Tuesday, February 12, 2008

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.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

just wave that wandy shaped little stick at them all and have a tantrum, then stomp off the stage and they will think you are musical

Jim said...

As long as they all show up on time!

I was stage manager for a large community choir one year. I knew I was destined for other, if not necessarily better things, when we had a stage call in a new hall (a presbyterian church, flat chancel, you know the style) and four (4) of 100 showed up. Makes it harder to stage.