Ottevanger's Omphaloskeptic Outpost

[lukeottevanger]

Please feel free - this is a flame-friendly zone.

To be honest, over the last few days I have been trying to get my thoughts together in a presentable form as requested above, but you know me - never use one word where thirty will do. A habit I find hard to kick, though it's the opposite of the way I compose, I think. So I'm trying to trim down the 4000+ words I've written, and whilst I'm at it, also to trim it of some of the more toe-curling moments without altering the sense too much... Hard work, I can tell you!

[greg]

Please feel free - this is a flame-friendly zone.

To be honest, over the last few days I have been trying to get my thoughts together in a presentable form as requested above, but you know me - never use one word where thirty will do. A habit I find hard to kick, though it's the opposite of the way I compose, I think. So I'm trying to trim down the 4000+ words I've written, and whilst I'm at it, also to trim it of some of the more toe-curling moments without altering the sense too much... Hard work, I can tell you!

this could've been a post of me describing myself, Luke 

[lukeottevanger]

Yes, well, obviously I failed to marshall my thoughts into a presentable state, though I did try my best, honest! However, perhaps I ought to TTT my thread and keep it from slipping onto page 2.

Actually, there is a little thing to report, in fact - of the two pieces I mentioned being in the process of writing, the smaller one has been finished for some time. It is a pieces for girl's voices and piano written for the chamber choir at my school, and to be performed at their (rather wonderful and very English) carol concert in a few weeks' time (think: candlelit small Norman church in the middle of the countryside and all the cliches of the nine lessons sort....lovely)

It's quite hard for them - they are pretty young and have varying abilities - but they are actually managing it quite well now, and it should be OK for the performance. I tried to stuff the piece with hidden tricks to make it easier for them (notes to latch on to, various symmetries etc.) but I am not as experienced in the choral domain as (e.g.) Karl so I may have miscalculated at times; also I don't have a fraction of his skill as a choral trainer, for sure. But, pretentious old sod that I am, I wasn't prepared to change my way of writing too much. It's been hard-won, as this thread and the old one testify, and I don't want to let myself work in other directions whilst I'm getting used to it. In the end, I think I managed to find a very good compromise, and I'm happy with the piece itself, though there's still some nervousness on my part about the performance, I can tell you!

[Guido]

this could've been a post of me describing myself, Luke 

You must be thrilled Luke!

[Maciek]

What's the text?

(Is there one?)

[lukeottevanger]

Here's the score as it stands. I may of course be altering it in the next few days.

[Guido]

I'm not surprised they find it difficult! Will the concert be recorded?

[lukeottevanger]

Hopefully. Or a rehearsal. It's not so much that it is difficult - actually, they catch on to it pretty well. It's more that they think that it must be difficult, and that tends to inhibit them somewhat. Once they are persuaded that, yes, they are getting it right, and it sounds good, they realise that it isn't as hard as they assumed, and the sound grows in confidence.

[greg]

I'm not surprised they find it difficult! Will the concert be recorded?

doesn't look that difficult, since the tempo is supposed to be slow.

[Maciek]

What does the little tick at bar 22 mean (in brackets)?

[lukeottevanger]

It means they could take a breath here, if they need it to reinforce their top notes. They don't, however.

[lukeottevanger]

I'm not surprised they find it difficult! Will the concert be recorded?

Actually, I recorded them today during a run-through. It's very rough, and I don't think it would be fair to them to put it up for general consumption; I'll wait till I have a better version. The microphone was closer to the altos than the sopranos, and catches some of their difficulties a little too revealingly! But it's a useful thing for me to listen to and decide what to concentrate on next.

[lukeottevanger]

The carol concert/service was this evening, with my piece a part of it. It went pretty well, I think. In the end I've come to the conclusion that I was right all along in my careful planning of its degree of difficulty: the piece judges the capabilities of the girls pretty accurately - it pushes them to the limit of what they can do, but they can do it, and it was quite an achievement for them. Tuning still a little suspect in the lower voices at times, tone was sometimes a little rough in those same voices, and they needed holding together in some places, but otherwise fine. People seemed to like it, though of course it wasn't a typical concert audience, so I'm not sure how many people even noticed that one item was a world premiere  But people whose opinion I value were particularly nice, and our excellent and very professional singing teacher, who was there to play the organ, was particularly perceptive and full of touching praise, which meant a lot.

I have a slightly better recording of a rehearsal last week, but I'm in two minds about putting it up, for more than one reason - it still isn't perfect and so I'm not sure I want it to represent my wishes; also I don't think it is fair on the girls to post their singing, especially with imperfections, without warning or consent.

[greg]

well, i wanna hear..... how about they just remain anonymous? It's not like i know them.

[karlhenning]

Bravo, Luke!

[lukeottevanger]

Thanks, Karl

I had to leave as soon as the service was over last night, but I'm back at school now and have had more nice comments from parents and staff relayed to me from those who remained behind longer. Very gratifying. 

[BachQ]

I have a slightly better recording of a rehearsal last week, but I'm in two minds about putting it up, for more than one reason - it still isn't perfect and so I'm not sure I want it to represent my wishes; also I don't think it is fair on the girls to post their singing, especially with imperfections, without warning or consent.

Post your music ........ already .......

[Maciek]

Bravo from me too, Luke!

I don't think it is fair on the girls to post their singing, especially with imperfections, without warning or consent.

But you could ask them, couldn't you? Or would that be imposing on them (are they afraid of you? )?

[lukeottevanger]

....minor mention on the school's website...

[Maciek]

Nice.