Seating change:
- Oboes move to front row, centre
- Alto saxes move to second and third row, centre, three players per row
- Tenor and baritone saxes move to third row, between alto saxes and low brass
- Tuba moves to opposite side of trombones, next to baritone sax
- Trumpet moves to outside end of trombones
- Clarinets move to first and second row, centre and stage left
(Apparently this is how it’s done in every other band, so if you have that frame of reference … just do what you’d do in one of the other bands.)
In the Bleak Midwinter
Opening dynamic (and again at 41) is p (piano) instead of mp (mezzo-piano)
Add a breath accent (an extra whoosh of air, but no tongue) at the downbeats of measures 2, 4, 42, and 44
Don’t Stop Believin’
Low brass and woodwinds, add a bit of accent to the eighth note and quarter note movement in your part
Melody instruments at 25, 33, 41, accent the start of both notes, keep the eighth note short!
Oye Como Va
Great group work on the rhythm at the first 8 measures! You can use the same practice technique at home, listening to a recording – listen, clap, listen, clap; then listen, play the rhythm on one note; then work on your own notes (you might want to slow down the tempo while you’re learning the notes – slow practice is a great learning technique! – but be sure to maintain the integrity and accuracy of the rhythm).
For next week:
No more clinics! We will all rehearse together in the music room at 6:30 (you can come in any time after 6:00). In case it’s not already in your calendars, remember that there is no rehearsal on November 14.
You should have the following pieces in your folder:
Arioso – Handel
Don’t Stop Believin’ – from Glee
Edelweiss – Hammerstein
In the Bleak Midwinter – Holst
Linus and Lucy – Guaraldi
Oye Como Va – Puente
Three Christmas Chorales
Some useful markings to use in your parts (in pencil!), approximated using keyboard characters:
Regular breath: ⋁
Big breath: BB
Quick or extra breath: (⋁)
No breath: NB and/or ⤼ (a slur-type arrow over the phrase that must not be broken)
Speed up a bit: ⟶
Slow down a bit: ⟵
Here’s the downbeat! Or, here’s a rest to not play in!: ↓
Watch the conductor (little eyeglasses): ⚯
Next week’s rehearsal falls on Hallowe’en! Costumes are acceptable, but not required. Here is a photo of me in costume at a gig several years ago.
