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Firstly, updates on each and every song that we're doing.
Ave Maris Stella
We've memorised this and we've put in the words too. The words are to be
written into the score. The meaning is somewhere in the blog archive, go look
for it. Let's try and put words into the music! After you manage to stay in
tune, of course.
Regina Celi
We've put in the words until bar 33 and we've done bar 51 to the end in
solfage. We need to memorise the first phrase in text and be prepared to do
this in octets by next week, Wednesday. Please look through the middle section (bars
34-50) and try to sing through it in words. You can use a piano to help you
along if you need it.
Oremus
We've memorised the first part of oremus, until the cannon bit. Make sure the
text for the canon bit is right because it's pretty tricky. Most of the time it
just repeats itself but at the very end, it changes. The words and a few notes,
I mean.
Yagi-Bushi
I'm not sure what state this is in, but all the same, we're all going to need
to memorise this piece. Anthea will be singing the solo part. Maybe someone who
was there while this was being run through can elaborate on what needs to be
done.
Lenggang
The rhythm for this one is a bit tricky, especially for the alto and mezzo
parts. For this song too, dynamics will need to be put in during octet practice
and/or sectionals.
Buwa
This song has been memorised in full. Including notes, rhythm, dynamics and so
on and so forth. For those who were wondering about the meaning of buwa buwa, I
don't have it. I couldn't find the translation on Google and when I tried Google
translate, this came up.
"Utu's prolapsed uterus prolapsed uterus evaporated in you
no pola
prolapsed uterus dika pola
prolapsed uterus prolapsed uterus evaporated or do"
so... Yeah. If anybody has friends who are Filipino, could you ask them to
translate? Then you could post it to the choir blog so that it could benefit
everyone! :) In any case, it's basically about a mother singing her kid to
sleep. So keep that in mind as you practice and try and bring out the
appropriate emotions
Ting tan Qing
Blah. Just blah. I know that nobody
likes this song, but let's all try and pretend that we do so that we can sing
well, it'll sound good and then we'll actually like it and then it'll get even
better and so on and so forth. And no, this isn't wishful thinking. The rhythm
was the problem in this piece. We’ll need to practice that quite a bit in your
octets. Try counting to yourselves in your heads or tapping on your collarbones
to improve. I left halfway through so I’m not sure what went on. Again, someone
should elaborate a bit more.
Christmas carols
- carol of the bells
we all like this song, and we did this pretty well, so what we need to work on
would be the rhythm and especially the pronunciation
- tochter Zion
I have no idea. Someone else will have to give a detailed analysis of this
piece.
- Canzone dei zampognari
same as above
- IL est ne le divin enfant
the main problem with this piece is that the pronunciation of the words is very
difficult. It’s also been up on the blog for nearly 2 weeks. Let’s all go have
a look at the lovely long post that Quianna typed out for us so that we can be
absolutely perfect the next time we practice this :) the notes and rhythms are
pretty easy for this one, truth be told. It’s just when we add in the words
that we get all muddled up.
- In dulci jubilo
parts of this piece is in Latin, so take a look at the Latin rules posted up a
few weeks ago for a general guide on how to pronounce them properly. Huai jin's
octet plus April and I will be singing the solo bits.
- Personent hodie
translation:
Personent hodie
voces puerulae,
laudantes iucunde
qui nobis est natus,
summo Deo datus,
et de virgineo ventre procreatus.
|
On this day earth shall ring
with the song children sing
to the Lord, Christ our King,
born on earth to save us;
him the Father gave us.
Refrain
Id-e-o-o-o, id-e-o-o-o,
Id-e-o gloria in excelsis Deo!
|
In mundo nascitur,
pannis involvitur
praesepi ponitur
stabulo brutorum,
rector supernorum.
perdidit spolia princeps infernorum.
|
His the doom, ours the mirth;
when he came down to earth,
Bethlehem saw his birth;
ox and ass beside him
from the cold would hide him.
Refrain
|
Magi tres venerunt,
munera offerunt,
parvulum inquirunt,
stellulam sequendo,
ipsum adorando,
aurum, thus, et myrrham ei offerendo.
|
God's bright star, o'er his head,
Wise Men three to him led;
kneel they low by his bed,
lay their gifts before him,
praise him and adore him.
Refrain
|
Omnes clericuli,
pariter pueri,
cantent ut angeli:
advenisti mundo,
laudes tibi fundo.
ideo gloria in excelsis Deo.
|
On this day angels sing;
with their song earth shall ring,
praising Christ, heaven's King,
born on earth to save us;
peace and love he gave us.
Refrain
|
you're going to need to transfer this into your scores too:) anthea will be
doing the solo bit, with mona and Angela doing the duet.
- silent night
Mona’s octet will be doing the semi-chorus for this. we'll be doing the English
version, not the German one, so don't learn that, please. we were also advised
to write in the words into the score if we didn't know it that well. the notes
and rhythms are pretty easy so that's not really an issue
- deck the halls
take note of when to sing the 'fa's and when to sing the 'la's and also, the
'fa la la la' part isn't the same as what most of us are used to. so take note
of them. very careful note of them. the rhythm's also a very trick one in this
song
- o come all ye faithful
we're only allowed to breathe every four bars, remember that, please. the notes
and rhythm aren't too hard for this one, so let's make it absolutely perfect!
- the first nowell
we're only doing verses 1,2,4, and 6 for this song. April will be doing the
solo. the harmonies for this carol are the thing we seem to be having trouble
with, honestly. so let's all practice like crazy for this. the rhythm's also
generally pretty easy for this one. along with the notes. it's sticking to the
notes that we find difficult, really. the only solution is to sing your part
louder of course!
- god rests you merry gentlemen
we're doing verses 1, 2 and 5. jade's octet will be doing verse 2.
- we wish you a merry Christmas
this is to be memorised. we'll be handing out candy canes after this song, so
that's why it needs to be memorised. all 4 verses of it.
we haven't put in any dynamics for any of the songs. except for buwa. during
extra practice (sectionals and octet practices) let's try to do this! it's not
that hard, promise. remember that all of Miss TPW's pieces + ave maris Stella
are to be memorised BY NEXT WEDNESDAY. and let's all really strive to do this
in time.
as you know, we were also supposed to have done responsorio de navidad
for competition too, but miss Tham said that we might not have enough time to
do that. she also mentioned that she'd rather do three pieces brilliantly than
do 4 pieces but very average-lee. so let's do the three pieces brilliantly so
that we can prove to her that we're capable of doing another one just as well!
what happens during these really long practices is that we become very demoralized
and restless and nothing gets absorbed into our brains. so what we must do is
to keep our spirits up for as much as possible and if you notice anybody else
going all bleh, shake them up a bit and cheer them up too, okay? okay. I really
liked that you guys actually volunteered to look through RDN (short form. too
tired to type it out.) by yourselves! that's the kind of initiative that's
touching. but keep in mind that the three sacred songs, 4 folk songs and Christmas
carols are priority over looking through responsorio, okay? okay. this has been
a super long blog post and I’m really tired, so G'NIGHT. and as usual, if I’ve
missed anything out, please tell me or come edit it yourselves :).
Ankita
i cannot believe i'm doing this. i cannot believe i'm doing this. ok here we go 
