Dear All
Here are the logisical details for the concert on the 22nd:
Music
Please make sure you have all the right music printed off. It can all be found, in order, in the Music and Media Library section of the website. Ideally the loose sheets for the first half of the concert would be in a blue binder, if you have one.
Timings
For the choir, you must be in your seat ready to sing at 2.30pm. You will be done and free to go home to change, drink heavily or whatever at 4.45pm at the latest. There will be a short break midway through for a breather. Please remember a pencil and a bottle of water.
You need to be back and ready to warm up at 6.45pm.
We will convene in the vestry at the back of the church, where there is room to change if you need.
Dress Code
Ladies – all black with a splash of colour at your own option.
Gentlemen – white shirts, black trousers and shoes, no jacket or tie.
Sits and Stands
First half:
Once we are all on stage and the audience has applauded on the conductor, we will sit, following the lead of Lesley in the front row near the middle.
From that point we sit (after the Mozart) and stand on Derek’s signal.
At the end of the first half, after the Hebrew Slaves, we do not sit, we just stomp off to rapturous applause once Derek exits the rostrum.
Second half:
It is possible to do the whole thing standing, but I know I’d personally like any short break to sit, so can you please mark your Puccini scores with the following:
p22, Top: SIT [note that there is no real gap in the music, so we need to sit down quietly so as not to disturb the introduction to the Gracias Agimus Tibi]
p27, first bar of last line: STAND [with page turned ready for the Gloria]
p77, first bar: Sopranos, Altos and Tenors: SIT [again, quickly and quietly as there is no gap in the music. Basses remain upright for the Crucifixus]
p79, third line, first bar (Allegro): S, A & T: STAND
We remain standing for the remainder, including the Benedictus solo section.
On and off stage
We have a good turnout which is fantastic but it means space will be tight. We will remove the bars on the stage from the vestry side to allow us to walk on easily.