Saturday, September 12, 2009

Great first concert

Superb job yesterday, everyone.

And I'm glad to report that Victoria is better (but that she has the flu).

I got great comments from many people after the concert. Would love to hear what you heard.

The best: Great job - four memorized works performed very well with only four weeks of classes.

The worst: uniform emergencies on the day of the concert

The solution: Crash Course on Stephen Covey, Habit 1

8 comments:

Jennifer said...

are you going to require that concert choir reads 7 Habits as well?
Haha

Anonymous said...

oooh look at the snazzy new cover they have on it!

Anonymous said...

Comments after performance:

-Charles and I were walking offstage to the back of the room and we saw Dr. Thomas looking at us, giving us two big thumbs up, and mouthing the words "Very niiiiiiice!!"

-Another conductor I talked to said that he had performed "Abide With Me" with his community chorus, but said that our performance moved him in a totally different way and brought him to tears. He was very complimentary of our sound.

-Most everyone I made eye contact with had something really positive to say about our choir's performance. Hahaha, or asked where you find such fantastic choral literature.

Thoughts: Geeze it's nice to be back in the swing of things. I think we always sound soooo much better once we start putting our music down. It's like everything really starts to meld together and we really start listening to each other. I'm really looking forward to where this choir will go this year. I won't lie, I was slightly worried at first, but after our first concert I think our potential is limited only to what we want it to be. This group works very well together and I'm excited about the new choral family we have. It is an honor to be on that stage with everyone and it fills me with the kind of joy that cannot be adequately conveyed through words. I hope the rest of you feel the same. Kudos, kudos, kudos everyone!! WELL DONE

Chris Barbee

nancois said...

"Choir Family"...I like that. It's so true...

I was very proud that we didn't let the dead room throw us at all, really. We acknowledged it, there was nothing we could do about it, at least it was a PRETTY dead room, and went on, letting that issue go. One of the best first outings I've experienced with this choir. LOVE that...

Anonymous said...

Great job guys!!! Wish I could have been there!

ryan said...

Best moments of the day for me.

- Overcoming the dead room.
During the performance it felt pretty live or at least our energy made it seem that way. And im sure the audience, being as close as they were got an ear-full.

- as we walked onstage, before even singing our first note, seeing the faces of the ppl in the audience, i felt as though they were looking at us as if they knew we were going to do well...as if they were anticipating our performance. That itself speaks for the reputation UAB has, and the hard-work this choir and you, Copeland, have put in over the past few yrs...the work that we will continue to put in to be considered among the elite of choirs.

- Abide With Me seemed to touch just about everyone in room, so many ppl came up to me afterwards saying how that piece was so fitting and touching.

- The power of NUNC! Oh gah, that is such a rockin piece.

- My middle school teacher, Kim Vinson was there, and she said that she was going to make it a requirement that her students come to some of our performances this yr, because the kids dont often get the chance to hear music performed to such a standard. She thinks that we can inspire and touch them. We def touched her, she gave us a standing ovation at the end of our set.

- Cope, looking at your face empowered me man! We def feed off of your energy. Kudos to you for keeping the ball rolling!

- We are a good looking choir. & we wear our uniforms well..haha. (just a random thought)

*What I think we performed best*
1.Abide With Me
2.Nunc Dimittis
3.Regina Caeli
4.Haec Dies
-------------
For what is was yesterday,
we were awesome. It was our 1st performance and think we got off to a great start. We should be proud of ourselves.

Was it the best we had to offer YESTERDAY?
- I think so, if not, then pretty dang close.

Is it the best we have to OFFER?
-DEF NOT! We have only begun to mold those pieces and gel as a choir. I cant wait to hear them in a month or so. They will be incredible!

To perform as well as we did yesterday, in the short space of time that we had to prepare is a testament to the talent we have.
With that being said, I think we have a ways to go before we are the choir that we want to be this yr. More hard-work is a must...even more than we have been putting in.

We have to keep looking ahead to important outings that we have planned & give 100%

-Fall/Spring Concert.
-Collegiate Choral Festival.
-ACDA.
-FRANCE!
- ETC.

Let's show eveyone what we got. GET CRUNK YALL! Let's kick some booty this yr ppl! We can do it. YEAAHHHH! :)

Unknown said...

great posts, all. I look forward to more.

Anonymous said...

Aw, Doctor Copeland, I really miss singing in choir, but I miss the performances and all their stresses and triumphs. I remember wondering if we would ever get pieces memorized and how they always came together so beautifully. I also remember those uniform emergencies and how we always someone needing something...a new dress comes to mind. :)

I'm so glad to hear that the first concert went well. Please say hello to everyone for me! Happy singing,

Crystal Whatley