Pacific Mozart Ensemble

That's right - 28 world premieres. Because we create new arrangements every year for the Jazz and Pop concert set, the entire first performance is music no one has ever heard in public. Some of it may sound familiar if you know the original material, but even in that case you probably haven't heard it a cappella or with a Latin beat or in 7/4 time. Therefore, it is always a mystery to us how that first audience will react, and how good the show really is.

To add to the novelty, we gave the first performance this year in the Finnish Brotherhood Hall in Berkeley, where we have never sung before. The smooth barrel-shaped ceiling of this concert hall produces some unusual acoustics. It takes some time for singers to acclimate themselves to the standing waves and extensive reverb. Our dress rehearsal was further complicated by the fact that a martial arts class was booked the same night, so the first two hours of our rehearsal took place in a smaller room, also very resonant, which gave one the feeling of singing in a shower with 50 close friends.

One thing we discovered was how the hall projects male voices. Usually the men (except for certain tenors) have to work harder than the women in order to be heard, but that is not the case in Finn Hall. This made it somewhat easier to balance the group sound, and provided an ideal venue for a bass to channel Jennifer Beals.

Since much of this concert is prepared by small groups in various living rooms (see previous articles on making J&P happen), none of us hear or perform the whole program in order until the first dress rehearsal. Occasionally someone realizes that singing two particular songs in succession is vocally taxing and we have to make last-minute changes. We never print our programs until after the dress.

Along with a small, dedicated corps of volunteers, we singers set up for every concert ourselves - risers, lights, chairs, programs, a wine bar, recording equipment, box office, ushers, Jennifer Beals - it takes two to three hours to get ready for the first downbeat. By the time the show starts, some of us are downright sleepy and need some coffee.

The audience response Saturday night let us know that this was an especially good concert. Every tune got a warm ovation, and the more comic or dramatic songs had the crowd jumping. The presence of 200 people softened the acoustics a bit, and the attendees, most of whom have come to many J&P shows, remarked on the strength and clarity of the sound.

Between performances we listen to the recording to evaluate our singing so we can make it even better the next weekend. On Friday night we will be in the Green Room of the Veteran's Building in San Francisco, and on Sunday it's the Berkeley City Club (get tickets). That will be the conclusion of a very eventful and satisfying seaon for PME (well, not quite - we are performing in the Green Music Festival on July 12 - a reprise of our spirituals concert from last December).

For the full photo spread go to J&P week 1.

Technorati : A Cappella, Pacific Mozart Ensemble

No, we are not Rolling Stones. In fact, I don't think we have ever done a Stones tune in a J&P show. However, we share with that group the metaphoric feature of gathering no moss. As good as the Finn Hall show was, we did not relax. After the tape listening (see previous blog entry) we had a second dress rehearsal, constantly striving to improve our performance.

We were delighted to see that the Berkeley City Club had set up a banquet for our Wednesday rehearsal. Most of us do not have time after work to get dinner, so this was a welcome surprise. It was an extremely healthy meal, as well, low on carbs and fat (and protein, ... and fiber, ... and plates).

The elegance and lush acoustics of the Green Room (in the Veterans' Building across from City Hall in San Francisco) make for a special Friday night event. We sounded at times like a big cathedral choir, and we looked pretty spiffy, too. The momentum of the previous week propelled us through another fabulous evening, with the help of the best San Francisco crowd we have had in years.

We try to put together a show that combines inspiration, humor, and high drama, so each number takes the audience in a new direction. Having one concert under our belts prepares us for how the audience responds to these different aspects of the presentation.

The final performance, as is our custom, was in the lovely (and jam-packed) Berkeley City Club. The setting is more relaxed than the Green Room, we dress down a bit, and our confidence is at its peak. Many of our regular attendees told us this was the best J&P show ever, with impressive variety, entertainment value, and a consistently high level of singing. We featured some new soloists along with our veterans, and the team of arrangers within the group is growing.

It was a great way to end this first season with Lynne Morrow as our Music Director. Dick Grant finally got a break after 27 years (he took most of these photos).

Technorati : A Cappella, Pacific Mozart Ensemble

Well at long last I uploaded a new slide show culled from the hundreds of pics taken (mostly by Dick) at our Green Room and CIty Club Concerts. If you're just reading this for the first time, this might seem a bit confusing. Fortunately Jim has been walking us through the entire process that is PME Jazz and Pops. You can retrace the entire process starting with his first entry back in Arpil: Making Jazz and Pops Happen.

The Slide Show can be accessed here: PME JnP 07 pt4

Here's a little taste of the the Green Room concert. Enjoy.

Still Loving You:

Barber of Seville:

Technorati : A Cappella, Barber of Seville, Pacific Mozart Ensemble, Still Loving You