I had a long first rehearsal with members of the Grand Rapids Symphony Chorus tonight, preparing for a “live to projection” performance of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
Walking in, I had three main goals for the 2-1/2 hour rehearsal.
- Get through the whole score. We’re looking at long sections of 6-8 part divisi on half-step clusters and very high and low entrances at pianissimo dynamics. (This was punctuated with the occasional tonal and/or unison passage…and even some actual words. In Latin, haha.)
- Laugh as we work. These were close to 50 volunteers who signed up for extra rehearsals and performances on top of their Symphony Chorus commitments, and working on a hard score. If we don’t have fun and share some laughs, it gets to be much too much like a job.
- Have a list of the toughest spots that will demand the most time. Our rehearsal time is limited, so knowing precisely where to focus is vital.
Only upon leaving with, I think, all three goals met, did it cross my mind that these are my three most important goals in any rehearsal.
- Learn the music.
- Laugh together.
- Have a clear plan for where to go next.