You are currently browsing the daily archive for June 5, 2015.
Greetings and good day fair readership!
I have the very good fortune of being able to travel to Iceland on a trip with my choir. Thus, my regular blogular activities shall not be pursued by myself. However, the rest of the DWR team is stepping up to fill the gap. The Intransigent One, Mystrox and Bleatmop will take the mantle of convivial hosting in my absence so expect minimal disruption in the coming week. :)
I endeavor to do my best representing Alberta’s amateur choral community. Take care everyone, and play nice with the other admins here on DWR.
Arbourist out.
Waterfalls – Apparently they are a popular venue in Iceland. If I have internet access, I’ll be posting some hopefully boffo pictures of my own.
Speaking of music most likely to get you killed while driving… Here’s what I must never listen to in the car. Not while driving because it could get me killed, and not as a passenger because it could get me committed. I air-conduct. I air-bass-drum. And I sing along. The dynamic marking is fff and the top note is G#5, and that is a powerful note for me, and I bring it.
Crank up your audio, hang onto your butts, and have a listen:
Singing in the Verdi Requiem has been one of the top musical highlights of my whole life so far. Being in the middle of the action in the Dies Irae is an amazing not only sonic, but physical, sensation. In the performance I did, the percussionist had two bass drums and hit one with each hand, and you could feel it through the floor. The conductor said to us choristers, “There’s no way I’m telling the orchestra to hold back dynamically at this part, you’ll just have to be louder.” So we were. Goddam folks. And holy fuck. We leaped to our feet at the first beat of the bass drum, and we breathed as one, and we were glorious.
Bottom line: if you ever get the chance to hear the Verdi Requiem live, do it. You don’t have to believe any of the text to have your socks knocked off.
bleatmop
Mystro
The Arbourist
Dead Wild Roses 
Your opinions…