2013 NRMS Mixed Choir
Ave Verum Corpus
 This is one of the most beloved choral pieces of all time, written by Mozart – take a moment to
read the performance notes written by the arranger, Russell Robinson!
 Be careful of Latin vowels; ahs, ehs, and ohs should be tall and open. Oos and ees are closed. All
vowels should be as pure as possible – no “American” vowels!
 Generally this piece should be sung in 4-bar phrases, making sure that every phrase has
direction (a place to go) and line. Sing through the long phrases and arrive at the end of them.
 Flip all “r”s. If you don’t know how to flip (a single flick of the tongue, not a rolled “r” like in
some Hispanic dialects), then imagine replacing all the “r”s with the letter “d”. For example,
“verum” becomes “vedum.”
 In m.6, “corpus” needs a hard “k” sound, also “cruce” in m.15 and “cujus” in m.22
 Be sure to listen to the recordings for correct pronunciations of the Latin text
A South African Trilogy
 This piece will be a crowd-pleaser for sure! A rollicking celebratory romp through the melodies
and rhythms of South Africa! HAVE FUN!
 A pronunciation page will be coming – the scanned copy on the website doesn’t have it – expect
it next week.
 Since the melodic material is so often repeated, really emphasize the different dynamics
assigned to each section to generate energy and variation throughout the piece
 This piece is to be sung a capella – with no help from the piano! PLEASE spend the most time
preparing and practicing this selection for the festival!
Oh my Luve’s like a red red rose
 You should be very excited to work with the conductor on this piece, as it will be the first time
that it will be performed in a festival setting! You will be premiering this work with the
conductor, who in collaboration with Mark Kaplan (last year’s mixed choir conductor) arranged
this beautiful ballad. The poetry speaks of undying love between two people and we will seek to
capture the appropriate expression to communicate the artistry the text and melody deserves!
 Refer to the rehearsal track as there are some unexpected rhythmic figures, as well as some
non-traditional text
Sit Down Servant
 It is understood that the tenor part gets a little low; however, to maintain musical integrity,
we’re asking tenors to very gently and sensitively handle the low Es, so as to avoid a non-musical
divisi. We can evaluate the overall sound once we get together and decide the best choice at
that point. For tenors to sing the low notes gently (if possible) so as to avoid hurting the voice, is
the preferable option.