Author: Raúl Gómez-Rojas
Rehearsal plan for Feb 5 | MYS S.O.
RECAP (Jan 29)
- 4:00pm-4:50pm: we listened to and played through most of Montgomery Variations (didn’t have enough time to finish the last movement).
- Sectionals for everybody focused on Cold Mountain Suite
REHEARSAL PLAN FOR FEBRUARY 5
We will have our last day of sectionals for this term on Sunday 2/5.
- 4:00pm-4:50pm:
- tutti – Montgomery Variations by Margaret Bonds (last movement)
- tutti – Cold Mountain Suite
- 5:00pm-5:55pm: sectionals (Cold Mountain Suite)
- Winds, brass + percussion with Chris McCurdy: sections with winds, brass and percussion together, as needed.
- cellos+bass with Marilyn de Oliveira – as needed based on last 2 weeks
- violins and violas with me: as needed based on last 2 weeks
- 6:05pm-7:00pm: sectionals (Cold Mountain Suite)
- all strings + percussion with me – as needed based on last 2 weeks
- woodwinds with Karen Wagner – as needed based on last 2 weeks
- brass with JáTtik Clark – as needed based on last 2 weeks
Part Assignments
No changes this week. Please click the link on the sidebar to access the most recent roster (it should say “v4” on the upper right corner).
ADD ALL REHEARSAL DATES/TIMES to your calendar!
Go to our full season schedule here. Please mark your calendars very carefully for this term. Please note our weeknight and Saturday rehearsals on concert week.
Thank you, and see you Sunday!
Dr. G.
Rehearsal plan for Jan 29 | MYS S.O.
RECAP (Jan 22)
- We had full orchestra and sectional sessions, focusing on Cold Mountain Suite by Jennifer Higdon, beginning to m. 117 and m. 311 to the end.
REHEARSAL PLAN FOR JANUARY 29
We will have our second day of sectionals on Sunday 1/29.
- 4:00pm-4:50pm:
- tutti – Montgomery Variations by Margaret Bonds (read through all four movements).
- Percussion with Kevin – include m. 177 of Cold Mountain Suite
- 5:00pm-5:55pm: sectionals (Cold Mountain Suite)
- Winds, brass + percussion with Tristan Weitkamp: m. 188 to 195, m. 202 to 209, m. 235 to 249, m. 299 w/ pick-up to 312.
- cellos+bass with Marilyn de Oliveira – m. 188 to 290 as able (skip solos)
- violins and violas with me: Cold Mountain Suite, m. m. 188 to 290 as able (skip solos)
- 6:05pm-7:00pm: sectionals (Cold Mountain Suite)
- all strings + percussion with me – m. 299 w/ pick-up to 312, m. 188 to 290 as able (skip solos)
- woodwinds with Karen Wagner – m. 188 to 290 as able
- brass with Joe Klause – whole piece, brass-heavy passages as needed
Part Assignments
Part assignments have been updated for flutes and clarinets. Please click the link on the sidebar to access the most recent roster (it should say “v4” on the upper right corner).
ADD ALL REHEARSAL DATES/TIMES to your calendar!
Go to our full season schedule here. Please mark your calendars very carefully for this term. Please note our weeknight and Saturday rehearsals on concert week.
Thank you, and see you Sunday!
Dr. G.
Rehearsal plan for Jan 22 | MYS S.O.
RECAP (Jan 15)
- We watched a few videos about Margaret Bonds and Jennifer Higdon. If you missed rehearsal, please watch the playlist linked here.
- We worked on Jennifer Higdon’s Cold Mountain Suite, from the beginning to around m. 43, and then from m. 311 to the end.
REHEARSAL PLAN FOR JANUARY 22
- We will have our first set of sectionals this coming Sunday (1/22). The rehearsal will be entirely on Higdon’s Cold Mountain Suite, both the tutti hour and the sectional periods.
- Higdon: beginning to m. 117 (a tempo!!! – please practice and be 100% ready), then 311 to the end.
- 4:00pm-4:50pm: tutti
- 5:00pm-5:55pm: Winds and brass with me, cellos+bass with Marilyn de Oliveira, violins and violas with Nelly Kovalev.
- 6:05pm-7:00pm: all strings with me, woodwinds with Karen Wagner, brass with Doug Reneau.
Part Assignments
Part assignments have been updated for oboes, and I have updated the “Sitting out March concert” list. Please click the link on the sidebar to access the most recent roster (it should say “v3” on the upper right corner).
ADD ALL REHEARSAL DATES/TIMES to your calendar!
Go to our full season schedule here. Please mark your calendars very carefully for this term. Please note our weeknight and Saturday rehearsals on concert week.
I’m leaving this here for now, just to remind you of what we’re capable of!
Praise after “The Magic of Eric Carle”
“The young musicians of MYS were amazing. From the first note to the encore, their poise and excellence under Raúl’s exceptional and encouraging direction, captivated the entire audience which was brimming with enthusiastic and curious listeners of all ages.”
Suzanne Nance, President and CEO | All Classical Portland
My wife and I went to the concert on Sunday, and really enjoyed it. The young players of the MYS all played excellently, and it was wonderful to see this partnership between All Classical and ICAN and MYS. I know that this concert had been in the planning stages for a long time, and it came off beautifully.
John Pitman, Director of Music and Programming | All Classical Portland
“BRAVO on a wonderful concert yesterday! The entire thing was so lovely, and the students played so brilliantly. I feel lucky to have been able to attend.”
Kristina B.
“Wow, what a brilliant concert! A thank you for bringing such joy to my family.”
Elaina S.
You should know that about two-thirds of the audience on Sunday afternoon were *not* related in any way to MYS, and many of them were first-time concert-goers. Way to go!! This is truly how we serve as ambassadors to our art, and bring joy to our audiences.
Thank you, and see you Sunday!
Dr. G.
Bonds/Higdon YouTube playlist (Jan 15 rehearsal)
If you weren’t at the Sunday, January 15 rehearsal, please spend time this week watching the videos on the playlist linked below.
Montgomery Variations: Reference Audio
Please note that we are only playing 4 movements of this piece.
- I. Decision
- III. March
- IV. Dawn in Dixie
- VII. Benediction
“I Want Jesus to Walk with Me”
This is the Spiritual that “Montgomery Variations” is based on. Here’s a great version recorded by Marion Williams.
Cold Mountain Suite: Reference Audio
Part Assignments for March 5 Concert
Please note!!!
- As of Jan 13, we haven’t received the rental materials for Margaret Bonds’ Montgomery Variations. As soon as we get the materials (next week), we will be able to double-check the actual instrumentation for the movements that we are playing (4 of them). This might have an impact on the actual final assignments.
- The concerto competition is on January 29. We will know the piece and the actual instrumentation then.
- Reminder: my part assignments or seating rosters are *not* rankings. Leadership is shared and rotated all year long.
CONGRATS! & what’s next (Jan 10 2023) | MYS S.O.
I am incredibly proud of our orchestra and every single one of you. Congrats on an extremely successful concert. Below are a few quotes from e-mails that I’ve received since Sunday.
“The young musicians of MYS were amazing. From the first note to the encore, their poise and excellence under Raúl’s exceptional and encouraging direction, captivated the entire audience which was brimming with enthusiastic and curious listeners of all ages.”
Suzanne Nance, President and CEO | All Classical Portland
My wife and I went to the concert on Sunday, and really enjoyed it. The young players of the MYS all played excellently, and it was wonderful to see this partnership between All Classical and ICAN and MYS. I know that this concert had been in the planning stages for a long time, and it came off beautifully.
John Pitman, Director of Music and Programming | All Classical Portland
“BRAVO on a wonderful concert yesterday! The entire thing was so lovely, and the students played so brilliantly. I feel lucky to have been able to attend.”
Kristina B.
“Wow, what a brilliant concert! A thank you for bringing such joy to my family.”
Elaina S.
You should know that about two-thirds of the audience on Sunday afternoon were *not* related in any way to MYS, and many of them were first-time concert-goers. Way to go!! This is truly how we serve as ambassadors to our art, and bring joy to our audiences.
WHAT’S NEXT
“Tales of Love and Justice with Jennifer Higdon”
- We go right into work for our BIG DEAL March 5th concert, featuring music and a visit from Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Jennifer Higdon. This is a big deal and I will say it a thousand times. Very very exciting.
- The concert will also feature music by the extraordinary American composer Margaret Bonds and our very own Margot Pullen, as well as one of the winners of our upcoming concerto competition.
- This Sunday (1/15), we will hand out the parts for Jennifer’s piece. We will listen to a recording and watch some videos. We will read sections of the piece.
- I will send a separate e-mail tomorrow or Thursday when I have completed part assignments. There will be no seating audition for this term.
Part Assignments
Check back later this week.
HEADS-UP!! REHEARSAL DATES/TIMES!!
Go to our full season schedule here. Please mark your calendars very carefully for this term. Please note our weeknight and Saturday rehearsals on concert week.
Thank you, and see you Sunday!
Dr. G.
Instrument Demos for Jan 8 Concert | MYS S.O.
Happy New Year!!! I look forward to seeing you all Thursday evening.
During our upcoming concert, we will do instrument demonstrations between pieces. Please see below for details, so you can prepare accordingly.
From “Papa, Please Get The Moon For Me”: (demos will happen right before each piece)
- Flute: m. 1-10
- Oboe: m. 12-19
- Clarinet: m. 159-166
- Bassoon: m. 39-46
- All woodwinds: m. 123-130
From “The Very Quiet Cricket”:
- Violins: m. 34-41
- Violas: m. 42-45
- Cellos: m. 42-45 (twice, first time as printed, second time octave lower)
- Bass: m. 42-45
- Pizzicato demo: violas, cellos, m. 34-37
- All strings: m. 34-45
From “The Mixed Up Cameleon”:
- Horn solo: m. 2-10
- Horn section: m. 22-29
- Trumpet: m. 26-29
- Trombone: m. 26-29
- All brass: m. 22-29
From “The Very Hungry Caterpillar”:
- Bass clarinet: m. 33-37
- Harp: m. 15-18
- Celesta: m. 15-18
- Harp and celesta together: m. 15-18
- PERCUSSION!! – demonstrate all instruments for the concert ad libitum
Before “Wallace and Grommit”
- Contrabassoon: descending scale all the way to lowest note.
- Tuba: descending scale all the way to lowest note.
Part Assignments
Click here to go to the blog post that contains part assignments for our January 8 concert. No changes from 12/11.
Wallace & Grommit Tempo Indications
Click here to add important tempo indications to your W&G parts, as well as the YouTube video with reference audio for our performance.
TRIPLE-CHECK WEEKNIGHT REHEARSAL DATES/TIMES!!
Go to our full season schedule here, and please make sure you can make the additional rehearsals on January 5, 6 and 7.
Thank you, and happy practicing!
Dr. G.
