"But . . . I have a degree in vocal performance."

I'm not sure how many of you caught American Idol tonight, but it was quite a show. The girl in the picture thought she deserved a spot because she was a HUGE fan of the show and she had a Degree in Vocal Performance.

Wow. She came on after the "rocker" who had an apple pie face and a radiohead voice:



Interesting show.

Ah, Christmas Money

Today was the day I spent that Christmas money:



I'm hoping the 80 g will hold it all.

Some thoughts on Saturday

The Concert:

Overall I was pleased with the concert. Charles Henry had good things to say about the overall impact but I'll let him make his observations to you. Linc had good things to say on his blog.

Individual pieces:

Nunc: Very good over all. Had a funny start in the 1st soprano part--the first note sort of slid up . . . "Domine . . . " Nick and Lauren said the fast section was too fast. That would be my fault but that's the way I felt it at the time, I guess.

Ave Maria: A good job.

Deep River: Beginning chord was a little unsure. We absolutely must fix this issue. I have a suspicion that our shaky first chords in concert are a result of our rehearsal process. How to solve:

1. Practice starting with pitch pipe MUCH MORE frequently. Sadie, bring the p.p.
2. People in sections must ABSOLUTELY KNOW their first notes and how they relate to the pitch given.
3. You have to know what piece we are about to sing before you know how your first pitch relates to the pitch given by pitch pipe. (i don't think that was a problem Saturday but it was before)
4. Confidence. Professionalism. Attitude. In the end, it comes down to you being focused enough to execute. I know you can. Now you must.

There were some events that surrounded our performance that, quite frankly, must never happen again:

1. A mistaken date
2. Schedule conflict with performance date
3. Extreme tardiness.
4. Unprofessional behavior in the concert warmup.
   

I spoke the mantra once on Saturday:

To be early is to be on time.
To be on time is to be late.
To be late is unacceptable.
(you must incorporate this mantra into your behavior)

Everyone makes mistakes, I know that. If we don't watch out, however, our "mistakes" are so much a part of how we function every day that that is who we are.

I'll use the section leaders to help with the problem at our next performance, so be ready, section leaders.

BCC Rehearsal Tonight

A reminder:

Birmingham Concert Choir rehearsal tonight if you can make it.

Time: 7:00 (be early)
Place: Briarwood Presbyterian Church
Bring your music, of course!

Here's a map.

Friday rehearsal in Band Room

Choir,

We'll be in the band rehearsal space today (not our regular room).

See you at 2:00!

Three Great Anthems and Texts

Some of my posts on this blog are for the benefit of other choral musicians using a search engine to find a text, a date for a composer, or something else like that. Here are three texts for great anthems to help other church musicians:

And The Father Will Dance
Words Zephaniah 3:14,17, Psalm 34:2,4; Music by Mark Hayes

And the Father will dance over you in joy!
He will take delight in whom He loves
Is that a choir I hear singing the praises of God?
No, the Lord God Himself is exulting over you in song!
And He will joy over you in song.
And He will joy over you in song (Repeat)

My soul will make its boast in God
for He has answered all my cries
His faithfulness in me is as sure as the dawn of a new day.

Awake, my soul! Awake, my soul! Awake, my soul, and sing!
Let my spirit rejoice. Let my spirit rejoice. Let my spirit rejoice in God!

Sing, O daugther of Zion, with all of your heart!
Cast away fear for you have been restored!
Put on the garment of praise as on a festival day
Join with the Father in glorious, jubilant song!

And He will joy over you in song.
And He will joy over you in song
And the Father will dance over you in joy!
He will take delight in whom He loves
Is that a choir I hear singing the praises of God?
No, the Lord God Himself is exulting over you in song!

God rejoices over you.
God rejoices over you.
God rejoices over you in song!

Who At My Door Is Standing?
Arr. K. Lee Scott

Who at my door is standing, there patiently drawing near,
who entrance is demanding? Whose is the voice I hear?
Sweetly the tones are falling: “Now open the door for me!
If thou wilt heed my calling, I will abide with thee.”
Within, the rooms are darken’d, all filled with dust and sin;
how shameful, how unworthy for Christ to enter in.
Yet, the tones are falling: “Now open the door for me!
If thou wilt heed my calling, I will abide with thee.”
Door of my heart, I hasten! Thee will I open wide.
Though he rebuke and chasten, He shall with me abide.
Sweetly the tones are falling: “Now open the door for me!”
Lord God, I hear thee calling, come now, abide with me. Dear Lord, abide with me!

Jesus, Savior, Blessed Friend
Words and Music by Deborah Govenor

Whom have I, O Lord, beside you?
What have I except your love?
Where is home if not for heaven,
there to dwell with you above?

Who are you, if not my Savior?
Who am I if not your own?
What are you if not my shelter,
Christ, my rock and cornerstone?

Jesus, Savior, blessed friend,
I will love you without end.

Who will share my earthly sorrow?
Who will heal my broken heart?
Who will hold my life together
when it seems to fall apart?>

When the fears are far too many,
and the joys are far too few,
who will comfort and defend me?
Only you, Lord only you.

Jesus, Savior, blessed friend,
I will love you without end.

Where, O Lord, when life is over,
can I go, but home to you?
What have I except the promise
where you are I shall be too?

When at last I reach the comfort
of that bright celestial place,
there with joy will I behold you,
gaze upon your glorious face.

Jesus, Savior, blessed friend,
I will love you without end.

In the Womb: Multiples [TV-PG]

multiples, originally uploaded by philipco.

For obvious reasons, I'm quite excited about this television show on Sunday night. (note: that's not my kids in the pic . . . it's a computer generated drawing)

Details of the show:

In the Womb: Multiples [TV-PG]
Sunday, January 14, 2007, at 08P

Egg and sperm meet and spark a perilous journey of fetal development, but what if there are two, three or even four along for the ride? In the Womb: Multiples, a two-hour world premiere special, utilizes groundbreaking technology to take viewers into theextraordinary world of twins, triplets and quadruplets as they develop in utero. The special follows the stories of three expectant mothers from conception to birth and travels inside the womb to see the tiny fetuses begin to interact with each other.

Google calendar addition to the right

It was Katie's idea, and a good one. See the ADD EVENT to GOOGLE CALENDAR button to the right.

And if you can't tell, I'm a little technically infatuated with Google Calendar. I found a program yesterday that will sync it with my Pocket PC named GOOSYNC. If you do the PocketPc or calendar on your phone, you may be interested in this program. All I can say is . . . it works. (and that is saying alot when it comes to syncing anything)

A recommended Verdi recording

Here is an ITUNES link to a recording of the Verdi Requiem that I like. I downloaded it and it sounded great. Tempos are a little slow according to the review below, but that might help you learn it.

(Review From Amazon.com)
Harnoncourt's Verdi Requiem stresses the "spiritual" aspects of the work and downplays its theatrical elements. He's aided by the wonderful playing and singing of the Vienna Philharmonic and the Arnold Schoenberg Choir. Both give Harnoncourt precisely what he wants. It's doubtful though that what results in a recording competitive with the best. Pacing is agonizingly slow, without the rhythmic life that allows other versions that stress the score's religious aspects (Guilini for EMI and BBC, Fricsay for DG) to retain their classic status. The slow tempos do allow Harnoncourt to explore details often overlooked by others, so the huge outbursts of the "Dies Irae" section have the kind of precise articulation and carefully observed instrumental details rarely heard. But the slow speeds also come at the cost of pushing his miscast, light-voiced solo quartet far beyond their limits. Their singing is full of carefully refined tonal shadings that seem out of place in this work, as well as afflicted by intrusive vibratos. Verdi completists and the curious will want this; others will be content with such longtime favorites as the Giulini, Solti (Decca), and Toscanini (RCA) versions. --Dan Davis

What American accent do YOU have?

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The Midland "You have a Midland accent" is just another way of saying "you don't have an accent." You probably are from the Midland (Pennsylvania, southern Ohio, southern Indiana, southern Illinois, and Missouri) but then for all we know you could be from Florida or Charleston or one of those big southern cities like Atlanta or Dallas. You have a good voice for TV and radio.
The South
Philadelphia
The Inland North
The Northeast
The West
Boston
North Central
What American accent do you have? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

Google Calendar

I'm working at adding Google Calendar functionality to this blog. All choir dates are on this calendar.

I do it this way: I keep my normal calendar on Google, then I ADD the UAB Choir Calendar to it. Play with it--maybe you can figure it out!

You can subscribe to the UAB Choirs Calendar here: (please let me know if this works)

A revolutionary technology for college men

Saw this today and realize it could really make a difference in the lives of college men everywhere.

Self-Cleaning Underwear Goes Weeks Without Washing

Self-cleaning fabrics could revolutionize the sport apparel industry. The technology, created by scientists working for the U.S. Air Force, has already been used to create t-shirts and underwear that can be worn hygenically for weeks without washing.

The new technology attaches nanoparticles to clothing fibers using microwaves. Then, chemicals that can repel water, oil and bacteria are directly bound to the nanoparticles. These two elements combine to create a protective coating on the fibers of the material.

Spring Dates 2007

Important Dates for the Semester:

January 13
UAB Honor Choir Performance (3:00 p.m.)

January 29
Verdi Requiem Rehearsal (Briarwood Pres., 7:00 p.m.)

January 30
Verdi Requiem Rehearsal, Jemison Concert Hall (7:00 p.m.)

February 1
Verdi Requiem Rehearsal (7:00 p.m.)

February 2
Quink Masterclass (Quink is a professional vocal ensemble)
Verdi Requiem Performance #1 (8:00 p.m.)

February 3
Verdi Requiem Performance #2 (8:00 p.m.)

February 26
ACDA Invitational Choir Festival (UAB Choral Ensembles perform several times during the day . . . . TBA) (February 26 is a Monday)

March 5
UAB Concert Choir performance, Miles College (during class time)

March 7 -10
ACDA National Convention (Copeland out)

Monday, March 5 Concert at Miles
Tuesday, March 6 No Class
Wednesday, March 7 No Class
Thursday, March 8 No Class
Friday, March 9 No Class

March 11-17
UAB Spring Break

April 12
UAB Opera

April 13
No Class (Copeland Out)

April 17
Choir Recording Day (2:00 – 4:00 Bluff Park Methodist)

April 20
UAB Choirs Spring Choral Concert (8:00 p.m.)

April 24
Choir Recording Day (2:00 – 4:00 Bluff Park Methodist)

April 25
Last Day of Class

Apr 26
Weather Make-up Days

Apr 27
Weather Make-up Days

Apr 28 - May 4 Final Exams

May 3
Choir Recording Day (2:00 – 4:00 Bluff Park Methodist)

May 5
Graduation/Diploma Date

Sunday performance Spring 2007

No church has been scheduled yet, but I'm planning on us singing at a worship service on the Sunday following Easter. It's a good time for us as a choir to sing then and the church musicians don't mind as much since the High Holy Day is over.

So, mark it down: April 15 will be a UAB Choir Sunday.

Black Sheep

If someone can find the official story behind this song, let me know.

Recordings for you to embrace:

First Choir
Second Choir

Your internet settings may play them through your internet browser. If you want to download it, look here to change the settings.

(Hint: If you are using Internet Explorer, select "Save Target As." If you are using Netscape or Firefox, select "Save Link As." Save the file to the location of your choice.)

Enjoy!

Quasi-Lock-In Update

Working with the movie company (Rave Motion Pictures) got complicated today and the early possibility of going to a private showing doesn't look like it will work out.

I think we can still accomplish what I wanted to accomplish with a revised schedule:

1. A significant beginning on the Verdi Requiem
2. A group activity for the choir

What we would do:
1. I provide Pizza and Salad and Drinks
2. We dismiss in time to go to a late movie (but it would be an "on your own" event and you could choose not to participate--but I hope you do!)

Revised Schedule:
Friday, January 5
5:30 - 7:00 rehearsal
7:00 dinner (Verdi seems to dictate pizza)
7:30 - 10:00 rehearsal (broken up into reasonable segments)
10:25 Movie

A Movie and Reading Around the Internet

Leigh and I saw "Night at the Museum" tonight. It was . . . OK. Not great. Cute. Maybe it was just me, but I give it 2 out of 5 stars.

I had a more productive time reading this touching story about a fallen soldier's 200 page journal to his young son and seeing 13 photographs that changed the world. Here's one:

As era-defining photographs go, "Migrant Mother" pretty much takes the cake. For many, Florence Owens Thompson is the face of the Great Depression, thanks to legendary shutterbug Dorothea Lange. Lange captured the image while visiting a dusty California pea-pickers’ camp in February 1936, and in doing so, captured the resilience of a proud nation facing desperate times.

(that was from a quote in the article)
I don't know if you know about Digg.com but it is taking me to some wonderful stories.

Saw Robert and Katie at the Vestavia Starbucks . . . it was good to see you guys again. Looking forward to Thursday! (and Friday)

In the News

newspaper, originally uploaded by philipco.

Reviewing 2006

It seems appropriate to review the past year for the choir as we look forward to 2007. It might be said that 2006 was full of notable achievements for the choir:

• Participation in the ASO's Martin Luther King recognition with "If I can help somebody."
• Concert Performance at Southern Division ACDA (West Virginia)
• Joint Concert with Birmingham Concert Chorale in Mozart's "Solemn Vespers."
• New York trip and performance at Carnegie Hall
• Bach's "Singet"
• New organization of Women's Choir and Men's choir. (perhaps better described as a new "approach" to Women's Choir and Men's Choir.)
• Outstanding performance at Alabama Collegiate Choral Festival.
• Best "Christmas at the Alys" since I've been here.

Congrats and thanks to all who work so hard to make our choir great.

Auld Lang Syne

Some call it "Ole Lang Syne" or a number of other titles, but here it is with it's proper title. Happy 2007 everyone. Wikipedia has a great history of the song.

Auld Lang Syne

Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and days of auld lang syne?
For auld lang syne, my dear,
for auld lang syne,
we'll take a cup of kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and days of auld lang syne?
And here's a hand, my trusty friend
And gie's a hand o' thine
We'll tak' a cup o' kindness yet
For auld lang syne