Hi folks! Here’s the song order so that you can get your music ready for tomorrow’s dress rehearsal:

(Kids sing first)
Gloria
Bleak Midwinter – small group
Ave Verum Corpus
Chanukah Blessing
The Light of Christmas Morn – small group
River Carol
Silver Bells – small group
Winter Wonderland
Intermission – remember to bring baked goods if you can!
My (Alaskan) Favorite Things – small group
That’s Christmas to Me – small group
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas – small group
Wexford Carol – small group
Christmas Candles
White Christmas
Hallelujah Chorus
Peace, Peace

Please arrive at the Baptist church at 5:45 if you can help set up risers, or at 6:15 for warm-up. Thank you!

Hello singers! Please remember to bring your Sponsor-Your-Singer and Program Ad forms to chorus this Thursday. Ad artwork for the program can be emailed to me: amber@liberatedsong.com.

This Saturday we will be caroling at the Alaska Vintage Market at Raven Hall, on the fairgrounds. The performance space is in the middle of the hall, next to the Soda Jerk Booth. We will meet at 12:30 to warm up and will sing from 1pm to approximately 2pm. Wear something wintery or Christmasy. Kids are welcome to join us for caroling!

Join the Mat-Su Community Chorus or Mat-Su Kid’s Chorus for our Winter 2023 season!

The adult chorus is a non-auditioned ensemble open to all voices. High school students are welcome with director approval.

Our winter theme is Holiday Traditions, and we’ll be preparing a program that includes nostalgic carols and member favorites that are sure to bring back memories and create new ones.
Rehearsals are every Thursday from 7pm-9pm at Mat-Su Evangelical Covenant Church, 5201 E Mayflower Lane, Wasilla.

New members are accepted during the first three rehearsals of the season. Please arrive early at your first rehearsal to check in and receive music.
Semester dues for adults are $60, plus the cost of concert attire. More information about membership in the adult chorus can be found at www.matsucommunitychorus.org and questions can be sent to our director Amber Sumner at director@matsucommunitychorus.org.

The Mat-Su Kid’s Chorus is a new offering that provides an opportunity for younger singers across the valley to participate in a choral ensemble! This group will be open to children in first through eighth grade. Rehearsals are held from 7-8pm on Thursdays and childcare is available until 9pm for children whose parents are in the adult chorus. The semester fee is $80 and homeschool reimbursement is available for some programs. Please email matsukidschorus@yahoo.com for more information.

Hello everyone! I am working on the programming for the upcoming winter concert. The concert title will be “Holiday Traditions” and the program will be bookended by two classical pieces that have special meaning for me: Randol Alan Bass’s Gloria and the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel’s Messiah. I am looking for ideas from all of you for pieces that carry special meaning or nostalgia from your own holiday traditions!

Please comment here or email me (amber@liberatedsong.com) with your ideas. I would like some, though not necessarily all, of your suggestions to be accompanied in the program with a few sentences of explanation of why they were chosen by our members or long-time supporters. If you have a specific arrangement in mind, please let me know so that I can do my best to find it!

My goal is to have the progam pieces finalized by the end of July. Thank you in advance for your input!

Both of our choruses have had their first meetings of the winter semester and we had a lot of fun! There’s lots of amazing music in store for this season and there is still plenty of room to join us!

Kid’s Chorus (age 5-13) meets Saturdays, 10:00-11:00am
Adult chorus (open to high school students) meets Thursdays, 7:00-9:00pm

Both groups rehearse at Mat-Su Evangelical Covenant Church, 5201 E Mayflower Lane, Wasilla. The Kid’s chorus is eligible for homeschool reimbursement. Send us an email (admin@matsucommunitychorus.org) for more info or simply show up and sing! We can’t wait to see you!

Get ready to join us for our first rehearsal of the 2022 Fall season next week on September 8th!

The chorus rehearses at Mat-Su Evangelical Covenant Church, 5201 E Mayflower Lane, Wasilla, on Thursdays from 7pm to 9pm. We meet in the sanctuary building, on the left side of the parking lot, and you will want to enter through the double doors on the porch at the rear of the building. Registration for the season will be open from 6:30 to 7:00 before the first three rehearsals on the 8th, 15th, and 22nd.

We welcome all adult voices and do not require an audition; however, if you are new to the chorus, I like to have a short interview to hear your voice, be sure you’re placed in the right voice part, and get a feel for your choral experience. Prospective members are welcome to attend three rehearsals before deciding to become a dues-paying member of the chorus.

A full syllabus will be provided, but you can plan for concerts on Thursday, December 8th and Sunday, December 11th, with a wrap-up meeting and carol sing on Thursday, December 15th. For this year I have planned a program of classic Christmas songs that focus on themes of peace and joy, and I think they’ll be a lot of fun to prepare.

For those with young ones interested in the Kid’s Chorus, rehearsals will also be at the church on Saturdays from 10:00-11:00am starting September 10th. Send an email to setheroux@gmail.com for more info.

I hope you will join us and I look forward to making music with you!

Get ready to sing!

Rehearsals for our fall season will begin on September 8th. Please arrive early to your first rehearsal to register and receive music; registration will be available starting at 6:30pm. Prospective members may attend our first three rehearsals before deciding to join.

Rehearsals are on Thursdays from 7:00pm – 9:00pm at Mat-Su Evangelical Covenant Church, 5201 E Mayflower Lane, Wasilla. Please enter through the porch at the rear of the church sanctuary building.

The Kid’s Chorus will also resume for the fall. Interested families should contact stheroux@gmail.com for details.

We look forward to seeing you in September!

If you missed any rehearsals or wish to review, here are rehearsal notes for Consider the Lilies movements I through VI.

Throughout this piece, be very careful of tall, open vowels, especially on the Latin sections. The movements each have a distinct feel and it is important to differentiate between the upbeat hymns and the more legato sections. Observe the dynamics marked throughout and watch carefully as there are tempo changes or fermatas in every movement!

I. A Parable
This piece should feel connected and reverent; imagine a boys choir in a cathedral
m. 35: no breath between eis and Domine
m. 37: breath after perpetua
m. 39: be sure to hold through soloist entrance to downbeat
m. 43: no breath between Ah and Christe
m. 45: breath after eleison
m. 47: Soprano & Tenor breath after eleison; Alto & Bass hold to downbeat of 48
m. 51: Alto & Bass breath after eleison

II. A Hymn
Contrast smooth, 4-measure phrases on refrains with more intense verses; lots of rubato, especially on last refrain
m. 10, 26, 42: no breath after beautiful
m. 12, 28, 44: breath after small
m. 14, 30, 46: no breath after wonderful (except SI descant)
m. 20: no breath after sings
m. 34: Soprano & Tenor no breath after all; Alto & Bass hold to downbeat
m. 37: Alto & Bass no breath after Almighty
m. 40: all lower voices change “well” to a quarter note followed by a quarter note rest; SI sings descant, SII on Soprano line
m. 50: big breath, stagger breathing to end

III. A Keen
This needs to feel like a lament, slow and mournful; all soloists sing until “Jesu” at m. 17
m. 13: breath after Jesu
m. 17: breath after credo
m. 21: no breath after Jesu
m. 25: Solo, Soprano, Alto hold through downbeat; Tenor & Bass breath before Oh
m. 29: breath after believe
m. 33: breath after belief; Bass cut off as though to breathe & come in on 3
m. 37: breath after believe; Alto cut off as though to breathe & come in on 3
m. 61: breath after believe
m. 65: breath after belief
m. 69: breath after believe
m. 76: Tenor & Bass no breath

IV. A Hymn
An upbeat, joyous march; keep it light but be careful not to be too staccato
m. 6: breath after soul
m. 10: breath after whole
m. 14: no breath after roll
m. 16: breath after Star
m. 31: breath after tow’r
m. 35: breath after pow’r
Both tow’r and pow’r, be careful to sustain the open “ah” vowel and close to the “wr” sound at the last moment
m. 37: no breath after worn
m. 39: breath after goal
m. 40: no breath after fermata on Valley; watch for beat 4 after fermata & continue on upbeat
m. 41: breath after Star
m. 42: no breath after thousand; careful with timing!
m. 54-58: Tenor & Bass careful with timing and cutoffs on short phrases
m. 57: Soprano & Alto breath after will
m. 59: slight lift after fear
m. 60: pronounce manna as “Mah-na”
m. 61: no breath after fill
m. 63: slight lift after face
m. 65: no breath after roll
m. 67: slight lift after Star
m. 68 & 69: breath after thousand both times
m. 71: no breath after thousand

V. A Prayer
Very simple, unison melodies that need careful vowel shaping and attention to precise pitches without sliding; except for m. 21 after “Domine,” breaths are at rests only. Be careful with close harmonies in last four measures.

VI. A Promise
Think smooth, warm, and inviting, with just a little punctuation at the sixteenth notes. “Eye” should always be sustained on an “ah” vowel. Be careful not to slide on ascending intervals.
m. 2 & 4: breath after fear
m. 5 & 6: no breath after assail you, slight lift after with you
m. 17: breath after eye
m. 18 & 19: as m. 5-6 above
pickup to m. 24 should be in the new key: D natural on “when” and G natural on “the”
m. 25 & 27: breath after fear (cut off as though to breath & go on even if not singing next phrase)
m. 28: Tenor & Bass no breath after asunder
m. 32: Lower voices stagger breathing until m. 39
m. 39: breath after eye
m. 40: no breath after asunder
m. 41: breath after care
m. 51: this modulates up another step to a new key, but there is no lead-in in the accompaniment. Practice anticipating the change in order to get the entrance note for the new key.
m. 52 & m. 55: breath after fear
m. 56: no breath after furnace
m. 57: breath after fermata on you
m. 58: no breath after fermata; watch for each eighth note to be directed separately on “do not”
m. 60: stagger breathing in Alto & Bass until m. 67
m. 68: breath after furnace
ending: carefully tuned unison on call & response; stagger breathing on last 5 measures

If you missed any of our polishing rehearsals, below are notes for each of our pieces. Please make notations (in pencil!) in your music.

Zion’s Walls
Overall: Dynamics as marked; note contrast at subito piano sections, m. 16 and m. 49; tall vowels throughout; Eighth note triplet sections need to be very light and dancing, while dotted-quarter sections should be legato and evoke clear, bell tones; stagger breathing on all held notes
Breaths: m. 10 – tenor/bass after Zion; m. 16 and 49 all – treat last syllable of Zion as an eighth note and eighth note rest before subito piano on last beat

Down by the Riverside
Overall: Imagine a group of travellers slowly approaching from far away; each verse gets just a little louder; be careful to observe 16th notes and differentiate them from swung eighths; Chorus I at end be careful not to punch the “jah” of “Hallelujah”
Breaths: Always no breath on “Study war no more” phrases, even long whole notes at end; at ends of phrases, omit tied quarters and cut off on beat one with quarter rest instead, except for last chord; lift between “more” and “I” on repeated “I ain’t gonna study war no more” phrases so that vowels do not turn into a diphthong

16 Tons
Solo m. 36-37 (no alto!) and m. 58-60 (Andy)
Overall: keep it light, with special attention to syncopation, sharp consonants, and quick cutoffs; at m. 7 all close to “m” on “some”; watch carefully at end for timing; only breath other than rests is after fermata in m. 66

Simple Gifts
Overall: Music is simple, so pay careful attention to dynamics, starting and stopping together, and rubato as directed
Breaths: as marked and as follows: 4th measure after B, after “ought to be”; last measure before C, after “delight”; 2nd measure after C, after “gained”; last measure before D, after “right”; 2nd measure after D, after “gained”
Slight lift, but not a full breath, to differentiate the end consonant of “ashamed” from the beginning consonant of “to” in both the 4th measure of C and the 4th measure of D
No breath after “delight” in either last measure of page 4 or third measure before end

Laura Lee
Solo m. 39-46, m. 51-54 (Barry)
Overall: 4 measure phrases, very hushed and smooth throughout; loudest spot is mezzo-forte at m. 88; watch for rubato

Oh! Susanna
Solo m. 47-54 (Eddie)
Overall: careful rhythms- watch for dotted eighth/sixteenth pairs; “Lousiana” is pronounced “Loo-zi-a-na”; enunciate clearly, the words go fast!; do not slow down before m. 62; back to fast a tempo at m. 70 and don’t slow at end; quick cutoff of “banjo” in m. 82
Breaths: as marked; no breath after “South” in m. 59; cut tied eighth and change to eighth rest in m. 29, m. 33, & m. 77; changed dotted quarter to quarter with eighth rest in m. 73

Gentle Annie
Solo m. 21-28 (Mike)
Overall: very rubato, smooth, holding back throughout; sopranos be careful at m. 31- should be very quiet and floaty; do not scoop on rising intervals
Breaths: as marked, plus breaths after “Annie” in m. 18, m. 34, and m. 50

Americana
Solo at Rehearsal A (Ben) and Rehearsal B (Carol)
Overall: careful watching on tempo transitions, especially at K, measure before L, and last page; at rehearsal F, Sopranos/Altos sing melody only first time through; at rehearsal O, Sopranos/Altos sing second time only
Breaths: In Shenandoah sections, breath only at rests except: two measures before M after “I’m bound away”; to measures before V after beat 3; in Skip to My Lou sections, 4 measure phrases or breathe at rests; in Betsy from Pike sections, 8 measure phrases or breathe at rests

Hello Singers & Instrumentalists!

Important dates, rehearsal updates, and concert info follows. Please read carefully and mark your calendars!

March 31 – Rehearsal at Trinity Lutheran Church, 10355 E. Palmer-Wasilla Hwy. Rehearsal is upstairs; enter through the door facing the parking lot on the right. There is also a ramp at the rear of the building that can be accessed from the Arabian Lane entrance.

April 7 – Rehearsal at Mat-Su Evangelical Covenant; deadline to submit solo or small group pieces for approval

April 14 – Rehearsal *for soloists, small groups, and instrumentalists only* at Trinity Lutheran; deadline to submit sponsor info and program ads. Please email ads to director@matsucommunitychorus.org

April 21 – Rehearsal at Trinity Lutheran

April 28 – Dress Rehearsal at Mat-Su Covenant; please plan to attend from 6:30 to 9:30pm

Thursday, May 5 – CONCERT at Mat-Su Covenant: set-up at 5:00pm; call time for warm-up 5:45pm (you will have time after warm-up to change into concert dress); concert starts 7:00pm

Saturday, May 7 – CONCERT at Fairview Loop Baptist Church, 3118 W Fairview Loop, Wasilla: set-up 5:30pm; call time for warm-up 6:00pm; concert 7:00pm

Thursday, May 12 – Rehearsal at Mat-Su Covenant

Sunday, May 15 – FINAL CONCERT at St. John Lutheran Church, 440 E Elmwood Ave, Palmer: set-up 2:30pm; call time for warm-up 3:00pm; concert 4:00pm

Reminder, concert attire is all black or black bottom/white top. Please no jeans, leggings, cargo pants, etc. Skirts or dresses should be at least knee-length and shoes should be black. If you already own a tuxedo or the concert dress from previous seasons they can be worn, but they are not required for this season.

Thank you all for the hard work you’ve put in so far! This is shaping up to be an awesome concert and I’m very excitied!

~Amber