Training-IMM Part assignments - Repertoire

PIECE	SOPRANO		ALTO
	1	2	1	2
Dove and Maple Tree	A/B		C/D
Hamisha Asar	D	C/B	A
Hussar	C/D		A/B
Little Birch Tree	A/B		C/D
*Ton The	C	D	A	B
Sesere Eeye	A	B/C	A
Wanderer	A	B	C	D
Sound the Trumpet	A/B		C/D

January Report

January started with some new choristers, so playing some get-t0-know-you games was in the line up for the first couple of weeks.

Concepts

Posture, breathing reinforced constantly. Feet 10 inches apart, shoulders back and down. Keeping the rhythm in the body was a big focus this month. Steady beat in the feet and hands, then subdivision practice to prepare for sections in Birch Tree and Hamisha Asar where 2 + 3 utilized. Audiation with do-la descending was a crucial step this month. Some choristers still singing Do-la and Do-sol descending the same. Explore idea of songcatching: context of songs tell stories about people and their lives. Songs create rallying points for groups of people, instruct children, etc.

Repertoire

Birch Tree--solfege, reinforcing minor scale and Do-la skip. Meaning of song. FAQ--what's a balalaika!? Notes and rhythms are solid. Moving ahead with shaping phrases on the breath, dynamics, diction.

Wanderer--rhythm/diction lesson. How do we know where to put the final consonant? Working from p. 6 to the end with "land" on whole note and "light" on half note. Strong rhythmic pulse reinforced to get the canon going and call/response on "wamara"

Hamisha Asar--put the beat in the hands and feet and listening to the melody. Worked with diction right away--what words do you recognize? what language? What's the story? First verse memorized. Starting 2nd verse pronunciation.

Dove and Maple--Analyzing from listening to AYS-North at Holiday recital. Other sections of choir learned quite a bit from not performing it in December. They basically had it memorized by the first rehearsal in January. Worked on security of starting pitches, form, diction. Started Czech language.

Sound the Trumpet--continued where we left off in December. Worked cross-voicing sections and melismas at end of piece.

Ton The--started with language (the piece is a tongue-twister after all) and all melody sections by rote. Taught alto part with solfege to reinforce the Sol-Mi-Sol-Do relationship.

Saman--1st movement section and 1st chant are underway. Several kids learned at camp and are helping move the process along.

MISC REP News:

West Choir has the most number of new students, so Brianne re-visited the pieces from the fall--Sally, Kitty, etc.

HOUSEKEEPING: music folders distributed to new students, new agendas for JAN-MAR to everyone.