Portland Megaband 2024
Rehearsal Report #7 – dress rehearsal
March 3, 2024
The following is in the order we will be playing them
Louis Cyr / Reel Beloeil
Remember the hole in B6 at the ending. Don’t step in it.
Last Chance / Ducks / Ice
We will start this set thusly:
- Fiddle potatoes, guitar, and fiddles only
- Add bass, flutes, and plectra to the fiddles and guitar.
- All in.
Don’t step in the hern diddle spaces in the switch from Paddy to Ice and in the Ice variation.
Northern / Robin’s / Chicago
Nothing new.
William Blake / Live Oak / William Blake
Last time through Live Oak, use the coda on the B part, which puts us up an octave.
Entrance to William Blake from Live Oak, no backups (melody only) on the pickups measure.
Wellerman / War Hent Kerrigouarch / Screch Owl
We may be able to sing Wellerman twice (4th and 5th times), depending on how much calling the dance needs during the B part. We’ll make that decision on the spot, in conjunction with the caller. Watch for the Variation signal. Melody land hard on those opening notes to Screech Owl. Percussion, come in on the second time through Screech Owl.
Switch in to Screech Owl; Bombarde wait until B1 to come in.
Wagoner / Jumpin’ / J&K
Ending of J&K. Those three half notes at the end make staccato (more like quarter notes) then one more C to hold out.
Lament for Farmers’ Market
immediately after the Wagoner set—no time to prep.
Watch the conductor at the end for a ritard. Specific directions coming.
— Break — Approx. 10 minutes
Socar es Sert
We’ll play this without any repeats. Just A, B and C. Three times through.
If you’re not in your place when the schottische starts, stay out of the band until it’s over. No climbing over others who are playing in order to get to your place.
Rabbit Reel / Le Paresseux / Mains Blanches
The two variations in Mains will be done back to back. First, non fiddles and nonhorns play bars 3-4, 7-8 in the B part, then the horns do the same. Everyone else drop out those four bars each of those iterations. So when Gordy signals “V”, it’s in that order.
Lounge Bar / Rakers
Because this is a double-length tune (once through all 4 parts is twice through the dance, except for the Variation signal that will involve all four parts, each signal will apply to the oncoming two parts. For example, if fiddles are signaled during the D part of the tune, that means fiddles will play the A and B parts the next time. If plectra are signaled during the B part of the tune, that means plectra will play the C and D parts.
The Variation will be signaled during the D part of the tune and will apply to all four parts the next time through. Only miked back up and percussion on parts A, B, and C. Unmiked backup drop out until the D part. The variation is: A part flutes, B part fiddles, C flutes and plectra, D part everyone.
Ain’t Broke / Old Time Son / Goat Groove
Ending for backups: Block chords in B7, then stay out until the final Am chord.
Virginia Reel / Brendan / Sceachog
Nothing New
Rainy Night / Paddy / Vladimir’s
Tempo tends to drag on this one. This will be the last set of the evening, so we need to keep it going. There’s no recovery if this goes south.
At the end of Vladimir’s, play the alternate ending. Do not ritard into the last note.
Northwest Passage Waltz
immediately after the Rainy Night set—no time to prep
All of this will be signaled..
- Fiddles only on A part, then everyone on B part.
- Non-fiddles only on A part, then everyone on B part.
- Fiddles only with high harmony on A part then high and low harmony on B part.
- All play with high and low harmonies.
Martin O’Connor’s
immediately after the waltz—no time to prep
Remember to choke the ending.