April 26 Rehearsal Notes

Hi Chorus,

It's fun to hear what people say about you when you're not there. ;) So, where was I Thursday night? Well, my oldest daughter and I were in Provo in a travel trailer. I haven't spent more than about two and a half weeks with this girl in the past 22 months, so we had a little mother-daughter retreat at BYU Women's Conference. As Cory said, I checked with him and, since I have truly not missed a rehearsal in over a year, he gave me his blessing. Thank you all for putting up with my absence. I will be there every week from now until we perform, barring any personal or family tragedy. Hopefully you can tell that there are few people more dedicated to the success of this choir than I am.

This week I've updated the following audio files:

• It Might As Well Be Spring
• You'll Never Walk Alone
• Another Op'nin', Another Show
• Hushaby Mountain
• Sunrise, Sunset
• Pure Imagination
• There's No Business Like Show Business

The choir is sounding pretty good! You should go listen and compare what you hear to earlier recordings.

Don't forget that next week we'll be voting on a performance date. The options are: Friday, May 18; Sunday, May 20; or Monday, May 21. Also next week Cory will be informing us what to wear for the performance and letting us know who will have speaking parts at the performance.

I changed the count-down timer to one where you can't see the minutes and seconds. I am really not out to freak anyone out. It's just really, really, really hard to find a free online timer that doesn't have minutes and seconds. The only one I could find said, "Until our wedding," and didn't think that would really work for our blog. This timer actually does have the minutes and seconds, but I shrank it down until they don't show. :)

Karen

April 19 Rehearsal Notes

Hi Chorus,

I've updated the audio files for the following songs:

• Lullaby of Broadway
• Once Upon a Dream
• Phantom
• Singin' in the Rain
• The Colors of My Life
• Tonight

These are the first songs we've sung since Cory "mixed us up." Go have a listen and see if you can tell a difference!

I also added a few notes to the song notes page, such as warm but not dark tones, watch your vowels, don't chew the end of "tonight," etc.

Cory said to look over "Kids" this week and learn it. I've re-posted the parts version of that song so you can work on it.

Look at the counter up there ----->
We don't have very many more weeks until our performances!

Karen

Meet Mitch Swenson

Mitch Swenson

Mitch was born in Ogden, Utah and has lived in such well-known places as North Ogden, Provo and Lehi. He lived for a short time in Norway, while serving his mission.

After graduating from Weber High School, Mitch attended BYU, where he earned a Bachelor's degree in geology and a Masters degree in Education Leadership. Between semesters, while home for the summer, Mitch met his wife, Cherese in their young single adult ward. They have three children, Brandon, 25; Justin, 18; and Brittany, 21.

Mitch's first job was making Christmas wreaths from pine boughs. Another early job was installing gravestones for Beehive Monument Company. Currently, Mitch is the principal at Centennial Middle School in the Provo school district. Mitch says the things he likes best about his job are the variety and the relationships he has with the people he works with.

Mitch enjoys backpacking and camping in the mountains and spelunking. He prefers movies over books most of the time, but does make exceptions because sometimes the books are better. His favorite books growing up were those written by Jack London (Call of the Wild, White Fang, etc). His favorite movies of all time are the Star Wars and the Lord of the Rings movies. His favorite TV show currently is "Person of Interest."

When they need a quick-fix meal, the Swensons usually buy a Costco pizza. Mitch says he likes pretty much all food, especially Asian and Mexican cuisine. His least favorite foods are yams/sweet potatoes or parsnips, and he sees no useful purpose for their existence.

In his ward Mitch currently serves as the first counselor in the Sunday school presidency and teaches a class of twenty-one 16-17-year-olds. He says they're great.

Mitch joined the Mountain Harmony Chorus for our fall/winter 2011 season. Mitch's previous singing experience includes singing in choirs in school and church, and participating in some barbershop quartets. He has a fine tenor voice and we're very happy to have him in the chorus.

Important Information From Last Rehearsal

Hi Chorus,

Here are some notes from the April 12 rehearsal. Adella was kind enough to come and play for us, which was wonderful, but because of that and the fact that we were missing several chorus members, I'm not going to be updating any of the audio files this week.

Cory's words: Prepare and build on your skills. You are improving in so many ways, but still have little things you need to work on, such as:  warmth from Altos, plus add a little vibrato; Basses, don't be plodding and bring up volume, but be careful how dark it gets; Tenors, hit the upper notes and don't sound strained; Sopranos, make sure your notes are warm & keep it out of your nasal passages. On high notes, don't be shrill and watch the vibrato. Four part harmony, four parts should be heard. I need to hear four parts. Must build up on skills. It's not enough to just get it one week. Must be consistent. We don't want everything to go south during a performance. write things down. Work & pray; maximize your time at rehearsals. Don't fall off after 9:15. 100% right to the end.

Next week, during the first hour, Cory will be working with individual sections (sopranos, altos, tenors, basses), while the rest of the chorus practices with Amy. We all need to be there and on time! A section should sound like a section, not like an individual with back-up singers. Cory says: You have to work together as a section to produce a sound. If what we're hearing is a bunch of individual voices that are combined in a choir, what we have is 35 voices. Not sections and a choir. 35 individual singers. That's great, but it's not a choir. Work together to create a really good sound.  One of the songs Cory said to work on for next week is "Kids." Another was, "You'll Never Walk Alone." Make sure you know your parts on these songs.

Also, next week Cory will be mixing us up and we won't be sitting in sections anymore.

I took a few minutes and cleaned up the song notes page. I've got it organized under sections and also under each song. I add to this page every week, so you might want to go take a look.

A 40-Question Trivia Quiz

Okay, this is just for fun. I'm posting here a series of questions about the songs we're singing. This is a CLOSED BOOK quiz, from memory only. No cheating--because there's a prize. The chorus member who gets the most answers right will receive these two hand-knitted (by Karen) washcloths!

You'll have to submit your answers to Karen via email. The prize will be awarded and the correct answers given at our next rehearsal.

Here are the questions:

1. What do you have to do if you want to view paradise?
2. Which two songs that we're singing mention birds singing?
3. What business is like show business?
4. What does the busy spider spin?
5. Without her husband's colorful influence, what colors would Cherry's life be like?
6. What can you talk of in Hernando's Hideaway?
7. Lullaby of Broadway is about what kind of baby?
8. In "Once Upon a Dream," is Emma willing to give Dr. Jekyll another chance?
9. In "A Sabbath Prayer," what two things to parents pray the Lord to preserve their children from?
10. In "Singin' in the Rain," Where is Don Lockwood when he's singing that song? (you don't have to name the city)
11. According to the song, the phantom of the opera is where?
12. What do you cross and what do you hold on opening night?
13. What two things are at the end of the storm?
14. Who were perfect in every way?
15. What is the morning star?
16. Why are children compared to sunflowers?
17. Stary-eyed and discontented as what?
18. What is the name of the original show which "Pure Imagination" is from?
19. What does the audience do for show people?
20. The introduction to which song contains a refrain from "Somewhere Over the Rainbow?"
21. What do you strike at Hernando's Hideaway?
22. Which two songs mention a baby?
23. Where is Oliver when he sings "Where is Love?" What does he discover at the end of the song?
24. What does the sheriff do?
25. What gave Tommy the drive?
26. Which two songs mention a willow tree?
27. What are the boats waiting to sail away?
28. What do you know the turkey will do?
29. I'm as jumpy as what?
30. "The Colors of My Life" is from what show?
31. Whose spirit is referred to in "Phantom?" Whose voice?
32. What sometimes happens to our dreams?
33. What do stage folks get a chance to do?
34. What is the performance like 3 weeks before show time?
35. Who are you likely to run into at the Golden Fingerbowl?
36. What does all the music of life seem to be?
37. What can you steal that gives you "that happy feeling?"
38. According to the song, what does the phantom's power over Christine do?
39. We'll never walk alone if we have what in our hearts?
40. When does the baby sleep?

Rehearsal Updates From April 4, 2012

Hi Chorus,

Since I've been home sick for several days, I've had extra computer time, so I've updated the audio files already! There are new files for the following songs:

• Another Op'nin' of Another Show
• Almost Like Being in Love
• Hernando's Hideaway
• It Might As Well Be Spring
• Lullaby of Broadway
• Once Upon a Dream
• Phantom
• Singin' in the Rain
• Sunrise, Sunset
• The Colors of My Life (4 files)
• Tonight

I also updated the thought and added a few notes on the song notes page.

It was really hard sitting there on Thursday, listening and not singing along, but I'm glad I came because, hey, it got Mitch there, right? Hope to see you all next week & to be able to sing! Funny how much more you appreciate something when you don't have it, eh?

- Karen

Rehearsl Updates From March 29

Greetings Earthlings,

Last week we rehearsed 11 songs! One of them we dropped after singing it.

I've updated the following songs on the audio files page:

1. Almost Like Being in Love
2. Hushabye Mountain
3. Kids!
4. Lullaby of Broadway
5. Sunrise, Sunset
6. You'll Never Walk Alone
7. There's No Business Like Show Business
8. Tonight
9. Where is Love

I did not upload Thursday's rendition of "Pure Imagination," because the version we already have on the blog is better than we sang it Thursday--which should really be a concern because we can't afford to move backwards!

Six weeks, folks.