Wednesday the 26th - what we did
We'll put this one aside soon, but it's a good friendly warm-up for now - something to get our voices going that we all know well. We sang it rather lower than usual, which proved to be an interesting challenge in the tuning. Low isn't inherently hard, but it's not what we're used to.
We've begun memorising the words.
We're using the same dynamics we used last year: slow increase in the first half (laudemus virginem mater est) and slow decrease on the second (et eius filius mater est).
We practiced each part against just the bass line, then all the lines together save the soprano line, then finally added the soprano. We all know the soprano tune well (from hearing and singing it for dancing, often interminably) so it's very easy to be distracted.
Again, we tried each line against the bass alone, then all parts together. This is coming together nicely. We're all getting better at tuning our octaves, fifths and thirds against one another.
Katherine has researched 16thC English pronunciation for this. It's rather different to the pronunciation generally used in Lochac, and we want to be able to sing this well with others, so for now we're using generic Latin. At some point, we'll probably learn the characteristically English pronunciation too. I'll get details of both online.
Break-time Youtube
We'd talked a bit about the Tierce de Picardy (Picardy Third, sometimes abbreviated to TDP): the habit, especially in 16thC music, of finishing a minor-key piece on a major chord; by raising the third (often in the alto line, sometimes tenor or soprano) by a semitone. The alto/third line does this in La Sirena: having had C-natural through the piece, it ends each section on a C-sharp.
William entertained us by finding an assortment of Youtube clips of popular songs at the usual pitch, but with select notes digitally altered to make major-key songs minor (Let it be) and minor-key songs major (Losing my religion). Very funny, and a most effective demonstration.
Plans for next week
- Laudemus virginem - quick warm-up
- Spendends Ceptigera - new round (goes with Laudemus)
- La Sirena - continued work; try pairing inner lines
- Laudate - continued work; Katherine to create midis; look more closely at harmonies
Present
Katherina Weyssin, William de Cameron, Anna de Wilde, Vettoria di Giovanni da Verona