Fall Concert

I go back and forth on my opinions of the fall concert. During the fall I find it very stressful; we have such a short time to perfect the music and it cuts away from our time learning the music for the Major Works Concert. But after the concert I look back and remember how much fun it is- that’s why I am really glad we decided to keep the fall concert going this year. I think it is such an awesome way to jump into the school year and start singing. It is also a good way to see how the chorus mixes together with all the new people. I think the chorus does most of its bonding in the classroom and learning music together. I can already tell that this Fall Concert is going to be awesome- we have a strong guy’s section and we all are working really hard to meet and go past the expectations.

Alison McDermott

I agree that the Fall Concert can tend to be very stressful, because it comes so quickly. The concert is coming up in a few weeks, and we still have quite a bit of repertoire to learn and perfect. However, once the concert is over, all of the hard work really pays off. My family always loves the Fall Concert, so in my opinion it is worth all of the stressful preparation. Rehearsals for the fall concert are always an interesting experience, because the new chorus year is just getting started. There is a lot going on in the chorus program right now, such as fundraisers and other activities, so this fall season is proving to be a bit hectic. However, I have faith that this Fall Concert will be a great hit.

I also agree that the Fall Concert often comes up fast after just starting school, but I also think that it’s a good way to keep the chorus motivated. It sets a goal for us very quickly, and has us working hard right off the bat so that we are not waiting around to really start working hard on our music in class. I also think that the Fall Concert is a great opportunity to hear our fellow musicians, the band and orchestra. Last year I remember greatly enjoying hearing them make music, and enjoying it as much as the chorus does.

Obviously the beginning of the year is an extremely very busy time of year but it helps that we can to take a break from all of the stresses in our lives and focus on music, something so rewarding and enjoyable. I enjoy examining different aspects of the lyrical texts in chorus music, especially the french! I take french in school and am loving the fact that we are singing in it. I already told my francophile friends to attend the concert!
We are slowly by surely nailing the notes but I think that it is important to now focus on a story- so each member can reach a common feeling to depict a similar mood from the song. I feel that as long as everyone has a story that causes them to feel a common feeling. Oftentimes music can possess a lot of hidden meaning in the texts of the piece. In addition to examining the texts to gain a appreciation for the feeling that the author is trying to portray, one can also look at the texts for pronunciation purposes. By studying the texts of music, one can look at the different vowel sounds and pronounce the words differently.
In "Mon Coeur Se Recommande a Vous" in particular we must really strive to convince our audience of the lyrics. The person who wrote the lyrics picked every word for a particular reason which is something really special. We really have to dig down deep and internalize the lyrics!