I thought you all would like to know that today we’re sending $2572 to UNICEF’s Haiti Relief Fund.

Congratulations – and thanks!!

Xox

Jon

PS. A couple of dates for your calendar…

James and I will be doing our show at the Payomet tent on July 2 & 3.

The chamber Singers will be singing at the Truro Community center on July 5.

Culture!!!

Great rehearsal! Thanks so much for your hard work.

See you Wednesday at 6:00 (not the usual 6:30) at the Meeting House.

If you have friends, spouses etc willing to usher at one of the performances please email Sharon and Earl Krause at shearl15@comcast.net or call them at 255-1708.

In the next couple of days you’ll be getting an email announcing the concert and other musical events going on. PLEASE forward it on to your friends.

If you took posters, please put them up. Orleans is in need I understand, as is Provincetown…..

See you Wednesday!

xox

Music video of Jazmine Sullivan at age 11 (thanks to Jane Lea)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LwocqYj3f0

Hi all…

It seems like every six months or so, I’m forced to get “tough”. But this spring, the situation is even “more-so”. We have four rehearsals left and things are pretty shakey.

I don’t know what it is, but attendance has been weak this time around. I urge everyone to do all that they can to make it to the last FOUR rehearsals. If you have a sore throat or a little cold, come and sit in the back and don’t sing. You’ll learn a lot.

PLEASE, I can tell from the faces of those who ARE at rehearsal that many of you that don’t read music too well are simply lost much of the time. Your heads are obviously buried in your music. Your lips are moving but not in time with the music. The problem is two-fold: you can’t sing the music (that’s the obvious part), and you’re holding us all back because the ratio of those that know the music and those who don’t is about 50/50. So, you have two choices: buckle down and start listening to the CD’s every day, so sit this concert series out and come back in September.

I’m sorry to be so blunt, but that’s what we’ve come to. If you do decide to sit this one out, please let me know.

Now, on to some brighter news…..

This weekend James and I will be doing our show down in Washington DC. Please alert your friends down there.  http://lgcw.org/

For those who get this message on Monday, today is Chuck’s birthday. I’m sure he’d love to hear from you! ChucKimber@aol.com

For those who are inettersted, the version of the Cherubini I played part of the other night was this…

  http://www.amazon.com/Verdi-Requiem-Mass-Cherubini-minor/dp/B0002Z83M0/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1271682602&sr=8-2

It’s a double album but available used for $9 at Amazon.

See you all Thursday. I’ve got to go listen to my CD now….

xox

Hi all…

Just a reminder to listen especially to “Wongolo” and of course it would be VERY helpful if you’d listen to the fast fugue that begins on page 66-72 (the end of Track 5). Let’s call this section “The Last Frontier”!

Thanks again to Jeannette Bragger for the translations of the Haitian pieces. “Feill’ oh” was sounding great the other night!

Xox

Jon

Creole - transcribed by Jean Coulanges, Port-au-Prince, Haiti  Feill’ oh, Feill’ oh,  Sové la vi’ muen nan misé muen ie oh (bis) Pitit muen malad’, muen curi caill’ gangan Similo (bis) Si li bon gangan wa sové la vi muen, ie oh  

English Translation by Jean Coulanges, Port-au-Prince, Haiti and Christiane Makward, Paris, France 

Spirit of leaves, save my life.  I’m in misery.  Oh!  (bis) My child is sick.  I run to the house of Similo (a spiritual healer).  (bis) If he’s a good healer, he’ll save me from this misery.    

Wongolo refers to an ancient African ancestor.  

Creole                    Wongolo wale      Kilè wa vini wè’m ankò, wale Peyi-a change    Peyi-a fin tonbe    Peyi-a payi-a    Peyi-a kongoule Mayi gaye ewa ewa       Mayi gaye    ti moune yo pren loi 

French Translation       by Ginette Adamson, Strasbourg, France    Wongolo tu t’en vas    Quand reviendras-tu me voir, tu t’en vas Le pays a change     Le pays est tombé    Le pays le pays     Le pays s’est effondré Le maïs a disparu ewa! ewa!      L maïs a disparu     les enfants sont possédés 

English Translation          by Jeannette Bragger Wongolo you’re going away      When will you return to see me, you’re going away The country has changed     The country has fallen   The country the country     The country has collapsed The corn is gone ewa! ewa! The corn is gone     the children are possessed by spirits  May be performed with various rhythm instruments and piano, or a cappella. 

Happy Easter!

Thanks for an … interesting rehearsal on Thursday!

We’re getting to the point where we ALL really do need to start listening to those CD’s. I can tell that many of you have been doing so and I’m grateful, but I can also tell by the puzzled faces that some of you have not.

Much of the Cherubini is quite easy, but movements 3 & 4 are quite tough.

So PLEASE, listen to Track 3 (especially the second half of it), and Track 4 (especially the first part of it).

I’m wondering if any of you have partners or friends who are interested in television and film. The good folks at PTV are willing to provide us with cameras and training to record, edit and broadcast our concerts. They simply don’t have the person-power to do it themselves. This is an opportunity to learn a fun hobby and help a great cause – us! If any of you know anyone who might be interested, please let me know!

There are still a couple of spaces in two of my workshops.

Wednesdays – April 14, 21, 28 (all at 1 PM)

 Saturday, Saturday, Sunday – April 10, 17 (both at 1 PM), and Sunday April 18 at 3:00 PM

Stay tuned!

Xox

Video treat: rescue of horses  http://video.google.nl/videoplay?docid=-4584913278289860160

Thanks again for another rousing rehearsal last night.

It’s important that we try to get the sections divided in halves for the two Haitian pieces, so next week I’ll be asking you to sit in divided sections – split front to back rather than having all the first up front and the seconds in the back. That way you can actually sit next to your friends if you sit along the center line. [It will be clearer when you get there next week.]

Please listen especially to Track 5 on your CD’s – that’s the section starting on Page 56 and going through both sections of fugue to pg. 72.

Lyn is away for awhile so we won’t be having Pilates as previously announced for a couple of weeks. I’ll let you know when we’ll begin again.

It’s not too late to sign up for one of my workshops. Here are the dates I’ve decided to have them!

Mondays: March 29, April 5 &12 

Wednesdays: April 14, 21, 28

Saturdays & Sunday: April 10, 11, 17

all  meet 1:00 – 3:30 PM

Hi all..

Please give a special listen to Track 5 – pg. 56-66. Yikes.

James and I will be going to Santa Fe on Friday to do our show out there. If you have friends out there please let them know!  http://www.uusantafe.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=405:just-married-the-musical&catid=3:newsflash&Itemid=149

XOX Jon

PS You’re musical link of the week: Andrew the singing English choirboy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNN0wQWDUnU 

Hi all…

The excitement builds! I’ve just finished recording the practice CD’s for the Cherubini Requiem and I have to say that it’s one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever written! I think it’ll be very fun to sing – difficult, yes, but fun.

Our first rehearsal is Thursday, Feb. 18^th at 6:30 PM at the Truro Community Center (Rt. 6 and Standish Way, North Truro). We ask for $20 “dues” each “semester” to help pay for musical scores and other things. [I’m doing this a little earlier than usual because James and I are off on Wednesday for a choral conference in Philadelphia and not home until the 15^th.]

You’ll be happy to know that I hear from both Henry Fischer and John Marshall that they’re doing well.

I’m planning on giving some singing workshops this spring that I’ll give you information about anon. In the meantime, there are several Chorale members who give voice lessons so I thought I’d pass their names and numbers along for those who are interested.

John Cottone  401-658-1488  jhncott@aol.com   

Carol Magenau   508-349-6697   carol.magenau@gmail.com

Betty kelly  508-349-2692

There’s a local fellow named Jake Fink who’s shooting a film locally and would like volunteers to sing in a scene to be shot on Feb. 13th at 1030 AM at St. Mary of the Harbor church. He can be reached at 646-391-0876 or jake51@hotmail.com  I understand you’ll get free lunch, a credit in the film and fame!

I’m greatly looking forward to seeing you on Feb. 18. Until then…

Stay warm!

Jon

This is a repeat of information given earlier:

Our Saturday night performance of Choral Classics is on PTV’S website….

http://vimeo.com/channels/voicesandvisions#8202949

You can actually see the score of the Cherubini Requiem and hear it at the same time. Go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDw3Zd3BjH8&feature=related – all six movements are here.  Then go to “file” and choose “new window” and go to http://www2.cpdl.org/wiki/index.php/Requiem_in_C_Minor_%28Luigi_Cherubini%29 and you’ll find the score! Have fun. I especially love the second movement – very exciting “Dies Irae”!!!