Performance team rehearsal

A Tuning the Air Journal

Saturday, September 17, 2011 – Performance team rehearsal

Full performance team on hand for rehearsal in the performance space in the Great Hall at Fremont Abbey. The Music Director reiterated the list of pieces he would like up and running at opening night. Today was detail work on several pieces.

Most notably, “Gnossienne” turned a big corner. It began with some discussion about what the music was asking of us and how better to respond. A range of ideas. Travis made a suggestion that seemed to resonate; at least as a worthwhile experiment. A risky idea, but one that ensures that players are on their toes. Several passes through the arrangement, with minor modifications, and it was clear to all present that a new vibrancy had come into the piece. This may not be the final arrangement, if it isn’t, it is clearly a major step along the way.

Chris presented “Fallout” to the entire team. Those of us from the Wednesday group already had the skeleton and a number of parts. For part of the rehearsal, Chris and Bob worked out some of the lead parts that haven’t yet been written, filling in a number of gaps and sending Bob home with some material to work with in order to complete the rest. The form and general arrangement of the piece are in place, and we are on our way to taking it to the next stage.

Preliminary work on bringing “Slow Burn” back to readiness. It was debuted last season, but only performed in the last two shows, and so, along with “Hanging Gardens, Hanging Man”, has a special dispensation with respect to the “all new material” plan for the upcoming season. Most of the piece came back quickly. I will need to reconstruct my bass part for the “B” section, as it was not immediately in my hands. The biggest task is the reconstruction of the cascades in the middle. With the changes in personnel this part needs to be completely re-written. We took a stab at creating it within the circle, but it became apparent that this was going to be cumbersome and slow, so yet more homework for Bob, who volunteered to arrange it.

For the final half hour we ran a mini-set of the pieces currently up and running. It was smooth enough to be encouraging, and rough enough to remind us that we have our work cut out for us.

Next rehearsal, Monday evening. We are charged with being off-book on the first 17 bars of the Bach B Minor Prelude.