RETREAT!

Well, it's early fall, which means it is retreat season!  The first choir retreat that I am conducting is coming up this weekend, and then the second one happens the weekend after Canadian Thanksgiving.  One of them is in town, meaning I get to sleep in my own bed in the evenings, and the other is in a log cabin on a secluded creek just outside of town.  Both of them will offer a great advantage to my choirs to do some concentrated learning, as well as opportunity to socialize, and build on choir morale.  

Having been involved in choir retreats for many years on the other side of the podium, I know how difficult it is for a chorister to stay mentally alert for all those rehearsals!  In the past couple of year though I have found that these retreats can be awfully taxing on me as a conductor.  After approximately twelve hours of rehearsals over three days, there are moments during the retreat where my focus dwindles, my patience grows thin, my arms get sore, my voice gets tired, my back gets sore, and the list goes on.  I'm fortunate to have an assistant for both of these choirs though, and I will make much use of them over the two weekends!

For our retreat with my chamber choir, which is the one we do out of town, I have found a pretty good system where we have enough time to really learn some repertoire, as well as finding time to enjoy the surroundings, and each other.

On the opening night, we rehearse for a couple of hours before dinner, and another hour after dinner.  Saturday morning I try to plan an extended warm-up, which will include enough stretching, vocalizing, breathing and tuning exercises to get people a bit more relaxed and ready to sing.  If someone in the choir is a yoga expert, this is the opportunity to use them.  The day is then divided up with sectionals and enough breaks to enjoy the day - especially if the weather is permitting.  This year, we are planning to take our new promotional photos, which should take up a good hour or so of the afternoon.  I also plan for at least one rehearsal to be spent on "new" music that we will be learning for future concerts in the season - something to keep the mind active, and sight reading chops in working order.  The evening will have a shortened rehearsal followed by a games night where we can all relax and get to know each other a bit better (there is often Bailey's involved!).  Sunday morning will also have a rehearsal component, but as many of our singers are off to church choir obligations, I have to limit it to easier repertoire, and small accomplishments.

This year, I expect much of the weekend retreat to be involved in memorization!  We are doing three spiritual arrangements, and it would be pointless to perform them with music in front of us.  So if we can memorize at least one or two of these works over that weekend - that will be a significant accomplishment indeed!

Do you have retreats coming up?  What are your strategies for an effective weekend retreat? 

Cats, Crackers and Cheese

It is the eve before my parents arrive from the east, and my lovely wife and I are madly cleaning house, making the spare room ready, drinking Australian Shiraz, and training the cats not to jump up on people. Well, the last one is going to be a loss cause. My mother isn't a big fan of anything that isn't bipedal - especially if most of their mass is covered in hair, and especially if they are stupid. Which describes both of our cats. We do love them dearly however - not to worry.

Plans for the weekend include a reception in honour of my graduation tomorrow night at a dear friends house. I'm not a huge fan of this kind of attention. ... Oh, hogwash - I love it, every minute of it - and I can't wait to share it all with my parents. I am a conductor after all, there needs to be some little tiny thread of self-right-ee-ousness, egotistical "LOOK AT ME" attitude, or I probably wouldn't be where I am today. However, the shy and quiet side is also evident at times - hence the anonymity of this blog. Anyhow, beautiful wife is right now in the kitchen putting together massive trays of veggies, crackers, and various sorts of cheese in preparation for tomorrow night.

Aside from the party tomorrow, and convocation on Thursday - everything continues on at the same rate of speed - which is somewhere between a brisk walk and a gentle gallop. I have a rehearsal with a whole pile of brass instruments and organ tomorrow afternoon, in preparation for a dress rehearsal on Monday, and concert on Thursday evening. Parents leave again on Friday midday - I'm predicting the week will fly by - but with much joy.

One of three potential job applications is now in the mail. The other two will be prepared after Christmas. Not holding much hope for any of them, but that's OK. The joy is - I love everything that I am doing - so if something comes along - it's going to have to be a good one!

A great Monday night rehearsal

There really is nothing more therapeutic than a great rehearsal.

Tonight was the "rehearsal-before-the-dress-rehearsal" rehearsal for my chamber choir, but it had all the feeling of a dress rehearsal. The music is in great shape, soloists are all healthy (knocking on wood right now), and there is a general feeling throughout the choir that we are well prepared. It actually makes me a touch nervous. I'm hoping we haven't peaked in some of the repertoire.

Hopefully something will go wrong in the actual dress rehearsal so that the singers will still be "on edge" for the concert on Saturday - however, if everything goes well on Thursday, then I'll be OK with that too.