Easter Sunday

The combined choirs sang in both the 8th and 10th wards. They sang beautifully, and if I have faith as a minute fraction of a mustard seed, I should have know that they would.

I am a worrier, though, and I think that this weekend nearly killed me. I didn't sleep well and was grumpy and stressed all day Saturday.

We sang "My Shepherd will supply my need." The Mormon Tabernacle Choir has it on a CD, but we did it better.....Well, we did it.

Dixie Tirre sang, "Gethsemane", by Sally De Ford

A quartet sang, "His hands", I think. It was added last week when Sis. Briscoe said that she would like to sing it on Easter. I had heard her practicing it, and was ok with anyone who was prepared to sing. She was joined by Ann Siemore, Abby Siemore, and Le Ann Escobar.

The choir then sang, "Woman why weepest thou", written by Rob Gardner, a personal favorite of mine that is on the CD, 'Witness' by the A Capella group '259'.

Emily Woodward sang a solo, "The Via Dolorosa", that is also on the 'Witness' CD, but I forget the author/composer.

Finally we sang, 'The Holy City', a well known song, and well loved by many.

We had a lot of help from angels singing with us.

My bigest mistake was starting 'The Holy City' without standing the choir, and I didn't die, so I think it went pretty well.

Back at it

Ward choir started up again, yesterday, after the break for Christmas. We had six people show up, and no pianist. I guess I didn't give people enough advance notice. So I ended up trying to play the piano, as well as direct.

We are working on some great songs:

'My Shepperd will supply my need' arranged by Mack Wilberg. The Motabs have sung this one. It is a southern melody and has some beautiful words that have stayed with me since we sang this in 3rd ward 10 or more years ago.

'There is a hill' by Brown and Mabbott. It is a variation of 'There is a green hill far away'. I bought on piece and reading through the melody in my mind it sounded really bland. Fortunately, we have a piano at home. What a beautiful melody. It breaks into six parts at one point, and it may push our choirs abilities to its limit, but it will be wonderful.

'Woman, why weepest thou?' Written by Rob Gardner and available directly from Spiremusic.org. You can hear the acapella group, 259, sing it on their 'Witness' album. It is a beautiful and moving song.

I may actually have to gird up my loins and make some phone calls this week to try and get more people out. Our performance for Christmas in both 8th and 10th, we're combined again, was such a high, for me as my first Christmas as director, and for the choir, because they sounded so good. I look forward to a wonderful year.

Reactivating my blog.

It has been a long time since I actually posted something. Since that post, I have actually started getting creative again.

So moving forward my intention is to write about the following activities:

Ward Choir, of course. I have all the recording equipment, microphones, usb mixer, etc, to record the choir when we have our Christmas songs ready. Then I will upload them to youtube with some navitity scene slide shows.

My own podio book. I have gotten re-motivated to write that book that I have had in my head for hte last 18 years.

My podcast. In preparing to put my story on podiobooks.com, I am practicing recording my self reading to improve my diction, delivery and comfort infront of the microphone. I have started recording the book, 'Mayor of Casterbridge' by Thomas Hardy. I have had to look up so much about the author, the country of England and the various archaic words that I thought, well, why not share this info with others who subject themselves to Thomas Hardy. I plan to produce my own podcast, reading the book and sharing background on the story and the artist. Even if no one listens to the padcast, I will have improved my skills for when I release my book. So look for the TomasHardyforAmericans podcast coming in the new year.

Finally, in hte area of improving skills I have started participating in the 100 word story podcasts weekly challenge. I will post those entries and other writing and thoughts associated with that.

Of course, I am writing this for myself, since no one has ever come across my site. So, Go me!!

Philip

Ward choir performance 080720

We sang Come, come ye saints, in honor of the pending pioneer day. I was inspired by how the Mormon Tabernacle Choir is singing it. They sing it v1. women, very quietly. v2 men, a little louder. v3 All parts, and louder. v4 All parts, Loud and building. Each verse modulate in key and adds to the dynamics and mood. Typically, in church we start the 4th verse very quietly, as if remebering those that have past on, and then build.

We sang it similar to what "the Choir" did. We used the simplified hymn book for hte first two verses, and sang unison, women on v1 and men on v2, also building from pianissimo. I addapted a short 5 measure transition from that hymn book (with one flat) to the current hymnn book (one sharp), which took the note up a half step.
The forth verse we used the old blue hymn book, (four flats - another half step up.) This gave our performance a similar modulation, but not requireing the skill of a concert pianist. We increased volumne with each succesive verse and then began the forth verse very quietly, as expected. After singing, "And should be die," with a fermata (birds eye - hold) the piano played a trasitional chord changing us from the current hymn book, to the old (the half step up) and we started over loud, and built to the end. (With a lot of holds, ritards, and other direction).

I felt that it went well. Running from Sacrament meeting to play the piano if primary, I don't get a lot of feed back from the congregation. No choir practice for a month. I know that we will lose any momentum that we gained from this last piece, but we will be starting Christmas music, and that always brings the people out to sing. I have found some intersting pieces, that will probably catch some of hte member off guard, but it's differences, like dynamics, that move people.

Chior Practice 080629

I'm not complaining, really. We had 2 men and 4 women come to practice today. The practice was announced to be 45 min long.

Summer? Maybe. I would like to sing Come, Come Ye Saints, in three weeks. I heard the Mormon Tab Choir sing a version that was really moving. Rather than drop down quietly on the beginning of the 4th verse, they sing it out. They have beautiful modulations and descants. Not something our choir could do. But.....

I got the three copies of the Hymns that I have. The simplified, The current (green) hymns, and the previous version (blue). I found that they are all written in different keys and modulate up a half note with each version. So taht is what I am doing. Verses 1 and 2 are from the simplified, 3 is from the current, and 4 is from the old Hymns.

We will start the 4th verse (just the first measure) really quiet, like everyone will expect, using hte current book, then we will modulate up to the old hymn book, and really bring it out.

I think it could be very moving. Hopefully the congregation will feel the spirit of what I am trying to bring out.

It would be nicer if we had more people come to choir.

I have a lot of ideas for Christmas and other music that would be wonderful to do, but we need voices to do that ....... I guess I need to try praying with fait.....something that has always been difficult for me.

Ward Choir

The last song we sang in church was on fathers day. We sang Father do you love me? We had half a dozen of the children of choir members sing the childrens part.

I wanted to perform this peice after I heard it on a Bret Raymond CD. Every time I listen to it I lose composure. I was afraid that if we did sing it with the ward choir taht I would also lose composure. During practice I did well, and thought that it would be no problem.

I made it until the final chorus where we sing together, "I need your love, I need your light, to show me how to be like Jesus..." I was unable to sing again until the very end

I didn't hear any feed back from any from the congregation. No wait. Jeff Walters told me that he could really hear Bekah and she sang well.