I’m still on a music high from this afternoon; my Glee Club performed Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem today. We had an 8-hour rehearsal yesterday and I was completely exhausted when I went home–you wouldn’t think you could get so worn out just from singing, but when you’re doing a piece like this, it’s not exactly like when you’re singing along with the radio. All the hard work paid off, because it was absolutely magnificent; one of my friends who came said she was in tears more than once.
The big payoff, though, was when we made Jonathan, our director, cry–for the singers here, the moment that always gets him is the “ewige Freude” in the second movement where the tenors then basses have the phrase, then the altos come in and reduce him to a puddle (and of course I’m an alto). I adore Jonathan, so to see that reaction from him is so gratifying.
I had to miss the big spring production the last two years–last year was the Beethoven 9th, the year before, the Bach Magnificat–through various circumstances, and out of the three, I’m so glad I got to sing this one. The others are wonderful, but this piece moves me. Yesterday in rehearsal, my most-used phrase was, “Oooh, I love that bit.”
I called my mother to share the experience with her, but she was out at a rehearsal herself.
I am a singer too, and although I haven’t performed that particular piece, I know exactly the high you are talking about. And share, too, the sentiment of wanting to “reach” your director, that doing so is a high honor.
I got news today about my band. We will have our first gig next week playing at my Alma Mater’s Rag week. It is our first big gig together, and we will be the last act on before the main act, Aslan, are on. (ote: Aslan are one of Irelands biggest Rock groups that never made it big outside Ireland. You can check them out at http://www.aslan.ie/
This is really big for us. Its our oppertunity to blow Aslan off the stage. hahahahahaAHAHAHAHAHA
Never done the pieces mentioned in this thread (and the stuff madrigals did when I was in HS is fairly obscure).
How I miss singing. I was in a Gospel choir freshman year of college for the first term and part of the second, but it just got to be too painful (they sang loud instead of well. The people giving out parts couldn’t harmonize. etc).
However, my madrigal director senior year was also my euro hist AP teacher, and in his class comments for me said I was the best singer in the school (out of 300). So that was exhilarating.
But yeah, music always does it for me. And as a rule I don’t have anything on my playlist to which I can’t sing along.
Wow, you sing? See, I knew I had a crush on you for a reason, Geobabe. Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem is one of my favorite pieces to perform. We did it a couple of years ago with the Phoenix Symphony. My favorite movement is the Denn alles Fleisch. Eight hours of rehearsal? Holy mother of God that’s a long time to rehearse. Sounds like it paid off, though. Congratulations on such a moving performance!
Sorry, I was teaching a class down in Tucson today. Otherwise I would’ve been here sooner.
My group is rehearsing the Verdi Requiem which we’re performing with the ASU Symphony in April. We performed it back in 1997 with the PSO. I’m looking forward to doing it again. Guess I better go post in that other thread.
Well, I certainly have a nice selection of fellas here in this thread! Garsh. Smooches to all of you.
I was on such a music high all day today. Some other members of the Glee Club said they were emotionally wrung out by the experience, and I can certainly understand why; it’s a very powerful piece. I was moved, absolutely, and got teary more than once, especially when I thought about my dad (he died 4 years ago, so the Requiem is particularly personal on that level) and also when Jonathan got all soppy on us, but I came away from it really energized. In fact, they’re doing it again next fall in Michigan and though I will have graduated, I am seriously thinking about going up there to join them; the prospect of being able to do this wonderful piece again, with this group, is immensely appealing.
