The Gospel of the Blues...

Film trailer of acclaimed Canadian blues singer Rita Chiarelli's journey of discovery within the intimidating walls of Louisiana State's maximum security prison entitled Music From the Big House. Stunningly shot with an intriguing mix of both Gospel music and the Blues... official wording reads:

From acclaimed director Bruce McDonald, teaming with an Emmy and Oscar nominated documentary producer, comes a rare and exclusive musical journey. Rita Chiarelli, an award-winning recording artist, has decided to take a pilgrimage to the birthplace of the blues - Louisiana State Maximum Security Penitentiary a.k.a Angola Prison. She never imagined that her love of the blues would lead her to play with inmates serving life sentences for murder, rape and armed robbery.

In what was once the bloodiest prison in America, inmates relatives will be invited to listen alongside other prisoners, to hear remarkable voices singing stories of hope and redemption. Let yourself be swept away by one of Blues' most soulful pilgrim daughters who is finding out if music really is an escape.

P h/t The Wedlocks

Sitzprobe

 

On Friday evening there was an excellent BBC4 documentary following the vibrant soprano Danielle de Niese as she worked towards a performance in a leading role as Susanna in the Marriage of Figaro by Mozart. Part of the ritual of staging an opera is having distinct rehearsal types in sequence:

1. Music
2. Staging
3. Technical
4. Sitzprobe
5. Orchestra staging
6. Full dress rehearsal

Yes, Sitzprobe also struck me as the most fascinating rehearsal, as well as the most unusual word, derived from the German: sitzen (to sit) and proben (to rehearse). The film showed the full cast sitting and listening to the orchestra as all the sections were played, both instrumental and accompaniment. And that's all the cast did, just listen...

In my early days as a musician I noticed more experienced players would stop and listen all the way through as a piece was introduced rather than start playing along as I was prone to do. This gave time to detect extra nuances and other important elements that I was missing by my 'keen to impress' musically immature participation.

Sitzprobe is an important and often overlooked discipline in many aspects of our hectic lives...