Breathing, divisi, and articulation marks for Chorale – May 2015
DUE DATE: before 12:00 pm Monday, April 13, 2015
A Procession Winding Around Me
Have your seating chart handy, as it relates to divisi and splits. For example, if you
are SI/Middle, you will sing top soprano in four-part splits, and the middle voice in
three-part splits.
SATB: all voices (soprano, alto, tenor, bass)
SAB: soprano, alto, bass
SA: soprano, alto
TB: tenor, bass
Please number your measures in each score!
I. By the Bivouac’s Fitful Flame
 SATB: shorten “me” in m. 14 to an eighth-note/eighth-rest
 SA: no breath in mm. 16–17 between “sweet and slow”
 SATB: in m. 24, shorten the half note to a dotted quarter/eighth-rest, to allow an
opportunity to breathe before beat 4
 SATB: in m. 28, follow the notated rhythm – do not sing the eighth-note too long!
 SATB: no breath in m. 37; breathe in m. 38 after “near” (on the “and” of 3)
 SATB: breathe in m. 51 after “thoughts” (eighth-rest breath); follow the same
articulation in m. 53 after “death”
 SATB divisi: in mm. 54–56, sing in your “traditional” three-part split
(top/middle/bottom)
 Tenor/Bass: sing mm. 59–60 as a four-part split (T1/T2/B1/B2)
 SATB: sing mm. 62–66 as one breath; stagger breathe if necessary
II. Beat! Beat! Drums!
 SATB: in m. 11, put the “s” of drums on the tied eighth note
 Alto/Bass only sing “into the solemn church” in mm. 23–24; shorten “church” in m.
24 to a quarter note with a quarter rest
 Soprano/Tenor only sing “and scatter the congregation” in mm. 24–26
 SATB: in m. 40, please put the “d” of “bride” on the eighth rest
 SATB: in m. 47, please put the “n” of “grain” on the eighth rest
 SATB: in m. 69, put the “s” of drums on the tied eighth note
 SATB: sing mm. 79–85 as one phrase, and stagger breathe if necessary
 SATB: in m. 148, put the “s” of drums on the tied eighth note
 SATB: in m. 155, don’t neglect the eighth rest on beat 2
 SATB: put the “s” of “hearses” on the tied eighth note in m. 178
III. Look Down Fair Moon
 SATB: no breath in m. 39; sing 38–41 as one phrase
 SATB: no breath in m. 51; sing 49–54 as one phrase
 Soprano/Alto: we will breathe in m. 74 after “nimbus” on the “and” of 2 (eighth
rest)
IV. Reconciliation
 SATB: please sing mm. 18–26 as one phrase (stagger breathe when necessary)
 Soprano/Alto: sing mm. 24–26 in traditional three-part split
 Tenor/Bass: sing mm. 24–26 in traditional four-part split
 SATB: no breath between mm. 31–34; lift after “carnage” (eighth-rest breath)
 Soprano/Alto: in mm. 45–59, take short lifts when commas occur (for example,
after “Night” for sopranos in m. 47, after “Night” for altos in m. 48, etc.)
 Altos: hold “softly” in m. 55 through the entire measure (don’t release too early)
 Soprano/Alto divisi: in mm. 66–67, sing in traditional three-part split
 Tenor/Bass divisi: in mm. 66–68, sing in traditional three-part split
 Tenor/Bass divisi: please note the following divisi in mm. 80–111:
o m. 82: three-part
o mm. 84–91: four-part
o mm. 92–93: three-part
o mm. 101–103: I would like to try singing four-part on the chords that have
four notes, and three-part on the chords will three notes. Feel free to write
zig-zag lines in your parts, and we will take a brief sectional to assist in this.
o mm. 105–111: four-part
 SATB: please sing mm. 136–144 as one phrase (stagger breathe)
 Soprano/Alto divisi: sing mm. 142–144 in traditional three-part split
 Tenor/Bass divisi: sing mm. 142–144 in traditional four-part split
 SATB: no breath between mm. 149–152; lift after “carnage” (eighth-rest)
 SATB: in mm. 163–176, please take short lifts where commas occur (for example,
after “Night,” etc.)
 Tenor/Bass: you all sing on the third stave of pp. 32 and 33, so when there are
splits, all of the tenors take the notes with the stems pointing upward, and all of the
basses take the notes with the stems pointing downward.
 SATB double choir: you all know your proper assignments, I hope! CHOIR 1: let’s
take a short lift after “soil’d” in m. 189, before we resolve to “world.”
THANK YOU ALL! This is a wonderful piece of music that is perfectly appropriate as we
commemorate the 150th anniversary of the end of the Civil War, and although it’s
difficult at times, I know you are up to the challenge. I’ve been waiting for the right
choir to sing this for four years now, so thank you, thank you!