Our first official rehearsal with Music Director Martin Wright, was Tuesday March 13th. All the singers had received the scores about 4 weeks before that and for a piece as big as this one, most singers start their preparation by buying a recording of the piece and listening to it while reading the score. So did I. Thanks to iTunes I got my recording within minutes and was instantly mesmarized by the music. I had never heard the piece before and it is simply GEORGIOUS.

But let's start with some background information on the piece itself: Adrien de Gasparin, the Minister of the Interior of France, asked Berlioz, in 1837, to compose a Requiem Mass to memorialize soldiers who died in the Revolution of July 1830. Events following the request are nothing short of a soap opera, but this would be way too much information for this segment. So I suggest you read more on that in the Music notes, also posted on the Ovation webiste in the "blog" section.

Since our first rehearsal we have gone through several of the movements, but this week, I'd like to talk about the Kyrie:

The translation of the text reads as follows:

Grant them eternal rest, O Lord,
and may perpetual light shine on them.
Thou, O God, art praised in Sion,
and unto Thee shall the vow be performed
in Jerusalem. Hear my prayer,
unto Thee shall all flesh come.
Lord have mercy upon us.
Christ have mercy upon us.
Lord have mercy upon us.

As you can see from the text it sets a rather somber and dark mood. And that's what the music starts out with, but once the choir joins the orchestra it turns into a hopeful prayer. It's a wonderful musical transition from the more sad "Grant them eternal rest, O Lord" to the hopeful prayer.

We will have another rehearsal tonight, Tuesday 4/10/07, so look out for my weekly update tomorrow!