YRCC 2026 Spring Solos

Here are the solos for this season with main soloist and back-up soloist.

These are the solos in our choir pieces. This does not include any solos in the solo and small group segments of the concert.  

As much as possible, please memorize your solo, so that you can look up at the audience instead of into your binder while you are singing your solo. Let me know if you need more rehearsal time for your solo as we get closer to the concert. Make use of the recordings as well. 

Thank you for your courage and generous service to the choir! Most people are uncomfortable standing out, but you are kindly stepping forward.  

Here’s To Song: 1. Wintston (Colby) 2. Sharon (Nadine)

One Voice 1. Soprano: Melodie (Cathy) 2. Tenor: Stanley (Jane) 3. Alto: Lorraine (Lauren)

Thank You For the Music: Robyn (Cathy)

We Rise Again: Melinda (Nadine)

Why We Sing 1. Soprano: Mona (Cathy) 2. Tenor: Stanley (Jane) 3. Alto: Lauren (Debbie) 4. Bass: Colby (Winston)

 Please let me know if I missed anyone or misplaced anyone.

 

YRCC 2026 Rehearsal Review March 10th

Wow! I'm so impressed with the progress we made at this rehearsal, and also generally with how well eveyone is learning the music this season! I hope that these reports every week have been helpful, and I can tell that people have been reviewing parts at home, so I'm confident that the recordings we have and that Donna has made are also being used and appreciated. (I can also sometimes tell when people have not been availing themselves of the resources.) I do these rehearsal reviews mostly for myself, so that I can keep track of what was done, what we need to work on, and generally to help my scheduling. I also want people not to feel bad when they need to miss rehearsals. We all have times when we're away for all kinds of reasons, and I want to be sure that you know it's okay, and I want to help you to catch up, if you need help. 

One of my goals with this rehearsal was to assign the solos for all the songs. I will publish a second post today with all the soloists and back-ups. 

The Song Sung Blue small group met at 6:30 and waited patiently for the music to arrive. Once we got it, we worked on adapting the arrangement to our liking. We added some harmony in the alto section, and created a bigger ending, of course.  

Our warm-ups included stretching, breathing, and our mummies going to Miami. 

1.  Why We Sing: We tried out a new approach to this song. We've sung it so many times that we need to give it a new spin every once in a while. This time, we'll have 4 soloists, a quartet at the beginning, and we'll have them sing the first chorus too. So, up to the pick-up at bar 42 on page 5 it's just 4 voices, one from each section. This time, we heard Mona, Stanley, Lauren, and Winston. It does add quite a bit of drama to the piece, as it builds up from single voices to two to four to everyone, and finally the very loud and complex last chorus and ending. I love it. 

2. One Voice: There is the solo/trio section at the beginning in this piece too. It's a good way to start a song of soft, so that it can build up to a dramatic loud ending. This time, we had the 3 soloists stand at the front so that we could hear how difficult it is, to appreciate their work. The alto part is the most difficult, as is often the case. But, the soprano solo has tricky timing, coming from the accompaniment, mostly. I need to hear more soprano when we all come in at 23, so we reviewed that page a few times. Sopranos, make sure you're clear on the words and learn that part well. Altos, tenors, basses, not so loud there. You're the background. I'm very happy with this song. I love the ending!

3. Here's to Song: There are two solos here, and remember that we're eliminating the oohs under the second. We heard Winston with Colby on the first, and Sharon on the second. We reviewed the chorus, remembering that the first time we sing it, it's very soft, right after the first solo. It sounds really cool when it's soft, and just this big difference in volume gives it a very different sound. We also reviewed the second verse, the one where all four parts sing different things. It's amazing, so good. I love this song, and it was the one that was stuck in my head all night. 

4. We Rise Again: There are two solos in this song, but I think we've always done it with one soloist singing both. It's a very high soprano part, and we're hearing one of our tenors sing it! Melinda has astounding range, and wonderful volume and control at the high end and the low end. We're so lucky! We reviewed the ahs under the solos (mm-oo-ahs) and I'm delighted with how well it went. I guess you must have learned it so well in the past that the new folks can easily follow you now. So happy with this. The chorus building up to the key change and big ending makes this song really rewarding to sing, and a beloved Canadian song. I heard Americans singing it at a demonstration (on Instagram) and it made me proud. 

5. Hymn to Freedom: I was very happy with our performance today! This is also an excellent Canadian song that fills me with pride. I wondered if we should jazz it up a bit. But it's really good the way that we sing it. And, we're supposed to "own" our performances of these songs, make them our own. You are awesome, and I love how you sing it.  You got the tricky ahs! Remember at the end, we're all together singing the same words on the last "we'll be free", (not free, free, free in the bass clef) loud with big harmony on the last note. Also, if you haven't already, be sure to add the missing words in bar 66: first soprano, "free", second soprano we'll "be" free. 

6. Thank You for the Music: We fixed it. It was excellent. We heard Cathy sing the solo on the third verse, without oohs underneath, and with everyone coming in at the chorus with "so I said" and the timing was much better. We've got this!  Remember at the ending that second sopranos and altos can move and choose notes that feel good, tenors and basses too should sing freely in the "me" at the end. Something I didn't say, but you always follow me at the end anyway, is that we will not be ending at pp. It's written as mf with a crescendo to f and then a decrescendo to pp. We will get louder and softer, but ending with some good volume still. 

7.  O Canada: Bonus. We had time so we stood and sang our national anthem, proudly and beautifully. 

 Next week: Tuesday, March 17 (St. Patrick's Day, so party on the weekend)

6:30 Song Sung Blue and 7:00 Circle Game (and the seasons they go round and round...) 

• Here's to Song
• Hallelujah
• Song for Canada
• I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing
• Canon of Joy
• We Rise Again 

 

 

YRCC 2026 Rehearsal Review March 3rd

I'm grateful for my church for providing the space for us to rehearse, and thankful to you all for your patience, generosity, and creativity with parking and setting up and taking down our space there. 

The small groups had their patience tried. We sang My Heart Will Go On beautifully. It's such a good song. We're not all fans of the movie the Titanic, but Celine Dion and her song stand somewhat apart from that, in that the song is a huge pop hit, one of the best-selling singles of all time and Celine is the most successful, the best-selling Canadian recording artist and a Companion of the Order of Canada. We will have to start Song Sung Blue next week, as we didn't have copies of the music on time. We had some time to sit and relax.

Warm-ups included breathing and releasing air and sound with control. We did a couple of things we used to do all the time: me, may, my, mo, moo and Maybe my mummy will go to Miami, and maybe my mummy will not. Fun, and helpful.

1. Hymn to Freedom: We reviewed the tricky ahs, and the second soprano parts, and sang through beautifully.

2.  We Rise Again: We looked at parts at "That as sure as the sun rise" starting at the pick-up to bar 40 on page 9. First sopranos are at the top of the Soprano line in the choir bracket, but sing the bottom of that line at bar 42, the melody. Second sopranos join Altos on the alto line, the second line of the choir bracket, with melody in 40 and 41, harmony in 42. Tenors are at the top of the Bass line, in the bass clef, Basses at the bottom. And, we looked at the ending, page 12. We're all in the choir bracket. First sopranos are on top, at the top of the Soprano line, the top of the choir bracket. Second sopranos start with Altos on the second, but move up to the top at the pick-up to bar 60, "and then". At 62, the second sopranos are on the bottom of the top line, their usual place. Tenors are at the top of the bass clef line, and basses are at the bottom, but free to improvise a good low note. There are lots of notes to choose from and you land on: any Ab, Eb, or C.

3. Song for Canada: Robyn brought her flute and it was really cool! We sang from 81 to the end with the flute coming in at 89. Our focus was the end of the song. On page 13, we're all in the choir bracket for this song's ending. On page 12, we're all singing in the second line, the tutti line, and then we all move down into the choir bracket for a big ending. Sopranos in the first line, divided, as written. Altos are in the second line, and it's divided but if you want, you can stay on the Eb in bar 114, and sing only the lower notes in the last system. However, altos can choose to sing any of the alto notes. So, if your neighbour is singing different notes, do not worry. Tenor and Bass, same thing. You're dividing. Tenors on top and bass on the bottom, but there are 3 notes in 115 and 4 in the last bar. Tenors can chooe the highest notes, and basses the lowest, but if a tenor chooses the middle note, it's fine. It's a big ending, and look at how many notes there are to choose from in bar 115 Bb, Ab, C, Db, F, Ab. And on the last note: any Ab, Eb, or C. You will land very well, no worries. We talked about how you have an instinctive feel for endings, and it's hard to mess them up. 

4. Thank You For The Music: My focus in this song today was the third verse, particularly how to get from the third verse to the segno/chorus. I decided to simplify that section, by eliminating the oohs. We'll have just the soloist and the piano, and when the soloist finishes "chance", we all go to the bar before the segno, on beat 2, the beginning of the chorus, "So I say Thank you..." Remember to go to the CODA on page 8 after that chorus. We can fake the ending here too. Funny, it's the same key as the other two songs, so we can end on any Ab, Eb, or C again. Second sopranos can take the top alto part, but you don't have to. Altos might want to? 

5. Grand Night For Singing: It was a grand night for singing! We went over parts in the Interlude, and sang the whole song. It's really very good already!

Next week, Tuesday, March 10thWe're back in our room.

6:30 Song Sung Blue Small Group

• Here's To Song
• Hymn to Freedom
• One Voice
• Thank You for The Music
• We Rise Again

Here's a video with a really fun Mi Me Ma Mo Mu exercise: