Songs of The Season

"Songs of The Season" status 12/22/2013

What a success!

Letter to Litchfield.bz editor

Thank you to everyone involved in the 17 Songs of the Season presented at St. Michael’s and the Oliver Wolcott Library last week. If you could not attend because of the snow, enjoy learning the histories of these holiday favorites here:
Songs 1 to 9: https://vimeo.com/82357918

Songs 10 to 17: https://vimeo.com/82387293

Pete Tavino Thanks David Grasmere for your fine videos.

You gave us some Figgy pudding! Thanks Bibbi.

What a pleasure working with you all!

You all are so very talented for your roles in this complicated show.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year with my sincere appreciation!

Pete

Old news:

Canceled for Tuesday.

Thanks to all of the cast for your valiant efforts and cooperation.!

We are scheduled for tomorrow, Wednesday at 7 pm.

Peter S. said the roads were terrible and Malie and family could not get past a truck accident.

Bill Savoia will present O Holy Night for Father Tucker who cannot be there Wed.

The library staff called every person who registered and told them its postponed until Wed.

So we are all safe at home tonight.

Peace.

More later.
Pete

Cover image by Brendan Wilson

Intro: Good evening ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the Oliver Wolcott Library and our presentation of Songs of the Season. My name is Thomas Wilson. Please join me in welcoming our cast for this evening…
Our musicians… Abby Cowles, on clarinet Elizabeth Wilson, flutist Jaden Spangenberg on drums Meghan Spangenberg on guitar The chorus… Malie Grasmere Colleen Warner Sara Mitnik Our researchers and presenters… Kate Meador Father Tucker Reverend Stanley Bill Savoia and Peter Tavino The cover art work was done by my brother, Brendan Wilson. May we have a round of applause for the cast who worked very hard to prepare this original script. Begin video tape. Well thank you all for braving this winter wonderland tonight to travel to the Oliver Wolcott Library. At last year’s show, A Christmas Carol, it was great fun when the audience joined our chorus, to sing favorites like Joy to the World and God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen. So this year, we build on that and ask you to sing with us eleven of the seventeen songs we will enjoy tonight. The remaining seven songs will be sung for you. First, we use Litchfield’s tradition of History Appreciation, to show you slides of how each song was composed. -Who, when, where, why and how they became holiday classics. We will record tonight’s performance so that you can hear yourself on the internet podcast, but we do ask that you refrain from recording the performance yourselves. Keep the music booklets we have provided to you, and sing your best to make this night GLORIOUS! Don’t forget in the words of that famous elf…“the best way to spread Christmas Cheer is singing loud for all to hear”!
We begin with Deck the Halls.

Pete: Thank you Thomas. Deck The Halls ……..

"Songs of The Season" 12/18/13

	Song	Researcher Presenter	Singers	Musicians	Audience Participa- Tion?	Key	Duration in Minutes History & Singing
Intro		Thomas Wilson					1
1	Deck the Halls	Pete Tavino	Chorus	Clarinet and Flute	Yes		3
2	Joy to the World	Rev. Bevan Stanley	Chorus	Clarinet and Flute	Yes		6
3	Silent Night	Meghan Spangenberg	Chorus	Meghan on Guitar solo & chorus	Yes	F	7
4	Hark the Herald Angels Sing	Lizzie Wilson	SM Choir video	Abby Cowles Clarinet at OWL	No		4
5	Adeste Fidelis O Come All Ye Faithful	Colleen Warner	Luciano Pavorotti track 14	CD	No		6
6	The First Noel	Kate Meador	Chorus	Flute Lizzie Wilson	Yes		3
7	O Holy Night	Father Tucker/ Bill Savoia	Chorus	Clarinet and Flute	Yes		4
8	Handel’s Messiah Hallelujah Chorus	Kate Meador	Harlem Gospel Choir video	YouTube	No but Stand		5
9	Little Drummer Boy	Meghan Spangenberg	Meghan Spangenberg	Jaden S. on Drum	No		5
no inter mission							(44) 15
10	Carol of the Bells	Sara Mitnik	Chorus A cappella	Chorus	No		4
11	Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas	Thomas Wilson	Chorus	Clarinet & Flute & Snare Drum	Yes		4
12	Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer	Bill Savoia	Chorus and Bill Savoia	None	Yes		5
13	We Three Kings	Thomas Wilson	Chorus	Meghan on Guitar 4 bars then sing along	Yes	C	7
14	Greensleeves-What Child is This?	Rev. Bevan Stanley	Chorus	Meghan on Guitar	Yes		7
15	The Twelve Days of Christmas	Father Tucker/ Malie Grasmere?	Chorus	Flute & clarinet	Yes		7
16	White Christmas	Bill Savoia	Video from H.I. Movie	None	No		6
17	We Wish You a Merry Christmas	Kate Meador	Chorus and all	All four instruments	Yes		2 42 + 44 End by 8:40

Chorus members: Sara Mitnik, Colleen Warner Malie Grasmere. Most power point links are still good, but some were revised.

Musicians: Lizzie Wilson, Flute. Abby Cowles, Clarinet.

Meghan Spangenberg, Guitar. Jaden Spangenberg, Drums.

Booklet cover drawing by Brendan Wilson.

Front row at OWL will be reserved for parents and spouses.

First show with audience: December 12, 7:00 pm Saint Michael’s (held)

December 17, 2013, 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm - Oliver Wolcott Library

Cast party 68 South Street 12/17 at 9pm, featuring oodles of figgy pudding!

December 19 cancelled -held as snow date.

Older posts remain below 12/1/13

Poinsettia Graphic sent to OWL for the Newsletter

OWL Newsletter Announcement, as submitted:

Did you know that Silent Night was originally sung to guitar music in 1818, because the Austrian church organ had “issues”? That the funeral for the composer of Do You Hear What I Hear? was only 40 miles south of Litchfield at Saint Mary’s Church in Ridgefield, CT? That Winston Churchill first heard Oh Little Town of Bethlehem while staying at the White House as FDR’s guest?

Join us for an evening of December music and its history. Researchers will tell you the stories of how these songs were composed. Many familiar Christmas Carol and Holiday Classics will be presented.

Learn who wrote the words and melodies, the circumstances, the geographic locale, time setting, and how they have been enjoyed through the ages, and throughout the world.

Listen or sing along to the accompaniment of Litchfield musicians and vocalists, most familiar to you from last year’s OWL presentation of the Ebenezer Scrooge radio play A Christmas Carol.

Presentation of song histories:

Silent Night: as a power point presentation model is available on the planning web page for cast members. It was prepared by Peter Tavino.

Because this program will be recorded as a podcast “for the record” we ask that each presentation be suitable for slide show documentation. We encourage Images and words that the audience can read, while the researcher/ presenter also reads them aloud for a few brief minutes. As time allows, we will sing most songs together.

All power point shows must be previewed by Peter for conformity with the program. Peter encourages originality, and thanks all researchers for their diligence. Power points will be shown to the remaining cast during rehearsals. Cast opinion will be very important for Songs selected.

Slides will be shown on the OW Library Community Room screen, projected by their computer. All power points submitted become the property of the Library for publication on their podcast. If researchers need help placing slides and text into power point program, Peter can assist.

Presenters are expected to read text as it is shown in large font readable by the entire audience.

At Saint Michael’s, we have permission to set up our own screen. Peter has a small screen and projector, and will seek more quality equipment if possible. Microphones will be used at both locales.

Singing of Songs by Chorus and Audience:

Songs will be presented, and then the audience will be asked to sing along. Sheet music will be provided on every seat for the words, notes and number of stanzas to be completed.

Songs will be led by three to four singers, (led by Sara Mitnik), who will begin each song and sing through, encouraging audience participation.

Frank Vanoni has agreed to help with the St Michael’s choir.

Whether the chorus will dress in choir gowns is to be determined. The plan is for two microphones on stands for the chorus.

The chorus is asked to participate in the few rehearsals, including watching the power point shows.

The high school singers might not all perform on the 19^th, but look forward to the 17^th at OWL and 10^th or 12^th at St. Michaels. we thank them for rehearsing after school on their own.

Cast will wear red tops and back pants/skirts.

Playing of Songs by Musicians:

For Silent Night being sung to guitar accompaniment, 12 year old Meghan Spangenberg has agreed play her guitar.

Litchfield High School Band teacher Dan Porri has informed us that four band members are interested in playing their instruments. 8notes.com Lizzie Wilson is coordinating music.

Instruments are expected to be loud enough that they do not require microphone amplification.

Each musician will be asked to provide their own sheet music stand if needed.

All recording rights of singing and played music published by podcast become the rights of OWLibrary.

At Peter and Mary Tavino’s house following the December 19 show.

Or possible Dec 17 since the 19^th is the school concert.

Peter Tavino will update the website as progress is made.

Edit Dates will be listed at the bottom of this page.

I appreciate how everyone, with whom I have chatted, has been so supportive of this wonderful December program for Litchfield. This Community Service project is for the benefit of the audience and many podcast listeners. Thank you friends for all the ways you participate.

100613 first publication day.

100713 Meghan welcomed. Cohen & Wilsons thanked.

100813 4 instruments and no Wikipedia.

102313 See colored updates.

11/10/13 Power points linked to table

11/17/13 power points & choir songs at St Michaels.

11/19 new table 11/26 rehearsal?

12/1 new table all 17 power points hyper linked in.