Chorus Picture

Here we are, getting ready for our December 19 performance at the beautiful Stone Gate historic building. We love the acoustics there! You can click on the picture to see a larger version.

An Idea For You

I thought this idea might be beneficial to you.

In the back of my black binder I have one of those zippered pencil pouches. In it, I have a couple of cough drops, a couple of tissues, an extra pencil and my reading glasses. These are things I thought I might need during a performance, but didn't want to worry about digging them out of a pocket or purse. The pouch is also where I stashed my cell phone after it embarrassed me that one Wednesday. If you do put a cell phone in it, take my advice and turn it off. :)

Anyway, just an idea. It works well for me.

Karen

In a Nutshell

Here are short synopses of the message of each of the songs we sing, in order--as I see it. You might want to read through the words and write down your own synopses.

Ding! Dong! Merrily on High: Let us joyfully join with the angels in singing and ringing bells to celebrate the glorious birth of our Savior.

Blizzard! Starting with one little snowflake, this song is a musical interpretation of swirling, dancing, drifting snow that grows into a delightful winter storm.

My Heart, Your Bethlehem: Jesus' life began with rejection. There was no room in the inn. Throughout all of history there have been those who reject Him and His message. I will make room for Him in my heart and welcome His presence. In so doing, my heart becomes His Bethlehem.

For Unto Us a Child is Born: Isaiah prophesied long ago of the birth of the Christ child. He will be born for us and will be called "Wonderful counselor," "The Mighty God," "Everlasting Father," "Prince of Peace," and he will govern the world.

Harper's Creek: We work hard day after day. Christmas Eve is time to relax with good friends and dance. Even if there's no fiddler to play music, we can dance to the music in our head and the rhythm of clapping.

Song of Bethlehem: This song chronicles the life of the Savior. He was born in Bethlehem. He grew up and lived in Galilee, where he performed great miracles and served with love. He died on Calvary's hill and rose again with power to save us all. His birth in Bethlehem was but the beginning of his incomparable life.

Lullay Alleluia: Mary's soft lullaby complements the alleluias of heavenly angels as they join in singing to the little tiny Christ child.

Cry Out! Jesus' birth is the most important event ever to occur in the history of the world. It is the good news that should be shared with the world and shouted from the rooftops! Jesus the Savior is born! Cry out the good news!

My True Love Gave to Me: Honestly, what would we do with all those crazy gifts? This song lightheartedly rejects them all but those lovely five golden rings. Yeah, we can all use golden rings.

Breath of Heaven: Mary, about to give birth for the first time, is filled with fear and apprehension and self-doubt about her role as the mother of God's son. She pleads for Heaven's strength and blessings as she humbly expresses her faithful willingness to play her part in His eternal plan.

Fum! Fum! Fum! We join with angels, bells, stars and all of nature in rejoicing in the birth of our Savior on Christmas Day.

A Silent Night Brings New Light: One silent night, long ago, brought to the world the marvelous Light--the Savior of the world, the Promised Messiah, bringing about the joyous fulfillment of age-old prophesies. And, He'll come again!

The Story Begins: This song paints the sweet domestic picture of Mary and Joseph sharing the task of caring for baby Jesus. They each tenderly rock and sing lullabies to the newborn and send up heartfelt prayers of gratitude for the birth of this important little boy.

Joy in Judea: Joy, hope, peace, love and the promise of good will filled the small town of Bethlehem and all of Judea when Jesus was born on Christmas morning.

I Ponder: The familiar events of Jesus birth are long over, but as we take time to think about that important day, we can imagine the wonder and love in the hearts of those who were there and we can almost see, hear and smell what it was like. The Creator of the world humbled himself and became the least among all of His creations. We can still invite the Savior into our lives today because He lives.

Sleigh Bells: Let's go sleigh riding with friends! We'll go fast and furious, get cold but stay warm and hear lots of sleigh bells ring as we go along!

Nutcracker Jingles: It's Jingle Bells like you've never heard it before! Tsychovsky may be rolling over in his grave over this fun rendition of his familiar Nutcraker Suite...but we're going to have fun singing it anyway!

A Christmas Blessing: May the precious gifts of love, joy, happiness and God's blessings be yours this Christmas and throughout the coming year.

Good Job!

Hi Chorus,

It's exciting to hear the difference between the way we sound now as compared with some of our earlier attempts. Cory gave us a couple of "good jobs" this week. One was on "Breath of Heaven," at the end of Thursday's rehearsal, and then today, we got the thumbs up on "Ding! Dong! Merrily on High." We can pat ourselves on the back, but briefly, because we still have 16 other songs, right? And they all need to be that good.

I've been thinking about this lately, and decided it might be beneficial to post a few tips on singing with Cory. So, here are some things you need to know about Cory:

1. He is a professional level conductor. Seriously, we're so lucky to have him. I know he is tough sometimes, but if he wasn't, we would never reach our potential. With Cory at the helm, at least we have hope.
2. He expects us to approach this chorus with professionalism. That means we show up on time. It means we learn our parts. It means we show respect for one another. It means the director of the chorus is the boss. Think how you would act if you were in the Tabernacle Choir. That's how we should act.
3. Cory never asks us to do something he wouldn't do himself. Have you ever known him to be late (without at least letting us know ahead of time)? Have you known him to miss a rehearsal, even when he's sick? I have frankly been concerned about him a couple of times when he came to rehearsal when he really should have been in bed. He doesn't ask us to be any more dedicated than he is to the chorus. He's not getting paid for his time either, and he has a family too.
4. Cory hates excuses. I would recommend you not make them. At all. My daughter's math teacher has the following sign on the wall: "Don't make excuses, make improvements." Cory has made similar remarks. I think we would all do well to follow that advice.
5. Cory hears everything. He can tell if you're having a bad voice day. He can tell if you're coming down with a cold. He can tell if you're off pitch. He can tell if you don't know your part. You can't hide from him.

I am planning on updating some of the audio files to reflect a more current version of how we sound. It will probably take me a couple of days. I'll let you know when they're updated.

My True Love Swooped

Hi Chorus,

I hope you're all healthy and getting ready for tomorrow's Relief Society program. I am going to bring a list of the 6 songs in order on a little piece of paper and tape to put them in your binders if you wish to.

Meanwhile, I sent Cory a copy of the "My True Love Gave to Me" that we sang on Dec. 1, where we tried swooping on the word "swimming." Remember that? Well, Cory and I both agree that it does not sound good. Here's a link where you can download it and have a listen: My True Love Swooped

I think you'll agree as well that it's going to be much better to sing the song as it is written. So, that is the plan.

See you soon! Remember, women wear your black dress or skirt/blouse with black hose and shoes and men, wear your black pants and white shirts. Joe said he should have the ties for tomorrow too.

Karen

The Song List for Wednesday

Here's the songs, in order, that we will be performing on Wednesday.

1. Song of Bethlehem
2. Breath of Heaven
3. Lullay Alleluia
4. My Heart, Your Bethlehem
5. For Unto Us a Child is Born
6. A Silent Night Brings New Light

Our performance Wednesday will be at the Lehi North Stake Center on 600 E and 3200 N. Be there at 7:00 pm in the Relief Society Room to warm up.

New Chart for Ding! Dong! Merrily on High

Okay, I know you're all just waiting to see this. Here's the chart for our December 1st rehearsal of Ding! Dong! Merrily on High:

Now, the first thing you need to know is that gremlins got to my recorder and recorded everything at "Low" on Thursday. Not sure how that happened. So, I had to amplify it. The volume is still not as loud as the past two recordings, but the relative dynamics are still visible. As you can see, the first couple of "Glorias" are very triangular--still. And, the women still out-sustained the men. Sorry guys, the proof is in the picture. Better luck next time.  I've circled the two "Glorias" just before the very end. I wouldn't call them rectangular, but maybe pregnant triangles. It's really not much different from our last rehearsal. Let's try again for rectangles at tomorrow's rehearsal. And men, come on! Really? You gonna let the women out-sing you?

Pray For Each Other

Hi Chorus,

Just a reminder that Cory asked us to pray for each other. We need to pray for good health and strength for our group. Remember that Sunday is fast Sunday, which is a great opportunity to dedicate our fast to the members of the Chorus. I am a firm believer in the power of prayer, and with all of us praying together, I expect to see miracles. :)

The Order of the Songs

Okay, Folks,

Here's the order of the songs as we will perform them.

1. Ding! Dong! Merrily on high
2. Blizzard!
3. My Heart, Your Bethlehem
4. For Unto Us a Child is Born
5. Harper's Creek
6. Song of Bethlehem
7. Lullay Alleluia
8. Cry Out!
9. My True Love Gave to Me
10. Breath of Heaven
11. Fum, Fum, Fum
12. A Silent Night Brings New Light
13. The Story Begins
14. Joy in Judea
15. I Ponder
16. Sleigh Bells
17. Nutcracker Jingles
18. A Christmas Blessing

Okay. That's it. Ladies, if you haven't gotten your scarf/wrap money to me, please do so ASAP. Men, you need to get your money for ties to Joe.

Two Charts Comparison

Okay, as promised, here is the sound file for Ding! Dong! Merrily on High. Again, you can click on the picture to see a larger version. And, woo hoo! we did better! I've circled some places where the volume doesn't drop off quite as badly as we did last week. However, as you can see, we still do drop off quite a bit and the sections are still quite triangular. Let's see if we can't do better next time.

The smaller triangular sections in the middle of the chart are where the men, and then the women sing their "glorias." Looks to me like the women maintain volume slightly better than the men. I'm just sayin.'

Ding! Dong! Chart

I don't know if you're like me, but I'm a very visual person and seeing illustrations helps me. You can click on this picture to see a larger version of it.

The chart above is the sound file for "Ding! Dong! Merrily on High." Notice where I've put little signs where the long, extended "glorias" that we sing are located. The blue lines that reach all the way to the edges of the rectangle are the loudest sounds. They actually max out the microphones in my recorder. Notice that these "gloria" sections are triangular. Cory has asked us to maintain volume through these sections, and clearly the volume is going down quite a bit, and comes back up when a new "gloria" begins.

So, I thought next time we sing this, we could see if we could get the sound wave patterns to be more rectangular by maintaining the volume better. What do you think? Are you up for the challenge? I'll post a new picture and we can see how we did.

Two Pieces Pulled Sunday

Hi Chorus,

Cory had us pull two more pieces today. If you haven't already, please remove from your folders and give to Karen the following pieces of music (unless you've paid for them and want to keep them):

• And the Angels Sang
• The First Noel

I'll be removing the files for these pieces from the blog.

Thanks!
Karen

Costume Notes

Women, you need to wear a black dress or skirt and top. The top or dress should have at least a 3/4 length sleeve. If you wear a skirt and top, make sure the blacks match. Hose should be black, but not opaque (no tights). Shoes should be black and have a heel. Here are some examples of shoes that would be appropriate:

Notice that all these shoes have some kind of heel. The heel needn't be three inches tall. There just needs to be a heel of some kind.

This shoe is not appropriate because it is a flat and has no heel:

How will you know if you can stand for long periods of time in your chosen shoes? There's only one way--you need to start wearing them to rehearsals. Not only will this enable your feet to become accustomed to the shoes you've chosen, but if, after a few rehearsals, it's apparent that they just won't work, then you know you need to go find something else. I would recommend buying shoes on the large side of your size range because your feet will tend to swell a little. Also, there are inserts you can purchase for the ball of your foot to keep your toes from sliding too far forward inside your shoes. There are also gel inserts so you can be gellin' while you're singing!

Jewelry: No necklace, but earrings are okay.

Men, you need to wear dark pants and a long-sleeved, white shirt. The shirt needs to actually be white, which means you may need to go buy a new white shirt for the performances (Merry Christmas!). Your socks and shoes both need to be black.

Warm-Ups Start Earlier Now

Hi Everyone,

I know Cory emailed everyone, but just to have it on the blog, I'm repeating it here.

Warm-ups will start now at 7:50. If you can't be to rehearsal for warm-ups, please come already warmed up and ready to sing at 8. We need to maximize our rehearsal time.

New Files Uploaded!

Hi Chorus,

Whew! It's been a long couple of days, but I finally got all the files from Thursday's rehearsal and Amy's recording of last week uploaded for your listening pleasure. :)

Here's the lowdown. I added piano accompaniment files for the following songs:

• For Unto Us
• Joy in Judea
• Sleigh Bells
• Fum, Fum, Fum
• The First Noel

I've also added the following full chorus files:

• The Story Begins, parts
• The Story Begins, Full Chorus with Accompaniment
• SS Parts, Beginning at Measure 58
• Lullay Alleluia Full chorus, Parts
• Lullay Alleluia Full Chorus With Accompaniment
• My Heart, Your Bethlehem, Full Chorus With Accompaniment (replaces former file)

A couple of notes from Thursday's rehearsal: this week was the last time we'll go over parts on any of the songs, so be prepared. Cory said no excuses. Also, we may have one more week of sitting in sections before Cory separates us. This means we can't "lean on" other people singing our part, but have to be secure in it by ourselves.

Also, all of the song lyrics are on the blog.

New Schedule Posted

Hi Everyone,

I've posted the new schedule for Nov/Dec. Please mark your calendars with these mandatory rehearsals and performances.

There was some discussion about whether to bring a pie to the Nov. 27th rehearsal. The final consensus was if you want to bring a pie, please do. Those who don't mind eating pie late will enjoy it.

I'll be putting files up as I get them edited this weekend, so watch for those. I'll also be adding to the other pages.

Last spring, one of the second sopranos who is now on a mission told me she memorized all her music so that she could just watch Cory's direction while she sang. It worked great for her, and she didn't have to hold a heavy binder. I know we're not all in our early 20's, but the better we know our music, the better it will be for the whole chorus. Just a thought.

Practice File Update

Hi Chorus,

I have changed the format of the practice files. Instead of listing them on the narrow panel on the right, I've placed them on their own page. The tab to access the Practice Audio Files page is at the top of this main page. I listed the audio files under song headings, which are alphabetized. As they are getting so numerous, I hope this makes it easier to find the files you want to download.

I spent all day today working on these files and have uploaded new practice files for the following songs: The Story Begins, And the Angels Sang (replaced the old file because this one sounded better), Song of Bethlehem, Joy in Judea, Cry Out, A Christmas Blessing, and My True Love Gave to Me. I also updated the Song Notes page for each of these songs and added a General Instructions category, which is at the top. The songs on the Song Notes page is also alphabetized, by the way.

Cory gave us a heads-up last Thursday that next week we will most likely be working on Lullay Aleluia and The Story Begins, so be prepared for those.

Anyone who wants a CD instead of downloading the mp3 files, please let me know--and let me know which files you want.

Oh, one more thing. You can download the Happy Birthday song we sang for Germaine at the bottom of the practice files page. :)

Thanks!
Karen

Holiday Practice Schedule

Be prepared to rehearse the Sunday after Thanksgiving (November 27). This is a mandatory practice and everyone needs to be there, so put it on your calendar. Ilene suggested everyone bring pie to eat afterwards. Sounds good to me!

Song Notes and Lyrics

Hi fellow Chorus members,

I have been working on editing the audio files from Sunday's rehearsal. I found that I had to (naturally) edit out a lot of good advice that Cory gave us as we went along; some general and some very specific to the song we were working on. I thought it would be good to preserve these tidbits, so I have created a new page on the blog called, "Song Notes." You can go there and review a lot of what Cory talked about while we were working on specific songs on Sunday. I have not included amusing anecdotes. You'll have to ask Cory for those. :)

Also on Sunday, Cory talked about connecting emotionally to the songs we're singing. I know for myself, the meaning of the song is easier to catch if I'm not focusing so much on singing correctly that I hardly notice the words. For this reason, I have also created a new page where I will be imputing the lyrics to the songs we're singing. Several are there already. This should be helpful not only to connect with the message of the song, but also to help memorize the words. You can print them out and take them along with you. When you're waiting in line at the grocery store, whip out the pages and work on memorizing the words!

Last spring, when I finally got to the point where I didn't have to be looking down at my music and words all the time, it made a huge difference in my being able to sing the songs the way Cory wants us to because I was able to watch him (instead of my music) most of the time. So, I hope this is helpful. It will take me awhile to get all the lyrics up there because I really do have a life outside of chorus. :) I probably won't type in all the jings and rings and lings in Sleighbells--just in case you're wondering!

The two new pages mentioned above can be accessed from the main blog page by clicking on the labeled tabs near the top of the page.

I am also proud to say that I have uploaded new practice files from Sunday's rehearsal for you to listen to. Ha! I finally outsmarted the recording device.
Karen

Stonegate

The location for our December 18th and 19th performances is officially called Stonegate. It is located at 2600 N. 900 West in Pleasant Grove. It is several blocks east of the Timpanogos Temple. It was formerly known as "The Old White Church."

The Daily Herald featured the building complex in a recent article.

Watch for New Files

Hi Chorus Groupies!

This weekend I'll be adding some audio files from today's practice, so watch for those. I'll send a notice around when they're ready.

Remember, no rehearsal next Thursday. Instead we will practice Sunday the 23rd at 5:30 pm.

Also, I set up a count down wigit for our December 18th performance. You can see it there on the right -->

Thanks for your support and hard work!

The Pull List

Hi Chorus Members!
As of tonight's rehearsal, we have the songs that we will be performing. The list can be seen on the right hand side of this blog. That means that the following pieces of music will not be performed this year and should be pulled from your binder, if they have not already been pulled:

A Family Christmas Spectacular
Believe
Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella
Bring us Peace
Carol of the Christmas Bells
God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen
Herself a Rose
I Saw Three Ships
I Wish You Christmas
In the Bleak Midwinter
On That Night in Bethlehem
Run to Bethlehem
The Shepherd's Carol

We probably all had to give up some music that we really liked. I know I did. Writers are told that in the editing process they have to "kill their darlings," meaning those phrases, pages and chapters that were well beloved and so beautifully crafted, but really don't work with the story. This is a similar situation. Fortunately, the musical "darlings" are being saved and will probably be reconsidered for performance next year.

Meanwhile, we now know the pieces we'll be performing, so we know where to put our efforts. And that is such a good thing!

A Few Inspirational Quotes

Hi Friends,
I'm looking forward to seeing you all at the pot luck tonight. It's going to be fun!

In the meantime, I thought I'd share some inspirational quotes I found on the 'net today. Enjoy!

"Talent without discipline is like an octopus on roller skates. There's plenty of movement, but you never know if it's going to be forward, backwards, or sideways." - H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

"Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work." - Stephen King

A winner is someone who recognizes his God-given talents, works his tail off to develop them into skills, and uses these skills to accomplish his goals." - Larry Bird

Recording Error

Hey, everyone. I hate to tell you this, but the recording didn't work last night, so I'm not able to post the songs we went over. I am really sorry.  I know it would have been very helpful. We'll record next week's rehearsal and go from there.

Karen

Chorus Pot Luck

We're having a party! Here are the particulars:

When: Friday, September 30, 6:30 pm
Where: The same church house where we practice; 2700 N and Center Street
What to Bring: A pot luck item. So far, here are the sign-ups (which makes it less of a matter of luck):

MAIN DISH
Karen Dupaix
Rain
Teri
Dan
Teresa

SIDE DISH
Anne
Amy
Mark
Joan
Germaine (potato salad)
Angee (rolls)

DESSERT
Jared & Cindy
Jodie
Cory

Email Karen to sign up for an item if you haven't already.

New Blog For our Chorus

Welcome to our new blog! This blog was created as a resource for chorus members and their families. This is where you can come for chorus announcements, important dates and information. And, I'll try to make it fun too.

Your comments are welcome, and by all means, become a follower!