This is the quadranscentennial of the Village Voices, so we will be performing some pieces that we have sung in previous years. Following are collected comments from when we did these before.

Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In – Page turn from Page 5 to Page 6, there is a note change right on the page turn (sadistic publisher) so you may want to write in the new note on Page 5. Pages 10 and 11, everyone sings the melody (ladies’ part) the first time and then sing parts (not the melody for the men) the second time – this was mentioned four times in the comments from the last time so we must have missed it a lot. Where three parts are shown for the men, all tenors take the top note, baritones take the middle note, and basses take the bottom note. Measure 18, ‘stars’ is short. Measure 37/38, ‘bound-‘ is pronounced ‘bou-oun’. Measures 67 to end, baritones plus Bogle, Keith and Kelley sing middle notes. Memorize Measure 61 to end so that we will have our hands free to clap, gesticulate at the audience, hold Alice B. Toklas brownies, and other actions appropriate to the free spirit of the song. When we did this before, we used Measure 61 to the end as an encore, with a quick draw four note introduction.

Can You Read My Mind – watch the eighth and sixteenth notes. Measure 12, don’t linger on ‘star’.

America, the Beautiful – Throughout, ‘beautiful’ should be pronounced ‘byoo-tih-fuhl’. The beginning tempo is about two beats per second, the Army marching pace. WTD at Measure 23, because the pace slows down to whatever Matt feels like on a given day. Measure 24, break between ‘skies’ and ‘for’. Measure 28, no breath between “majesties” and “above”. Measures 31 and 32, break after each “America!” Measure 36, no breath between “brotherhood” and “from”. Measure 53, break between “control” and “Thy”. WTD around Measure 61 and following. Matt may speed up and slow down for dramatic impact. Measure 61, no breath between “proved” and “in”. Measure 63, listen for the tenor part. Measure 65, break between “loved” and “and”. Measures 68 and 69, break after “America!”. Measure 71, break between “refine” and “Till”. Measure 73, break between “nobleness” and “and”. Measure 73, the crescendo starts on ‘and’ and continues throughout Measure 74. Note that the tempo slows down at the page turn from 9 to 10. Measure 81, no breath between “sees” and “beyond”. Also in Measure 81, “be” should be pronounced “bih”. Measure 84, break between “gleam” and “undimmed”. Measure 86, the crescendo covers the whole measure, including the “A-” following the rest. Measures 87 and 88, break after “America!”. Measure 92, no breath between “brotherhood” and “from”.

Another Op’nin’, Another Show – Throughout, ‘an-oth-er’ is pronounced ‘uh-nuh-ther’. Measure 31, men go from melody to harmony. Measure 64, ‘thee’. Measure 115, men go from melody to harmony. Measure 140, ‘thee’. Measures 153 through 156, envision this as waltz time with the words being sung on the ‘oom’ and resting on the ‘pah, pah’. Starting at Measure 157, all tenors take the top note, baritones take the middle note, and basses take the bottom note. The time signature on this piece is 2/2 but Matt has been directing it in 4/4 while we are on the steep part of the learning curve. He has stated that he will at some time start directing in 2/2. To accommodate this, references to beats will be given first in 2/2, followed by 4/4 in square brackets [ ]. In many instances, the last syllable of a phrase is held for one and a half beats [three beats]. However, there are a fair number of cases when the last syllable of a phrase is held for only half a beat [one beat] and it may be followed by a rest of one and a half or two beats [three or four beats]. Do not hold these out but cut them off as written. Specific spots mentioned by our Fearless Leader include in Measures 48 and 80. Measure 136, cut off ‘night’ as though it were a tied half and dotted quarter to allow time to properly attack ‘Out of the hat’ in Measure 137. In beat terms, this is cut off on beat two and three-quarters [four and one-half]. Measures 141 and 142 – the ‘-ture’ in ‘overture’ should be pronounced ‘choor’ where the terminal ‘r’ is soft, somewhat like the French pronunciation of ‘r’ in ‘Charles’.

I Got Rhythm – Note that this is to have a lively swing feel, so that two consecutive eighth notes will have a long/short feel. Every place that there are three male parts, all tenors take the top note, all baritones take the middle note and all basses take the bottom note. Measure 10 – there are only two beats for the glissando so do it quickly. After Measure 19 at the top of Page 5, only the women sing for the rest of the page, so men can turn the page early to be prepared for the quarter note, quarter rest combo at the start of Measure 28. The same combo starts Measure 32. Note that the rhythm changes on the page turn from Page 9 to Page 10. Measure 34 – WTD for the slowdown and for the increase in speed in Measure 36.

Stars I Shall Find – Measures 76 & 77 – T1 take the top note, T2 take the middle note; ignore the bottom note in the tenor clef; baritones sort out who will take the top and middle notes here plus on ‘shall’ in Measure 75.