Portland Megaband 2024
Rehearsal Report #6
February 25, 2024
Announcements
After Party
This will be at the Rose City Book Pub immediately after the dance. Contact Lori Shaffer, loris.notes@gmail.com for more information.
Parking Permits
If you signed up with Tom Webb for a parking permit, be sure to bring $7 exact change for him next Sunday.
Covid Tests
We need some more covid tests. Please donate some if you can.
Volunteers Needed
We need someone to record the dance from the board and a couple of people who can place themselves by the doors to make sure no one is sneaking in. Do you know someone who would like to come to the dance but doesn’t want to dance? They would be perfect for these jobs. Email me with names.
Staging and Seat Assignments
I am working on this right now. If you have signed up to be towards the back of the band, you can sit on a bar stool if you would like to. This will give you a good view of the conductors and the whole hall. You may also stand if you are in the very last row (the only place anyone can stand). Let me know if you would like a bar stool or plan to stand if you didn’t indicate that on the seating sign-up sheet.
Advance Admission
If you would like to purchase advance admissions at the next rehearsal, you will need to do that before the rehearsal starts or during the breaks. Lanny and I need to leave immediately after the rehearsal is over. Erik will be closing up.
Next Rehearsal
It’s a long one. The doors will open at 10:30, and we will go from 11:00 until 3:00. We will play through all our music although not in the order we will play the sets and the dance. There will be breaks for snacks.
The Dance!
We will talk about the dance next Sunday, and I will email you a lot of information about it after the rehearsal. If you have questions, you can email them to me this week so I can be sure to respond to everyone next Sunday. (Someone else probably has your same question.) For planning purposes now, the newcomers’ session will be at 6:45, and the dance will start at 7:15. This is 45 minutes earlier than the last time we played at Smith (2019), so our arrival time is advanced by 45 minutes and will be: Standing at the doors of the Ballroom awaiting entry at 5:45.
Notes on the Music
Only updates to previous information is listed here. Be sure to read the update on Socar es Sert at the very end.
Last Chance / Ducks / Ice
We tried starting this set with miked guitar and bass back up only. We may or may not stick with this. We’ll decide for sure next Sunday.
Remember the switch from Last to Ducks and Ducks to Ice, and remember the variation in Ice House.
Ice House has a harmony. Look for the signal. Ending is as described earlier. No changes.
Northern / Robin’s / Chicago
Switches and ending as described before.
First two times through Northern, low octave only. If you can’t play the low octave, don’t play.
Rabbit Reel / Le Paresseux / Mains Blanches
There’s a variation in Les Mains which Sue sent out in an email.
Another variation in Les Mains will be non-fiddles playing in the empty spaces where the horns played in the other variation. The non-fiddle/non-horn variation will come first. Gordy will signal which variation will be played.
Switches and endings are as described before.
Really nice job detaching tempo from dynamics. We kept around 112 bpm on the quiet parts.
Rainy Night / Paddy / Vladimir’s
A variation in Vladimir’s is to have horns-only (with mic’ backup) on the B1, B2. Everyone play the A parts.
Be sure to get the music for the ending of Vladimir’s. Sue sent it in an email earlier this week and its on the web site. Look for a bit of a ritard during the last couple bars of Vlad.
Percussion: solo bit in Paddy…be careful to not drag the tempo. Keep it going.
Virginia Reel / Brendan / Sceachog
Nothing new. Switches (and ending) are as described before.
Wagoner / Jumpin’ / J&K
Backups, pay attention to the G7 on the pickups to J&K (except the first time at the switch).
At the ending, last two bars, staccato half notes then hold a C note tag.
In Jumpin’, harmony will be the upper signal, the low octave will resemble the low harmony signal.
Nothing else new.
Socar es Sert—New Since Rehearsal
New decision. We will play the schottische without repeats. It is too long with repeats, and we want to be able to play both harmonies. Updated music is attached—no difference except the first ending is eliminated in the A and B parts. You can just scratch it out on your music if you want to. Remember to adjust the harmony parts too.