home if you have time. Including the Nunc Dimittis which Ben…… Read more →