Jan. 9, 2026: Please note the following: We did not rehearse: #1 Introit — #4 Dies Irae — #11 Recordare.NOTES THROUGHOUT:
I have assumed many/most/all of us have sung a Requiem before. But perhaps not! You must sing with a sense of urgency...a sense of purpose...a sense of understanding the text. This link will take you to a translation (prepared for Verdi Requiem, but the text is the same): https://bismarckmandansymphony.org/uploads/0/RequiemText.pdf
It is vital that you understand what you are singing about! Dies irae, dies illa, solvet saeclum in favilla....the day of wrath that will dissolve the word into ashes.....Lacrimosa dies illa....The day of weeping, when the guilty will be judged....Agnus Dei...Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.... Write in the translation, or keep it handy, or make notes in your score to indicate the mood.
Pronunciation — I hear hard [g] sounds on words like "gere". "G" before "e" gets a soft sound (like the word "judge"). A quick reminder of some tricky pronunciations is at the end of this email.
SPECIFIC MOVEMENTSMovement 7 — Mors Stupebit
These are unison “D” – make sure they do not sag, but do not punch too hard
M. 18 – do not scoop from the C to D
Movement 8 — Liber Scriptus / Man Goin' Round
M. 58 – give full value to notes – beat 3 to the and of 4
M. 62 – place the “s” from “names” on the & of 4 to get that quick breath
Movement 9 — Quid sum miser
Spend some time reviewing this movement before next rehearsal
M. 19 – more consonants
P. 41 in general, the alto part is getting lost
M. 26 – these aren’t staccato – be more legato, long enough to take the time
M. 31-35 – more lyrical here, not operatic
Movement 10 — Rex tremendae
Spend some time reviewing this movement
Movement 11 — Recordare
M.12 – there are no “cows!” – “Causa" = [kah + (oo)]
M. 13 – this measure sounds like mush
M. 30 – 31 – be prepared that we sing on the downbeat of 31
M. 31 – don’t rush the rest
Movement 13 — Confutatis
We need to spend some time reviewing this movement — please practice text before next week
M. 11 – sustain vowels, get the accents
M. 31 – sounds very uncertain, and thus muddy – spend time on the notes here?
M. 39 – pronunciation – no hard G!
Movement 14 — Lacrimosa
Don’t let repeated notes sag
M. 65 – know where this sits in the measure – 1&2&
M. 67 – I don’t believe your “yearning” yet
M. 88 – place these notes before you sing them
M. 114 – This is slower than you think! Count!
Movement 16 — Kum ba yah
The memory is great!
M. 45 – remember there is no clap in this measure
Movement 17 — Agnus Dei
Remember: there is NO ACCOMPANIMENT in this movement. Very important moment for chorus
Think of the translation of what you are singing – the entire song, but particularly this movement – BASSES especially
M. 10 – be careful sopranos that you are not harsh with this
M. 27-28 – basses, this is a gorgeous motif that sets a tone – we aren’t agreed on what that tone is. It needs to be BEAUTIFUL.
M. 33 – more lyrical
Movement 19 — Libera me
M. 3 – watch the tuning and the vowels – need alignment
M. 10 – faster move on the ‘chant to Verdi’ moment
M. 16 – basses – there are no solos here
M. 18 – it is quick, but don’t be the one to forecast it either
M .18 – tenors – watch the cut off – some of us are holding a little too long
M. 19 – basses – not together
M. 33 – basses – if you can’t get in all the notes, leave them out for those who can
M. 39 – basses – falling behind
M. 42 – all – the cut off is not together
M. 66 – make a different in the accents
M. 76 – the r comes before the beat
M. 80 – do not rush the rest
M. 83 – the pitch on beat 1 is low
Movement 20 — In paradisum
M. 115 – sopranos – know where that b flat is
M. 115 – tenors – count!
Allow yourselves a little freedom for movement…when you did, it sounds much more authentic
PRONUNCIATION REMINDERS
VOWELS:
There are only five vowels: I–E–A–O–U, pronounced ee–eh–ah–aw–oo, as in “bee bet bar ball boon”.
æ and œ are the same as E (eh).
When two vowels come together, each keeps its own sound, separate and distinct.
CONSONANTS:
C before E or I is [CH] as in "church"; C before A, O and U is [K] as in "card." CH is also [K] (Chríste)
G before A, O and U is hard as in “god” (érgo) but G before E or I is soft as in “gem” (so "gere" and "resurget")
GN is like the NY sound in "onion", (Ágnus )= “Ahn-yoos”
H is silent as in “honest”
J is Y (júdex = yoo-deks, Jerúsalem = yeh-roo-sah-lehm)
TH is hard T, and TI + vowel is TSEE + vowel (oratiónem)
Dec. 11, 2025: Ideally, right now you should try to find just 15–20 minutes a day with the music to keep things fresh. It is much better to dig into a specific movement than to rush through the whole thing. As you get closer to our return in January, you can up that time. A few tips for your practice sessions:
Test your ear: Look at the page without singing—do you hear it in your head? If so, you know it is truly internalized.
Trust the page, not the recording: At this point, try to move away from the recordings. There are a few errors in them — the score is the final and definitive word.
Target the tricky spots: Don't always start on movement 1, or at the beginning of a movement. Give a little extra time to the difficult movements, especially those in the middle.
Movement #16: Remember, this one needs to be fully memorized.
Nov. 13, 2025: For next rehearsal: prepare to sing from memory #16 Kum-ba-yah/Sanctus. Please focus your practice on #16, #17, #19 — the hardest movements I think — and then back to #1, #8 and #20 as time allows.
#9 Quid sum miser:
I need longer lines from everyone — certainly at mm 29-39, but also at the opening. Sometimes our heavily accented singing is clipped.
Opening (m. 18-20) consonants are lost and the alto part is almost completely hidden
In addition at m. 29-39 — think lush, lyrical, and non-operatic
#11 Recordare:
M. 12 — watch pronunciations, it should not sound like "cows"
M. 13 sounds like mush
pay attention to words mm 17-32.
After m. 30 — write something that gets you prepared to sing immediately on the page turn
M. 31 — Don't rush the rests
I have heard that the recording may get some of the rhythms wrong here. At this point, the recordings are not your primary source of information! They are an aid to get you started, but please do not rely on the voices - practice with the accompaniment recordings, and always go with what's on the page.
#13 Confutatis:
SA singers, more connection and longer line.
B2 throughout: it is low, be sure you are singing and not just speaking this
S2: m9, please sing interval accurately, higher on the A-flat
SA singers: please review starting at m31
#14 Lacrismosa:
Damien calls this the "heart" of the Requiem. Please approach with that in mind.
M. 65 — know where those notes are in relationship to where you last were
"Yearning" = more < > please
Please plan ahead at mm 114-end
M. 136 — the "nn" is not placement of the terminal consonant — it is niente — to nothing
Nov. 7, 2025:
We look forward to working with the composer this week! Let this inspire your practice. In the past two rehearsals, we have gone through #1, #4, #7, #8, #14, #16, #17, #19 & #20. Please spend some time on #9, #10, and #13, and review difficult sections in all of your music.
Detailed notes from last rehearsal are below:
Oct. 31, 2025: #16 Sanctus/Kum Ba Yah:
Please watch the rhythm at measures 13, 24, and 44 (sopranos & basses). Remember that "Kum" should feel like a pickup to the next beat -- feels like it's slightly "jumping the gun"
#17 Agnus Dei:
All baritones join the basses at measure 26, then move up to B1, and back down as we practiced.
This movement should be sung in a spiritual style -- focus on long, expressive lines. It is well-supported and the vowels are tall. Avoid bright "pop" vowels or scooping. Vibrato is appropriate, but it should not distract of be out-of-tune. Sing with dignity and purpose throughout.
Oct. 16, 2025: As I mentioned in rehearsal, for next week you need to: 1. Prepare to sing the new movements: #14 and #20 2. Review difficult movements: #19 (really focus on this!), #17, rhythms on #11, #9 3. Next week, we will sing the new movements, review those difficult sections, and hopefully review #1 and #16 (which needs to be memorized) In general:
Practice the difficult sections slowly and really work out the pitches and rhythms. Don't just rush through them. They cannot sound sloppy.
Practice on a neutral syllable before adding words
Sopranos - please practice in the lower octave. You need to learn it with freedom and fully in tune. We need a more free and healthier sound up high, and that will help.
Basses - please use falsetto or more of a falsetto mix in your upper range when practicing and in rehearsal. Do not worry about volume right now. It needs to be in tune before we add volume.
Sept. 25, 2025:
So many beautiful moments in this work — I'm very excited!
Please study the end of #17 "Agnus Dei", and memorize your patterns. Start slow and then speed it up.
We have sung #1, 4, 7, 8, 17, and 19. That leaves #9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, 20. The hardest of the movements we have not sung are #13 and #16. Many of the other movements are shorter and easier. Please focus your study this week on #13 and #16, and also go back and review #17. My goal is to have sung at least a little of every movement by the end of next rehearsal. When we come back to this in October, we will spend time in sectionals on the more difficult sections.
Sept. 19, 2025: Great first rehearsal on this!!! This is a beautiful work and fits you well. I can't wait to hear what you bring to the performance. Throughout in your marked scores, there are some green stars. Those are places where I have questions out to the conductor and composer.
Mvt. 1 - Introit
Subdividing really helped! Work that into your practice
Sopranos, practice down the octave to develop tuning
M 113-114: alto and tenor, it says "Re- Re-qui- em". I assume that is correct (allows you to finish the word). Sing it that way unless told otherwise
Mvt. 4 - Dies Irae
"rr" = rolled R
Notice the grace notes that I added - those are for well-pronounced consonants with shadow vowels. Think Verdi Requiem.
Mvt. 17 - Agnus Dei
Bass 2, there is a division in your part. If you have the low notes, sing the, Everyone else, sing the higher notes. Don't sing the lowest notes if you "almost" have the lowest notes.
