Hello everyone,
Welcome to Concert Strings Orchestra! This is your weekly email, brought to you by Elizabeth Shamblin, Mr. Rempher’s assistant. We had a great first rehearsal last week! Here are some of the highlights.
Arrive at least 5 minutes before rehearsal so you are ready to tune right at 12:30. Next week, you should have a nametag on the stand in front of your assigned seat. The seating chart for the first concert is linked here. Bring a pencil and have it out on your stand, ready to mark up your music. If you don’t have a pencil, Mr. Rempher might call on you to play an impromptu solo.
Everyone shoud have their parts, but if you need another copy, you can download it off of the CSO blog page. The blog is a good resource to bookmark. Second violins, you will find your leadership exerpts there. Links to audio clips, winning lottery numbers, and recipes might also be posted. Weekly emails will be posted there as well (but if you want the weekly cartoon, you’ll have to read your email).
Shoot for a metronome marking of quarter note at 92. Don’t play into the rests. Silence is golden. There are stronger beats and weaker beats in each measure. 1 and 3 are strong; 2 and 4 start weaker and then lean forward, leading into the next. If you have a repeated note, don’t bludgeon the listener with it - vary the weight of it (see line above).
First vlns: in measure 2, the second C begins the second phrase, so give it some forward energy. Measures 27, 28, 29 30 are possible solo spots - use 4th finger whenever it says.
Celli: keep it nice and short by using decelleration of the bow (start with speed and then lighten it up). That will give it nice buoyancy.
There will be inside players and outside players for the divisi parts*. If you play violin and you sit on the right side of the stand, you are an “outside” player and your stand partner is the “inside” player. Violas, celli, and basses, whoever sits on the left side of the stand is the outside player, and the right hand side is the inside player. Outside players play the top part of the divisi. Inside players play the bottom part.
Dashes under the notes mean to articulate the slurs. It’s called portato (in the stacatto family) and it is good both roasted or baked.
Metronome markings: start off with quarter note = 60
measure 10: quarter note = 72
m19: quarter = 76;
m 35 quarter = 66;
m 40: quarter = 84;
m 53: half note = 60;
m 66: quarter = 60;
m 72: quarter = 76;
m 90: quarter = 80.
m 98: quarter = 72;
At measure 13, there is a subito piano, which means: all of a sudden, get quieter. Metronome marking: shoot for half note at 120
Fun fact: If you have a home assistant (like google, alexa, siri), you can get it to play the metronome for you. Mine plays it with a snazzy drum beat.
See you Saturday!
—Elizabeth
