With only a few weeks left before their Winter Concert, Women's Chorus had a productive and exciting rehearsal.  After sharing some early laughs, the group got down to business, beginning the evening with Randall Thomson's "Come In," from his set Frostiana, a collection of Robert Frost poems set to music.  This rehearsal marked the first time the chorus sang the work with the accompanying flute, and it was exciting to hear the way in which the instrument's mimicking of bird calls added vivid imagery to the piece.  Alison Thorp, the student-conductor for the upcoming concert on Friday, February 21st at the Lutheran Church of the Reformation, discussed the significance of dynamics in the work and compared it to a movie score; like soundtracks for film, the song contains melodic content and dynamic contrasts that musically illustrate Frost's tale of a man coming to terms with death through his observation of a bird.  Thorpe's comparison helped "Come In" achieve a new level of depth and emotional intent.

After Randall Thompson's contemplative song came Gwyneth Walker's This Morning, My Girls, a modern and upbeat piece that reflects the hustle and bustle of a woman's every day life.  In addition to correcting some pitches, the chorus refined their singing of the piece's frequent ritardandos, accelerandos, and fermatas; these tempo shifts are vital in order to illustrate the chaos that is the life of the modern woman.  Through an in depth analysis of This Morning, the chorus discovered a greater sense of musicality and meaning in each phrase.  The piece will certainly intrigue the audience with its modern topic, upbeat rhythms, and intricate harmonies.

Finally came the big moment of the evening: the rehearsal of the Brahms Vier Gesänge für Frauenchor.  This German song cycle features two horns and a harp in addition to a chorus of female voices.  Thursday was the choir's first chance to sing with a full instrumental ensemble, but consequently, the introduction of the instruments seemed to distract the group, and they forgot their notes!  However, with each song the women were able to overcome this "musical amnesia."  For example, during movement three, "Der Gärtner," the women captured the Romantic and euphoric spirit of the text, and in movement four, "Gesang aus Ossians Fingal," they supported an appropriate "funeral march" quality with their voices and even walked around the room in tempo while singing to kinesthetically experience the weight of the song.  

To close the rehearsal, the women sang an arrangement of the classic spiritual Elijah Rock by the always passionate Moses Hogan.  Hogan's arrangement is filled with jazzy harmonies and percussive textual settings that make it the perfect show-stopping finale for any concert.

The Eastman School of Music and University of Rochester Women's Chorus has been working very hard for their upcoming concert.  The Rochester community will not want to miss this thematically uplifting and musically diverse program.