Then we burst forth; we float in time and space

I'm sure I'm not the only alto who's had that line on the brain for the last few days!

Lots of singing since I last posted. We've learned "Toward the Unknown Region" pretty thoroughly (two rehearsals and a sectional) and made a start on the St Matthew Passion. Also I had a fabulous rehearsal with my band, at which we learned three newly-arranged a cappella songs for my boss's wedding next week. (I'm particularly excited that, since the groom is in the RAF, he is getting married in uniform and there is to be a sword party!)

I don't have time to write properly about anything right now, but I have a load of links to post so I thought I'd get them out of the way.

Firstly, Bach mp3s (because I suspect we'll need a lot of practice!) I've decided to split these into categories rather than post them in order. The Passion Chorales, since you ask, are the five chorales that have the same tune (which is listed in hymn books as "Passion Chorale"). The first two have the same harmony (but in different keys) but the others are all totally different. I find it fascinating to compare them, which is why I've listed them together. Try playing the mp3s one after another and see how freaky the harmony gets!

Passion Chorales:

Passion Chorale 1: "Receive me, my Redeemer" - page 51
Passion Chorale 2: "Here would I stand beside Thee" - page 52
Passion Chorale 3: "Commit thy way to Jesus" - page 155
Passion Chorale 4: "O Sacred Head surrounded" - page 182
Passion Chorale 5: "Be near me, Lord, when dying" - page 211

Other chorales:

Chorale: "O blessed Jesu" - page 24
Chorale: "Tis I, whose sin hath bound thee" - page 43
Chorale: "O Father, let thy will be done" - page 75
Chorale: "How falsely doth the world accuse!" - page 122
Chorale: "O Lord, who dares to smite Thee?" - page 136
Chorale: "Lamb of God, I fall before Thee" - page 145
Chorale: "O wondrous love, this sacrifice to offer" - page 161

Choruses:

Chorus: "Come ye daughters" - page 1
Chorus: "Not upon the Feast" - page 26
Chorus: "To what purpose is this waste?" - page 28
Chorus: "Where wilt thou?" - page 39
Chorus: "O man, thy heavy sin lament" - page 99 (the difficult one at the end of part 1)
Chorus: "We bow our heads in tears and sorrow" - page 235

Solo movements with chorus bits:

Recitative with Chorus: "He said, go to such a man in the city" ("Lord, is it I?") - page 40
Tenor Recitative with Chorus: "O grief! how throbs His heavy-laden breast" ("O Saviour, why must all this ill befall Thee?") - page 54
Tenor Aria with Chorus: "I would beside my Lord be watching" ("And so our sin will fall asleep") - page 59
Soprano & Alto Duet with Chorus: "Behold, my Saviour now is taken" ("Loose Him!") - page 79
Alto Aria with Chorus: "Ah! now is my Saviour gone" (Whither is thy loved one gone?") - page 114
Recitative with Chorus: "And the High Priest answered and said unto him" ("He guilty is of death") - page 129
Recitative with Chorus: "And then with one accord did they spit on HIm" ("Now tell us") - page 132
Recitative with Chorus: "Simon Peter sat outside in the court" ("Surely thou also") - page 136
Recitative with Chorus: "Now when the morning came" ("But what is that to us?") - page 145
Recitative with Chorus: "Now, at that feast" ("Barrabas!") - page 156
Recitative with Chorus: "But they all cried out the more" ("Let Him be crucified") - page 166
Recitative with Chorus: "And then did the soldiers of the governor" ("Hail, hail, King") - page 179
Recitative with Chorus: "When they were come unto a place that is called Golgotha" ("Thou that destroyest") - page 189
Alto Aria with Chorus: "See Him! See the Saviour's outstretched arm!" ("Come where?") - page 202
Recitative with Chorus: "Now from the sixth hour" ("He calleth for Elias") - page 207
Recitative with Chorus: "And then, behold, the veil of the temple was rent" ("Truly this was the Son of God") - page 211
Recitative with Chorus: "And Joseph took the body" ("Sir, we remember") - page 223
Quartet with Chorus: "And now the Lord to rest is laid" ("Lord Jesu, fare Thee well") - page 231

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Other links, not in any particular order:

I watched a fascinating programme on BBC4 last night about the voice. If you missed it, it's repeated on Friday at 7.30pm. Nothing earthshatteringly new to anyone in the choir, but I think you'll find it interesting anyway. (There was another great programme on in the same slot last week, and I'm annoyed because I meant to post to tell you to watch the repeat of that too, but I didn't get round to it. But no doubt it will turn up again eventually - it was called "Soweto Strings", and not only was it interesting, it also very unexpectedly featured Mark Elder and the Hallé! It was all about the Buskaid charity. You'll remember that this is the fabulous group that performed with John Eliot Gardiner in my second-favourite Prom.)

All sorts of things in the press recently about the Hallé, what with the 150th anniversary fast approaching... MEN article, feature in the Telegraph, another one in the Independent, and the current issue of the BBC Music Magazine, which has Mark on the cover. Oh, and another Telegraph article which is not directly about the Hallé but mentions them in a great light.

Also, the choral administrator job has now been advertised.

News of an attack chorus in Portland, Oregon. This amuses me a lot! (Thanks to a cappella news for the link.)

A vegetable orchestra. No, I haven't heard it.

A lovely sentiment about being in a choir (scroll down to the bit about Haydn). (Thanks to ChoralBlog for the link.)

Someone raving about Beethoven's 7th Symphony (specifically the 2nd movement) being the best music ever.

Some programme notes for Toward the Unknown Region, (Thanks, Graham.)

A video of "We Saw The Sea", which was sung in this week's ladies' sectional. I just wish I could remember why!

And finally, just to be a bit cryptic, the answer to the question I keep being asked by members of the choir is "yes, of course I will, but I very much doubt anything will come of it." (If you have no idea what I'm talking about, don't worry, you're not missing much!)