Spring 2019 OCC Singer’s Blog
In Rehearsal for Opera Meets Broadway!
May 22, 2019 – After The Concerts
Lessons Learned The May “Opera Meets Broadway” concerts were a big success – real crowd pleasers. Even though most of the music was familiar, we felt the need to “be sure” of everything – to really know our assigned parts, entrances and exits to the music. ...
May 15, 2019 – Dress Rehearsal
Putting it Together It’s bittersweet, our last rehearsal before concert weekend. Most of the hard work is behind us. It’s time to make beautiful, expressive music—for an audience. Dress Rehearsal always feels a little chaotic. There’s the...
May 2, 2019 – Thirteenth Rehearsal
Ringers I joined the OCC in desperation. I was going insane. I had not sung with a group in 6 years, and it was absolutely making me crazy. I am 53 years old and have sung virtually every week of my life since I was about 3... except for the past 6...
April 25, 2019 – Twelfth Rehearsal
Facing the Music We have a job to do, as chorale singers – to communicate with our audience and to do justice to the music. Singing is a complex balance of many parts of the body, but the one part that helps most with our job is the face. An audience will...
April 18, 2019 – Eleventh Rehearsal
Anatomy of an earworm “Ooh, ah, give her your attention! Do I really need to mention?” I glance at the red glowing clock dial on my dresser, never a wise idea. It’s 1:41 a.m. and a hard-working earworm has burrowed its way into my sleep/wake cycle....
April 11, 2019 – Tenth Rehearsal
The View from the Podium It's Thursday! Yesssss! Can't wait for OCC! And then........ I worry! Rehearsals are a very humbling experience for me. As I look out on eager faces, I feel a great deal of responsibility to make each and every singer's...
April 4, 2019 – Ninth Rehearsal
Do you hear what I hear? We’re sounding good! And we still have five rehearsals to go... OR We’re getting there, but we only have five rehearsals to go. Is your cup half full or half empty? Either way, we have five more...
March 21, 2019 – Seventh Rehearsal
Thoughts from the 10% The 10% is the T2 section. Well, maybe it should be "Thoughts from 1/12 (8.3%) of the 10%" since I'm the only T2 writing. (Blame Barbara for my crazy math. She started it all.) There were some people out for vacation and some people...
March 19th, 2019 – Sectional Rehearsals
Sectionals.... Smaller groups, tighter focus, greater growth. Each semester I look forward to sectionals. They are a chance for Allison to work with us on the trickier sections, and a chance for all of us to tackle those parts we don't quite get....
March 7, 2019 – Fifth Rehearsal
I’ll Tell You Who! Who cares? Well, apparently the Chorale does. Or the lovely individuals who make up the Chorale do. I came back after missing last week due to a cold, and though I thought I could just blend in and catch up, no. Several people...
February 28, 2019 – Fourth Rehearsal
The Chorus That Plays Together During our rehearsals, we work hard on learning the music. We run through passages in four-parts, trying to integrate what we’ve practiced into a choral experience. We focus on our Italian vowels and building a crescendo on...
February 21st – Third Rehearsal
We heard from former (and dedicated) OCC alto Jodi Anastasio last December with news of her move to Hawaii and how she has already found music in her life there. Some of you will probably remember Ian MacMillan who sang with the Chorale until he moved to Hawaii...
February 7th – First Rehearsal of the Spring 2019 Season
Enough of winter break, it’s time to sing! I don’t know about you, but after a month and a half of musically structure-less days I’m ready to dig into some new music, set my weekly goals, and set off on a new journey with the Chorale. That first night you can always...