My Upcoming Concert

[peter eldergill]

Hey

I joined a new choir after Christmas earlier this year and our concert is finally here! We're doing Bach's Mass in B Minor on Saturday/Sunday. It's going to be awesome.

Anyhoo, there is an article in the Toronto Star today about us which I didn't even know about until today. Here's the link

http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/article/622788 (http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/article/622788)

Pete


Edit: Unfortunately, I got cut out of the photo. I'm off the page on the far right. Missed my by about 6 feet :(

[geonuc]

Cool. Break a leg, or whatever they say in the choir business. :)

[KaiYeves]

Yes, good luck!

[kleindoofy]

@peter eldergill

Are the choir basses singing the Et iterum venturus est or are you copping out and letting the bass soloist suffer? ;)

After standing for so long, it's great to be able to power away on the final Dona nobis pacem. Damn, what a terrific piece of music!

[edit:] From the photo I see you're using modern instruments and a large choir. The piece really comes to life with original instruments, especially the Agnus Dei.

[davidlpf]

good luck peter.

[peter eldergill]

@peter eldergill

Are the choir basses singing the Et iterum venturus est or are you copping out and letting the bass soloist suffer? ;)

After standing for so long, it's great to be able to power away on the final Dona nobis pacem. Damn, what a terrific piece of music!

[edit:] From the photo I see you're using modern instruments and a large choir. The piece really comes to life with original instruments, especially the Agnus Dei.

We're doing the whole enchilada, including a repeat of Hosanna for some reaon, as if the piece isn't long enough already :)

The base solo is really neat and I hope they can keep together a little more than they did during the last rehursal. Let's just say I'm glad I don't have to sing that part ..

Pete

[chrissy]

I hope everything goes well Pete, make sure you get a video copy and share it with us all here. :)

[kleindoofy]

We're doing ... a repeat of Hosanna for some reaon ...
Err, because that's the correct way to do it.

The complete text is:

Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus Dominus Deus Sabaoth.
Pleni sunt coeli et terra gloria tua.
Hosanna in excelsis.
Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini.
Hosanna in excelsis.

Many composers repeat the first Hosanna after the Bededictus instead of composing a different one. Similarly, Mozart almost always used the initial Kyrie motive for the final Dona nobis pacem.

The problem with the B minor mass is that the Bededictus is so beautiful that the chorus is often too mezmorized to pick up the tempo for the Hosanna.

[peter eldergill]

Err, because that's the correct way to do it.


Heh, I just meant that the piece is already pretty long :)

Both concerts were sold out, which is awesome. Concert wasn't perfect, some of the fast bits tend to sound a bit muffled, but overall it was awesome as far as I could tell.

If i get more info/recordings, etc I'll try to figure out how to post it.

I'm done for choirs 'till probably next April, as we're having a baby in September, which puts the choir in second place

Pete

PS Kleindoofy are you a musician, chorister, conductor, enthusiast, professor, historian? You seem to know alot about this piece. I'm just curious

[Swift]

Congrats on the concert and on the baby.

[kleindoofy]

... are you a musician, chorister, conductor, enthusiast, professor, historian? ...
1. Yes, former student, then semi-professional, now too busy.
2. Yup, long term semi-professional, now too busy.
3. No.
4. More than you might care to know.
5. No.
6. Yes, but not the way you mean it.

After trading in the conservatory for the humanities, I spent about 25-30 years doing semi-pro vocal work beside my business.

Among countless other works, I've done the B minor mass with at least six different groups, including everything from a 50 voice chorus down to a 16 voice ensemble.