“We are going on a journey,” Carl said tonight at the first rehearsal of the Bach Mass in B Minor, “and none of us, including me, will be the same after these performances.” Tonight the choir began with the opening four bars of the Kyrie, then went on to the Gloria in excelsis, Et in terra pax, Crucifixus, the Credo in unum Deo, and Sanctus. “This is a BIG sing,” Carl reiterated, and was somewhat disappointed that the choir didn’t accomplish as much as he had planned. Unfortunately a few key singers missed tonight’s rehearsal.

We were fortunate to secure the services of Grant Mack, a much-in-demand pianist in town, to accompany the choral rehearsals. I say we were lucky, because Grant normally has a Tuesday night gig.

During the break, Carl “voiced” the first sopranos. What this means is that he has them sing in different combinations to find the right pairing of voices — who you stand next to has a tremendous influence on the overall sound. Voices can either “fight” each other, or can meld together to create an even bigger sound. That’s the goal of “voicing.” Within a few minutes, Carl found the right combination and everyone agreed that the soprano sound will be absolutely spectacular. Next week he will voice another section.