Glad that is over! Maybe?
For the last six months, a song has been haunting me. Maybe that is the wrong description. It is. I don't know why, but about six months ago, I started practicing a song. It wasn't even written for a bass, but for an alto. The range, however was perfect for me. So I practiced. I watched a lot of youtube, to get the accompaniment for the piece, having to ignore the soloist. I came back from Twin, and continued to watch, and to practice.
The opportunity came up to sing on Easter Sunday. The music chair was putting together a number of songs, sung by various groups. The primary. A group of Young Women. A male quartet. A group of young girls. The choir, and add me on it. I had to check to see if the pianist could play the arrangement, as it is VERY complicated. (having been written for violins, cellos, and basses.) We also needed to shorten it a bit, as in its fullness is nearly 10 minutes in length. That in and of itself is a challenge, as there is a distinct texture change right in the middle, and it is very important to the piece. I didn't want to do it, because even with the practice, I felt that I could not do it justice, that, and I am normally terrified to sing by myself, in public. But for whatever reason, I felt like I HAD to do it.
We came up with a good way to work the music, and practiced. Did I mention how difficult the piano part was? And yet it was soooo critical. The aria would seem empty without it. It WOULD be empty without it. She did an incredible job. I would not have been able to stand up there without her playing.
The Aria? It is from Messiah. "He was Despised". Charles Jennens wrote the libretto, and Handal put it to music, or rather, God gave the music to Handal, who committed it to paper. Of course, Jennens just put into order a selection of scripture. "He was Despised" came from Isaiah 53:3 and 50:1. Although in the way I sang it, just reverse the verses.
As written:
He was despised
Despised and rejected
Rejected of men
A man of sorrows
A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief
A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief
He was despised
Rejected
He was despised and rejected of men
A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief
A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief
He was despised
Rejected
A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief,
And acquainted with grief
A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief,
He gave His back to the smiters
He gave His back to the smiters
And His cheeks to them that plucked off the hair
And His cheeks to them that plucked off the hair
And His cheeks to them that plucked off the hair
He hid not His face from shame and spitting
Hie hid not His face from shame
From shame
He hid not His face from shame
From shame and spitting
Repeat the start.
We started from "He gave His back to the smiters". It is a very driving harsh melody, that emphasizes what Christ suffered prior to His death. After singing that section, we discussed starting right with me singing, but opted to playing the full introduction, even if it is nearly a minute long, but by doing so, it really changed the mood of the song.
I did okay. I felt exposed, and my voice raw. Even so, I felt that it was acceptable. I felt that I expressed the feeling that was intended. I don't know the why, but I do know this.
This morning, I didn't wake up with the song in my head. So, I feel that whomever was supposed to hear it, did.
My thanks to the pianist, and to the music chair who put my song second, right after "Gethsemane" sung by the primary, and right before a talk regarding the Atonement of Jesus Christ. The choir followed the talk with "Christ the Lord is Risen Today".
The talk? who could have foreseen it? "The Purifying Power of Gethsemane" read in its entirety.
And finally, here is the video that I used to practice, it is Kings College, the choir is made up entirely of boys and young men. (not the soloists, obviously) Think about those boys singing the soprano parts in Hallelujah.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCdWc5-EHsg
The opportunity came up to sing on Easter Sunday. The music chair was putting together a number of songs, sung by various groups. The primary. A group of Young Women. A male quartet. A group of young girls. The choir, and add me on it. I had to check to see if the pianist could play the arrangement, as it is VERY complicated. (having been written for violins, cellos, and basses.) We also needed to shorten it a bit, as in its fullness is nearly 10 minutes in length. That in and of itself is a challenge, as there is a distinct texture change right in the middle, and it is very important to the piece. I didn't want to do it, because even with the practice, I felt that I could not do it justice, that, and I am normally terrified to sing by myself, in public. But for whatever reason, I felt like I HAD to do it.
We came up with a good way to work the music, and practiced. Did I mention how difficult the piano part was? And yet it was soooo critical. The aria would seem empty without it. It WOULD be empty without it. She did an incredible job. I would not have been able to stand up there without her playing.
The Aria? It is from Messiah. "He was Despised". Charles Jennens wrote the libretto, and Handal put it to music, or rather, God gave the music to Handal, who committed it to paper. Of course, Jennens just put into order a selection of scripture. "He was Despised" came from Isaiah 53:3 and 50:1. Although in the way I sang it, just reverse the verses.
As written:
He was despised
Despised and rejected
Rejected of men
A man of sorrows
A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief
A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief
He was despised
Rejected
He was despised and rejected of men
A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief
A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief
He was despised
Rejected
A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief,
And acquainted with grief
A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief,
He gave His back to the smiters
He gave His back to the smiters
And His cheeks to them that plucked off the hair
And His cheeks to them that plucked off the hair
And His cheeks to them that plucked off the hair
He hid not His face from shame and spitting
Hie hid not His face from shame
From shame
He hid not His face from shame
From shame and spitting
Repeat the start.
We started from "He gave His back to the smiters". It is a very driving harsh melody, that emphasizes what Christ suffered prior to His death. After singing that section, we discussed starting right with me singing, but opted to playing the full introduction, even if it is nearly a minute long, but by doing so, it really changed the mood of the song.
I did okay. I felt exposed, and my voice raw. Even so, I felt that it was acceptable. I felt that I expressed the feeling that was intended. I don't know the why, but I do know this.
This morning, I didn't wake up with the song in my head. So, I feel that whomever was supposed to hear it, did.
My thanks to the pianist, and to the music chair who put my song second, right after "Gethsemane" sung by the primary, and right before a talk regarding the Atonement of Jesus Christ. The choir followed the talk with "Christ the Lord is Risen Today".
The talk? who could have foreseen it? "The Purifying Power of Gethsemane" read in its entirety.
And finally, here is the video that I used to practice, it is Kings College, the choir is made up entirely of boys and young men. (not the soloists, obviously) Think about those boys singing the soprano parts in Hallelujah.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCdWc5-EHsg
Comments
Post a Comment