REHEARSAL GUIDE. by Dennis Allen COPYRIGHT 2015 LIFEWAY WORSHIP. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

REHEARSAL GUIDE by Dennis Allen COPYRIGHT 2015 LIFEWAY WORSHIP. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

OPEN THE EYES OF MY HEART This is a familiar song, so you shouldn t have much trouble in rehearsal. Save some volume for the chorus, so it lifts the energy in contrast to the verses. Work on the ending, making sure the cutoffs are clean between the women and men. I COULD SING OF YOUR LOVE FOREVER This is one of those songs that sings itself. If you try to hammer out these syncopated rhythms, you ll miss the point of the melody. The verse melody is a series of two-measure passages, with a push syncopated rhythm connecting them. If you are having trouble, listen to the demo for a clear style suggestion. The second time through the chorus, at meas. 42 and other spots, the guys have an answer part to the melody. Work on clear entrances and cutoffs. 10,000 REASONS This song is familiar, so make sure everyone is synched into this version. Make sure cutoffs are together and clean, particularly in the verses. Dynamic contrast will help the message to be more expressive. For example, meas. 53 needs to be hushed and expectant, with a strong build back into the chorus in meas. 64. STAND AND SHOUT Syncopation is a musical term that means the accents or stresses don t fall on the beat. The melody of this song is a perfect example almost nothing falls ON the beat. Listen to the demo and rehearse short sections, one at a time, and then combine the sections. Energy, energy, energy is needed throughout. Did I mention that you need to sing with energy? SonPower Seventeen Rehearsal Guide 2

GREAT I AM This piece requires using dynamic control. It is easy to get loud too soon. In meas. 27 (both times), drop your volume, but not your energy. Let these words have plenty of emotion. Save your biggest vocal sound for the chorus, beginning in meas. 42. IN CHRIST This song has lots of energy and is fun to sing. However, the quantity of words and design of the melody, combined with the tempo, makes it ideal to rehearse this song in sections. For instance, master meas. 6-9, then master meas. 10-13, and then combine meas. 6-13. Repeat this procedure throughout the song. Because the words go by so quickly, we chose to make this arrangement mostly unison. When it divides into parts, make sure the blend is balanced. VOICE OF TRUTH This is a familiar song, but it has lots of syncopation, especially in the verses. Rehearse a few measures at a time, ideally a cappella. This will help lock in the melody to the lyrics. Save some vocal energy for the chorus. The message of this great song demands it! WHAT FAITH CAN DO The text of this song is one of the best in this collection. Any Christian who is honest has to admit that everybody falls sometimes. Discuss the meaning of this song. The verses are packed with words, so cleanly articulate the lyrics. Take deep breaths during the chorus to prevent the phrases from dying out. YOU NEVER LET GO Dynamic contrast is a beautiful thing for a student choir to achieve. Any choir can sing loud, but having variety in volume makes the presentation better. Don t get too loud too soon. There is lots of chorus material, so find a way to let it build. SonPower Seventeen Rehearsal Guide 3

IN CHRIST ALONE (MY HOPE IS FOUND) This is one of the greatest songs of the last 15 years in Christian music. Your choir likely knows it well; if not, they should get to know it. This arrangement is based on the more-aggressive version of Matt Papa s recording. The vocal energy should match the style of the accompaniment. Let the volume rise and fall as marked in the score. The dynamic contrast will enhance the words. IT S STILL THE CROSS There is a great promise from God in this text! The lyrics are conversational, so you might choose to use a soloist on portions of the verse, and have the choir join at the chorus. If you use the full group, maintain the conversational attitude. Work on 16th note pick-ups, the syncopated melody, and so forth. Break the song into small parts and rehearse them separately before rehearsing the whole song. LEAVE EVERYTHING BEHIND This is a great commitment song, so discuss the text. There is lots of rhythmic energy in the melody, but it can be a little tricky. Rehearse the song in small parts. For instance, meas. 5-8, then meas. 9-12. Rehearse tricky rhythms a cappella so you can hear what needs rehearsal. NO TURNING BACK This is a fun, energetic song. Since it is a cappella, every voice part needs to master their part. Basses set the tone, so work on clean articulation of rhythms and pronunciation of words. When the altos join, they need to tune their part to the basses. The sopranos and tenors sing their opening lines more legato, in contrast to the bass/alto parts. Tune the key change entrances carefully. SonPower Seventeen Rehearsal Guide 4

I WILL FOLLOW Once you learn the main rhythmic motif, you will be set because it repeats often. Observing dynamics will enhance your singing. The sudden drop at meas. 44, followed by the gradual crescendo, will be exciting. When you lower the volume, increase the energy so pitches will stay in tune and not go flat. SURRENDER This testimony song has a conversational style lyric. Rehearse in short sections. This will make singing the final verse much easier. The melody is passed back and forth between the sections, so work on smooth transitions. Work on the a cappella ending. Blend is critical between SATB. MOVE I love a cappella singing! You must listen to each other and maintain a steady beat as you sing. The finger snaps can help, but don t let them be a distraction. In meas. 11 and forward, the Oos need to be less than the soprano melody. Sopranos, hold your note out strongly in meas. 12 (and other similar spots). Tenors, watch out in meas. 15 and 17. Note the differences in the notes. Basses, lead out meas. 27 in the bridge section. THE MOTIONS One key to this song is where you DON T sing. Pay attention to rests and make clean cutoffs. The melody is passed back and forth between sections, so every section needs to match the handoff from the previous group. There are lots of volume changes, sometimes sudden, so pay attention to them. SonPower Seventeen Rehearsal Guide 5