A Tuning the Air Journal

Monday, October 24, 2011 – Performance Team Rehearsal

Short one player, as Travis was called away on family business.

We began with an extended circulation in C Minor. Work with listening and responding, phrasing, cadences and continuity.

On to continued work with the B Minor Prelude. We did some work with the isolated right hand melodies. Travis sits in a pivotal seat for one of these melodies, and so it was a little difficult to hear. Nevertheless, an illuminating exercise, and I found that when afterward we ran the full arrangement, I was hearing the piece with slightly more discerning ears. The Music Director asked the Arranger if the Fugue was ready to present. Parts will be forthcoming this week. Never a dull moment.

“Connecticut Yankee”, with the metronome, focusing on incorporating the dynamic indications we discussed on Saturday.

Darlene was present, so we ran “Gnossienne”, with the metronome.

We discussed the slightly amended set order. “Odd Socks” will be replaced by “Chanson de Mardi Gras” in the Sgt Bones slot. And “I Am The Walrus” will be placed a little later in the set. Several runs through “Walrus” without and then with the metronome. Our tendency is to speed up a bit through the piece – not extreme, just a couple bpm, and rather organic. We decided not to obsess on this, but to continue practicing and rehearsing with the metronome at the prescribed tempo so that it might settle in for us a bit more. We tightened up some of the parts and arrangement issues, and looked at how the piece will transition in the performance.

A couple of runs through “Fallout”, with the metronome; the final time with the metronome up a couple of notches to the composer’s target tempo. We are not quite able to pull it off at that tempo without the piece sounding frantic, but it seemed not as far away as we might have thought.

“Larks’ Tongues” with the metronome, giving the violinist and oboist an opportunity to work through their parts.

One pass at “Tico Tico” without metronome, and “Mad World” with the metronome, and it was time to call it a night.