The Twenty-Third Psalm

If you are an organist or choir director of a liturgical church, you'll no doubt know by now that the psalm appointed for Sunday is the infamous Psalm 23 "The Lord is my shepherd", for which there are numerous musical settings.

I thought I'd share an email I received today, which originated as an e-newsletter article written by Sonya Sutton, Director of Music, St. Alban's Episcopal church, Washington DC.

How many musical settings of the Twenty-Third Psalm are there? Impossible to know, of course. In our hymnal alone there are four settings (Hymns 645, 646, 663 and 664). Choral anthems and solo settings may well run into the hundreds. Herbert Howells, John Rutter, Leonard Bernstein…Bobby McFerrin… Duke Ellington (on his 1958 album Black, Brown and Beige)…the theme song for the television program The Vicar of Dibley…a parody version, Sheep, by Pink Floyd…the list could go on and on, and become stranger and stranger.

Come again? Pink Floyd? Did she say Pink Floyd?

Here's Psalm 23 ... as you've never seen or heard it before:

"Sheep" by Pink Floyd (excerpt)

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want
He makes me down to lie
Through pastures green he leadeth me the silent waters by
With bright knives he releaseth my soul
He maketh me to hang on hooks in high places
He converteth me to lamb cutlets
For lo, he hath great power and great hunger
When cometh the day we lowly ones
Through quiet reflection and great dedication
Master the art of karate
Lo, we shall rise up
And then we'll make the bugger's eyes water.

For the record - this Sunday we are singing Psalm 23 to an Anglican Chant by H. Walford Davies, plus an Anthem based on Brother James' Air, and my Postlude also a "Meditation on Brother James' Air" by Harold Darke. It doesn't get much more Anglican than that.

Ralph Vaughan Williams

I was sent this link of a review today of the movie produced by Tony Palmer titled "O Thou Transcendent" from theStar.com. It is a documentary of the life of Ralph Vaughan Williams, the extraordinary early 20th century British composer.

Known as the English Ethnomusicologist, at a time when Ethnomusicology was very much in vogue (Bartók, Kodàly, Sibelius, Grieg just to name a few other prominent musicians interested in incorporating their homeland folk songs into their repertoire with considerable success).

I have been an RVW fan for about as long as I can remember, and yet I am still amazed at how much of his choral music is not performed outside of his own country, or at least outside of “Anglican” centres of music. From numerous anthem like “Lord, Thou hast been our refuge”, “O How Amiable are thy Dwellings” or “Let us now Praise Famous Men”, to large orchestra/choral works like his “Fantasia on Christmas Carols” (where he made the “Sussex Carol” famous), and some secular works like his hauntingly beautiful “Three Shakespeare Songs”, and the list goes on. His orchestral music has made a certain impact, many people will have heard, or recognize “The Lark Ascending” and “Variations on a theme by Thomas Tallis”, but how many of you know his Harmonica Concerto (Ok, they can’t all be winners…)

I have to wonder if his fame is masked by the experimentations of the dodecaphonic compositions of the 2^nd Viennese school and extreme expressionism that was happening at other music centres at this time, and perhaps the English 20^th century composers like RVW, Herbert Howells, Edmond Rubbra, William Woodsworth, Hubert Parry, and even some of the music of Edward Elgar have slipped through the cracks of music history.

I know not everyone will agree with me on this, but I truly believe that Modernism, post-Modernism (which I always thought was an oxymoron) and the Avant-Guard have had their time in the spotlight, and a gentle return to a neo-Romanticism is imminent, if not already here.

I haven’t seen the movie yet to make much of a comment on it, but I know we will be looking for the DVD in the weeks to come. I’ll try to post my own thoughts on it when I’ve had a chance to see it.

Poetry in Music

Well rested and rejuvenated are we after a lovely four days in Jasper. Highlights included an outdoor pool heated to around 95 degrees, surrounded by mountains and snow. The weather was fantastic, and the lodge was peaceful with it's huge fireplaces, comfy couches and a good wine list.

On to the next project for Da Camera. When choosing a season, which usually happens 12 months before the last concert of the next season, it is often tricky to think of a full concert of music without leaving some doors open. So, the title of the concert I chose, 12 months ago, was "Poetry in Music" Thinking that I would pair up some great poets with settings of great composers. So here, in no particular order, are the poets, and the composers that we will present on our next concert:

Poets:

• Henry Vaughn
• Thomas Campion
• Schnitzer
• Karl Unger
• Rainer Maria Rilke
• Shakespeare
  
• Robert Frost

Composers

• Hubert Parry
  
• Edward Elgar
  
• Schubert
• Hindemith
• Vaughn Williams
• Eric Whittaker
  
• Randal Thompson

We will also throw in some Oscar Peterson, honouring the great late Canadian Jazz Pianist, with his "Hymn to Freedom". Something that will be seen on many a choral concert in these parts through the next year.

Maybe I should open this up as a contest and see who can name as many of the works as possible with the list above. The person who gets the most right answer will win comps to the concert (travel not included).

"Unto the hills"

I think among the psalm texts - psalm 121 has always been one of my fav's. It could be because of the simple yet powerful Walford Davies chant that normally goes with it - but also because of the proximity for where we live, as we are only a couple of hours drive before we see the great Canadian Rocky Mountains. There is also a paraphrase of the psalm in the Hymnal to the tune "Sandon" which is also among my top 10. Funny thing is - the text has always been a favourite of mine, even before I ever knew I'd be living so close to mountains.

Last Sunday, we did both the Walford Davies psalm, and the hymn. And TODAY - my wife and I have packed the car, and are heading for Jasper for a much deserved four day stay at the Lodge. There might be some score studying, although, mostly there will be walking, eating, wine drinking and soaking in the view of the lofty mountain peaks. There really is no other way to rejuvenate one's spirits than being in the mountains.

Especially when the forecast for the next few days will actually be around zero (32F) the whole time!

See you on Monday!

Lip-Syncing Opera

My previous post on lip-syncing in the television world, specifically on the Super Bowl National Anthem, might have already labeled me as the chief officer of the "Lip-Syncing Police"; however, this article on CBC just popped up today, which I just had to share. A triumphant story of a nearly doomed opera performance saved by an off stage singer.

The day thou gavest, Lord, is ended

Concert day is over - Bach, Handel, and the recently added Telemann, are now done.

The overall impression was that it was a great show. Of course, as the director, I can quickly dwell on the tempos I want to take back, and the missed cue here and there, but I think by the time I wake up in the morning, I will feel that it was a pretty darn great show. Certainly, the last movement, arguably the hardest one, was brimming with adrenaline and excitement that most of the patrons who were there are probably still wondering what hit them.

I was a bit concerned in the morning while playing the organ at church, My focus on the service was a bit lost. I had a hard time with the first hymn, almost played the wrong gospel acclamation, and generally felt frantic at times not knowing what was coming next (a strange phenomenon, considering I've been doing this liturgy since I was eight years old), however the focus was obviously on the concert, and not on the task at hand. Once I got to the venue though, everything was fine. I was also fortunate enough to have a cast of soloists who were all great friends, and great musicians - a major calming influence in the green room!

Anyhow - the challenge, as always, will now be to put this concert behind me and concentrate on the next one. Normally this is something I am able to do well. The only time in my life that I've had a hard time "putting away" a concert, was when I conducted the St. John Passion for my last DMus recital. I have a feeling I will be analyzing this for for a few days yet as well.

Marathon rehearsal day over!

I'm just back from the lengthy day of orchestra rehearsals for the concert on Sunday, and ... I'm feeling pretty darn good! Tired, but really good! The orchestra is tight, and the soloists are amazing!

I had some great advice from a fellow blogger, Kenneth Woods, which I would like to share with you. I asked Ken about the mathematic equation used to decide how long to work on the pieces you are conducting.

My Question:

I work with orchestra maybe about 2-3 times a year. I wish it was more - from what they tell me, they enjoy working for me, and likewise, I with them. I love the “professional” aspect of the orchestra rehearsal, even if for the first 5 minutes of the rehearsal I usually feel like a fish out of water, and a bit nervous. Anyhow, this weekend I am conducting a professional Baroque string orchestra with my chamber choir, Handel and Bach on the program. I get two rehearsals with the orchestra, first one with soloists, second with the choir, then a dress rehearsal and then the concert. Not a lot of time really, although not unusual. Likely we will only “rehearse” each movement once before the dress, as a 2..5 hour service with 70-80 minutes of music will fly by. Do you have a method for working out how much time to allocate for rehearsal? I was once told 2.5 minutes of rehearsal for every 1 minute of performance time. I’ve worked out the rehearsal schedule with this in mind, borrowing time from easy movements for more difficult movements. It seems like a ridiculous thing to do, but if I don’t, I will run out of time - and with the union clock ticking, there is no going overtime.

Any other suggestions on how to make a short rehearsal process like this more effective?

His Reply:

I’ve never had much success at trying to find a mathematical formula. With good players and singers, I can rehearse a very good Messiah on one 3 hour call, but that’s a very familiar piece. Your best assett is a good librarian- make sure all the bowings, cuts, repeats, ripieni markings, continue markings and so on are clearly and consistently marked in every part. It only takes one part with a wrong marking to waste 4 minutes of time, especially if they’ve got the wrong version of a movement circled or the like. Then, show everything and have fun. Conduct as if you had all the rehearsal time in the world- as expresively as you can. Don’t try to be extra clear to save time- it never works, because that kind of kappellmeisterish viertel-schlagging doesn’t transmit any information to the players.

Ken

The last two sentences stuck with me for the past two days. Although I still made flexible use of my original 2.5:1 rehearsal:performance time ratio, I was very conscious about enjoying myself and conducting expressively. In the end, I found I had a bit of extra time in both rehearsals, not much, but enough to fix a few things that needed second attention.

Two things I learned tonight about the Union (which I am a card carrying member ... I was once told "if you are going to lead them - you should join them in all ways that you can, which means being in the Union". However, the union rep in the orchestra was a bit upset that I had set up my video camera without asking. It wasn't a big deal, as I apologized, and asked permission after break, and no one came up running to complain. Which is good, as it's always hard to apply for jobs when you do not have a quality video of you conducting an orchestra!

And if you thought YOU ever had a bad day ...

Check out this article on CBC!

The home stretch

Last night was the last rehearsal with Chamber Choir before the weekend's onslaught of rehearsals with Orchestra begin. Meaning, it was the last rehearsal where the choir will receive my undivided attention (with the exception of the 25 minutes of warm-up before each rehearsal, and the hour or so prior to the concert on Sunday). The majority of Friday's rehearsals will concentrate on the orchestra, and ensemble issues.

The most "not looking forward to this" moment of Friday night will be to figure out how to get the forty voice choir ON the small stage with the Orchestra, making use of Rubbermaid® stools, which have become the 21st century answer to individual movable/portable risers, while still leaving enough "crotch" distance between choristers and the elbows from the down bow of the back desk of violins and violas. Nevermind - we'll figure this out.

I'm feeling good about the musical aspect of the program. The choir is well prepared, and putting the orchestra in place on Friday will just add to the excitement of the choristers. A good work through on Friday night, followed by a dress rehearsal, with "ample" time to fix last minute issues will no doubt make this a very fine event. Soloists arrive on Thursday evening, and at last report they are healthy and ready to go.

eight more sleeps ...

... until the Handel, Bach, and now Telemann concert.

And sleep has been much better in the past couple of days, as things slowly get crossed off the list. Program notes - done, lecture on Anglican church music - done, reference letter, done, bios and photos collected and sent off to the program designer, done. Everything else that needs to be done is the hands of the Business Manager, so I can concentrate on the music only for the next week.

We had a close call this week though, which added to my insomnia on Tuesday night. My Sop I soloist called me on Tuesday with NO VOICE (none, barely a whisper, complete laryngitis!) Luckily, my Sop II soloist was prepared to understudy her solos, and a soprano in my choir was prepared to take on the few bars in the 6th movement, and the longer duet on the 7th of the Dixit. The contingency plan wasn't ideal, but it was going to be fine. Since then however, my Sop I has recovered, so all is well. We ran through one of the duets in the Bach yesterday, and she sounded near top form - so with eight more days, she'll be her usual perfect self.

Adding things to my plate is not something I really want to do this week, but the director of the Symphonic choir is going away for two weeks, leaving me to prep and rehearse on Tuesday night a whole lot of music I don't know - including a "work in progress" that is riddled with mistakes right now. It is also choir where the note learning process can be quite tedious, and tiring. However, I will survive.

I also agreed to sub in for a curling game on Wednesday night for a team that I used to play on for the past two years. It will help my "30 minutes of exercise" a day though, as I will have to play front end, which will require a fair amount of sweeping. What's curling you ask? It's just another bit of evidence that I am indeed Canadian. Speaking of which, I better go outside and plug in the car's block heater, it's -40 again.

Rehearsal planning gone overboard

Up at 3:30 am again - this time I spent a fair bit of my awake time preparing for the crazy couple of weeks ahead, all culminating with my much bloged about concert with the local Baroque Orchestra and my chamber choir's performance of Bach Cantata #4 and Handel's "Dixit Dominus".

First realization I came up with was that the Bach, being about 20 minutes, and the Handel, give or take, 40 minutes adds up to being a rather "short" program. As it stands now, the first half and the intermission are the same length! So I've contacted the artistic director of the orchestra and we are going to add a Telemann concerto to the first half, adding about 15 minutes when all is said and done (walking, talking etc). This is fine and dandy - but now I have to learn it, and find time in the constraints of the orchestra rehearsal to rehearse it with them!

Here is the rehearsal schedule for the weekend after next.

Friday AM 10-12:30 - Orchestra and Soloists
Friday PM 7:30-10:00 - Orchestra, Soloists and Choir
Saturday Noon - 2:30 PM - Dress Rehearsal
Sunday 3 PM - Concert

Here's my calculation for rehearsal time with the orchestra (keeping in mind that under the Musician's Union Agreement, a 2 1/2 hour service has a 20 minute break, so you only really get 2 hours and 10 minutes, or 140 minutes to rehearse at each orchestra service).

Rehearsal time = performance time x 2.5 (i.e. for every minute a work takes to perform, I allocate two and a half minutes of rehearsal)

Total amount of time needed for soloists and the Telemann = 50 minutes, which equals 125 minutes - completely doable, 15 minutes to spare

Total amount of time needed for chorus movements = 41 minutes, which equals 102 1/2 minutes - also completely doable - with 40 minutes to spare even (and we'll need them I'm sure).

Ok - just needed to put that in writing. In the immortal words of my Mom-in-law "We can do this!"

In other news - as part of my Lenten Discipline this year, I'm going to try to exercise at least 30 minutes a day (hmmm... maybe I can get away with 12 minutes, and just use the reverse of the calculation above?)

Jordin Sparks National Anthem Prerecorded?

I'm not much of an NFL fan, I'll admit that up front, but I always love a good Super Bowl party. I also always cheer for the underdog, so yesterday was all in all a pretty darn good day.

I thought I'd re-raise the controversial topic of National Anthem prerecording at the Super Bowl. There are plenty of comments on this issue going both ways today on YouTube sites, blogs and elsewhere of people being APPALLED at the idea that Jordin Spark's performance of the National Anthem was prerecorded. If you've read my post a while back about Clash of the Choirs and my views of the most obvious prerecording, or at the very least "sound sweetening" that is done on these shows, you will not be surprised to hear that I instantly called Spark's performance a lip sync. I did a bit of in depth research this morning on it - and found this book written by Don Weiss , the former NFL executive director who still directs Super Bowl game-day operations, called "The Making of the Super Bowl". Here is a quote from page 204. Which you can read most of it here on Google Books.

... we've insisted on prerecording the Anthem. We had prerecorded it on occasions in earlier years, but, beginning in 1993, we took no more chances. Frankly the networks prefer it that way because they know exactly how long it's going to take. Their timing is that precise. Many performers prefer it too, because some of them get incredibly nervous."

So, maybe this will quiet some of the skeptics out there about "What you hear isn't always what you are looking at" in the production performance industry. The truth is - they don't have a choice in most cases.

Google Hits

The fun thing about using BlogPatrol, or a similar system to monitor your hits to your page is you can find out how people are finding your blog through search engines.

Here is a sample of some of the key phrases people have been typing in, and stumbling on my blog:

1. Bach VS Handel (which are directly related to my series of posts on rehearsals with my chamber choir)
2. Handel's Dixit Dominus Text and Translations (which can be found on this post)
3. Choral Conducting Teaching University (Yup, something I do)
4. How to live life as a freelance musician (also, something I do)

and last but not least:

5. Depressed church choir director blog (ummm... not sure how this got you here! I quite like my job!)

I just found that funny.

Sleepless Solutions?

As I sit in my family room, I'm looking across at the clock on my television, it says "2:30 am". Not sure why, but about an hour ago I woke up, wide awake. Partially due to a cat that for some reason decided to sharpen her claws by my ear on the side of the bed, but I think also partially because of some unfinished work that I must attend to soon. Which include finishing a lecture on Anglican Church Music that I am giving at a local University College next week, writing program notes for my Chamber Choir concert in two weeks, finding two trumpet players for Easter Sunday, and the list goes on. So rather than lay in bed staring at the ceiling, I decided to get up, and see if I there were any of these tasks I could begin. Instead though, I figured this topic might make for a good blog post. I don't have an unusually busy day tomorrow, so I figure I'll make up for it with a nap at some point.

From time to time I've struggled with various bouts of insomnia, and I've come to a point where I can almost predict when it is going to happen. About a year ago I was given a prescription sleep aid, which works VERY well, but carries with it a possibility of dependency, so I tend not to use it unless I've gone a few nights in a row with poor sleep, and the latest Hollywood tragedy which early indications point towards the use of sleeping pills has me a bit concerned about their use. Some nights they are just "restless" nights with deep sleep interrupted by regular looks at the alarm clock, but usually followed by more sleep; there are nights when I can't call asleep at all; and there are night when I fall asleep quickly, but then wake up a few hours later - wide awake. Tonight, it's the later.

As a typical choral musician, my hours of work tend to start late, and end late. Most choir rehearsals are in the evenings - mainly for the obvious reason that most choristers work during the day. So, for at least three of the five work days a week (more if I've taken on anything extra) I'm working until around 10 PM. Music also creates for me an emotional high. So it can sometimes take me a few hours to "turn off". There are some nights when I can't stop rehearsing. Last night was Church Choir rehearsal, and for the last hour, I've been singing the processional hymn over and over again. Lately after my Monday Night chamber choir rehearsal - it's Handel and Bach that haunt me through the night.

Through my university years, insomnia usually hit the night before an exam, or the due date of a paper (yes, I can admit now that most of my term papers were written the night before they were due - I am that type of person. I'd be lying if I tried to convince myself, or my profs that I did better work under this kind of pressure - it was just that I was very poor in the time management aspects of my life). I can think of a number of occasions when the night before a big concert I've had little sleep. I can even remember the night before my FIRST rehearsal with the lab choir used for my Masters recital where I didn't sleep at all.

I suppose I'm wondering if this is a common problem of musicians, especially those who are conductors, and work into the later parts of the evening. If so, what are your home remedies, or rituals that you have to prevent the onset of insomnia?

Take your time - I'll be up for a while.