Notes from March 2nd, 2010

"He laveth the thirsty land". I searched Wikipedia and Dictionary.com but came up with no definition. Going back to High School Spanish class, I do remember that the verb "lavar" meant "to wash", and that does fit in the context of the song, so I'm going with it! Anyone have a better insight?

The plans for next week include the following sectional rehearsals:

• Baal! Baal! (#13 - Choruses within Recitative, not to be confused with #11)
• He Watching Over Israel (#29 - measures 44 to the end)
• Behold God the Lord (#34 - measures 115 to the end)
• And then shall your light break forth (#43 - measures 64 to the end)
• Lord Bow Thine Ear (#2 - yeah, it's not on your CD, but it's just some undercurrent to a Soprano/Alto duet, and not that hard when you look at it.)

• Yet Doth the Lord (#5)
• Blessed are the men who fear him (#9)
• Thanks Be to God (#20)
• Behold God the Lord (#34)

We still need items for the auction on the 27th. I overheard some folks discussing what makes a good auction item, and basically it's anything you would be proud to donate and you think someone might be willing to buy. Typically, tickets, food, art, crafts, collectibles, antiques, baskets of related items, gift certificates, books, specialized services you can provide, new merchandise, all go well. You can donate items yourself, or ask businesses you deal with to provide items to promote their business and help us out as well; you can also ask a talented relative, friend or neighbor to donate an item or service for which they are well known. Items under $75 are generally offered on a "silent auction" and larger items are placed on a "live bid", although the auction committee makes the final decision when all items are in. You can bring your items to rehearsal and give them to John Rain, or if an item is physically large you can make other arrangements to get it to the Wood River Moose Hall on the Friday or Saturday before the event. Please accompany your item with a donation form as can be found in the column on the left. If you have any questions, SPEAK UP and someone will be glad to answer your question, or click here to send a question via email. Also, Gwen has tickets for the event, which includes a delicious buffet dinner, for $25, and all attendees, including chorus members, need a ticket for entry. BE THERE, OR BE SQUARE!

See you on the 9th.

Notes from February 23th, 2010

We were short on Basses at rehearsal (yes, compared to the Tenors, the Basses are always short), so we hope to see everyone back soon.

Want to know what to expect next week? Rumor has it that the following will be covered.

• Help, Lord (#1 - measures 34 to the end, including the Recitative)
• Oh Man of God (#19 - miscellaneous choruses, check carefully)
• Hear Our Cry, Oh Baal! (#12)
• Thanks Be to God (#20 - measures 65 to the end)
• Cast Thy Burden (#15)
• Woe to Him! (#24 measures 1-25)

The annual Auction is just about a month away, and we need items to auction to generate operating funds for the coming year. What can you donate (Crafts, tickets, services, merchandise . . .)? Each donation needs an accompanying form, which is available on the left. PLEASE get your items in ASAP.

See you on the 2nd.

Notes from February 16th, 2010

Nancy worked extensively on recognizing when each part should be dominant in the opening and closing fugues, and when each part was "filler" and should be de-emphasized in favor of a different part. That part of practice took about 20 minutes. Do you know the technical term for such a lengthy lesson to break the "dominance habit"?

For rehearsal on the 23rd, please study anything we have rehearsed before, and also the following in particular:

• Behold, God the Lord (#34 - measures 72-114)
• Blessed are the Men Who Fear Him (#9 - measures 27-end)
• And then shall your light break forth (#42 - measures 64-end)
• Yet Doth the Lord (#5 - Measures 68-end)
• Thanks be to God (#20 - Measures 1-64)
• Miscellaneous Choruses (#10)
• Baal! Baal! (#11 - measures 33-end)

BTW, the term is "filler buster". See you on the 23rd.

Notes for February 9th, 2010

Due to the snow storm, the fact that the parking lot at Evangelical UCC may not be plowed until Wednesday, and slippery roads in spots,

Notes from February 2nd, 2010

Welcome to our New Singers and Welcome Back to everyone else!
If you missed our first rehearsal of the semester, we look forward to seeing you soon. Don't get too far behind, as Elijah waits for no one. At the rehearsal on 2/2 we covered the following choruses:

• Help, Lord! (#1)
• Yet Doth the Lord (#5)
• Cast Thy Burden Upon the Lord (#15)
• He, Watching Over Israel (#29)
• Behold, God the Lord (#34)
• And then shall your light break forth (#42, or #43 in some books)

So what do we intend to cover on the 9th? See below:

• Blessed are the men who fear him (#9 - measures 1-26)
• Baal! Baal! (#11 - measures 1-32)
• Woe to him! (#24 - measures 26 to the end)
• Behold God the Lord (#34 - Measures 115 to the end)
• Go Return upon thy way (#36)
• And then shall your light break forth (#42 - measures 1-17)

If you would like further information from Scriptures of the stories on which "Elijah" is based, consult First and Second Kings in the Bible, or http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elijah from your PC.

I saw an interesting sign outside a church: "We are not all Saints here; some root for the Colts". Enjoy the game, but don't blow out your voice.

Auction Committee members: Don't forget our meeting on 2/6 at 10AM at the Alton Golden Corral. Even if you have not been on the Auction Committee before, you are welcome to attend and get involved.

Notes from January 29th, 2010

February 2nd may be "Ground Hog Day", but don't YOU crawl back in a hole! We begin GRCS rehearsal again on February 2nd at 6:30pm at Evangelical UCC in Godfrey. Don't forget your "Music Fees" of $25 per semester (see Loretta Mason), and copies of "Elijah" will be ready for everyone. Performance is Saturday, May 29th at Principia in Elsah.

We also need your help to make the annual dinner auction on March 27th a big success. We will talk a bit more about that when we meet on the 2nd, but take a look at the "Auction Items" in the column on the left for helpful auction information; volunteer help on a subcommittee would be especially appreciated.

Auction Committee members: Don't forget our meeting on 1/30 at 10AM at the Alton Golden Corral.