Prima Vox: a trio again

While Ann was in Africa on sabbatical, Sara and I were such good little Voxes. We got together, rehearsed our parts and tried not to giggle too much during those awkward, empty spaces when Ann would be singing.

Ann's (finally) home. 

Evidence: three music stands and no more empty spaces to count through.

We're rehearsing intensely for our performance with the Mankato Symphony Orchestra's "Go For Baroque" concert on May 16th. Yes, Baroque music. It's been a stretch for us, since our focus for three years has been Medieval music, but it's been a good challenge. Sara searched out some wonderful pieces for us to perform that, while definitely of the Baroque period, still have some whispers of our familiar Medieval cadences, dissonances and nearly melismatic runs. We've each had to learn something — I, for instance, have a couple of trills and a few high notes that had me worried but I think they're sufficiently tackled.

We're performing in Christ Chapel at Gustavus Adolphus College (where the photo above was taken). It's a space meant for singing in, and during our rehearsal there it was so interesting to hear how our voices blended and stood out and raced toward the ceiling and then filtered down to the pews. It took some getting used to, but by the end of the few hours we spent there, we really felt like we'd made peace with our three voices and that huge space.

We're so fortunate to be able to collaborate with some incredible musicians on a few of our pieces.

Jim McGuire put aside his jazz guitar to provide 

a very lute-like accompaniment on "Sweet, Exclude Me Not."

 And David Fienen stepped down from the magnificent organ

in Christ Chapel to accompany "Maria Magdalena" 

on the little portative organ — it's the perfect sound.

We have a few more rehearsals in the kitchen to go, and then The Voxes Three will be ready to step onto a stage of a very different kind. New opportunities are good.