{"id":700,"date":"2011-11-09T14:10:11","date_gmt":"2011-11-09T14:10:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/cantusfirmus\/?p=700"},"modified":"2011-11-09T14:13:27","modified_gmt":"2011-11-09T14:13:27","slug":"in-the-mix","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/cantusfirmus\/2011\/11\/09\/in-the-mix\/","title":{"rendered":"In the Mix"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s becoming increasingly clear, as rehearsals progress and the choir develops as an ensemble, that mixed-voice singing really suits the group. The strength and depth of sound, the richness of the chords and the accuracy of the ensemble, all are quite different \u2013 and vastly improved \u2013 when standing with the voices all mixed. Talking with some of the group afterwards, it seems that they prefer a mixed-voice formation \u2013 they like the sound that it produces, and they are keen to keep rehearsing as such, in order to see if we can perform in this fashion as well.( And when the group themselves are asking to keep doing something, you know it\u2019s a good sign!)<\/p>\n

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Image credit: Wikimedia<\/p><\/div>\n

Last night\u2019s rehearsal was a long one \u2013 lasting almost three hours \u2013 as we\u2019re rehearsing in the church, at which we\u2019re singing our Advent concert, next week, and it was important that the group had gone through all of the repertoire for the programme before adjusting to the performance space. We used the piano less and less during last night\u2019s session, and I\u2019m hoping to spend less time behind the piano and more time actually working with the sound between now and the coming performances.<\/p>\n

The antiphons are starting to discover a sense of freedom; there\u2019s a wonderful flexibility starting to emerge as we become more familiar with the lines they weave. There\u2019s a lively sense of fun in The Holly and the Ivy<\/em> and Ding, Dong, Merrily on High<\/em>, and a lovely sombreness to Remember, O Thou Man.<\/em><\/p>\n

We also looked for the first time at a carol written by a second-year student studying at the University; a serene and intimate setting of In the Bleak Mid-Winter<\/em>, of which we\u2019ll be giving the premi\u00e8re at the Advent concert, by Rachel Richardson. It\u2019s a great opportunity to be able to give a young composer the chance to hear their work performed, and her carol will suit the space in the church very well.<\/p>\n

Last night, too, was the first time we\u2019ve gone through Steve Martland\u2019s Make We Joy Now<\/em>, without the safety-net of the piano; a couple of hair-raising moments where the unity of the ensemble was, how shall I put it, not quite<\/em> as tight as in other pieces, and there wasn\u2019t quite<\/em> the sense of confidence in some of the voices that there is elsewhere; but we\u2019ve two weeks to go, and even by the end of last night, the improvement was considerable. (You have just got<\/em><\/strong> to go away and look at your verses in between rehearsals, tenors and basses!).<\/p>\n

Overall, a really good rehearsal; time to start cranking up the momentum as we head towards the first concert in just over two weeks\u2019 time.<\/p>\n